Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)

 

Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)
Genre: Documentary
Length: 2h 3min
Rating: TV-14
Director: Steve Conoscenti
Writer: Matt Braine, Steve Conoscenti, Ben Houser
 
Blurb from IMDb: The story behind one of the most revered and mysterious characters in WWE history and the man himself, Windham Rotunda, has never been documented, until now.
 
Selina’s Point of View:
Trust the dice doesn’t often cover documentaries. Both Cat and I have ADHD and most documentaries will put us to sleep. Even quicker if it’s on a random subject that neither of us have any interest in or emotional connection to. We’ve been able to do some, mostly on subjects we’re very close to.
 
So, that begs the question: why this one?
 
When I was young, I followed the WWE religiously. As a child, my uncle used to take me to the shows – even to a convention once. As a teen, I had weekly gatherings with my friends and pizza in order to watch RAW. I fell off of it for reasons I don’t think I’ll go into here. For a long time, it was just something that stayed on my periphery. It was interesting, but not something I could bring myself to watch again. I still listened to our friends at he Basement Bookers Podcast, of course. One of them was a regular at my pizza RAWs, after all, but that was where my interaction with professional wrestling ceased. The dulcet tones of banter between Basement Jer and Rich the Riz.
 
Until recently.
 
After a Royal Rumble party, I started to get interested again. The last time I watched, female wrestling was relegated to bra & panty, wet & wild, and the occasional evening gown matches. It felt less like wrestling and more like a page from a porn magazine. What I saw at the Royal Rumble this year was anything but that. It reignited my interest.
 
Naturally, I’ve been looking to the Basement Bookers to get my feet wet on the new WWE.
 
I learned all about the new storylines and factions. Triple H’s new role in the company. Who the heels and faces are and why I should care. Most of it I was able to pick up from watching the shows and the occasional one liner from Rich or Jer.
 
The subject of Bray Wyatt proved to be a bit more complex.
 
During a visit with Rich the Riz, he suggested watching Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal. I was skeptical. Although interested in the subject, it was still a documentary. I decided I’d give it a chance.
 
The documentary is solid. There’s none of that monotone, Ben Stein style narration that makes my eyelids heavy. Each guest has a unique perspective of Bray Wyatt and is undeniably a large part of his story. Either they were family, a boss, a friend, a mentor, or someone he mentored. There were no fluff interviews conducted with people that had barely a tertiary connection with him – as can sometimes occur.
 
What sold me on it, however, was not the content. It was the reactions I saw in my viewing buddy.
 
I’m an outsider. I wasn’t around for any of Bray Wyatt’s time in the WWE. I didn’t get to see his fireflies as the phenomena occurred, I didn’t follow the Fiend. If I had been watching at the time, I would have adored him, but that doesn’t make me the target demographic for Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal. People like Rich the Riz are the target demographic.
 
And the effect this documentary had on him was beyond anything I expected. In fact, I asked him to write a few words and, instead, he took over Cat’s portion of today’s review. (Don’t worry, she’s happy for a break.)
 
Basement Bookers’ very own Rich the Riz’s Point of View:
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal was a documentary that I was greatly looking forward to watching but was equally anxious about. Anyone that saw his work in WWE, whether you loved it or hated it, knew that the man behind the character was of a different breed. His was one of the most truly unique minds ever to perform in pro wrestling, having created four distinctly unique characters - five if you include the Uncle Howdy character that he created for his brother to use alongside him.
 
Bray Wyatt’s relatively short but legendary career was highlighted by interactions and matches with other well-respected greats in the industry, including Randy Orton, John Cena, and the Undertaker. This documentary covers his pre-WWE life growing up as the son of a former WWE performer, his college football aspirations, his WWE career, his untimely passing, and the legacy he left behind. We even get a glimpse into what the future would’ve held for the late, great superstar.
 
Like many WWE-produced video projects, I found Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal to be quite thorough, particularly with respect to how in-depth it dives into the personal life of Windham Rotunda (the man who portrayed Bray Wyatt). I also felt it was very tastefully done, featuring interviews with his family and peers, and narrated by an icon in the wrestling industry, the Undertaker.
 
Whether he was loved, feared, or misunderstood, the Bray Wyatt character will always live on in the hearts and minds of WWE fans worldwide, and this documentary is a fitting tribute to his legacy.
 
Follow the buzzards…
 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 100%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 8.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Rich’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer: