User reviews

Have been looking forward to watching this. I was 16 in '77 and The Pistols were a major force in forming the musical tastes that i still have today. 'Pistol' was not quite what i had expected, a mixture of fact and fiction and some mis cast actors let it down a little. However, if you weren't around when punk smashed its way into mid 70's youth culture, i would imagine you would enjoy this more than us that were around at the time and can find holes in the storyline. That said, it was fun to watch, was nice to see original news footage from the time mixed in and had a great soundtrack of assorted genres. A great little series that is worth a watch.

John Lydon is angry with Danny Boyle and the show's existence, so it is doing something right! The story is intoxicating, some of it true, some of it Apocryphal and some of it whole cloth fabricated.

It is well cast with a young ensemble blending unknowns with some more established actors. The raw anti-establishment energy shines through and there is some good chemistry albeit some of it brilliantly contrarian and negative.

The soundtrack is superb, naturally a lot is Pistols, but there is a liberal scattering of other classic music from the era. Costume and location are up to scratch and some of the dialogue is exceptional, with many memorable lines.

Stranger than fiction, nonetheless enjoyable, engaging and entertaining, though it is difficult to disentangle nostalgia from the show itself.

I almost didn't watch this. I was born in 1969 so I was a little kid during these years. But the music and punk movement endured into the 1980s so I was aware of it tho I didn't follow it. I just wasn't an angry teenager (tho I had reason to be) so it just didn't resonate with me, yet even then I knew something groundbreaking and important had happened. I learned so much watching this series. For starters I had no idea of the intersection of so many enduring greats that started out together at this time. Also? I learned a greater appreciation of punk than I've ever had before. The casting is perfect. The acting and directing and writing and production value are about as good and authentic as it gets. I was hooked early on and binge-watched it in one day. Now I'm sad it's over.

Let's start with the elephant in the room.

John Lydon wasn't involved in this mini series which is a monumental missed opportunity. His exclusion depends on which story you believe - Disney & Boyle are adamant Lydon wanted no part of it. Lydon insists he was never asked and excluded from the outset. Either way, it's a shame.

However, for the most part, Pistol, which is based on Steve Jone's biography, is a triumph and captures the chaos, destruction, humour and self destruction of the destroyers of rock n roll.

Although focusing for the most part on Steve Jones, his damaged upbringing and his relationships, especially with Chrissie Hynde, Pistol brings to life the rebellious, anti-establishment, punk rock movement of 70's Britain.

In particular, Anson Boon as Rotten is superb with his acerbic barbs directed indiscriminately at anyone and everyone. And ironically, despite Lydons non-involvment in the series, the character is portrayed sensitively although I doubt Lydon will ever admit he likes it.

While acted brilliantly, Thomas Brodie-Sangster seems miss cast as McLaren, coming across more as a baby faced assassin rather than the weird and wacky provocateur. However, Sydney Chandler as Hynde is top drawer.

In music history, there have been a few occurrences of the 'perfect storm' where the music world has changed forever, Nirvana being one such example. But none more dramatic or explosive as the Pistols and Boyle's mini series captures much of the mood and madness, perfectly.

There is much deviation from actual events for presumably artistic reasons. And I'm sure Lydon will dispute much of Jones's recollection of events. But as an entertainment set-piece it all works surprisingly well.

Overall I think this tv series is pretty great. While many people have been disappointed with the casting, I feel that the casting was pretty good and particularly think the actor who played Malcolm mclaren and John Lydon did a good job. It's very much a glamorised version of the sex pistols story with some fictional narrative but nonetheless I think it's pretty decent. One thing I would argue that isn't great is the ending. It's just kinda goofy and very much a romanticised ending which definitely didn't happen. I think I a deeper dive into character development would have also been good like with John lydon and Sid, I feel like they didn't get much of a back story. The soundtrack was also excellent.

