It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley Movie Review: Not Only a Curated Look at His Life but So Much More

I discovered Jeff Buckley as a college and community radio DJ in the late ’90s. His album Grace was handed to me by one of the other DJ’s and I was told “track 6,” which is Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” So with the CD in hand, I ducked into an empty studio to give it a listen. I dropped the disc into the tray, put on my headphones, pressed play, and then Buckley’s exhale led into a visceral music experience that still affects me to this day. There are some musical moments that forever change you, and this was one of them.

After listening to the song a few times through, I experienced the full album and Buckley’s passion and talent in every track. Whether an original work or a cover, it was evident that each track was a portion of a masterpiece. I wanted more songs. I wanted to see Buckley live. But I learned that there would be no more. Later, there would be posthumous releases, but no true sophomore album. Buckley was gone, his life cut short at just 30. And while there was no legacy to continue building, in his short life and career, Buckley left an indelible mark as an artist. 

Now 31 years after the release of Grace, Academy Award-nominated director Amy Berg is sharing Buckley’s life with the new documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. It showcases never-before-seen footage and photos from his archives and combines those clips with interviews from his mother and other people from his inner circle, all set to the soundtrack of Buckley’s enduring music. 

The product of a teenage relationship between his mother Mary Guibert and musician Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley had a deep desire to be known for his own music and only his music, and not be compared to his father. He strove to be understood, and he felt that if he was compared to his father, he was clearly not being understood. Buckley wanted creative control of his art and his time, and he didn’t want to have to answer to the deadlines and demands of a label and their executives. And while that might sound like Buckley was a difficult person, it was more that he had clear ideas and visions about how his music and songwriting should sound and feel. 

It’s Never Over is not only a curated look at his life, but this doc also touches on how fame and its pressures weighed on and wounded a creative who moved through the world feeling too much. 

The main challenge I had with the documentary was more technical but it also affected the storytelling for me, and that is the way Berg used lower thirds throughout the film. They either came too late for me, or not at all. While the audience gets to “meet” Buckley’s former romantic partners, Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser, in the first few scenes of the film, they are not identified until they actually become a part of the timeline of his life. While I can understand this choice, I would have liked to know who they are from the get go because my first thought was, who are these women and why are they being included in this documentary? The context clues I gathered from them helped a little, but that question continued to linger in my brain until they were finally identified. 

I also wish there were identifiers on the footage of Chris Cornell from the interviews that Berg used. Because while many Gen Xers know who Cornell is, other audience members would not. And while I do consider Cornell a legendary musician, this documentary might be the first time audience members hear Chris Cornell.

Outside of my issues with the lower thirds, I truly enjoyed It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. Berg does a fantastic job of creating intimacy between her audience and her subjects. I came away feeling like I was in the same room with Buckley and his friends and family during most of the film. But that also says a lot about what his inner circle was willing to share about him. Their willingness to talk about and contribute truly personal memories and mementos helped to ensure It’s Never Over is way more than a surface level film that banks on nostalgia and fandom to carry it. My hope is that this film finds more than just his fans but creates new fans of Buckley’s music and helps to build on his legacy.

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley Opens Nationwide on August 8th, 2025

In LA at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre, the Laemmle Noho 7, the Laemmle Glendale, the AMC Burbank Town Center 8, and the LOOK Dine-In Cinemas Glendale

In-Person Q+As with Director Amy Berg Following the Below Screenings
August 9 – Landmark’s Nuart Theatre – 7:00pm – Moderated by Nic Harcourt
August 10 – AMC Burbank Town Center 8 – 1:00pm – Moderated by Katie Walsh
August 10 – Laemmle Glendale – 4:00pm – Moderator TBC
August 11 – Laemmle NoHo 7 – 7:00pm – Moderator TBC

**BONUS**
26 minutes of remastered, previously unreleased footage from a rare solo performance will screen immediately following the film, only in theaters for an extremely limited time