With just a few days left in 2025, it’s pretty light on new music releases, so I’m going to recommend something for you to watch instead. Fight the “Uncontrollable Urge” to doomscroll or bed rot and check out DEVO on Netflix. Chris Smith’s DEVO documentary understands something crucial right out of the gate: the band Devo isn’t a novelty act despite them being very funny. Released on Netflix this summer, the music doc from the Tiger King director is a fun, irreverent deep dive into the self-described “De-evolution” pioneers whose robotic new wave synth-pop and deadpan humor helped define the early MTV era. It’s a blast for longtime fans, but it also works beautifully as a primer for anyone who still thinks Devo begins and ends with a red Energy Dome and “Whip It.”
The early part of the doc focuses on co-founders Mark Mothersbaugh (lead vocals, keyboards) and Gerald Casale (co-lead vocals, bass), giving them space to unpack what made Devo unique. Devo’s core ethos of de-evolution is basically that humans are “mutant apes” who are devolving rather than evolving. It sounds nuts until you remember what was going on when Devo formed. The film takes us back to Kent State University in 1970, where Mothersbaugh and Casale met just in time to witness the Vietnam War protests and the Kent State Massacre, carried out by the Ohio National Guard under Nixon-backed Ohio governor Jim Rhodes. Witnessing that kind of madness would sour anyone on their faith in systems and society.
The documentary also tracks Devo’s early years of intentionally abrasive live shows that were almost designed to repel as many people as they attracted before a series of lucky breaks found them cracking the mainstream. David Bowie’s early support, a record deal, an iconic Saturday Night Live appearance, and eventually the runaway success of “Whip It” all play their part in the band becoming bigger than they would’ve ever expected.
One of the film’s funniest moments covers how the band responded to the mass misinterpretation of “Whip It” by leaning all the way into the masturbation analogy. The song’s subversive music video wound up becoming one of the most beloved music videos of all time and a stand-out in the early days of MTV. The doc also shows that Devo were doing avant-garde film and music videos before MTV existed, which ultimately set them up perfectly to meet the MTV moment. Director Smith’s use of archival footage is excellent, capturing both the intense artistry and the goofiness that made Devo so singular.
The film itself isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it nails exactly what a great music documentary should do. It contextualizes, entertains, and reminds you why Devo’s work still matters. The boys from Akron, Ohio are still going strong, still proudly nerdy, still committed to the bit, and still rocking hard. If this documentary turns you into a new fan (yay!), you can catch them on their “Mutate, Don’t Stagnate” U.S. tour in April 2026, followed by U.K. dates in June with The B-52s. Speaking of The B-52s, both bands are long overdue to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Let’s get on that.
You can stream DEVO on Netflix.
