Watch Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy is a documentary film that explores the chaotic, tragic lives and ultimate demise of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, two of punk rock's most notorious figures. Directed by Danny Garcia, the film offers a glimpse into the world of the Sex Pistols and the punk rock scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The film takes its name from the song "Sad Vacation," which was written by Sid Vicious and appears on his posthumous album, Sid Sings. The song's lyrics reflect on the drug-fueled excesses of Vicious and Spungen's time together, and the film similarly examines their lives through this lens.

Through interviews with family members, friends, associates, journalists, and fellow musicians, as well as archival footage and photographs, Sad Vacation pieces together the couple's turbulent relationship and tragic end. The film follows them from their initial meeting at New York City's infamous punk rock club CBGB through their move to London and Sid's brief tenure as the Sex Pistols' bassist.

While Sid and Nancy's relationship was marked by intense love and passion, it was also rife with drug abuse and violence. The film explores the role of heroin and other drugs in their lives, as well as the fraught emotional dynamic of their relationship.

Sad Vacation also delves into the events leading up to Nancy's death in the Chelsea Hotel in October 1978, and Sid's subsequent arrest and imprisonment for her murder. The film examines the various theories and speculation surrounding Nancy's death and Sid's alleged involvement, as well as the impact of the tragedy on those who knew them.

In addition to focusing on the couple's story, Sad Vacation also provides a broader context for their lives and the punk rock movement of the time. The film features interviews with musicians such as Glen Matlock (former Sex Pistols bassist) and Walter Lure (of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers), as well as journalist Legs McNeil (co-founder of Punk magazine) and others who were part of the punk scene.

Overall, Sad Vacation offers a compelling portrait of two troubled, complex individuals whose lives and deaths continue to fascinate and intrigue more than four decades after they first burst onto the scene. The film is a sobering reminder of the destructive power of addiction and the dangers of excess, as well as a celebration of the punk ethos of self-expression and rebellion.

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy is a 2015 music movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes.