Not all reunions are created equal. When adored ‘80s band The Sunnyboys played 21 years after they split, it felt less like a reunion and more like a triumph of spirit, with audiences thrust ecstatically into bearing witness.
Relying mainly on footage of singer and songwriter Jeremy Oxley and his family, this film details why that reunion felt so redemptive. There is no padding about the wider ’80s scene or formulaic cameos from voices of the time, just the personal story of Jeremy Oxley’s battle with schizophrenia and his road to health.
There is a slightly awkward naturalism caused by the camera’s presence in some domestic scenes but some immeasurably tender moments too, especially between Jeremy and his brother (and The Sunnyboys bassist), Peter. Their mutually complicated love sees the film elevate into a more universal story of how families can dispense both love and pain.
