Man on the Run

by Mike McGranaghan

Between The Beatles, Wings, and his own solo work, Paul McCartney has been so phenomenally successful that it’s easy to believe he never struggled. Man on the Run, an engrossing new documentary from Won’t You Be My Neighbor? director Morgan Neville, proves otherwise. The film kicks off with the musician coming to an impasse after the world’s most famed rock band breaks up, then tracks how the formation of Wings helped him get his mojo back. This is the first essential doc of 2026.

Neville tells the story through McCartney’s narration and a treasure trove of archival footage, much of it never before seen by the public. Early scenes delve into the existential crisis of the post-Beatles period, when Paul - unfairly and inaccurately blamed for the band’s demise - retreats to his remote farm, unsure of how to proceed with his career. He engages in experimental songs that, when released, fail to catch on with audiences or critics. (John Lennon isn’t a fan, either.) Even worse, what he’s doing sounds woefully out of sync with the culture, making him come across as a bit of a dinosaur. Through McCartney’s voiceover, we grow to understand the “Now what?” anxiety that gripped him at the time.

The solution, it turned out, was going back to the basics. McCartney knew how to be in a band, so he started a new one. Wings was not without controversy, given that he brought wife Linda into the fold, despite her initially not knowing how to play an instrument. Man on the Run details the group’s rise, specifically focusing on how its unique sound coalesced and how they fought to get out from under The Beatles’ shadow. An insistence on everyone being equal proved tricky, given that one member was considerably more famous than the others.

The archival footage utilized here is remarkable. Some of it comes from McCartney’s own home movies. There are also vintage interviews and performances. Collectively, the footage helps not only to tell the story but to get to the emotional core of it. We’ve rarely gotten a film that was so incisive in showing how a musical artist grows and evolves. McCartney’s willingness to be vulnerable makes the journey even more satisfying. Anyone who thinks moving forward after The Beatles was a piece of cake will be floored by the film’s revelations. And those who do remember the struggle will cherish hearing more about it from the inside.

Voice interviews from Wings members and other knowledgeable figures add context, further emphasizing how McCartney shifted from one of the most influential bands of the 1960s to one of the most influential bands of the 1970s. Absolutely riveting from start to finish, Man on the Run isn’t a mere tribute to Paul McCartney; it’s a story of determination, perseverance, creativity, and the power of being true to oneself.

---