After much anticipation, Brett Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream” finally released Sept. 16 — and it’s more a love letter to David Bowie than a documentary. 

The format of the film was very different from typical documentaries. Instead of being fed every detail about Bowie’s life and career chronologically, “Moonage Daydream” jumps between his various albums and eras with ease. It follows a very loose timeline beginning in his “Ziggy Stardust” years and ending with “Blackstar,” but allows for some flexibility when needed. This helped represent David Bowie as a whole, not as his separate characters.

The editing is loud, dazzling and maddeningly complex, much like David Bowie himself. The film is filled with colorful, kaleidoscopic shots of Bowie doing his makeup, wearing dresses and spacesuits and dancing suggestively onstage. In fact, the majority of the film cuts between interviews from his archive and trippy visual effects that look as if they’ve been pulled from the mind of Bowie himself. However, the editing slows down after a while and as the film gets into his later years, it takes on a calmer tone — matching his change in style and music.

Rather than just telling Bowie’s life story, “Moonage Daydream” captures his existence. In fact, the film skips over a lot of important aspects of his life. His first marriage and his struggles with drug addiction aren’t even mentioned — yet it didn’t seem necessary to delve into his darker history. 

The film is less a biography and more a look into the philosophical views of David Bowie. The movie even starts out with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche. Clips with Bowie talking about life, time and humanity take on a quieter, calmer tone from the rest of the film, as if Morgen wants to highlight these scenes specifically. It seems to work, because I didn’t walk away from the theater having learned significantly more about David Bowie, but instead I left with a newfound appreciation for life and the people in it.

“Moonage Daydream” surprised me with its insight on life and mortality. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a psychedelic, immersive look into the philosophy of David Bowie.

“Moonage Daydream”: ★★★★★