It’s been a while since Courtney Love has been in the spotlight. Yet, like so many other prominent figures in pop culture, a series of circumstances, some beyond her control, forced her out of the public eye and led to a more difficult life than she may have planned. Those who know little to nothing about her will find an education with the documentary Antiheroine, while fans of her music from the 1990s will appreciate a chance to see what she’s up to now and hear how she looks back on those good times followed by very bad ones.
Love, now sixty-one years old, is making a new album, and, in the process, revisiting her many successes and failures. She has certain people in her life on whom she can depend and work with consistently, and she’s facing new challenges now like an inability to scream the way she used to as her voice changes. Her childhood was fairly chaotic, including her father giving her LSD at a very young age, and her high point was also marked by the tragic death of her husband, musician Kurt Cobain, something that has followed her throughout her entire career.
This is an intimate documentary that blends footage of Love’s concerts and other appearances with mostly audio interviews as well as direct conversations with Love from the present day. She’s quite open about discussing everything, even if there are certain topics on which she’d rather not dwell. She’s ready to defend herself when she believes something that happened or was reported doesn’t reflect reality, and also carries plenty of regret for decisions she made and actions she took which didn’t lead to positive results, like losing custody of her daughter during years of heavy drug use.
The formation of her band Hole is a worthwhile enough story in itself, and once Cobain enters the picture, this film probes very interesting material. It’s fascinating to see the two of them interact in semi-private spaces in front of cameras and then with large audiences watching them, and to hear from Love and from friends and bandmates about how the relationship transformed both of them. It’s still difficult for Love to talk about, understandably, and as it’s all unfolding, it’s worth pondering how things could have turned out very differently and sent them both on a remarkably better path.
Despite her challenges, Love is clearly doing well now and entering the next phase of her career. Looking back, she credits filmmaker Miloš Forman with saving her life when he cast her in The People vs. Larry Flynt, which put her on a new stage as a serious actress who wasn’t always shouting into a microphone. Ultimately, however, she is a part of the counterculture, putting out music not meant for all audiences but also not nearly as destructive as some made her out to be, like those who reported that she was still doing hard drugs while pregnant, which she denies.
While the beginning of Love’s career and the place she’s currently in make for engaging and informative bookends, this film skips over much of what happened in between. While there’s not the meatiest parts of the story, it does feel like there’s more to be explored that didn’t make the cut in this 98-minute documentary. What remains may be the most worthwhile pieces, but Love’s life feels incomplete with that large chunk missing. Hearing from her, in her own words, is still something positive to behold, and it’s nice to see that she’s finally getting to tell her own story without having to contend with others trying to decide who she is.
Movie Rating: 6/10
Antiheroine premieres in the Premieres section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
