#563. Critic Pick : Who Killed Nancy ? [2009]

On October 12th 1978 Nancy Spungeon, an ex-prostitute, sometimes stripper and heroin addict, was found dead in a bathroom at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. She also happened to be the girlfriend of the Sex Pistols' bassist Sid Vicious, who was quickly accused of her murder. Less than 6 months later, he died of a heroin overdose and the case was closed.The death of Sid and Nancy has passed into rock legend and has only added to the controversial and notorious image of the Sex Pistols and punk music.At the request of Sid's mother, who committed suicide in 1996, rock author and punk expert Alan Parker has devoted himself to discovering WHO KILLED NANCY? By interviewing 182 people and re-examining NYPD evidence, he investigates what really happened that night in room 100.



Elevated to iconic status since his premature death in 1979, the long dormant story of Sid Vicious has been given one final twist by director (and Vicious biographer) Alan G. Parker. He ascertains that Vicious never stabbed his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, to death in a New York hotel room the year before. It’s a shame that the film hangs so heavily on its flimsy denouement (the real killer may or may not be revealed in the final reel!), as it’s captivating enough when it plays as a snapshot of downtown Manhattan at the fag end of the ’70s. Spungen and Sid are hopelessly tragic, while the cast of talking heads have turned sepia with time.For an exposé very little is actually revealed, but as a neon-lit trawl through '70s New York, it's worth a look.

Director: Alan G. Parker
Genre: History, Documentary
Movie Type: Law & Crime, Music History
Themes: Musician's Life, Murder Investigations
Main Cast: Steve Connolly, John Holmstrom, Don Letts, Steve English, Kris Needs
Released Date : February 6th 2009 [UK]
Official site - www.whokillednancy.com