As Episode 1 of "Pistol" (2022 release from the UK; 6 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, it is the early 70s and we are introduced to Steve Jones, who is hanging out at the Hammersmith Odeon and fancies himself the next Davie Bowie/Ziggy Stardust, while along the way stealing music gear. He is desperate to start a band with his mates but how? Then one day he is stealing clothes from a fashion store called SEX but is caught. Turns out the store is owned by a chap named Malcolm McLaren... At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from noted British director Dany Boyle ("Trainspotting"). Here he brings to the screen the Steve Jones memoir "Lonely Boy: Tales From a Sex Pistol" (and reason why this series is NOT Johnny Rotten-focused--Rotten doesn't even appear in Episode 1 at all). If you think you know the story of the Sex Pistols, well, in all likelihood you don't really, and that is one of the reasons this makes it such a compelling series. The series has the Danny Boyle touch and feel all over, including clever editing, rich use of music (Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" shows up in Episode 1), and just a very visual approach to things. I must admit that the cast was unknown to me but they do quite well. At the end of Episode 2, we get the Sex Pistols' first 'real' gig, at the London Saint Martins College of Art, on November 5, 1975. (As a complete aside: Johnny Rotten, the nice guy that he is, sued the film makers AND his former band mates in 2021 (i) from having Johnny Rotten to appear at all in the series, and (ii) from featuring any Sex Pistols music in the series, even though the series is based on Steve Jones' memoir. Thankfully a British court laughed Rotten out of the courtroom.)

All 6 episodes of "Pistol" started streaming yesterday on Hulu, and so far I've see the first 2 episodes. I am "totally in" on this mini-series, and can't wait to see the 4 remaining episodes very soon. If you have any interest in rock history, or are simply a fan of Danny Boyle's work, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

UPDATE I've now seen all 6 episodes, and I've upgraded my rating from 7 to 8 stars. This mini-series is just fabulous. Watch the last episode when the Sex Pistols go on their disastrous US tour in early 1978. But the other thing I want to mention (not fully clear after watching the initial 2 episodes) is the major factor that was Chrissie Hynde (eventually starting The Pretenders) in all of this. She is featured prominently in all episodes. JUST WATCH.

For those looking for objective history, this is not it. It's close sometimes, but it wants mood more than truth. The series seems to capture the mood well and some of the players do a reasonable job, but it's uneven from the storytelling through the performances turned in. I would no more trust John Lydon (or anyone associated with the band) to tell the 'truth' than any other person, but I think this story waits for someone who will hew closer to the story and still capture the mood.

Malcolm McClaren's character is perfect, just as annoying and self important as I would have imagined. The 'Bodies' segment may or may not have much truth in it, but it's a reasonable effort to capture that horrifying little bit of the story.

The music is good, though someone on this production has a fascination with The Pretenders.

Overall this is a good look up from the bottom of a class system propping up a decayed former empire. The bursting of the punk scene from the working class is captured pretty well. England's culture needed an enema and got it.

I don't know why Lyndon is upset. I think he comes out looking better than anyone.

I just want a season 2 called 'Pretender' that continues Chrissie Hyndes' story.

I have a framed original Sid & Nancy movie poster. It's a fantastic movie. I can't help but judge this series against it and it doesn't quite hold up but how could it? I need to temper my expectations.

I like this series but I am watching it more as entertainment than a historical documentary. I remember enough of that time to be cognizant of the fact that there's a lot of fiction here.

I'm not all the way through the episodes but I am enjoying it well enough (see addendum at bottom). I don't have a problem with the actors, and some are quite good. The costumes and etc are spot on. The actor playing Rotten seems a bit over the top, and Malcom keeps reminding me of Doogie Howser MD.

I like that they try to place the story in its historical context. Things were messed up in England and punk was an outgrowth. I think this is what interests me the most and maybe what I really want is to know more about that macro context than the micro stories of the personalities involved. The characters do start to bore me a bit... and as I admitted I am about half way through.

That being said, the storyline about Chrissie Hynde was news to me! Wow! Bonus points that the actress that plays her is fantastic.

