When You're Strange

The creative chemistry of four unique artists propelled The Doors to become one of the most influential and groundbreaking rock bands in the history of the United States. This documentary, directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated in its original version by Johnny Depp, reconstructs the band's journey from its beginnings in 1965 until Jim Morrison's death in 1971, a period as brief as it was explosive, during which their sound and image redefined the musical imagination of an entire generation. Using carefully restored and largely unpublished footage, the film follows the young Ray Manzarek and Morrison from the hallways of the UCLA film school—where they met and established the complicity that would shape the band—to their meteoric rise to the biggest stages in the country. Through unseen images, rehearsals, performances, and intimate recordings, DiCillo delves into the dynamics between Morrison, Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore, revealing how their fusion of poetry, instrumental virtuosity, and rebellious attitude transformed American rock forever.

On the occasion of the group's 60th anniversary, the film arrives for the first time in theaters in 4K format, presenting a renewed visual experience accompanied by exclusive content: an unreleased performance of “Riders on the Storm,” recorded by Densmore, Krieger, and an international cast of musicians in collaboration with Playing For Change. This new sequence, captured in exotic locations around the world, pays tribute to the band's traveling, mystical, and deeply emotional spirit. The result is a revealing portrait that illuminates The Doors' revolutionary legacy and reaffirms the relevance of music that continues to resonate six decades later.