Synopsis
The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.
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Cast
- Nina SimoneHerself
- Lisa SimoneHerself
- Dick GregoryHimself
- Stanley CrouchHimself
- Elisabeth Henry-MacariMiss Mazzie
- Ilyasah ShabazzSelf
Recommendations
- 91
Entertainment Weekly
An excellently clear-eyed primer on the woman whose talent carried her from an impoverished childhood in Tryon, N.C., to the world’s most rarefied stages—and whose political defiance nearly ended her career. - 90
Village Voice
Garbus's film is a portrait of a soul torn apart by forces beyond it and within it. - 80
Variety
Garbus embraces Simone in all her multitudes and contradictions — or at least as many of them as can be comfortably squeezed into a 100-minute running time. - 75
Hitfix
When Garbus lets Simone show us why she's special What Happened, Miss Simone? is successful and vital. - 75
IndieWire
Away from the confessions that induce shock and the divulgences that elicit sympathy, Garbus leaves ample space for lengthy sequences of Simone's performances. - 75
RogerEbert.com
What Happened features some of the best concert footage and musical performances in recent music doc memory, even if it never quite answers the question in its title. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
What Happened, Miss Simone does its job well, proving especially treasurable for its wealth of rare archive film footage and audio material that captures Simone’s fierce talent, fiery temperament and fragile mental health. But it is unlikely to be ranked up there with the best music-themed bio-docs. - 70
The New York Times
An often electric, bracingly urgent documentary.
