Looking for Johnny (2014): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2014, Looking for Johnny is a documentary film directed by Danny Garcia, running about 94 minutes. “A documentary on the dangerous life of the New York Dolls and Heartbreakers guitarist” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Johnny Thunders was the legendary hard-living rock'n'roll guitarist who inspired glam-metal, punk and the music scene in general. 'Looking For Johnny' is a 90-minute film that documents Thunders' career from his beginnings to his tragic death in 1991. The film examines Johnny Thunders' career from the early 70's as a founding member of the influential New York Dolls; the birth of the punk scene with The Heartbreakers in New York City and London; Gang War and The Oddballs. It also explores Johnny's unique musical style, his personal battle with drugs and theories on his death in a New Orleans hotel in 1991 at age 38. The film includes forty songs with historic film of Johnny, including unseen New York Dolls and Heartbreakers footage and photos. Cult filmmakers Bob Gruen, Don Letts, Patrick Grandperret, Rachael Amadeo and others contribute classic archive footage.

Who’s in it. Looking for Johnny stars Johnny Thunders as Himself (archive footage), Jerry Nolan as Himself (archive footage), Sylvain Sylvain as Himself and Malcolm McLaren as Himself, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Looking for Johnny has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Night Flight Plus and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Looking for Johnny page.

If you liked it. Fans of Looking for Johnny tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.