Terrence Malick is a bit of a polarizing figure, isn't he? You either love his floaty, poetic camera work or you want to throw your popcorn at the screen because nothing "happens." When Song to Song 2017 finally hit theaters after years of rumors and a notoriously long editing process, it didn't exactly settle the debate. In fact, it kind of poured gasoline on it. Set against the sweaty, neon-soaked backdrop of the Austin, Texas music scene, specifically around festivals like ACL and SXSW, the film attempts to capture the feeling of being young, talented, and completely lost.
It’s messy. It’s gorgeous. It’s arguably one of the most honest depictions of the "scene" ever put to film, even if it ignores a traditional script almost entirely.
What Actually Happens in Song to Song 2017?
The plot is thin, but the emotions are heavy. Basically, you have a love square. Faye (Rooney Mara) is an aspiring guitarist who gets entangled with Cook (Michael Fassbender), a wealthy, predatory music mogul who reeks of "bad news" from the second he appears on screen. Then there’s BV (Ryan Gosling), a struggling songwriter who falls for Faye, unaware of her history with Cook. Throw in Natalie Portman as a local waitress drawn into Cook's orbit, and you have a recipe for a lot of whispering and dramatic staring at sunsets.
Malick filmed this over several years. If you were at Austin City Limits in 2012, you might have actually seen Gosling and Mara wandering around on stage during real sets. That’s the magic of it. There is no fake "movie" version of a concert here. You see Die Antwoord, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and Lykke Li just hanging out. They aren't playing characters; they’re playing themselves, providing a strange, documentary-style weight to a story that feels like a fever dream.
Honestly, the "story" is just a vessel for Malick to explore his usual themes: betrayal, the search for something holy in a material world, and how people use each other to feel alive. It’s a movie about the music industry that barely features any finished songs. It’s about the vibe of the industry—the parties, the empty luxury houses, the feeling that you’re selling your soul for a record deal that might not even matter.
💡 You might also like: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
Why the Production of Song to Song Became Legendary
The back-of-the-napkin history of this film is wild. Originally titled Weightless, it was shot back-to-back with another Malick project, Knight of Cups. Because Malick doesn't use traditional scripts, he basically just gave his actors "prompts." Imagine being Ryan Gosling and having a director tell you to "explore the space" while Patti Smith gives you life advice in a trailer. That’s how this movie was made.
The sheer volume of footage was staggering. Malick is famous for cutting huge stars out of his movies entirely—just ask Christian Bale or Sean Penn about their experiences on his other sets. For Song to Song 2017, actors like Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Benicio del Toro were reportedly filmed but didn't make the final cut, or were reduced to blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos. This creates a weirdly claustrophobic feeling. You know there’s a bigger world out there, but you’re stuck in the heads of these four beautiful, miserable people.
The cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is, predictably, the real star. They used wide-angle lenses and natural light almost exclusively. It makes the Austin sun look brutal and the interiors look like hollowed-out cathedrals. If you’ve ever been to a music festival and felt that weird mix of euphoria and sudden, crushing loneliness when the sun goes down, this movie nails that sensation.
The Austin Music Scene: Real or Fake?
One of the biggest criticisms of the film is that it doesn't represent the "real" Austin. Where are the dive bars? Where is the grime? Malick focuses on the high-end side of things—the glass towers and the private backstage areas. But maybe that’s the point. Faye and BV are trying to climb a ladder that leads to Cook’s world, which is sterile and cold.
📖 Related: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
The cameos are where the authenticity hides:
- Patti Smith: She acts as a sort of spiritual godmother to Faye. Her scenes feel unscripted and genuinely moving.
- Big Freedia: Brings a burst of much-needed energy to a movie that can sometimes feel a bit too somber.
- Iggy Pop: Offers some grizzled wisdom about the industry that feels like it came from decades of actual scar tissue.
These aren't just cameos for the sake of it. They ground the ethereal visuals in the reality of what it means to be a lifer in the music business. When Patti Smith talks about her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, it isn't a line from a screenplay. It's real. That blurring of lines is what makes Song to Song 2017 more than just a stylized romance.
Making Sense of the Criticism
Critics weren't kind. At the time of release, many called it self-indulgent. Some said it was a "perfume commercial" stretched out to two hours. And yeah, if you’re looking for a tight three-act structure, you’re going to be annoyed. You'll probably find yourself checking your watch around the 90-minute mark.
But looking back on it nearly a decade later, the film feels ahead of its time. We live in an era of "vibe cinema" and fragmented narratives. The way we consume media now—scrolling through short, beautiful clips on social media—actually mirrors Malick’s editing style. He cuts on motion and emotion rather than logic. It’s a visual tone poem. You don't watch it; you let it wash over you.
👉 See also: Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus Explained (Simply)
Michael Fassbender's performance as Cook is particularly underrated. He’s terrifying. Not in a "villain with a gun" way, but in a "man with too much power and no soul" way. He treats people like instruments. He plays them, then he gets bored and puts them back in the case. Contrast that with Gosling’s quiet, almost receding performance, and you see the power dynamic of the industry laid bare.
How to Watch Song to Song 2017 Today
If you’re going to dive into this movie for the first time, or maybe give it a second chance, you have to change your expectations. Don't look for a plot. Look for moments.
- Watch the body language: Malick told his actors to focus on touch and proximity. The way Faye leans away from Cook or toward BV tells you more than any dialogue ever could.
- Listen to the soundscape: The film uses a lot of voiceover. It’s supposed to be the internal monologue we all have—the messy, unformed thoughts we don't say out loud.
- Check the background: Since they filmed during real festivals, there’s a lot of "stolen" footage of real crowds. It captures a specific moment in the 2010s music culture that is already starting to feel like a time capsule.
Song to Song 2017 is a reminder that movies can be art, even when that art is frustrating. It’s a film about the desire to find something "real" in a world that’s increasingly fake. Whether it succeeds is up to you, but it’s impossible to deny that it leaves an impression.
To get the most out of the film, watch it on the largest screen possible with the lights off. It’s a sensory experience. If you’re a musician, pay attention to the scenes with Patti Smith; there’s more wisdom in her five minutes of screen time than in most career advice books. After finishing the movie, look up the soundtrack list—it’s an eclectic mix ranging from Bob Marley to Arvo Pärt, reflecting the chaotic, beautiful mess that Malick was trying to capture.