The music is excellent. There's an effort to have a wide range of contemporary music and it adds a lot. Also as mentioned previously there are some stunning visuals.

I am mindful there's a lot of controversy about this series. I acknowledge that but as I said, I think of this as entertainment. There's enough horror in life right now (mass shootings, Ukraine, inflation, etc) to let this series disrupt my existence further.

So, it's entertaining enough. I don't have any problem recommending it and if you find yourself not enjoying it, you can always skip it.

And if you haven't seen Sid & Nancy, look for it.

PS I did watch all the episodes. Nothing I saw really changes what I already wrote. The conclusion does leave you feeling sort of empty... I don't know if I should have expected anything different. It is Steve's story and thus the title is "Pistol" and not "Pistols", although the last two episodes have much to do about Sid.

I get this is based on "lonely Boy" by Steve Jones, but if this is to be believed, then Jones learnt guitar in 4 days, thought up every single step of the pistols career (with MaClaren) ,and apart from John's words, everyone else is merely there to keep Jonesy on his toes so he can be the real boss.

Lydon is made out as a petty twisted bitter moaner Matlock as a simpleton Cook , well he's beige really Sid seems to be well represented, he comes across as he does in Lydons books And Malcolm is portrayed as a this utterly brilliant Svengali,which he wasn't

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love such as the acting from the young cast which is outstanding, the soundtrack is exceptional, and I loved the inclusion of Pauline & the Chrissie Hynde storylines.

But overall it's completely one sided , visually it's excellent, but it seems unfinished.

I know John feels he should of been involved (Boyle claims he asked him) but there's 2 Lydon autobiographies that the writers could of used for additional perspective.

Could of been should of been but wasn't.

But loved it.

As a punk aged 14 in 1976 this should have been cringeworthy, but , regardless, it is most definitely not.

I read Steve Jones' autobiography "Lonely Boy ", and this series is basically a televised version.

The acting and artistic license were great.

What's not to like.

I hope John Lydon changes his opinion when he sees the six episodes for what they are, a celebration of what was, and is to my generation, a life changing attitude.

Should not be called "Pistol" but by Jonesy's book- Lonely Boy because this is just his really one sided take on his time in the band. Most of it is dedicated to portraying Lydon as an idiot, McLaren as evil schemer and Jonesy as the lead man of the band, kind of immature take.

It has its moments when it is intelligent and interesting like showing how the punk sound spontaneously started by mixing over and experimenting with Reggae but is quickly lost in very disjointed and not clear cut directing.

Casting is also mostly bad. The best ones are some of female characters, actress playing Chrissie Hynde by far. I was surprised its one of her first roles, she seems like a pro among kids in school play. Vivien Westwood actress was also really good same as Maisie but its a minor role. Emma Appleton looks nothing like the character but still gives good dark portrayal. The rest are trying but either don't look like people they should play or just don't have it.

Then you have a bunch of very important people for music history who are put in there almost like extras and if you don't look in credits you would not know they were there. That's why origins of punk should not be set as one man perspective, especially this biased.

Did the filmmakers really try to grasp who these people are? Jonesy is framed as an intelligent, puller of strings when in reality he is a bit of an aloof, lovable goofball with not a ton of drive.

It taps into all the typical myths about the start of punk and reads like a greatest hits of every analysis created about this period.

In no way were every member of that band so self aware from the outset.

I really wish Lydon was wrong about all of this but the guy is absolutely right.

I'm not sure what people are finding to dislike in this but I suppose anything that isn't bland and doesn't conform to their pre-existing image is bound to divide opinion.

I was there first time round, not close to events nor in an extreme way, just reading about punk in the NME way back in 76, going to see a few early bands and being the first in my college to wear straight jeans whilst other shuffled around in flappy flares. Nothing dramatic though, I just liked the music and what they stood for. But even that small gesture offended some.

