Lewis Capaldi was supposed to be the next Adele. Then the music superstar gets Tourette’s — and the cameras keep rolling.
Trailer for “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- He gets diagnosed with Tourette’s after becoming a global pop star. His on-camera tics worsen as fame rises. It’s finally explained in 2022, right in the middle of working on his second album in his parents’ Glasgow house.
- After a one-night stand, Lewis has a full-blown panic attack so intense he calls his mom to come pick him up like he’s a teenager. He’s still selling out 50,000-seat arenas when this happens.
- Millions of fans belt out his hits “Someone You Loved” and “Before You Go” thinking they’re love songs. They aren’t about romantic breakups at all — one is for his late gran, the other for an aunt who died suddenly.
Watch “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”
You can watch “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now” on Netflix.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99/100 (Users); 89/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Joe Pearlman, who also helmed “Bros: After the Screaming Stops.” Pearlman’s style leans on deep vulnerability. He captures Lewis not as a celebrity, but as a young man trying to keep it together while the world watches. Lewis is the narrator, the subject, and often the punchline to his own jokes.
Release Date: April 5, 2023
My Review of “Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”
The Setup
Filmed mostly in 2020–2022, the doc opens with Lewis in his childhood home outside Glasgow, trying to write his second album.
Fame has come fast. “Someone You Loved” was a #1 hit in 29 countries. But the pressure now is suffocating. His tics are increasing. His panic attacks are getting worse. He’s being asked to be “Lewis Capaldi” but barely feels like himself.
What makes this doc different? There’s no glam. It’s not a tour film. There are no arenas, no pyrotechnics—just a twitchy, funny guy in his childhood bedroom trying to write songs through anxiety, grief, and fear that he’s not good enough.
More Highlights from the Doc
- The pressure to match his Grammy-nominated debut album is crushing. The second album isn’t just about topping charts—it’s about proving he deserves the spotlight.
- His anxiety spirals on camera. His tics, already intense, get worse in high-stress moments—recording sessions, award shows, live interviews. One press junket nearly breaks him.
- His family home is not what you’d expect for a global star. Most of the doc is shot in his childhood bedroom, covered in posters, with his parents chiming in as both comic relief and emotional anchors.
- Capaldi’s team and parents are visibly concerned. His manager and doctor talk openly about pulling the plug on tour dates for his health—even if it means derailing the album cycle.
- The songs take on new depth. When he talks through “Before You Go,” you realize it’s a suicide-loss song—written after his aunt died by suicide. It’s no longer just a pretty piano ballad.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- He downplays his tics in interviews for years. Turns out, even he didn’t know they were Tourette’s until his diagnosis in 2022.
- The one-night stand story is not a joke. He wakes up so overwhelmed and emotionally fried that he calls his mum to come pick him up. Not a driver. His mum.
- His tics flare most when he’s playing piano or singing under pressure. The doc shows how performing—his career and passion—might also be harming his body.
- He’s terrified he’s a “one-album wonder.” At one point, he tells the camera, “If this next album bombs, I’m done.”
Wrap Up:
If you think you know Lewis Capaldi because of his memes and hit songs, think again. This doc proves that even the biggest voices can feel like they’re drowning.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc