Breakdown: 1975

Breakdown: 1975 takes a close look at a year when American life felt unsettled on many fronts and asks what filmmakers did with that energy. The film favors a mosaic structure, mixing archival news clips, interview fragments, and a steady voice over to trace how chaos pushed art and journalism toward new forms. It follows a generation of cultural figures and critics who lived through the upheaval, using their memories to frame a broader picture rather than a simple chronology. Rather than celebrate spectacle, the documentary invites viewers to consider how cinema and television captured doubt, protest, and policy shifts, turning disruption into material for reflection.

Released in 2025 and directed by Morgan Neville, Breakdown: 1975 connects a sharp creative vision with archival material. Jodie Foster provides narration while Albert Brooks, Ellen Burstyn, Frank Rich and Martin Scorsese appear as themselves.

Box office data for Breakdown: 1975 is not publicly available. The film appears aimed at festivals and streaming rather than a conventional wide theatrical release.

Reception and themes emphasize the film's patient approach to a turbulent era. It frames 1975 as a pivot point for media and culture, showing how artists translate upheaval into memory and conversation rather than mere headlines.