When you think of classic horror movies, the first icon of the screen to come to mind is probably Christopher Lee. He’s up there with Vincent Price and Peter Cushing as one of the most recognizable faces of the genre, having played just about everyone except the Wolfman. Either that, or you recognize him from The Lord of the Rings, where he played the diabolical Saruman in his later years. Regardless of which, he’s an icon of cinema history, and director Jon Spira has set out to reveal the truth behind the legend of the actor, veteran, and occasional metal singer with his new documentary, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee.

The film, which premiered at this year’s Fantastic Fest, chronicles the life of “death’s emissary in modern cinema” by presenting him as a marionette puppet, a version of Lee who narrates his own life story via the voice of comedian Peter Serafinowicz, along with talking heads like Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and Lee’s own biographer, Jonathan Rigby. It’s a journey through his entire life, from beginning to end, illuminating not only his film career but other aspects of his life as well.

The Film Comes Up With Creative Ways to Tell Lee’s Story
Image via United Artists

Serafinowicz does a pretty serviceable Lee impression — I’d equate it to the Rod Serling soundalike in the Tower of Terror at Disney World — and it doesn’t feel as though it’s a cheap stunt for the sake of making an impression on the audience. For its narration, the film appears to lift large portions directly from Lee’s autobiography, Tall, Dark and Gruesome, which turns the approach to telling his story from a by-the-books documentary into yet another addition to his unique and iconic filmography. It’s reminiscent of a similar documentary, The Disappearance of Shere Hite, which features actress Dakota Johnson narrating the late feminist’s writings to bring her voice to life.

Said narration is also supplemented by pieces of animation and illustration, which are used to fill the gaps in Lee’s life of which there is no archival footage or photos available. This is primarily ued to showcase the star’s years in the military, where he was famously part of a number of black ops missions, the details of which he never revealed to anyone. It plays rather well when supplemented with Serafinowicz’s narration, at least until you get into the nitty-gritty of things and come face to face with the many monsters Lee played over the course of his career.

That said, it might have been nice to see some archival footage of Lee himself talking about said career, rather than relying entirely on written narration that may or may not be pushing a certain angle about the star’s legacy. It doesn’t help that certain talking heads seem more interested in their own take on things than imparting an actual view into Lee’s personal life. This is particularly the case with the inclusion of John Landis, who seems more interested in playing himself up than actually giving us an insight into his relationship with Lee, which starts to grate on the viewer’s nerves. That fact is made up for by other, more introspective interviewees like Joe Dante and Harriet Walter, but does serve to prove that Spira could have spent more time choosing who gets to tell the late actor’s story. However, this pales in comparison to the doc’s biggest issue: certain gaps in B-roll footage filled with what I can only describe as the most offensive A.I. slop I’ve ever seen.

Jon Spira Takes Lazy Filmmaking to the Next Level With AI
Image via Filmar Compagnia Cinematografica

Maybe, just maybe, I can see the idea behind using it as another creative source alongside animation and illustration to fill in the gaps in Lee’s life that don’t have film footage or photos to accompany them. But that doesn’t excuse the blatant laziness that A.I. automatically signifies, nor the immediate disgust it fills me with, despite having otherwise enjoyed the film. You’re making a movie about one of the hardest working, most dedicated actors in the history of filmmaking, and you’re choosing to insult his memory by not even putting in the effort to fully finish making the film yourself? Give me a break.

It’s a tragedy to witness because the rest of the film is rather adept at telling Lee’s story in a way that feels authentic to the legacy he left behind. It plays a bit like an old Hammer Horror trailer, something that reels you in and keeps you hooked when you realize you have no idea where it will go next. Most of those involved seem genuinely invested in opening up about their experiences with him, even though, as with most celebrity documentaries, it won’t teach you much of anything if you’ve briefly glanced at his Wikipedia page. I’m sure none of the talking heads nor Serafinowicz were at all aware of planned A. I. usage when filming their parts in it, and I do not intend to fault them as such — particularly not when I doubt that this film will see much wide release once the general public discovers its use of said barbaric technology.

To have played three of the four most iconic monsters ever put to film — Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Mummy — makes Lee a staple in cinema history, inextricable from some of the films that define the medium as it stands today. He is, like Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and so many more, a face that will never be forgotten, even if it fades back into the annals of midnight movie territory. But if the filmmakers behind The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee can’t even bother to properly honor that legacy by putting in the kind of effort he did, then you’re better off just picking up one of his many Hammer films instead.

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee screened at Fantastic Fest 2024.