Of all the bands to come out of the 1970s Los Angeles music scene, The Runaways are perhaps the most fascinating. Teenage girls, their wild and reckless lifestyle became the stuff of legend.
Focusing on the duo of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and lead vocalist Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning ) as they navigate a rocky road of touring and record-label woes, the film chronicles the band’s formation as well as their meteoric rise under the malevolent eye of an abusive manager.
It is the band’s first single, ‘Cherry Bomb’, that catapults them into major rock-clubs, paired with the likes of The Ramones, Cheap Trick and Tom Petty, and starts them on the turbulent road of rock ‘n’ roll.
Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, and her luscious camerawork captures every sweaty detail—from the filthy trailer where the women practice to the mosh pits of Tokyo. Not to be missed, The Runaways is an ode to an era and a truly ground breaking band.