R.E.M. : Perfect Square (2004): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2004, R.E.M. : Perfect Square is a music film directed by Julia Knowles, running about 143 minutes. “R.E.M. performing 23 songs in Wiesbaden, Germany, on 2003-07-19.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Perfect Square is a video recording of a concert by rock band R.E.M., filmed on 19 July 2003 at the Bowling Green in Wiesbaden, Germany. It was released in DVD format on the Warner Brothers label on March 9, 2004. This concert is perhaps most notable for a performance of the song "Country Feedback", which Michael Stipe opens by declaring it his "favorite song". The rendition features appended lyrics from another song, Reveal's "Chorus and the Ring", and a guitar solo by Peter Buck, neither of which are in the original. Other concert highlights include the appearance of two then-new songs, "Bad Day" (Also originally known as PSA when first written in the early 1980's) and "Animal", and the re-emergence of the long-lost song "Permanent Vacation". "Permanent Vacation" dates back to 1980, years before their first album, while "Bad Day" dates back to 1985.

Who’s in it. R.E.M. : Perfect Square stars Michael Stipe as Vocals, Mike Mills as Bass, Peter Buck as Guitar and Bill Berry.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.7/10, R.E.M. : Perfect Square has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch R.E.M. : Perfect Square page.

If you liked it. Fans of R.E.M. : Perfect Square tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.