Sir Elton John’s final tour has been immortalized in a new documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered at the London Film Festival.
Co-directed by his husband David Furnish and RJ Cutler, the film captures Sir Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which spanned from 2018 to 2023.
The centerpiece of the documentary is his emotional return to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where he first performed to 110,000 fans in 1975, and his final 2022 concert at the same venue.
The film weaves tour footage with archival material from Sir Elton’s early career, particularly his rise to stardom in the 1970s.
It explores not only his musical genius but also his personal journey, including his struggles with drug use and his public coming out as bisexual in a 1976 Rolling Stone interview, which affected his career at the time.
The documentary emphasizes the cultural shift in attitudes toward homosexuality, showing how Sir Elton is now an openly gay man with a family—a dramatic change from the era in which he rose to fame.
Critics have offered mixed reviews. Variety praised the documentary, calling it a “satisfying” portrayal of Sir Elton’s stardom and struggles.
In contrast, The Guardian critiqued it for being a “thin portrait,” arguing that it lacks deeper emotional exploration, particularly regarding Sir Elton’s family life, which is only briefly touched upon.
IndieWire echoed this, calling the film “competent but largely conventional,” while AwardsWatch hailed it as a “simple, well-made documentary” offering a fond farewell to one of pop’s greatest icons.
Beyond the documentary, Sir Elton remains in the spotlight.
He recently accepted the Legacy Award at the Attitude Awards, dedicating it to his family and reaffirming his commitment to fighting for LGBT rights.
Sir Elton’s impressive career was further cemented when he achieved EGOT status earlier this year after winning an Emmy for his Farewell From Dodger Stadium concert film.
His next project is the highly anticipated opening of the musical The Devil Wears Prada in London’s West End, for which he composed the music.
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