Zappa (2020)

Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews

Save the Vault. Tell the Story.

With the help of more than 10,000 dedicated Zappa fans, this is the long-awaited definitive documentary project of Alex Winter documenting the life and career of enigmatic groundbreaking rock star Frank Zappa. Alex also utilizes in this picture thousands of hours of painstakingly digitized videos, photos, audio, writing, and everything in between from Zappa's private archives. These chronicles have never been brought to a public audience before, until now.

• Released: 2020-11-27
• Genres: Music, Documentary
• Runtime: 2h 9m
• Status: Released
• TMDB rating: 7.2/10 from 70 votes

Directed by Alex Winter.

Top cast

• Frank Zappa as Self (archive footage)
• Mike Keneally as Self - Played with Zappa 1987-1988
• Pamela Des Barres as Self - Author, Former Member of the GTOs
• Lonnie Lardner as Self - Newscaster for Action News (archive footage)
• Patrice Zappa as Self - Frank Zappa's Sister (archive footage)
• Rose Zappa as Self - Frank Zappa's Mother (archive footage)
• Francis Zappa as Self - Frank Zappa's Father (archive footage)
• Edgard Varèse as Self (archive footage)
• Don Van Vliet as Self (archive footage) (as Captain Beefheart)
• The Mothers of Invention as Themselves (archive footage)

Full cast & crew

Where to watch Zappa

• United States: stream on Philo, Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel; watch free on Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube Free, Xumo Play, Tubi TV; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
• United Kingdom: stream on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads; watch free on Rakuten TV, Plex, YouTube Free; rent on JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies; buy on Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store
• Canada: watch free on Hoopla; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
• Australia: stream on Amazon Prime Video, DocPlay, DocPlay Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads; watch free on Beamafilm; rent on JustWatch TV, Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Movies like Zappa

If you enjoyed Zappa, these movies have a similar feel:

• The Velvet Underground (2021)
• Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. (2018)
• Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
• Beastie Boys Story (2020)
• Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)
• Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
• Halftime (2022)
• The Beach Boys (2024)
• Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
• Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2007)
• Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now (2023)
• Imagine: John Lennon (1988)

Can't decide what to watch?

FlickPicker recommends movies from your own taste and the services you subscribe to, and Pick Together lets a whole group vote on tonight's pick. Try the free random movie generator, find movies with AI, or browse trending movies.

Download FlickPicker on the App Store   Explore the iPhone app