Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss
Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss [1] is a 2021 documentary film, directed by Tommy Oliver. Focusing on the life and death of American rapper and singer Juice Wrld, the documentary is the sixth and final part of the HBO Max documentary series Music Box.[2] It premiered at the AFI Fest on November 12, 2021, where it won the AFI Fest Documentary Audience Award, and it officially debuted on December 16, 2021, with an exclusive preview at the Juice WRLD Day event held at Chicago's United Center on December 9.[3]
Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss | |
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Directed by | Tommy Oliver |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Tommy Oliver |
Edited by |
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Music by | Juice Wrld |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | HBO |
Release dates |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Cast
All star as themselves.
- Juice Wrld (archival footage)
- Ally Lotti
- Cole Bennett
- Benny Blanco
- DJ Scheme
- G Herbo
- iLoveMakonnen
- The Kid Laroi
- Lil Bibby
- Polo G
- Rex Kudo
- Ski Mask the Slump God
- D-Savage
Production
Shot, edited, and produced by Oliver, the documentary contains footage from Juice's last years, and contains appearances from numerous friends and family of his, including his protégé The Kid Laroi, girlfriend Ally Lotti, and manager Lil Bibby. It also features numerous frequent collaborators of Juice's, including rappers Ski Mask the Slump God, Polo G, and G Herbo, producers Benny Blanco, Rex Kudo, and Hit-Boy, and music video director Cole Bennett.
Release
Into the Abyss premiered at the AFI Fest on November 12, 2021, where it won the AFI Fest Documentary Audience Award, and it officially debuted on December 16, 2021, with an exclusive preview at the Juice WRLD Day event held at Chicago's United Center on December 9.[3]
The documentary's release was preceded by the release of Juice's fourth studio album and second to be released posthumously, Fighting Demons.[4][5] The first single from the album, "Already Dead", was released to streaming services on November 12, 2021. The album was officially released by Juice's labels, Grade A and Interscope Records on December 10, 2021.
Critical response
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.[6] Conversely, film critic Steve Pulaski of Influx Magazine gave the film a negative review, saying, "Into the Abyss is perhaps the grimiest documentary that could be made about the late Chicago legend. Sloppy editing is one thing, but to show intimate footage of the 21-year-old artist’s spiral into addiction in such an uncritical way feels especially cruel."[7]
References
- "'Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss' Review: Gone-Too-Soon Rapper Tells His Story in Elegiac Documentary". November 13, 2021.
- "Music Box | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com". HBO.
- "Juice WRLD Day 2021". Juice WRLD | 999 CLUB.
- "Juice WRLD to Release Posthumous Album Fighting Demons on Dec. 10". November 11, 2021.
- "New posthumous Juice WRLD album 'Fighting Demons' set to drop next month". NME. November 12, 2021.
- "Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
- Pulaski, Steve. ""Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss" (2021) Review". Influx Magazine.