Flipside

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2:03

Flipside

2024

1h 35m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. FLIPSIDE documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. In the process, Wilcha captures This American Life icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie's ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and uncovers the unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive--a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jul 13, 2024

Fantastic... I look at this from a wee bit outside of the shell, but still very clearly.

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Cindy White

AV Club

Jul 4, 2024

A-

Make no mistake, though this documentary may be a collection of seemingly random threads, there is a cohesive narrative here. It’s the story of the second coming-of-age, when you start shifting your gaze from the future to the past.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Jun 28, 2024

Chris Wilcha’s documentary explores life, love, and art through his connection to a venerable record store.

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Chuck Bowen

Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

Mar 21, 2025

“Flipside” is catnip, then, for people who suspect that they are failed artists and cowards of convention, though normies should be moved as well by the pall of middle-age that hangs over it. T

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Tim Miller

Cape Cod Wave Magazine

Aug 17, 2024

4/4

The segments blend into something profound, as they deal with life’s choices, the passage of time, finding meaning – all exemplified by the lives of Wilcha’s subjects. ... One of the film’s messages: It’s never too late. That is, until it is.

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Manuel Betancourt

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jul 13, 2024

Easily my favorite film of the week... A documentary about failed endeavors and learning to let go.

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Christina Blackaller

Jun 9, 2024

Go see this film. Dont even read about it. Just go.

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Vince Q.

@Vincedeq Nov 1, 2025

The filmmaker documents his attempt to help resurrect Flip Side Records in New York City, the site of his first high-school job. Charming short film that evokes the sensibility of a bygone era. If you know what vinyl is, you’ll appreciate this walk down memory lane.

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David D

@RT78765116 Apr 1, 2025

A poignant and bittersweet film that transcends the confines of its setting in a record store. It's a deeply reflective journey that speaks to anyone who is both sentimental and intellectually attuned, particularly those with a passion for music. This film resonated with me on a profound level, and I truly appreciated its raw honesty and emotional depth.

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Rebecca T

@RT67497741 Jan 1, 2025

This movie knits several “unfinished” documentary ideas together and, in the process, offers an inside look into creatives, as told by several artists from different genres. Loved it!

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John S

@RT35039932 Jun 23, 2024

The movie had no continuity. It moved from one scenario to the next without tying them together. I had not heard of most of the people that the "documentary" alluded to.

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Christopher Wilcha

Director

Christopher Wilcha

Self

Joe Beshenkovsky

Screenwriter

Adam Samuel Goldman

Screenwriter

Christopher Wilcha

Screenwriter

Joe Beshenkovsky

Producer

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Synopsis

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. FLIPSIDE documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. In the process, Wilcha captures This American Life icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie's ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and uncovers the unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive--a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

Director: Christopher Wilcha
Producer: Joe Beshenkovsky, Michelle Currinder, Alex Fisch, Adam Samuel Goldman, James A. Smith, Christopher Wilcha
Screenwriter: Joe Beshenkovsky, Adam Samuel Goldman, Christopher Wilcha
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Deep Cut, Every Other, Exploded View
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 35m

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