Movie review
October 15, 2021 · 121 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Velvet Underground.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent historical queer representation from Warhol scene and Reed’s sexuality is visibly featured via interviews and archival footage.
Woke political dialogue
Historical counterculture focus only; no modern activist speeches or ideological lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Queer sensibility, sexual fluidity, outsider discomfort, and transgressive sexuality are recurring and emphasized as key to the band’s legacy and appeal.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Historical portrayal of 1960s mainstream norms as repressive toward non-normative art and sexuality; no modern systemic activist framing.
Review
This 2021 documentary directed by Todd Haynes presents an oral history of the 1960s rock band The Velvet Underground and its deep roots in New York’s avant-garde art scene, particularly the Warhol Factory. It blends archival footage, split-screen visuals, and interviews to capture the group’s experimental music and cultural moment. The film visibly emphasizes queer identity, sexual fluidity, outsider discomfort, and transgressive themes from the era as central to the band’s appeal and legacy.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No significant backlash claiming the title is too woke or pushes identity politics.
Creator track record context
Director Todd Haynes and Killer Films producers have a clear, long-standing pattern of queer identity and subversive projects.
Production
