The gods of punk have returned — louder, rawer, and more defiant than ever. Netflix has just unveiled the official trailer for its highly anticipated documentary on The Stooges, the band that detonated the first sonic explosion of punk rock and forever rewrote the rules of rebellion. Titled simply Raw Power Returns, this film dives deep into the chaos, genius, and uncompromising energy that defined one of the most influential bands in rock history.
The trailer opens with a grainy black-and-white clip of a young Iggy Pop writhing on stage, shirtless and covered in glitter, screaming into the mic with every ounce of his being. Then, as the music erupts — the unmistakable blast of “Search and Destroy” — the Netflix logo flickers in crimson red. It’s a visceral reminder of where punk began: in the sweat, noise, and fury of The Stooges’ electric rebellion.
Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, Raw Power Returns promises to be more than just a rock documentary — it’s a resurrection of attitude. Through unseen footage, candid interviews, and powerful performances, Netflix invites viewers to witness how The Stooges turned chaos into art and inspired generations of outsiders, misfits, and musical revolutionaries.
Iggy Pop’s voice echoes throughout the trailer, gruff yet reflective: “We didn’t know what we were doing… we just knew it had to be louder.” Those words capture the essence of The Stooges — raw, fearless, and gloriously unpredictable. The documentary explores how their music, once misunderstood, became the DNA for punk, grunge, and alternative rock movements decades later.
The film also delves into the band’s volatile chemistry — the bond between Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, and Dave Alexander — four young men from Ann Arbor who unknowingly built a cultural earthquake. Their story isn’t polished or romanticized. It’s gritty, blood-soaked, and real. Raw Power Returns celebrates that imperfection as the truest form of authenticity.
Fans will be thrilled to see never-before-seen archival footage from the early 1970s, rare studio sessions, and interviews with legends like David Bowie, who famously helped produce Raw Power and pushed Iggy to embrace his untamed genius. Netflix’s treatment feels like both a history lesson and a love letter to one of rock’s most misunderstood bands.
The documentary also explores the painful years of obscurity and self-destruction that followed their initial breakup — the era when Iggy Pop battled addiction, industry rejection, and internal demons. Yet, as the film shows, every fall became fuel for the next resurrection. The Stooges didn’t just influence punk; they embodied its immortal spirit of refusal to die quietly.
Visually, Raw Power Returns is stunning — combining vintage 16mm concert footage with sleek, modern cinematography that gives the film a cinematic punch worthy of the band’s legacy. The lighting, the sound design, the pounding rhythm — it all feels like being front-row at a Stooges concert, chaos and beauty colliding in perfect motion.
As the trailer closes, the screen fades to black and one line appears in bold red letters: “Before punk had a name, it had a sound.” That sound was The Stooges. It’s a haunting reminder that before the world celebrated rebellion, these four men were living it — unapologetically, fearlessly, and without compromise.
Critics are already calling it one of Netflix’s boldest and most exhilarating music documentaries of the decade. With its blend of history, emotion, and grit, Raw Power Returns captures the heartbeat of a generation that refused to be tamed. It’s not just about The Stooges — it’s about the eternal flame of defiance that they lit in every artist who ever picked up a guitar and said, “I don’t care what you think.”
For both lifelong fans and newcomers to the punk legacy, this documentary is a must-watch. It’s the story of how a band from Michigan made the world louder, rougher, and freer. The Stooges were never just a band — they were a revolution set to a deafening soundtrack.
Raw Power Returns premieres globally on Netflix this November. Turn up the volume, feel the chaos, and witness the rebirth of raw power — the sound that changed everything.
