At its core, cult phenomenon “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a film about conservative values versus transgression. The viewers surrogates, Brad (asshole!) and Janet (slut!), are two naïve virgins and the dwelling embodiment of the phrase “stuffy” who’re thrown right into a world of mad scientist transvestites, hunky Frankensteins, and alien butlers and maids. Certain, the kinky, queer world the 2 squares fall into is harmful, however it’s additionally a variety of enjoyable, and “Rocky Horror” makes it clear that it’s additionally liberating for the younger virgins to flee their conservative world, don some fishnet tights, and embrace their inside freak.
“Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror” is a documentary that loudly, and proudly, celebrates the freaks and the misfits who’ve discovered solace within the rock ‘n roll musical movie since its 1975 premiere. And but, it matches extra within the “sq.” class than it ought to. Directed with apparent reverence by Linus O’Brien, the son of unique “Rocky Horror” author Richard O’Brien, “Unusual Journey” is a candy and gratifying movie that nonetheless feels identifical to a whole lot of different film and music documentaries, simply with an edgier topic at its middle.
Is {that a} dangerous factor? Your mileage will range. Full of speaking heads, archival footage, and nonetheless pictures, “Unusual Journey” is a meat-and-potatoes doc through-and-through. But when, like Susan Sarandon’s Janet memorably sings, you’ve tasted blood and also you need extra (extra, extra, extra), these meat-and-potatoes will nonetheless style decently appetizing.
The movie begins like many documentaries of artists do: with footage of Richard O’Brien returning to his hometown (right here, Tarunaga, New Zealand) to tour his previous neighborhood and go to a statue of himself, sporting fishnets and stilettos. From there, and throughout a breezy 90 minutes and alter, the youthful O’Brien dutifully goes over the ’70s journey of “Rocky Horror” from an concept in his father’s head to a West Finish manufacturing to a flop movie to a cult midnight film phenomenon, overlaying every step of the journey by way of his father’s recollections in addition to these of his key collaborators. It’s all charming enjoyable, full of clear affection for the unique movie.
On the identical time, anyone who is aware of something about “Rocky Horror” is unlikely to come back away from “Unusual Journey” having realized something new. Rushing by way of the story in 90 minutes means the movie by no means outstays its welcome, however it additionally signifies that the anecdotes — from O’Brien gaining inspiration for the musical by attending midnight film showings to the collaboration of the scrappy unique manufacturing to the making of the movement image — additionally keep floor stage and basically public information. Every thing to be discovered within the movie can probably be gleamed by selecting up a ebook, or monitoring down a information interview with O’Brien or the solid. And sure elements of the story get shortchanged: your entire improvement of the enduring “shadow solid” reveals that made the movie model of “Rocky Horror” a real cult traditional in America will get relegated to twenty minutes earlier than the documentary wraps issues up.
The large draw for many followers will, probably, simply to have the ability to hear the story from the mouths of all of the individuals who introduced the beloved movie to life. Whereas some key figures won’t be round anymore (the movie is devoted to Sal Piro, one of the distinguished massive title followers within the film’s early years and who died in 2023), by and huge all the key collaborators on the unique musical and the film are current and accounted for together with: director Jim Sharman, producer Lou Adler, musical director Richard Hartley, costume designer Sue Blane, and stars Tim Curry, Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, and even Peter Hinwood.
The love this crew has for his or her work is apparent, and so they converse intelligently concerning the affect that “Rocky Horror” had with the queer neighborhood and the way its transgressive themes are nonetheless related at the moment. Sarandon is a very sharp, humorous topic, who whereas discussing Janet’s sexual liberation arc and its relevance in the course of the ’70s feminist motion sums up the movie’s ethical neatly: “I feel the film’s about saying sure, to life, to every thing.”
There’s additionally some appearances from well-known followers of the movie in addition to film historians. Some really feel a bit perfunctory and unrevealing, equivalent to Jack Black popping in for a section to speak concerning the late Meat Loaf’s scene-stealing cameo. Others are extra poignant: the movie is bookended by interviews with drag queen Trixie Mattel, who speaks about how seeing “Rocky Horror” for the primary time allowed her to discover drag safely whereas rising up in rural, conservative Wisconsin.
Additionally candy are the uncommon instances the O’Briens are onscreen collectively, even when the documentary doesn’t probe too strongly into Richard O’Brien’s gender id (he describes himself as third gender, “70 p.c male and 30 p.c feminine”). There’s a model of “Unusual Journey” that maybe is extra explicitly private, a father-son story and a portrait of the artist slightly than the work he created, and also you get the sense that would have been a extra revealing and memorable documentary, even when what we acquired is completely stable.
When requested what “Rocky Horror” means to him on the documentary’s conclusion, Richard O’Brien recounts a narrative the place a fan advised him, “It doesn’t matter what you consider ‘Rocky Horror’ anymore Richard, as a result of it’s not yours. It belongs to us, to not you.” That’s maybe true of the documentary, which — because the Piro dedication may tip off — is a love letter to the followers before everything earlier than it’s the rest. Credit score to it, the movie achieves that aim with flying colours: anybody who lives, breathes, and bleeds “Rocky Horror” will discover consolation in “Unusual Journey” and its celebration of the musical’s enduring legacy. Anyone else gained’t discover a lot to seize onto.
Grade: B-
“Unusual Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror” premiered on the SXSW 2025 Movie Competition. It’s at the moment searching for distribution.
