Details from IMDB:
Bono: Stories of Surrender
- 2025
- 1h 26m
Bono shares life stories and U2 songs in an intimate show, exploring relationships with family, friends, and faith. Features unseen footage from his Beacon Theatre performances of “Stories of Surrender.”
- Director
- Stars
Initial Thoughts:
I have loved U2 since the late 80s and was lucky enough to see them twice in concert. I also listened to Bono’s book “Songs of Surrender” (which I loved), so there was never any doubt I would watch this film adaptation. So today, when I realized I had two offers for AppleTV+, I gave it a watch as I was in the mood for a documentary.
Main Points:
This is an interesting combination of a concert film and a documentary. Bono talks a fair bit about his band, his wife, his dad, his mom and snippets from his life (along with a fair bit of death and grief). It is a very different performance of U2 songs, as he changes many of the words to fit what he had been talking about before, and it’s not played with the band, but with a harp, drums, and a cello. I love Bono. I think he has done tremendous good in the world, and he’s a great example of a celebrity who is charitable and uses his fame to make the world better. He’s an excellent singer and a great storyteller, but there are moments where you can see his large ego (he does poke fun at himself at times, he even makes a joke, and when there’s just a spattering of laughter, he says, “You don’t have to laugh!”). He is trying to turn his life into some kind of play, almost, and there are moments where it works well, others fall a little flat.
That said, when he talks about his mom, the pain he went through losing her at 14 and how his dad made it much worse. Then talks about how he never became friends with his dad until after he died (which is impossible in the strictest sense, but I get it, he became friends with the spirit/memory of him), it hit me in the feels hard, and there were some beautiful moments. Bono’s voice sounds great, and it made me want to see U2 in concert one more time. I liked how the film is 99% in black and white, the lighting show/filming choices are cool and different, and I especially loved it when he sang some of his dad’s favourite opera songs towards the end. The discussions of faith, happiness and what it means to be in a band were also wonderful to watch and made me love Bono even more.
Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes U2, or if you have read Bono’s book, it’s a must-watch. My only real complaint is that I wish he had sung complete songs, not just snippets, and that he hadn’t made it so theatrical at times. Bono is many things, but he’s not an actor, and those parts took me out of the film a little bit. I give this 8 out of 10, I quite enjoyed it and I hope Bono continues to make music, write books and do his best to make the world better. Not for children due to adult themes and some coarse language, ages 14+.