Review: “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley”

By Morgan Roberts

Director: Amy Berg
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2025

The conversation around Jeff Buckley has largely been shrouded by the events of his passing. His death, for many years, was incorrectly attributed to drugs and/or alcohol. Throughout his life, the albatross of being Tim Buckley’s son weighed him down a bit, particularly for comparisons to a man Jeff never really knew before Tim’s untimely death. But the truth and Jeff’s life lies somewhere in between these tragedies. His music, his artistry, his voice have long been muddled, and now, through interviews, archival footage, and his music, his story is brought to light in new ways in Amy Berg’s documentary film, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley.”

Through interviews with his family and friends, archival footage, and his music, Berg delves into Buckley’s life. The son of teen parents, Buckley was raised primarily by his mother, Mary Guibert. In her interviews, Mary highlights Jeff’s early years, his musical interests. The film also delicately handles Jeff and Tim’s relationship. Noting Tim’s absence for much of Jeff’s life and their single meeting before Tim died of a drug overdose. His father’s death, along with his shadow hung over Jeff throughout much of his life. Hearing his mother and others talk about that displays that his father’s abandonment and unexpected passing had a larger impact on Jeff than maybe Jeff was able to fully discuss or comprehend. And even though the film touches on it, it does not dwell in a way that I think, in lesser hands, one would expect. It is not the only event (or ripple effects) which shaped Jeff’s life, and Berg ensures it is not the only aspect we explore as we aim to understand Jeff.

Jeff Buckley and Mary Guibert in IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Berg paints a portrait of the art that influenced Jeff. Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan were huge influences on Jeff’s music. Berg gives a sense of that art and pairs it with the melodies, lyrics, and vocalizations Jeff explored in his music. Music documentaries can be exceedingly difficult with just the investment in the music alone. In addition to Jeff’s music, the film is filled with Zeppelin, Simone, and others to give audiences a tapestry of sound. They become puzzle pieces that begin to fit together as you hear how “The Man Who Got Away” influenced Jeff’s work. Moreover, for a musician who started by doing covers - and one of his most noted songs, “Hallelujah,” is a Leonard Cohen cover - you also get glimpses of how Jeff made covers uniquely his. He is not the only artist to make a name for themselves with a cover - or some artists really only do covers. What makes it compelling is how an artist can take a song and make it their own. We get snippets from footage from shows or his cover of “Hallelujah,” and his unique artistry, his vocalizations shine through.

His music plays a huge role in this documentary, weaving togethers the stories others share with the reflections of his own experiences of those reality in his songs. It is breathtaking to hear from Rebecca Moore, her relationship with Jeff, and the music that came from the end of their romance. Listening to Mary talk about her son, and hearing how that came to life in his work. Joan Wasser, his partner at the time of his death, discussing their relationship, and witnessing Jeff’s understanding of love. It is the most moving element of the film, and it brings him to life in a way. It finds new shades and meanings and little revelations which make the songs we’ve heard for three decades feel new.

Jeff Buckley in IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo credit: Merri Cyr. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Berg also does not shy away from the difficulties Jeff faced with the pressures of the music industry and the need to make a second record. Those pressures caused Jeff’s mental health to begin to waver, creating internal struggles that would manifest in agitation, rumination, and depressed mood. Considering Jeff’s untimely death has been attributed to the “rock start lifestyle,” it feels a bit risky to explore this part of Jeff’s story; but it would also be a disservice to his memory to omit it. Berg ensures that we hear from those who were around him during this period. Having a parent die young - Tim was only 28 years old when he died - did create a sense of dread in Jeff. You hear from others that he feared he would die young, just like his father. But, you also hear how he was navigating fame and industry pressures; how he was beginning to find peace and letting go of the elements he could not control. He wasn’t a perfect human, and his mental health certainly suffered with the need to make a second album, but he clearly was finding a way to move forward, feeling confident about the new music he was creating. When we do come to Jeff’s passing, the tragedy feels insurmountable all over again. 28 years later, it seems so unimaginable how much Jeff had to give and how short his time was on earth.

It is a fascinating and moving portrait of an artist and a human who used music to connect with others and themself. As younger generations discover Jeff Buckley’s music, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” is a documentary which pays tribute to the musician and the man who touched so many with his work. The film is deeply emotional and beautifully honors Jeff Buckley.

Pair This Film With: “Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Though Film and Music” (2020) dir. Megan Griffiths; “Miss Sharon Jones!” (2015) dir. Barbara Kopple; “Thank You and Good Night” (1991) dir. Jan Oxenberg
Grade: A