You form a band with three others in Liverpool. You go on to become the biggest band on the planet. And then it ends. What next?

That’s the premise behind this documentary, that starts at the end of The Beatles for Paul McCartney, and follows the musical paths he then follows.

It opens with McCartney essentially taking the public fall for the break-up of The Beatles, despite the fact that it was John Lennon’s decision to do so, but was in no hurry to make the announcement to the rest of the world.

The film then follows McCartney’s journey, much of it presented in his own words, as he tries to step away from the omnipresent shadow of The Beatles, which he was an integral part of creating, and re-invent his career.

This is director Morgan Neville’s follow-up to his highly creative 2024 documentary Piece by Piece.

It’s a beautifully-crafted retrospective, that is highly detailed – possibly too much so – with this definitive period of McCartney’s life – the end of The Beatles to the end of Wings – brought to life by an abundance of archive material.

It does feel somewhat suffocating after a while, with no talking head footage whatsoever, talking over the impressive archive footage. It would have possibly been more relatable, perhaps, if we had talking head footage of some of those concerned, including McCartney, in front of camera, so we’re not just relying on just audio interview to convey emotions.

And considering his phenomenal status, there are very few contributions from established artists, with only Chrissie Hynde and Mick Jagger – briefly - being the biggest names to offer their say. Although it makes sense to have those who played in Wings offer their experiences, the film is a little too top-heavy with the contributions that were essentially session musicians.

And although the defined period is dizzyingly thorough, it does feel as if it comes to an abrupt end, and although just about covers the death of Lennon, Linda’s death isn’t featured, which seems a curious omission considering her hefty contribution to the film, making it feel disappointingly unfinished.

Still, it makes for an appropriate companion piece to Peter Jackson’s the Beatles: Get Back documentary, and offers a touching insight into life after being a Beatle.