‘Sly’ Trailer: Sylvester Stallone Questions the Illusion of Success in Documentary About His Legacy

Samantha Bergeson
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Sylvester Stallone is in a class of his own.

The “Rocky” writer-star reflects on his legacy in Netflix documentary “Sly,” which charts his rise from “underdog to icon,” per the tagline.

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“What is healthier, to live under the illusion and still have a glimmer of hope that you could have been great, or blow it and realize you’re a failure?” Stallone asks in the trailer.

Directed by Thom Zimny, “Sly” is billed as “an intimate and unexpected look at the early life of the action megastar as well as a reflection on his career that spans nearly 50 years.” The doc was announced in June and comes on the heels of the Netflix three-part docuseries “Arnold” about Stallone’s competitor and acting counterpart, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Sly” closed 2023 TIFF, and charts Stallone’s “rough beginnings in New York City as a troubled kid who’d escape his angry household to watch movies all day and then come home to write scripts himself. Zimny leads Stallone through his rollercoaster career, which exploded when ‘Rocky’ — a role he had to fight to play, despite having written the now iconic movie — catapulted him to a level of stardom for which he was entirely unprepared,” per the official premiere listing.

Stallone’s filmography is placed side-by-side with his personal journey to move through his half-century of fame. Schwarzenegger, Stallone’s younger brother Frank, co-star Henry Winkler, long-time collaborator John Herfzeld, and critic Wesley Morris all contribute as talking heads in the film.

The IndieWire review argued that “Sly” will make Stallone fans want to see the actor tackle highbrow roles like Shakespearian plays, especially when Stallone “offers up his current take on his career — be a specialist within the things you’re best at, because no one wants to see a guy like Stallone do Shakespeare — damn if you won’t find yourself thinking, ‘Hell, maybe I do want to see this guy do Shakespeare!'”

Critic Kate Erbland wrote, “So much of the doc hinges on Stallone’s journey to stardom, a truly self-made star who started acting because he loved it, who started writing because he needed it, and who is still very genuinely grappling with his legacy, and there seems to be no end to his creativity. Mostly, it’s Stallone who impresses here, as a disarmingly open and self-aware icon whose hardest lessons have left a mark on him. As Sly loves to tell people, ‘Keep punching!'”

The documentary is produced by Sean Stuart and executive produced by Braden Aftergood, Bill Zanker, Sam Delcanto, Jon Beyer, Tom Forman, Jenny Daly, and lead star/subject Stallone.

“Sly” premieres November 3 on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.

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