From an early childhood invested in music to an untimely death, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” outlines the life and times of the legendary singer-songwriter.
Directed and produced by Amy Berg, this documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Through the course of 106 minutes, the film provides a narrative of Buckley’s life through old photos, recordings and interviews with the people he was closest to in life. During this time, the film paints a picture of the true Jeff Buckley–the person beneath the pressure of trying to outdo the success of his first and only album, “Grace.”
One theme that stands out is the paradox of chasing dreams. Buckley is depicted spending his youth trying to make a name for himself. He aimed to get out of the shadow of his late father, Tim Buckley. With the release of “Grace,” he did just that and almost backed himself into a corner. The film shows several interviews with Buckley, as well as stories from former bandmates, as he tried to confront the pressure of creating another album. He took a break from music, opting to live in Memphis, Tennessee, where he drowned in 1997.
Buckley is perhaps best known for his song “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” from which the title takes inspiration, or his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Besides these two songs, Buckley tends to be a lesser-known artist with a small yet devoted group of fans. His music met more success in Europe than in the United States while he was alive. His backstory is largely untold, and this documentary aims to fix that.
The documentary does a great job at showing Buckley through the lens of everyone who knew him. At times, the narrative tends to feel like a typical musician documentary. One main reason it gets set apart, though, is the interviews from his loved ones. Watching his mother, ex-girlfriends and former bandmates talk about Buckley creates the sense that the documentary is a eulogy of an old friend rather than a late musician. The film depicts how Buckley’s relationship with many of these people struggled at times, but despite it all, they all look back on him and his life through tears and memories. It creates a sense of the deep loss felt by everyone who knew him.
His mother, Mary Guibert, gives the most poignant perspective on the documentary. The film begins with her explaining what it was like to start out as a single teenage mother who once had her own dreams of pursuing music. Buckley’s birth changed her plans, but she lovingly describes how he was constantly singing and trying to protect her growing up. At the end, she describes what it was like to receive the phone call informing her of his death, and she plays the last voicemail she received from her son. At its core, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” is just the story of a mother grieving her child.
Fans of Buckley and music lovers in general will find something in this documentary. While the filmmaking isn’t entirely groundbreaking, it is still a great insight into what fame and success can do to someone. Buckley’s flaws and strengths are put on full display to tell a vulnerable story of the life of a misunderstood musician.