Director Tania Alexander has created a near-flawless, timely, and entirely captivating two-hour documentary about the final years of Ozzy Osbourne’s life with Ozzy: No Escape From Now. Whether you knew him as a singer, personality, or both of his larger-than-life personas, his story and demeanor are nothing but purely human.

A trailblazing rock star who is often credited with creating heavy metal as the frontman of Black Sabbath, as well as one of the biggest and first reality TV stars of the 2000s, Ozzy has never been cast in a more vulnerable light than in No Escape From Now​​​​​. Despite years of being in pain after a misguided neck surgery gone wrong, Ozzy demonstrates resilience through a lingering bout of physical agony and mental anguish, all leading up to his farewell concert that took place in July 2025, just weeks before his death.

Although Ozzy died at the age of 76 from a heart attack, the rock legend had a stunning number of surgeries and diagnoses that contributed to his withering health during the final seven years of his life. Between several broken vertebrae, a staph infection, pneumonia, sepsis, and Parkinson’s disease, the “Prince of Darkness” was living in his own private hell, but still found inspiration and purpose through his music, family, and above all, the love of his life, Sharon.

Ozzy: No Escape From Now Is A Perfect Heartfelt Tribute To The Late Rock Legend

A fair number of the scenes play out like many of those that naturally occurred in the hit reality series The Osbournes. Ozzy, who was dazed and confused for other reasons back when the show aired on MTV, continued to be incredibly entertaining despite his declining health, which is on full display in the documentary.

As Ozzy would say himself, his true champion was Sharon, an executive producer and sort of host in the film, who stood by his side until the very end, making sure that Ozzy’s career ended exactly on his terms, with the same ferocity and dignity that defined his remarkable journey to rock immortality.

Ozzy and Sharon’s three children, Kelly, Jack, and Aimee – the latter of whom chose not to be a part of the reality series – also offer extensive and insightful interviews about their dad. Ozzy himself is interviewed throughout, never ceasing to be himself through studio sessions, physical therapy, and being a lovable grandfather.

An entire slate of rock legends showed up for Ozzy’s various milestones over the last few years, from the creation of his final album, 2022’s Patient Number 9, to his bizarrely overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 and his final bow performance last summer. This includes Billy Corgan, James Hetfield, Billy Idol, Chad Smith, Tom Morello, Maynard James Keenan, Zakk Wylde, Jack Black, and more, who are either interviewed or featured in never-before-seen footage.

The documentary itself has a very thoughtful and simple tone that rests on the foundation of what made The Osbournes such a success – keep the cameras rolling and let Ozzy be Ozzy. He remains so naturally compelling thanks to his sense of humor, wisdom, determination, and pᴀssion for music, which those close to him have said ignites his soul like nothing else.

The Paramount+ Doc Combines Classic Osbournes Banter With A Remarkable True Story Of Tragedy & Perseverance

Many are well aware that with Ozzy, what you see is what you get, and the documentary carries the same spirit. It doesn’t need to fluff Ozzy’s legacy up because he’s already earned the respect of the rock world and beyond. All the other stars who show up in the documentary are there for no other reason than to pay tribute to him, as many of them were directly inspired by his work.

The film also doesn’t gloss over the tragic elements of Ozzy’s decline, either – in fact, some parts of the true story will likely leave viewers shocked and angry, looking for answers that are bigger than life itself. Ozzy’s health problems began due to a medical error. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him over 20 years after he was eligible, forcing Ozzy to watch his own induction ceremony from the side of the stage.

There’s certainly a softly made but poignant statement in No Escape From Now that doesn’t necessarily point fingers, but does call out a few preventable injustices that plagued Ozzy for the rest of his life. Throughout the film, we see one of the most famous people on the planet defeated, winning, and even brought to tears, but never fully broken, and never once lost.

Whatever preconceived notion of Ozzy Osbourne you hold before watching Ozzy: No Escape From Now will almost certainly be altered by the end. It is truly a definitive work that wastes not a single second of its runtime in conveying who Ozzy was and continued to be during a very long battle with his health. If you think you know Ozzy Osbourne, you won’t get the complete picture without watching this essential portrait of the rock n’ roll god.