Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London's famed O2 Arena.
Morgan Spurlock’s 3D documentary about One Direction has just enough grit and insight to stop it seeming like simply a glossy promotional vehicle for the boy band phenomenon.
The only way is up.
1D in 3D: the closest thing to a Shine A Light for Directioners.
You can manufacture bands, but you can’t manufacture fans, and This Is Us acknowledges and celebrates their role in creating the global 1D phenomenon, an anthropological angle that elevates the film slightly above the level of ephemeral merchandise.
Oh no, I’m feeling a little strange. I’m starting to tap my toes to some annoyingly catchy music. That’s it, I’m a gonner....
At a time when Take That and New Kids are still on the block, it’s quite refreshing to see a boy band that actually features boys, not men.
This is as squeaky-clean a product as ever emerged from the stable of Simon Cowell, whose unbelievably sinister appearance I imagine will one day be exposed as a hologram.
Watch A Hard Day's Night and see a new kind of new coming to life. Watch This is Us and see the final creepily vibrating spasms of that new life.
I suspect a previous, wackier idea for the film was ditched in favour of a slick promotional video about their jaw-dropping global tour, but I also have to admit that this is a rather watchable record of a phenomenon.
This is for the fans and to this end, it allows them to preserve the fantasy that the band still belongs to them.
This is the rock revolution reduced to the level of the Eurovision Song Contest.
One Direction: This Is Us
General release. Check local listings for show times.