The Devil and Daniel Johnston
2005 · Movie · PG-13 · 110 min · ★ 7.7 · 83% critics
This documentary traces the life of a singular musician and artist from childhood to adulthood, using extensive personal recordings and archival material. It focuses on how creativity, faith, and fame intersect with severe mental illness, and how inner “demons” shape both the work and the relationships around it.
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Not currently available to stream in the US.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2005
- Release date
- 2006-03-31
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Critic score
- 83/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.7/10 (141 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you like intimate music documentaries that balance inspiration with difficult realities, such as Searching for Sugar Man or Marley; Not for you if you want a light watch or dislike intense mental-health and religious themes.
Pros: powerful emotional story; fascinating archival footage; thoughtful mental illness portrait | Cons: music may not click; heavy themes throughout; long runtime for some
Themes
- west virginia
- infatuation
- character study
- music documentary
Awards & recognition
- Sundance U.S. Directing Award: Documentary · 2005
Cast & crew
Daniel Johnston
as Self
- BJ
Bill Johnston
as Self
- MJ
Margie Johnston
as Self
- MJ
Mabel Johnston
as Self
- JT
Jeff Tartakov
as Self
- KM
Kathy McCarty
as Self
- DJ
Dick Johnston
as Self
- LA
Laurie Allen
as Self
- SR
Sally Johnston Reid
as Self
Gibby Haynes
as Self
Directed by Jeff Feuerzeig