Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is a 2025 American documentary film about the 1975 musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which became a cultural phenomenon.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is, by now, more than a film—it’s a movement, a ritual, a cultural cornerstone for generations of outcasts, misfits, and anyone who's ever danced on the fringes of convention. With Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, director Linus O’Brien—son of the show’s creator Richard O’Brien—offers a tightly edited, well-paced, and affectionately crafted documentary that traces how this once-fringe stage production from London’s West End, written by a Kiwi, exploded into a global phenomenon.
From the outset, Strange Journey presents itself not as a high-concept reimagining, but as a carefully constructed retelling that benefits from both clarity and heart. It delivers what many fans and curious newcomers will hope for: a compelling timeline of events, interviews with the original cast and creatives, and a celebration of the enduring community that the Rocky Horror universe has built.
What sets this documentary apart from other biographical retrospectives is its firm grounding in the personal—most notably, the experiences of Richard O’Brien himself. O’Brien reflects candidly on his struggles with gender identity and the early sense of repression he felt as a child. His storytelling anchors the documentary, and the audience is taken back to the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in 1973, where a modestly staged rock musical would soon grow legs far beyond what anyone imagined. These personal insights lend an authenticity to the narrative that feels both intimate and respectful.
As Rocky Horror reaches its 50th year (holds the record for the longest continuous theatrical run of any film in history), the film does more than simply honour the past. It positions the production’s history within a wider cultural context, particularly the ways it resonated with queer audiences and offered a space of freedom and exploration. The inclusion of present-day voices like drag icon Trixie Mattel adds a contemporary lens, reinforcing the message that Rocky Horror remains vital and transformative to this day.
The format of the documentary is conventional but executed with precision. Editor Avner Shiloah deserves praise for maintaining an energetic yet coherent rhythm. Interviews with key players—including Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick, and producer Lou Adler—are interspersed with historical footage and film clips, allowing the audience to not just hear the story, but experience it through texture and tone. The documentary never lingers too long in any one place, but also allows enough breathing room for meaningful reflections to land.
The cast’s affection for the production is palpable. Tim Curry shares anecdotes with his trademark dry wit, revealing the origins of his iconic accent and his reflections on what the character of Dr. Frank-N-Furter meant to so many. Susan Sarandon shines as a voice of clarity and insight, particularly when discussing the liberating arc of her character Janet and its connection to the feminist movement of the 1970s. Her comment that the film is “about saying yes—to life, to everything” serves as a thematic through-line for the documentary itself.
These interviews aren't merely nostalgic. They illuminate how Rocky Horror served as a cultural rupture point—a space where conservative expectations were gleefully upended by glitter, music, and the boldness of self-expression. One of the more poignant threads throughout the film is the idea that the musical’s legacy is no longer owned by its creators, but by the community that has formed around it. Fans became performers, and audience members became family.
Strange Journey also explores Rocky Horror’s thematic depth with nuance. It articulates the show's subtext—sexual exploration, identity, fluidity, and rebellion—without over-academicising or losing the fun. The documentary points out how these themes were embodied in characters like Frank-N-Furter, whose flamboyant dominance and unapologetic confidence challenged audiences to rethink gender norms. Equally, it highlights the liberation of Brad and Janet, the film’s audience surrogates, as they move from buttoned-up normalcy to uninhibited freedom.
For a film so often associated with camp, costume, and midnight screenings, Strange Journey wisely balances celebration with reflection. The documentary doesn’t pretend to be as chaotic or subversive as its subject—it follows a traditional format, and it doesn’t delve deeply into the academic or critical analysis that might accompany such a piece. But it doesn’t need to. Its power lies in its ability to centre love—for the story, the characters, the audience, and most of all, for those who found themselves in the world of Rocky Horror.
One of the most affecting sequences involves O’Brien’s recounting of how he came to terms with his identity later in life. Archive footage and present-day commentary are paired to create a rich emotional context, showing not just what Rocky Horror meant to its fans, but what it meant to those who made it. These stories offer more than trivia—they offer a window into how art can become a sanctuary.
Though some viewers might hope for a more stylised or avant-garde approach to match Rocky Horror’s anarchic energy, the documentary’s polish and structure make it widely accessible. In a way, this contrast is fitting. Just as Rocky Horror was once the outsider that became beloved, Strange Journey is a story of a wild thing told in a gentle, carefully assembled format. It may not dress itself in sequins, but it carries the same bold heart.
All in all, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is an affectionate, polished, and absorbing documentary that reminds us just how vital a fringe idea can become. It’s a celebration not only of a film, but of freedom—the kind that comes from embracing difference, expressing truth, and doing the time warp just one more time. It might not be as raucous as its subject matter, but in telling the story with such love and care, it proves that the legacy of Rocky Horror is, like its fanbase, proudly and beautifully uncontainable.
Directed by Linus O'Brien | 89 mins | United States | English | International Premiere – The Art of Storytelling Category
Screening at the Doc Edge documentary festival, in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and online from 25 June.