One Direction: This is Us review

I know, I know, I will lose some of my fantastic (ahem) reputation if I say that I was entertained by the new One Direction movie. I may even be torn to shreds by some of you but remember that One Direction is essentially Radio 1’s bread and butter (slight exaggeration) and if you can’t beat ‘em, etc…

I was dreading seeing this film, I’m not a huge fan of docs which follow singers around, the last couple being Talihina Nights: The Story of the Kings of Leon and Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never. They were both tedious, so I didn’t have high hopes for this one. The title came up, the music began, my foot started tapping and then I sang. Aloud. “I’m in trouble,” I think, “this wasn’t supposed to happen.” And then… LOUIS. ZAYN. HARRY. NIALL. LIAM. punctuate the screen and I’m just another excited fan. But then again, I’m in great company, because according to the doc, so are Martin Scorsese, Chris Rock and Cristiano Ronaldo. I even let out a little squeal when Radio 1’s very own @scott_mills was on screen for all of 2 seconds.

One Direction: This is Us trailer

You can definitely pick this film apart in seconds but it’s made for the fans and it is the fans who make up a huge part of the movie. Directed by Morgan Spurlock, of Super Size Me fame, the film is slick and looks genuinely fantastic in 3D. You feel like you’re in the hands of someone who knows what he’s doing but I wish he had pushed boundaries a bit more. There were a few too many over-the-shoulder shots of the drummer (who cares), while the funniest bits of the boys dressing up as pensioners and running down the high street in a Dom Joly stylee are stuck on the end credits as an afterthought.

One of my fave Trigger Happy TV moments

The boys are portrayed as hyperactive, tattooed angels, everyone seems to indulge their pranks, smiling fondly as they hijack various buggies just before they’re due on stage. There are tear-jerking moments too, when the camera stays with the parents whose children are jet setting off around the world to be superstars. The mums and dads are mourning the loss of their kids who have had to grow up so fast and barely spend any time at home. I think one of the parents says their One Directioner had only been home five times since the X-Factor. Insane. It is very contrived though. The cameras are at both ends of the conversation as Zayn’s mum rings him to say thanks for buying her and his sisters a house and it’s a bit of an uncomfortable watch. There is no whiff of scandal or sex, just high spirits and singing and even though I was sceptical, I was happy to go along with it. It reminded me of the hysteria I used to feel whenever Busted were on the stage/radio/tv/in my dreams. I actually found myself feeling nostalgic for the simplicity of the age when you believe your pop idols are singing directly to you (but I know Charlie, James and Matt actually did write songs about me, why wouldn’t they?).

If you’re not a fan of One Direction, please don’t see this film (disclaimer alert) but if you have a guilty secret which involves fancying a 20 year old, or you just reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaallly like their music, do it. Go and watch One Direction: This is Us and don’t feel bad. It was fun.