The 1980s produced some fantastic British Pop duos unique to any decade that came before or thereafter. You had Tears for Fears, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, Erasure, Soft Cell, and, of course, Wham! Formed in the town of Bushey, England, by childhood friends George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, Wham! would become one of the most successful Pop acts of the decade. Selling more than 30 million records over time, what is really most impressive is that the duo accomplished their success within a mere four-year window. Yes, that is right, Wham! released their first single in ’82, and by late ’86, were no more.
A curious story of why such a mega successful Pop team decided to go separate ways, what really happened? Was it a case of money? No. Was it a case of jealousy among the two friends? No. So, again, why break up while you are on top? Well, like most things in life, there is almost more than meets the eye. A story most Wham! fans are more than likely pretty well-versed in, now they have the opportunity to see more behind the scenes of the group in the brand-new documentary Wham!.
Released through Netflix on July 5, 2023, the new documentary is directed by Chris Smith (American Movie 1999, Jim & Andy 2017). Additionally, it is very much an official film with both full support from Ridgeley as well as approval from George Michael’s estate. With this, you get tons of never-before-seen footage of Ridgeley and Michael in their younger years, behind-the-scenes footage of concerts, and archival interviews. Much of the footage is probably from Wham! own achievements, but what is really cool is the fact that fans were invited to offer any footage they might have of Wham! from back in the day.
Now, you probably think this will be like most documentaries with a ton of on-screen interviews, but that is not the approach at all. Instead, Smith opts to use a plethora of archival material, particularly audio of both Michael and Ridgeley speaking. Acting as a narrator for the film, the dialogue between Michael and Ridgeley, coupled with flawless music placement, helps the film flow very smoothly.
That said, what really stands out about the film is the candid honesty. As the sole survivor member of Wham!, Ridgeley sincerely pleads his love for his dear friend Yog (George Michael). This factor is really rather beautiful because there is no ego involved, and that is really nice to see in the modern narcissistic world. Anyway, the boldest takeaway from this film is that Michael and Ridgeley were not just musical partners but lifelong friends who really could not have accomplished what they did without one another.
Some might like to say Ridgeley was simply along for the ride, but this is an unfair and unjust assumption from the media. You see, the duo had known one another since boyhood, and Michael was a shy individual who lacked self-confidence, whereas Ridgeley was self-assured but also a little wilder. Many of us can relate to this kind of dynamic because, truthfully, opposites do attract. Sometimes, the less confident individual needs that push or inspiration from someone else to come out of their shell to reach their full potential…. this is what Ridgeley was to Michael. Moreover, Ridgeley was one of the only people at a young age Michael opened up to about his sexuality; thus, showing the level of trust these two had in one another.
All in all, this new Wham! documentary is a fitting love letter to the success of two young British boys who earned more fame than they could have ever dreamed of and to the legacy of the late George Michael. Keep in mind if you are looking to dive deeply into Michael’s life, sexuality, or post-Wham! career, you are not going to find it here… but that is simply not the intention of this film. This film stands strong as an informative, lovely look into what made Wham! and the power of friendship. For this, Cryptic Rock gives Wham! 5 out of 5 stars.
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