And now the Pistols are practically mainstream and with Rotten's drift to the right as both a Trump and Farage supporter they have rewritten a version of history in which Lydon was the only one that mattered and the others were just his backing group. Well, the whole point of this series is that is just one view of events, as is the concentration on Sid and Nancy, when Sid made virtually no contribution.

Jonesy and Cookie started the group and this series is based on a book by Jonesy. So let's not be surprised when the first episode is all about him. Where else do people expect the first episode to start? This series really recaptures the essence of the time and as has been pointed out, it's not a documentary. It draws inspiration from real life events, but it's not a Wikipedia account that needs the input of 20,000 know alls to correct the details.

A side note, the first episode put me in mind of Taxi Driver in a weird way in that it created a surreal atmosphere that is not of this time and place. I reckon Danny Boyle has done a great job.

It is interesting to see the punk movement in the UK amongst the real social picture of the 70/80's. People were really disheartened and that shows in the music of that time! Brilliant!

This tv show is weird.. First of all, the opening admits this was inspired by true events. Inspired! So yes this is not the truth, of course it is fiction. It is the story of Steve jones as he sees himself, half criminal mindex sex machine, half nostalgic romantic rocknroller. It cannot decide what it wants to be, half it is youth drama, half it is comedic elements of larger than life comical characters. It has such great scenes and such terribly bad ones they made me cover my eyes and ears. No w8nder Lydon was pissed off by the show the way he comes across at times, though the Actor Boon really does his best to give him some justice and most times even succeeds. Who should really be angry the way he is portraied is Glen Matlock! And what did they do to poor extras such as Pauline and Debbie Juvenile? The entire Bromley contingent come about as pretentious clowns who are possibly into polyamourous group sex with each other and the entire band. Lot of the things the film shows directly contradicts statements of Bandmembers... never mind the bollocks! Chrissie Hnydes affair with Jones is largely exaggerated while her friendship with Lydon is played down... theere was need to emphasize Jonesys emotiinal side, because he is also shown as am amoral predator who stalks underage fangirls. Malcolm Mclaren is a puckish villain, half loki half childish idealist, yet he probably would have even liked his portrayal. Paul cook is the down on earth best friend and only likeable character in the band. The real Cookie can't complain. Sid and Nancy are portrayed accordingly to the descriptions of the characters people gave and the actors do a great job.

In the end i found the series very watchable and interesting, despite some terribly bad scenes. Don't care about authenticity.. this is probably how Steve Jones saw things, and most of the time he didn't care all too much.

A must watch for the younger generation, great insight to the beginning of a music and cultural revolution. Well written, directed and acted Chaos. Just sit back and enjoy the show, people will complain, people will possibly sue, but people should give this a try!

Very heavily aimed towards Steve Jones. Johnny Rotten comes across more like Rik Mayall than himself. Watching this, you would think that Matlock and Cook were just passengers Nowhere near enough music. Reasonably entertaining though.

So I watched Pistol, the story of the Sex Pistols ( from the accounts and biography of Steve Jones ).

This was a very well made, interesting and entertaining show. A great visualisation of a product of society haplessly finding their way to super stardom in an entirely messy and damaging way.

The attention to detail was impressive, the atmosphere was dark and grimy but at times also fun and joyful.

I do know John Lydon was not consulted about this project and had to go through a court case regarding the music for the show while dealing with his wife's illness which I do not like.

This is typical of Disney mega corp bullying and its lawyers steamrolling through due process with all the elegance of Sid Viceous on stage with a knife.

I don't think there would be any situation where John Lydon would love the idea of a pistols docudrama but I'm sure after watching it he will certainly love to hate it.

When all is said and done Lydon comes out on top and through the madness, his own quirkiness and anger, he is eventually depicted as a thoughtful and caring lad with a lot of nous.

The story of the Sex Pistols is a fascinating one and its a miracle they got to where they did. Malcolm McLaren's vision was precise and almost contrived, princes of chaos but not a rock band. An extended work of art....

