I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol

In 2026 it will be exactly 50 years since the debut single of The Sex Pistols, Anarchy in the U.K., was released. Punk was born: loud, brutal, dirty, and raw, and with raised middle fingers the band caused a true shockwave in the crisis- and unemployment-stricken UK.

In this raw film, original bassist Glen Matlock tells the story, which also reveals the important—and often surprising—role he played in the band’s success. Using a wealth of archival footage and interviews, this film, based on Matlock’s book of the same name, recounts the origins of the band, the release of their first single, and their debut album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

This album, which was immediately met with censorship and boycott campaigns, is now considered one of the most important and influential albums in pop history. Narrator Matlock comes across as surprisingly gentle, far removed from the usual image of the brash Sex Pistols—unsurprisingly, he quickly clashed with Johnny Rotten. Matlock left the band after the release of the debut album, but his influence is undeniable.