If The Best Summer screens more like a collection of home movies than a traditional music documentary, that makes perfect sense. Tamra Davis discovered the forgotten footage used in this film in a box of videotapes while evacuating her Malibu home during last year’s deadly Palisades Fire. The images capture the Billy Madison filmmaker tagging along with then-husband Mike D of Beastie Boys as they toured Australia and Asia in late 1995 with fellow alt-rock bands Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, and several others. Davis weaves together this travelogue all these years later by alternating onstage performances with lighthearted, backstage interviews with tourmates. It’s a journey that takes the viewer from Melbourne to Jakarta, and Davis back to an experience she dubs “the best summer.”
In an act of either clairvoyance or remarkable foresight, Davis enlisted Bikini Kill lead singer Kathleen Hanna to be her amateur interviewer on the tour. “We’re just doing this because we’re bored,” Hanna explains to Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl in a backstage lounge. “Maybe it’ll be something we’ll edit together so that everyone can burn a copy.” It’s hard not to smile now that this half-serious stab at journalism will receive far more eyes than a few burned copies. Hanna charms (sometimes in a bucket hat) as she lobs softballs and a couple questions of her own. Most of it is silly rather than revealing. We learn that Beck aims to wear more shorts in 1996 and Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus likes ice cream. It’s all very much of the “Miss Lippy’s car is green” school of investigative journalism. Still, Hanna’s earnest efforts carry most of the scenes, and she does manage to spark and hold some interesting conversations with Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon about handling criticism and with Dave Grohl, not far removed from Nirvana, on now being a frontman.
While the interviews are a bit of fun and provide continuity, Davis’ camera feels more purposeful when she’s filming everyone from Bikini Kill and Beastie Boys to Rancid and Sonic Youth onstage. Already a veteran music video director (and having directed videos for several of the acts on tour), Davis takes turns in the pit and just offstage as she captures her friends doing what they do best. It’s technically fan footage, but it’s like handing your camcorder to a fan beside you who just happens to be one of the world’s best music video directors. For instance, Davis captures an absolutely mesmerizing performance of Sonic Youth’s “Washing Machine,” choosing to focus on Gordon’s statuesque pose as strobes and blue tints color her dress like a canvas. A lighter scene finds Grohl running onstage and adding screams to “Sabotage” before fumbling with the mic stand and having to hold the mic for Ad-Rock as the song concludes. Not all the footage may be essential, but fans of these bands will definitely appreciate that these performances have been rescued and lovingly preserved.
Davis also deserves significant kudos for making sure that The Best Summer didn’t forget about the girls at a time when women’s contributions were often overlooked across the alternative rock landscape. The friendly, supportive chemistry between Davis and Hanna highlights much of the backstage time, with the two making sure to score interviews with Kim Deal (with The Amps) and extras with Gordon. Davis also includes near-full performances of Hanna, Gordon, and Deal fronting their respective bands. One of the more memorable shots of the entire film finds Davis catching Hanna off in her own little world as Bikini Kill drummer Tobi Vail takes lead vocals. Beautifully framed between Vail and guitarist Billy Karren, Hanna quietly sways with her bass as Davis peeks in with her camera, discovering something compelling in that brief snapshot of calm.
By the time the tour winds down, we’re basically watching Davis’ vacation movies. We see Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D crash a water aerobics class at a gorgeous Indonesian resort and later smoke up in a hotel. And we’re happy to watch because, well, they’re the Beastie Boys. However, it’s really just a curiosity for us. We can begin to imagine how much it meant to Davis to stumble upon all these memories for the first time in nearly 30 years. We can also picture Gordon watching the finished film with her daughter, Coco, who appears throughout as a baby. And it’s no stretch to think of the other bands here appreciating the time capsule that Davis has created for them. There’s an undeniable warmth and nostalgia here, but unless you were on those tour buses—or attended one of those shows—you can’t quite connect with The Best Summer like you want to. It’s like looking at someone else’s scrapbook or home movies. This very well could’ve been “the best summer.” It just wasn’t yours or mine, and that’s okay. We appreciate Davis giving us a peek at this cool moment in her life.
Director: Tamra Davis
Release Date: January 24, 2026
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