‘Avicii – I’m Tim’ review: intimate look at the hectic life of the global DJ
Director: Henrik Burman | Script: Henrik Burman| Playing time: 95 minutes | Year: 2024
In 2018, the world woke up to the news of Avicii’s death. After a turbulent life, full of shows and addictions, he seemed to have gotten his life back on track. But appearances can be deceiving, as is the case with many aspects of his life. No one except Tim Bergling himself knew what he was struggling with. Avicii – I’m Tim attempts to offer a behind-the-scenes look through home videos, interviews, and Tim’s own words.
Avicii broke through in 2011 with his hit Levels. With his unique combination of vintage vocal samples and ultra-modern house beats, he puts himself on the map. Then he turns success into a gigantic career: he travels the world, continues releasing hit after hit and collaborates with his biggest idols. But the novelty soon wears off. At his peak, he performed 300 shows a year, causing burnout to set in.
Out of self-protection, the DJ decides to stop performing at the age of twenty-six. He discovers that his true motivation, producing music, had taken a back seat due to his hectic touring schedule. In an attempt to rediscover himself, he travels and slowly rekindles his passion for production.
Because that’s what all his fans were looking for: the iconic and recognizable piano melodies over hard-hitting house rhythms. In Avicii – I’m Tim the extent of his fame is clearly shown. Videos filmed around the mixing desks allow the growing audience to be experienced from Tim’s perspective. This personal visual line continues throughout the documentary.
Interviews with friends and colleagues are stitched together with never-before-seen footage of the DJ. This creates a personal link between the viewer and the DJ, to dismantle their intangible condition. In his own words, his life story and internal struggle are revealed in a way that was not possible in his lifetime.
What may cause irritation is how little image there is of a Tim speaking. Although his words are heard, it is never clear to what extent he told this story. There is a possibility that the phrases have been placed in a different context to achieve dramatic structure, which must be handled carefully, especially in the case of a deceased person.
The pacing of the documentary is also quite awkward. During the relatively short playing time of one and a half hours, the talking head style already begins to take hold after half an hour. Many stories are told by different people, but with similar perspectives. Too often, this makes it seem like the story is already known, which also slightly undermines the seriousness of the tragedy.
Avicii – I’m Tim It is not the only documentary about his life. The documentary was released in 2017, a year before his death. Avicii: True Stories which mainly focused on his mental problems and how he had recovered from them. When he took his own life a little less than a year later, those problems proved even more poignant. Since that story had already been told, this new documentary more actively looks at the influence of his music and what it did to the young musician.
If the various live footage from the documentary has made you want to see more, Netflix has put its latest show online. In half an hour, the viewer is taken through a whirlwind of highlights from the show, which turned Ibiza’s Ushuaïa club upside down. With this bittersweet ending, the story surrounding the iconic DJ comes full circle and his fans can enjoy his art undisturbed for the last time.
Avicii – I’m Tim can be seen in netflix.