Film

Still Bill

Still Bill is an intimate documentary portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, exploring the man behind timeless classics like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean On Me." Through concert footage, visits to his West Virginia roots, and candid interviews with family and fellow musicians, it reveals how this quietly profound artist wrote songs that became the emotional backbone of generations. It's for anyone who's ever felt seen by a song.

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Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band2020

A musician reflects on a legendary group's formation, creative peak, and dissolution. Like Still Bill, it balances concert footage with introspection and explores how art emerges from specific places and moments in time.

But Focuses heavily on internal band conflicts and legal disputes, which can feel narrower than Withers' broader human story.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band poster

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)2021

Restored footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival reveals performances and artists largely erased from history. It shares Still Bill's gift for letting music speak while honoring the cultural moment that shaped it.

But The archive quality is uneven, and some performances are fragmentary. The narrative is woven rather than linear.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) poster

Muscle Shoals2013

Documents the Alabama studio where Bill Withers recorded some of his greatest work, featuring interviews with the musicians and producers who created magic there. It's a companion piece that deepens your understanding of Still Bill's creative genesis.

But Covers a lot of ground across many artists, so no single story gets the depth that Still Bill achieves.

Muscle Shoals poster

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Eighth Grade2018

Both trust that emotional truth is enough. Neither needs spectacle or artifice. Both understand that the most powerful moments are often the smallest ones.

Bo Burnham's film about adolescence is quiet, tender, and utterly genuine about what it feels like to be seen and unseen. It shares Still Bill's belief that the deepest art comes from simple honesty about being human.

But It's about a 13-year-old girl navigating social anxiety and YouTube. The subject matter is a universe away from soul music or Withers' life.

Eighth Grade poster
More like this (6)

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke2019

Investigates the mysterious death of soul icon Sam Cooke with the intimacy and reverence due to a giant. Matches Still Bill's commitment to understanding the humanity and vulnerability of soul musicians.

But Heavier in tone; it's an investigation into tragedy rather than a celebration of life and legacy.

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke poster

Searching for Sugar Man2012

A detective story about a forgotten musician's unlikely second life, told with warmth and wonder. Like Still Bill, it asks what it means to create art that matters, and to live quietly while your work changes the world.

But The mystery is the point; if you're craving pure musician biography, the narrative puzzle might feel like a distraction.

Searching for Sugar Man poster

20 Feet from Stardom2013

Celebrates the backup singers whose voices shaped soul and rock history. It shares Still Bill's belief that the most important stories are often untold, and that presence matters more than fame.

But Covers many artists across a broad canvas, so individual stories lack the focused portrait you get with Withers.

20 Feet from Stardom poster

Ali2001

Michael Mann's biography of Muhammad Ali explores an icon's public persona against his private self, with genuine curiosity about the man beneath the legend. It has Still Bill's interest in authenticity and contradiction.

But It's nearly three and a half hours, and the narrative is quite dense. The scale is epic rather than intimate.

Ali poster

I Am Not Your Negro2017

Uses James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript to examine race, art, and American identity. It's grounded in a single artist's voice and wisdom, much like Still Bill's trust in letting Withers speak for himself.

But Confrontational and demanding; it asks a lot of the viewer and offers no comfort in its conclusions.

I Am Not Your Negro poster

The Wrecking Crew2026

Chronicles the LA session musicians who played on countless hits without recognition. It's a hymn to invisible creators, and shares Still Bill's interest in the people whose work shaped culture from the margins.

But More of a scrapbook than a narrative; it moves quickly across decades and dozens of names without deep focus on any one life.

The Wrecking Crew poster

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