Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: Bray Wyatt: Becoming
Immortal (2024)
Genre: Documentary
Length: 2h 3min
Rating: TV-14
Director: Steve Conoscenti
Writer: Matt Braine, Steve Conoscenti, Ben Houser
Blurb from IMDb: The story behind one of the
most revered and mysterious characters in WWE history and the man himself,
Windham Rotunda, has never been documented, until now.
Selina’s Point of View:
Trust the dice doesn’t
often cover documentaries. Both Cat and I have ADHD and most documentaries will
put us to sleep. Even quicker if it’s on a random subject that neither of us
have any interest in or emotional connection to. We’ve been able to do some,
mostly on subjects we’re very close to.
So, that begs the
question: why this one?
When I was young,
I followed the WWE religiously. As a child, my uncle used to take me to the
shows – even to a convention once. As a teen, I had weekly gatherings with my
friends and pizza in order to watch RAW. I fell off of it for reasons I don’t
think I’ll go into here. For a long time, it was just something that stayed on
my periphery. It was interesting, but not something I could bring myself to
watch again. I still listened to our friends at he
Basement Bookers Podcast, of
course. One of them was a regular at my pizza RAWs, after all, but that was
where my interaction with professional wrestling ceased. The dulcet tones of banter
between Basement Jer and Rich the Riz.
Until recently.
After a Royal
Rumble party, I started to get interested again. The last time I watched,
female wrestling was relegated to bra & panty, wet & wild, and the
occasional evening gown matches. It felt less like wrestling and more like a
page from a porn magazine. What I saw at the Royal Rumble this year was
anything but that. It reignited my interest.
Naturally, I’ve
been looking to the
Basement Bookers to get my feet wet on the new WWE.
I learned all
about the new storylines and factions. Triple H’s new role in the company. Who
the heels and faces are and why I should care. Most of it I was able to pick up
from watching the shows and the occasional one liner from Rich or Jer.
The subject of
Bray Wyatt proved to be a bit more complex.
During a visit
with Rich the Riz, he suggested watching
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal.
I was skeptical. Although interested in the subject, it was still a documentary.
I decided I’d give it a chance.
The documentary is
solid. There’s none of that monotone, Ben Stein style narration that makes my
eyelids heavy. Each guest has a unique perspective of Bray Wyatt and is
undeniably a large part of his story. Either they were family, a boss, a
friend, a mentor, or someone he mentored. There were no fluff interviews
conducted with people that had barely a tertiary connection with him – as can
sometimes occur.
What sold me on
it, however, was not the content. It was the reactions I saw in my viewing
buddy.
I’m an outsider.
I wasn’t around for any of Bray Wyatt’s time in the WWE. I didn’t get to see
his fireflies as the phenomena occurred, I didn’t follow the Fiend. If I had
been watching at the time, I would have adored him, but that doesn’t make me
the target demographic for
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal. People like
Rich the Riz are the target demographic.
And the effect
this documentary had on him was beyond anything I expected. In fact, I asked
him to write a few words and, instead, he took over Cat’s portion of today’s
review. (Don’t worry, she’s happy for a break.)
Basement Bookers’ very own Rich the Riz’s Point of View:
Bray
Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
was a documentary that I was greatly looking forward to watching but was
equally anxious about. Anyone that saw his work in WWE, whether you loved it or
hated it, knew that the man behind the character was of a different breed. His
was one of the most truly unique minds ever to perform in pro wrestling, having
created four distinctly unique characters - five if you include the Uncle Howdy
character that he created for his brother to use alongside him.
Bray Wyatt’s
relatively short but legendary career was highlighted by interactions and
matches with other well-respected greats in the industry, including Randy
Orton, John Cena, and the Undertaker. This documentary covers his pre-WWE life
growing up as the son of a former WWE performer, his college football
aspirations, his WWE career, his untimely passing, and the legacy he left
behind. We even get a glimpse into what the future would’ve held for the late,
great superstar.
Like many
WWE-produced video projects, I found
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal to be
quite thorough, particularly with respect to how in-depth it dives into the
personal life of Windham Rotunda (the man who portrayed Bray Wyatt). I also
felt it was very tastefully done, featuring interviews with his family and
peers, and narrated by an icon in the wrestling industry, the Undertaker.
Whether he was
loved, feared, or misunderstood, the Bray Wyatt character will always live on
in the hearts and minds of WWE fans worldwide, and this documentary is a
fitting tribute to his legacy.
Follow the
buzzards…
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 100%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 8.7/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Rich’s Rating – 5/5
Movie Trailer:
