A brand-new documentary is shedding fresh light on one of the most iconic couples in music history—John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Titled One to One: John & Yoko, the film is co-directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards. But instead of focusing on the usual Beatles-era nostalgia, the documentary takes a deep dive into a lesser-known chapter of their lives: their early years living in New York City.
After The Beatles broke up, Lennon and Ono settled in Greenwich Village, where they became part of the city’s buzzing underground scene in the early 1970s. Their home turned into a lively hub for artists, political radicals, and people who lived far outside the mainstream. The film captures this era in vivid detail, showing how the couple threw themselves into the cultural and political chaos of the time.
One of the major highlights of the documentary is never-before-seen restored footage of Lennon’s live performances, including his benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1972 to support the Willowbrook State School. Fans will get to see electrifying versions of songs like “Come Together” and “Instant Karma,” bringing Lennon’s raw post-Beatles energy back to life on screen.
But the film isn’t just about the music. It also includes rare audio recordings of Lennon and Ono’s personal phone calls with friends and collaborators—giving viewers a very intimate look at who they were behind closed doors. On top of that, the filmmakers include clips from their rare TV appearances on shows like The Dick Cavett Show and The Mike Douglas Show, where they spoke about their activism, art, and hopes for the future.
At one point in the film, Lennon is heard saying, “OK, so flower power didn’t work. So what? We’ll start again.” Director Kevin Macdonald says that quote really stuck with him. “You see how open and passionate he is—it’s actually quite touching,” he shared. He added that Lennon wasn’t afraid to show his vulnerabilities, even with the world watching. Both Lennon and Ono were constantly looking for new ways to spark change, especially when old methods seemed to fall short.
The documentary paints a powerful portrait of two people who didn’t just want to make music—they wanted to change the world, even if it meant starting over again and again.