Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party

Play trailer

Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party

2024

1h 43m

Documentary

Music

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

99%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

In 2024, the long-thought lost 16mm reels of Tom Petty in Cameron Crowe's first film, "Heartbreakers Beach Party", were finally found. The classic '80s documentary captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the "Long After Dark" album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). After its initial airing on MTV in 1983, the film was deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air. In more than 40 years since, it has become folklore to fans, musicians and within the entertainment industry -- even credited with inspiring scenes in Spinal Tap. The highly anticipated and fully remastered "Heartbreakers Beach Party" is a fun, candid, fast paced, and musically rich ride with America's greatest rock & roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare and shining glimpse into Tom Petty's lasting creative genius.

Audience Says

A candid glimpse at the Tom Petty’s Long After Dark tour in the ‘80s, Heartbreakers Beach Party is a time-traveling experience and a proper tribute to the rock-defying legend.

Read Audience Reviews

Liz Shannon Miller

Consequence

10/16/2024

Crowe has learned how to seem like the band’s friend, which makes the film’s most honest and revealing moments possible. But there’s still enough fan in him for the film to ultimately feel like a celebration of their work.

Go to Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Guardian

10/16/2024

3/5

Of course, the music is the main attraction and that’s served well, with long chunks of performance footage that aren’t sliced and diced as much as they would be in a contemporary rock doc.

Go to Full Review

Johnny Loftus

Decider

03/12/2025

Beach Party is for the most part a very good time, since you can tell throughout that Petty and the Heartbreakers themselves were having a very good.

Go to Full Review

Terry Staunton

Radio Times

10/25/2024

4/5

It's an insightful portrait into both the building blocks of a great rock band and the music-business hurdles they faced along the way.

Go to Full Review

Peter Sobczynski

Auteurist Class (Substack)

10/18/2024

For fans of Petty and Crowe alike, it is a must that shows both at key moments in the evolutions of their respective artistic journeys

Go to Full Review

Erin Free

FILMINK (Australia)

10/16/2024

18.5/20

It’s a terrific time capsule capturing an essential American band at a key point in their long and winding career.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

silent b

11/07/2024

so great basically watching a music video in all the right ways

See more

Carrie

11/04/2024

I thought the documentary was very informative. I throughly enjoyed it.

See more

ELIZABETH G

10/30/2024

Captivating, real, so much background. Loved it.

See more

Hamilton H

10/28/2024

A must-see for fans. Go back in time to an amazing era for the band, full of TPs great sense of humor.

See more

Gregory

10/23/2024

A nice glimpse into that period for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

See more

Karen Cheek

10/23/2024

As a huge Tom Petty fan, I enjoyed every moment of this documentary, from private moments to public performances, it was absolutely wonderful! Thank you, Cameron Crowe! Tom Petty forever ❤️

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Cameron Crowe

Director

Doug Dowdle

Director

Phil Savenick

Director

Tom Petty

Self

Cameron Crowe

Self

Mike Campbell

Self

Neil Young: Harvest Time

100%

95%

Neil Young: Harvest Time

Watchlist

Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free

90%

100%

Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free

Watchlist

Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback

100%

97%

Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback

Watchlist

DIG! XX

100%

%

DIG! XX

Watchlist

Becoming Led Zeppelin

85%

95%

Becoming Led Zeppelin

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Becoming Led Zeppelin

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In 2024, the long-thought lost 16mm reels of Tom Petty in Cameron Crowe's first film, "Heartbreakers Beach Party", were finally found. The classic '80s documentary captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the "Long After Dark" album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). After its initial airing on MTV in 1983, the film was deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air. In more than 40 years since, it has become folklore to fans, musicians and within the entertainment industry -- even credited with inspiring scenes in Spinal Tap. The highly anticipated and fully remastered "Heartbreakers Beach Party" is a fun, candid, fast paced, and musically rich ride with America's greatest rock & roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare and shining glimpse into Tom Petty's lasting creative genius.

Director: Cameron Crowe, Doug Dowdle, Phil Savenick
Producer: Phil Savenick, Cameron Crowe, Adria Petty, Greg Mariotti, Sarah Haber
Distributor: Trafalgar Releasing
Production Co: Levels Audio Post
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2025
Runtime: 1h 43m