Depeche Mode: M (dir. Luis Fernando Frías de la Parra)
Taking a Depeche Mode superfan to IMAX that they had never been to before (and a real IMAX at that) to see a Depeche Mode concert documentary is a real treat that I recommend to others. You can replace Depeche Mode if you’d like. Although in the case of Luis Fernando Frías de la Parra’s Depeche Mode: M, I’d say even that is pretty damn good. As is their wont, Depeche Mode deliver on stage and if you couldn’t experience their Memento Mori Tour in person (like me!) then this is about as good as an alternate as any, I suppose. It’s big and that’s how movies like this should be.
In the absence of a real review that I don’t quite have the time to produce, here are a selection of random thoughts that I had while watching Depeche Mode: M:
Dave Gahan is really a fabulous, flamboyant stage presence. In the cold light of day in 2025 to those unfamiliar with the band, you might be surprised with the slightly camp peacock vibe what with his colourful vest(/waistcoat) and heeled boots combo. Mick Jagger meets Jake Spears or something like that.
I’m not entirely sure I understand all the Mexican symbolism and the poetry to either the band or the album. Was this a theme of the entire tour? The film did have some of these elements that I couldn't really place within the context of the show. Which it didn't have to do, of course, but it was a curious choice.
Likewise, the film’s use of analogue technology feels like an aesthetic success more so than a storytelling one. As conceptualised by visual artist Joshua Ellingson, there is a ghostly quality to some of the effects that I really enjoyed. Its use of old bulky televisions (notably Sony branded, of course) and video tape tracking and static as well as the prominent artifice that is overlayed throughout. It added to the propulsive energy of the film. Something of a sensory overload at times.
I had not actually listened to Memento Mori before (I honestly sort of trailed off listening to new Depeche Mode albums after the excellent Playing the Angel), but my viewing partner suggests it was a big return to form and I did enjoy the songs they played here (predominantly in the opening half; the second half is dedicated more to their bigger hits like “Personal Jesus”, “Enjoy the Silence” and “Never Let Me Down Again”, the latter of which is probably the best sequence in the entire film before you even get to the dedication of former Depeche Mode bandmember Andy Fletcher).
Honestly, just about every song here is a banger. "Stripped", hello!
Seeing Gahan and the band's prime songwriter and guitarist Martin Gore is probably, beyond the music, the most memorable feature of M. They are lovely together, just two dudes rocking out and still having the time of their lives. And I guess with an album like Memento Mori, translating to an object that's kept as a reminder of death, it's rather apt. We can all hope to be as energetic, as full of life and as in love with art and the moment as they are even if we're aware of the passing of time.
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