Director R.J. Cutler Talks ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry’ & The Beauty Of Cinéma Vérité [The Playlist Podcast]

By Charles Barfield
The Playlist
June 22, 2021

Unless you’ve been living under a proverbial rock, you’re probably well aware of the name Billie Eilish. The young singer has become one of the biggest names in the music industry and has a legion of devoted fans around the world. But even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the work of Eilish, you’ll still probably really enjoy the recent documentary, “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry.”

And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, ‘Blurry’ director R.J. Cutler joins the show to talk about the documentary and what it’s like to follow the sudden rise to fame of a teenage music icon. ‘The World’s A Little Blurry’ is a cinema verite doc that puts the viewer in the position of observer as we see Billie and her brother Finneas not only create one of the biggest records in recent memory but also the sudden fame that finds them upon the release. And in the interview, we speak with Cutler about the years-long process of making his Billie Eilish documentary and what it’s like watching a young teenager become one of the biggest musical acts working today in such a short time.

If you’re a fan of documentary filmmaking, this is the interview for you, as we not only talk about his Apple TV+ film, but he also goes deep into various other docs he thinks showcase the medium well. It’s clear Cutler isn’t just a great filmmaker but also a huge fan of the documentaries and is incredibly knowledgeable.

“Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” is available now on Apple TV+. You can listen to the full discussion here.