Amy Winehouse's Close Friend Tyler James Slams 'Back to Black' Movie Based on the Late Singer's Life
One of Amy Winehouse‘s close friends is reacting to the new movie based on her life.
Last month, the Back to Black movie starring Marisa Abela as the late singer and directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson was released in theaters in the UK.
Following the release, Amy‘s close friend and former housemate Tyler James – who is referenced twice in the movie – explained why he found the movie “triggering” for him.
Keep reading to find out more…Tyler told The Times Magazine that the movie overlooked several aspects of Amy‘s life, including her drug addiction.
“There is this sense of Amy being coherent even when taking drugs, but there was so much suffering,” Tyler shared. “The film avoids the uncomfortable. I didn’t like it, and it was hugely triggering for me.”
Tyler, who met Amy when they were both 12-years-old at Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, also said that the movie focused “way too much” on Amy‘s relationship with her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who was played by Jack O’Connell.
“Amy would have been pleased for Blake, but she wouldn’t have liked the film,” Tyler said. “She was very real. She was also very funny and intelligent.”
Tyler also said that he should have seen the movie with “a mental health professional next to me” because the scenes of Amy with a crack pipe reminded him of that period of his life.
“It took me straight back to that time,” Tyler explained. “I probably sound normal now, but I still suffer from anxiety and depression, and it was like I had a day-long panic attack afterwards. I couldn’t sleep Friday night or Saturday night.”
Tyler also noted that “really all [Amy] wanted” was a “nice normal life.”
Amy died at the age of 27 in 2011 from accidental alcohol poisoning.
Back to Black will be released in the United States on May 17. You can watch the trailer here.