Noah Kahan: Out of Body review — Bringing it all back home in candid Netflix doc

In the age of self-produced music documentaries, singer-songwriter “with folk-pop tendencies” Noah Kahan might have done it right with his new Netflix doc, Out of Body.

This is more than your standard puff piece about an artist’s rise to fame. Kahan is surprisingly candid about his mental health and familial dynamics in the Netflix documentary. In 95 minutes, Kahan makes himself even more vulnerable than his music already does, making it easier to appreciate the man who has inspired college-aged open-mic performers around the world with the overplayed “Stick Season.”

If it felt like Kahan came out of nowhere with his song “Stick Season,” which gained fame through TikTok (a dangerous game that has made the likes of Alex Warren famous), you would be right. Despite two prior albums and two EPs under his belt before “Stick Season” gained traction on TikTok in 2020, Kahan really gained notoriety for that song.

From there, the Vermont native was headlining concerts at the home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, to a sold-out crowd, and his fifth album, The Great Divide, is coming four years after Stick Season’s release in 2022.

Kahan is, in many ways, the most contemporary version of the iconic Bob Dylan we’ve gotten in the last decade, making folk cool again. In his Out of Body documentary, Kahan, like Dylan, is bringing it all back home to Vermont.

Noah Kahan: Out of Body review

The documentary begins with Kahan as he prepares for his shows at Fenway Park. This is what he, and most of Bostonians (or those in the New England area), dream of as an aspiring musician.

Before the lights go down, the documentary takes us back in time. In 2020, he rose to prominence with his TikToks as he constructed what would become his biggest hit, “Stick Season.”

It seems like a fairytale — he rises to fame and has since collaborated with the likes of Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, Sam Fender, Grace Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, and Zach Bryan.

However, it’s not all peaches and cream despite his success. The documentary crew asks Kahan what he checks after a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, and he is brutally honest when he reveals it’s social media. Kahan curiously scrolls through comments, sifting through what fans are saying about him, whether it be positive or negative.

His brutal honesty and struggles

Something Kahan has struggled with for years is body dysmorphia. It’s so easy to get caught up in public image when you’re a celebrity, given how many appearances you make and how quickly social media users are to judge.

In Out of Body, Kahan appears genuine when talking about his struggles. This isn’t your standard “rags to riches” story where he’s now in a perfect place.

Even the way he discusses his complex relationship with his parents, namely his father (a seeming necessity to become a successful singer-songwriter), is relatable. Perhaps this is why his Stick Season album resonated with so many.

What gives you a greater appreciation for Kahan is how much he cares about his craft. He’s aware that your time in the spotlight can disappear as quickly as it appeared.

Is this his peak?

Over the course of when Out of Body was filmed, Kahan was touring and also working on his next album, which eventually materialized into The Great Divide (due to be released on Apr. 24).

Something he and his manager make clear is how Kahan wants to ensure his next album holds up when compared to Stick Season. This is a natural concern for artists, as you never know when your peak is. To hear an artist as big as Kahan communicate that in a manner that feels truthful is unique.

Maybe this feels more timely given how quickly some artists have come and gone lately. Benson Boone similarly rose to fame out of nowhere with his pop music, which fittingly has been used in Target ads. Warren and Addison Rae came from a similar path on TikTok and are now headlining festivals and tours. How well their music and careers age is yet to be determined. Kahan seems determined to ensure that his career lasts in the age of TikTok users who discard their favorites when a new, shinier toy enters the fray.

Should you watch Noah Kahan: Out of Body?

Out of Body is a must-see for Kahan fans and non-fans alike. If you’re a fan, you get behind-the-scenes access to Kahan and his tours. If you’re not a fan, it’d take an insane level of cynicism not to appreciate Kahan at least a little more after watching the documentary.

Kahan is an exception to the general rule of manufactured pop stars. Sure, he rose to fame thanks to social media, but he cares about his art.

Ironically, TikTok (and social media at large) is all about being disingenuous. What people post is usually them at their best. And yet, Kahan is trying to peel back the layers of his public persona.

So, something like Out of Body is a rarity in 2026. This should create hype and hope for Kahan’s next album, even more so than The Great Divide’s lead singles.

Noah Kahan: Out of Body will be available to stream on Netflix on Apr. 13.

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