As the title suggests, Sr. is a documentary about Robert Downey Sr., the provocative filmmaker who gave the world such cult classics as Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace. But the film was also produced and features Downey’s son, a working actor you might be familiar with named Robert Downey Jr. In fact, the film is as much about the relationship between the two Roberts Downey than it is about Sr.’s life and career.
As such, it offers a pretty interesting glimpse into the private life of one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Sr., directed by Chris Smith, includes scenes of the Downeys at home on Long Island (they live in a house that also is a windmill?), along with scenes where the two men interview each other at length about their lives. From that description — and the fact that Downey Jr. himself produced the movie — Sr. might sound like a self-indulgent home movie. In fact, it’s a candid and fascinating look at multiple generations in a show business family. Both Downeys are refreshingly honest about their mistakes and about their feelings about filmmaking and fatherhood.
As of today, the movie is now streaming on Netflix. Here is the Sr. trailer:
The only bummer about the movie is that Netflix didn’t license any of Robert Downey Sr.’s movies to have available to stream. There are great clips from many of Downey’s films, but if you’re interested in checking out Pound or some of his other work after Sr. is over, you’ll have to look elsewhere. (Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace are actually both streaming on Peacock at the moment.)
You can watch Sr. on Netflix at this link.
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