Crafted in the cinematic spirit of legendary concert documentaries like Stop Making Sense and The Last Waltz, the kinetic 90-minute feature charts the extraordinary trajectory of the Sheffield band from indie obscurity to becoming a defining British cultural touchstone. The movie seamlessly fuses four decades of colorful, never-before-seen archival material with the brilliantly choreographed stage spectacle of Pulp’s biggest-ever arena show, recorded during their recent global tour in support of More—the band’s first studio album in 24 years.
Frontman Jarvis Cocker narrates the film, guiding audiences through a spectacular 20-song setlist packed with career-defining hits and rare deep cuts. The documentary serves as a vibrant, definitive answer to its titular question, celebrating a band of brilliant misfits whose sharp social commentary, irony, and musical rebellion defined the Britpop era and continue to resonate across generations of listeners.
The project boasts an elite creative team, edited by Academy Award nominee Barney Pilling (The Grand Budapest Hotel) and produced by Octavia Peissel (Asteroid City) for Opal Films alongside Danny Gabai and Amy Rattray for VICE Studios. Jarvis Cocker also serves as an executive producer.
Director Garth Jennings brings a long-standing creative shorthand to the project, having previously directed live shows for Pulp’s worldwide tours alongside a prolific career directing music videos for Blur and Radiohead, as well as feature films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the billion-dollar Sing animated franchise.
MUBI will officially announce the exact streaming release date for Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore? in the coming months.