To be built up like a piece of long winded and majestic artwork only to be torn down to prove a point all along is the biggest story here.

It could be said if not for Steve Jones reckless ambition there wouldn't be a band. Without Malcolm there would not have been a band. Without Johns there wouldn't be this TV show.

As John Lydon has recently said "Anarchy is a terrible idea".... but its certainly useful.... As are most idelogies.

I was there and trust me - it was dark, dirty and violent - which this is not.

At first I thought "they're all too young" but remembered I was only 17 and they weren't much older when this was going on.

Eventually Rotten and McLarens impersonations were irritating - but thank goodness they were allowed to use the actual tracks.

But, it's Disney, so how bleak could it be? I just about put up with it considering it's a bland representation of one of the most important times in my life and recent music history...

Having met with lukewarm reviews and a distinct lack of cultural footprint, I put off watching this loose (apparently very loose) biopic series about the birth of the Sex Pistols and the London Punk movement. For what it's worth, I quite enjoyed it.

Steve Jones (Toby Wallace) is squatting in 1970's London, trying to get his rock band off the ground. He meets Vivian Westwood (Talulah Riley) and Malclom Mclaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) who agrees to become the bands manager. The pair though have dreams bigger than just having a successful band and want to fundamentally change London on a cultural and philosophical level. They give the band a new frontman and writer, John Lydon (Anson Boon) and the bands rough and energetic style violently divides the audience. Their notoriety grows, but the bitter dividing lines within the band threaten to derail them at every opportunity.

The performances in "Pistols" were great, great enough to carry us through the slightly underwhelming story. It's not necessarily the shows' fault that the actual Sex Pistols burned so bright for just a couple of years before crashing and burning, and they do ring as much as they possible can out of true events, imagined events and adjustments to the timescales to make the story more dramatic. (They do pull quite the magic trick to make the story end on a high point). It feels unfair to single anyone out for any particular praise as, from the band themselves, the management team and even other people, such as Maisie Williams as Pamela Rooke and Francesa Mills as Helen of Troy - who are perhaps a little ancillary to the Pistols story, but vital to the story of Punk, are really well acted.

Danny Boyle keeps the series energy up with a free-wheeling editing style, filtering bits of stock footage occasionally to create a fantasy element to it or set the wider context. The band perform themselves, and I do think some of the energy translates through to the screen.

I can't argue with the reviewers that found it a little saggy, particular the moments dedicated to detours, but I enjoyed it.

I basically watched it for the story, the chaos and the music, which was good. Acting was mediocre in parts. The lad playing McClaren looked about 12. It's sad it ended the way it did with Sid. I felt sorry for Glen Matlock. Lydon has always been an honest narcissistic idiot but perfect for the Pistols. Too much of Chrissie Hynde in this punkrockumentary however. This sums up my review. Cash for chaos...

The cut-ins of strikes and the mid-1970's grey gloom is accurate and frames this series quite well. The actors aren't really that believable - a bit wooden and I can see why John Lydon didn't approve. Lydon/Rotten is portrayed as being manic / borderline psycho and yet the actor misses his snarl and menace on stage and the pronunciation while singing isn't accurate. The character is a pastiche and could have easily been another character in The Young Ones. If you drop the fantasy and ignore the wooden OTT acting, it's actually quite enjoyable. It captures the 1970s quite well and has a great sound track. As an old punk, I thought that as a series, it was OK and a lot of thought went into it. It's not trying to be a Sex Pistols documentary, it's more like a fantasy punk series framed around the band.

Being a fan of the Pistols for over 30 years I was skeptical of this show but after plowing through it all I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read as many biographies, watched all the docs I could and even though some parts of this show could be considered "fluff" I thought it had some real heart. Plus the fact that they had a lot of the characters included from the scene: Billy Idol, Sue Catwoman, Jordan, Vivienne Westwood, Chrissie Hynde, Richard Branson and the infamous Malcom McLaren made it very entertaining.