We Want the Funk!
A lively musical history of funk, tracing its African and American roots through visionary artists and its enduring influence on new wave and hip-hop.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- energetic
- celebratory
- informative
- music discovery
- concert film night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The documentary follows funk from African, soul, and jazz origins through James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, Labelle, and Fela Kuti.
Its history connects African roots with American soul and jazz, then follows funk’s broader international and popular-cultural impact.
The film specifically examines funk’s influence on new wave and hip-hop.
The musical journey is built around major performers, archival history, and interviews with artists including Questlove, George Clinton, and David Byrne.
Films like We Want the Funk!, and why
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Shares the celebratory music-documentary form, archival performance footage, African American musical history, and cultural recovery themes.
Muscle Shoals
Shares a musician-centered historical survey built from interviews, performance history, and the evolution of an influential American music tradition.
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Shares an energetic portrait of a major musical innovator, combining archival material, expert testimony, and the social history surrounding funk.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Stanley Nelson, Nicole London
- Release Date
- 2025-04-08
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (17)
Cast
- Nona Hendryx
- Questlove
- George Clinton
- Fred Wesley
- Marcus Miller
- David Byrne
- Todd Boyd
- Rickey Vincent
- Ytasha L. Womack
- Miles Marshall Lewis
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is We Want the Funk! about?
- A lively musical history of funk, tracing its African and American roots through visionary artists and its enduring influence on new wave and hip-hop.
- What is We Want the Funk! like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of We Want the Funk! as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is We Want the Funk! violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in We Want the Funk!.
- Which films are like We Want the Funk!?
- Films with a similar feel include Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Muscle Shoals, and Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.
- How long is We Want the Funk!?
- We Want the Funk! runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch We Want the Funk!?
- In United States, We Want the Funk! streams on PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel.
