The Last Critic

Nordic Premiere 

Wednesday 9.9. at 6 PM, Tent 

Documentary, 2026, USA

Director: Matty Wishnow
Duration: 1 h 23 min
Themes: New York, music, journalism, criticism
Language: English; subtitles not announced
Age rating: General viewership

Director Matty Wishnow will be present at the screening.

“It has been said of critics that opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one. But few people have 10,000 of them,” says the documentary's main subject, Robert Christgau – perhaps the world's most famous and beloved music critic.

At 83 years old, he still sits in New York, surrounded by his 36,000 vinyl records, writing daily album reviews in the same manner he has for the past 50 years.

Christgau has written music criticism for publications such as Rolling Stone, Creem, and The New York Times, but he is best known for his work at The Village Voice, where he wrote for 37 years until the iconic publication ceased operations.

Christgau's reviews have been described as akin to haiku poems. They have been awaited, feared, admired, and hated. Whatever one thinks of the legendary critic, Christgau's dedication commands respect. He might spin a record multiple extra times just to confirm whether the rating is truly an A or an A+.

The Last Critic is the directorial debut of Matty Wishnow, who has worked as a journalist, author, and record store owner. The documentary features Christgau's wife, daughter, colleagues, and artists, the latter of whom the critic has not always handled with kid gloves.

The inspiring documentary premiered at the SXSW festival, where, fittingly, it won the critics' special award.

Other credits:

Editing: Paul Lovelace
Music: Carmen Elle
Producers: Paul Lovelace, Ben Wu
Production Company: Past Prime Productions