Indie rock band Pavement will have their own biopic, Pavements, taking a less conventional, experimental approach that blends elements of a movie, concert, reunion, and everything in between.
The film stars Stranger Things actor Joe Keery as both himself and frontman/guitarist Stephen Malkmus. Keery, who also performs as a musician under Djo, even jokes in the trailer, “It’s good for my career; maybe I’ll win an award or something.”
Directed by Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell), Pavements is a mock documentary-style film “that may or may not be true, sincere, or entirely accurate.” Blurring the lines of conventional storytelling, it takes a more experimental approach than typical narrative biopics. It incorporates a mix of Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical, the jukebox musical inspired by their music, along with archival footage, rock biopic elements, and a gallery exhibition.
The trailer also features Nat Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band, The Fault In Our Stars as guitarist Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Fred Hechinger (Gladiator II) as percussionist Bob Nastanovich, Logan Miller (Escape Room) as bassist Mark Ibold, Griffin Newman (The Tick) as drummer Steve West, and Jason Schwartzman (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Rushmore) as Chris Lombardi, founder of Matador Records.
The film premiered at the 81st Venice Film Festival in 2024 and is set for a wider release in the United States in June. However, there is no release date set for Philippine screening.
Watch the trailer for Pavements below:
The band, based in Stockton, California, enjoyed their heyday from 1989 to 1999, releasing a total of five albums, including 1992’s Slanted And Enchanted and 1994’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. They had their first reunion in 2010, followed by a second reunion from 2022 to 2024.