Image via Sundance
Published Feb 6, 2026, 12:14 PM EST
Ross Bonaime is the Senior Film Editor at Collider. He is a Virginia-based critic, writer, and editor who has written about all forms of entertainment for Paste Magazine, Brightest Young Things, Flickchart, The Free Lance-Star, and more. Ross graduated from George Mason University with a focus in communications and journalism and a minor in film and video studies.
Ross is a Tomatometer-approved critic, a member of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, and a member of the Critics Choice Association. He has loved movies ever since he saw Cinderella in the theater as a kid, he can quote 10 Things I Hate About You and Wet Hot American Summer from memory, and is fascinated by all things Georges Méliès and Charlie Chaplin.
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In 1995, director Tamra Davis had just about the most ‘90s summer you could possibly imagine. Davis had just finished directing the Adam Sandler-starring comedy Billy Madison, and she had recently married Mike D of the Beastie Boys, when she decided to join the band on the Summersault Tour, a five-date tour through Australia that also featured bands like Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Pavement, Beck, Bikini Kill, and more, most of which were at the height of their popularity, or just breaking big. While moving things during the Malibu fires last year, Davis found the many tapes that she took during this trip and has compiled them into The Best Summer.
Davis’ documentary isn’t necessarily much deeper than a travelogue for a band that featured some of the most important alt-rock artists of the 1990s, but The Best Summer doesn’t need to be more than that. Through the footage she captures of the concerts and the charming interviews she conducts alongside Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, Davis does present what indeed seems to be the best summer.
‘The Best Summer’ Presents Some of Indie Rock’s Greatest Artists at Their Height
Image via SundanceIn hindsight, the Summersault Tour is a collision of tremendous artists all at remarkable periods in their musical careers. The Beastie Boys were just coming off the success of “Ill Communication” and one of their greatest songs, “Sabotage.” Beck was only a few months away from releasing “Odelay,” and still playing around with his brand of psychedelic folk. Foo Fighters had just released their self-titled debut album a few months prior, making this one of their first tours together. Meanwhile, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and Bikini Kill (as well as the Beastie Boys) were already legends in the making, great bands of the time whose importance has only grown over the years. Simply put, Summersault was a hell of a tour to follow along with at such a great time to be near all these artists.
Davis is simply there as a fan and friend to these artists, so in a gratifying way, The Best Summer doesn’t feel professional in any way. We’re getting ‘90s-era camera footage from videotape that’s shaky, grainy, and with audio that isn’t always great, but it puts us right there amongst the excitement. Because of Davis’ perspective, this doesn’t feel like a group of essential ‘90s artists; it feels more like Davis just hanging out with her friends. If anything, The Best Summer could use some more of these moments of downtime, like when the Beastie Boys take a vacation together in Indonesia. It’s not necessarily glamorous, as they take buses to various locations or hang out backstage and wait for their turns onstage, but that’s far more interesting than had this been a more professional production made at the time.
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And of course, it’s wonderful to see these bands on stage at this time. As one would expect, Davis has the most footage of the Beastie Boys, who were also the headliners, and it’s a blast to watch these three together again in their prime. It’s still unbelievable how well they play off each other, never missing a beat, and altrways with the highest possible amount of energy. In one incredible moment, Dave Grohl comes out to perform “Sabotage” with the Beastie Boys, and it’s just an unbelievable burst of ‘90s rock energy. But it’s also wild to see things like Kim Gordon playing with Sonic Youth again, Beck testing out his stage presence, and Rancid shouting out Sonic Youth. This isn’t just a touring musical festival; it’s almost like a brotherhood of bands and artists having fun together and doing what they love the most.
Amongst all of this, we also get some delightful interviews with David and Hanna with different members of the bands. Even though they aren’t exactly hard-hitting questions, like what’s your favorite color, or what book are you reading, it does give us insight into these artists that is playful and endearing. Hanna’s questions do dig a bit deeper, as she asks whether these musicians have a different on-stage personality than they do off-stage, which leads to some fascinating conversations. It’s especially intriguing to watch someone like Grohl, just a few years after Nirvana, discussing with Hanna and Davis the differences between these two sides of himself. It’s also particularly lovely to see the dynamic between Hanna and the Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz, which is silly and adorable, considering that in just a few months, the pair would be dating and eventually get married.
If anything, one of The Best Summer's biggest flaws is that we don't get to spend enough time with certain artists and bands. Pavement's Stephen Malkmus gets one interview, but mostly, Pavement isn't all that present here. Similarly, Kim Deal, who was touring with The Amps — a side project that only lasted a year, is mostly seen in quick clips of concert footage. Rancid gets a few songs (and shouts out Sonic Youth, oddly), and Beck gets a bit of screen time, but it never feels like we get enough with some of these musicians. Granted, that's part of the give and take of this approach, as this was crafted from home videos and not attempting to fully document this entire tour, but still, it's not a bad thing when the biggest problem with a documentary is that there's not more of it.
The Best Summer takes the audience on a summer road trip with some of the biggest musicians of the '90s, and it's a blast to be along for the ride. Davis' collection of videotapes makes this feel like we're coming across a collection of private moments, rather than a concert documentary. It's a refreshing change, considering how often these types of films are pristine and without their flaws. The audio goes out sometimes, or the footage might be fuzzy, but that's part of The Best Summer's charm. The dream of the '90s is alive in The Best Summer.
The Best Summer premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Release Date January 24, 2026
Runtime 84 Minutes
Director Tamra Davis
Producers Tamra Davis, Shelby Meade
Cast
Pros & Cons
- Tamra Davis captures fantastic footage of some of the most important bands of the '90s.
- The interviews with bands like Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, and more are a delight.
- The Best Summer is approached from the perspective of a fan and friend, which gives this a different feel than most rock documentaries.
- Some bands don't get quite as much attention as they probably deserve.
English (US) ·