SXSW Film Review: Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound

Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound is a music documentary that’s trying to stand out. Following the band as they create their 10th studio album at the height of COVID, the film opens up beyond the usual suspects in this kind of music doc, showcasing the community that has made Mogwai the success story it is today.

The band’s instrumental music acts like a current throughout the documentary: a beating heart that ebbs and flows through talking heads – including collaborators and passionate fans – that emphasize what Mogwai means to them. Director Antony Crook takes the time to sit with his interviewees, and in a way, he’s building a fable about what Mogwai’s legacy really is. By opting to not go the traditional routes of band interviews, the documentary presents a beautiful picture of community surrounding the band – and isn’t community what music is meant to create?

What’s touching about this approach is that there’s absolutely no vanity in the film. With many music documentaries, you see the subjects overexplaining their journey, which usually leads band members into discussions about their craft, their success, sometimes even inner-band disagreements or fights. Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound doesn’t have any of that. Instead, it focuses on the connections made through their music, the people who have been impacted both small and large. For a band whose sound feels like a wave washing over you, it’s lovely.

The film does fall into some of the normal music documentary clichés, but truly only by chance. Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound was designed to cover the journey of their most recent album, but it’s only by luck that the album became such a breakout success for the band. Charting to number one, the moody band from Glasgow achieves what has felt impossible for nearly the whole 25 years of their existence, which makes it a true underdog story. In a time where people relied on music the most to get them through the day, Mogwai did that for so many, without changing the sound that brought everyone together in the first place.

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Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound

24 Beats Per Second, World Premiere

Thursday, March 14, 6:15pm, Alamo Lamar

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