Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?
A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
Stop Making Sense (1984) is a documentary and music film directed by Jonathan Demme, released on October 19, 1984 with a runtime of 1h 28m. It stars David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth. Viewers rate it 8.3 out of 10 across 387 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Stop Making Sense before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Stop Making Sense.
Trailer
Trailer
Teaser
Clip
Behind the Scenes
David Byrne
as Self - Vocals, Guitar
Chris Frantz
as Self - Drums, Vocals
Jerry Harrison
as Self - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Tina Weymouth
as Self - Bass, Percussion, Vocals
Ednah Holt
as Self - Backing Vocals
Lynn Mabry
as Self - Backing Vocals
Steven Scales
as Self - Percussion
Alex Weir
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
Bernie Worrell
as Self - Keyboards
Directed by Jonathan Demme, written by Jonathan Demme, produced by Gary Goetzman.
Average viewer score of 8.3/10 from 387 ratings.
I'm not sure Jonathan Demme really had too much to do here as David Byrne and "Talking Heads" present us with a belter of a creative toe-tapper. It's a film of their concert - constructed from performances over three nights in a small Hollywood theatre, and that setting lends itself excellently to their showcase. The depth and height of the stage allows the band to arrive on set song by song, and for the camera…
Reviewed on October 8, 2023
I did write an artistically brilliant rendition of my thoughts on this movie but instead I’m going to give you this: I can't seem to face up to the facts I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce…
Reviewed on October 20, 2023
went into the movie without even knowing who Talking Heads were except that they were quite popular back in their days, and i will have to say that i really enjoyed it
Reviewed on May 7, 2026
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Stop Making Sense (1984) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Stop Making Sense (1984) includes David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Ednah Holt. The film was directed by Jonathan Demme. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Stop Making Sense was released on October 19, 1984 and runs for 1h 28m.
Stop Making Sense (1984) holds an average rating of 8.3 out of 10 from 387 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary and music films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Stop Making Sense trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
