Blaze
Blaze
A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 6, 2025
A music biopic that manages not to feel like every other music biopic. Told in nonlinear fashion, it highlights the life of “unknown legend” Blaze Foley, singer/songwriter/storyteller and pioneer of outlaw country played wonderfully here by Ben Dickey. The story jumps between three time periods, Blaze’s early romance with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat), his later touring career, and a posthumous radio interview with his frequent collaborators Townes Van Zandt (Charlie Sexton) and Zee (Josh Hamilton). The early romance is easily the best. Dickey and Shawkat’s chemistry set the screen aglow as minstrel and muse. Sybil Rosen is credited with co-writing along with Ethan Hawke and I suspect that has something to do with the lovely handling of their romance. Blaze has this enigmatic way about him. He spouts philosophical meanderings throughout the film both in his dialogue and his lyrics. Blaze’s songs are featured throughout the entire film giving it a decidedly melancholy vibe. Hawke tells this story with an impressive amount of style but an even more impressive amount of heart. In a story about the blues, though, wherever there’s heart, there’s sure to be heartbreak. Wonderful film.