Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (2012) is a documentary by director Rhys Thomas that sidesteps Queen entirely — watch it online on iFILM and meet the Mercury most fans never saw. The film draws on concert footage, personal recordings and interviews, much of it previously unseen, to trace his solo career on his own terms.

What comes into focus is a man obsessed with classical performance and opera — someone who collaborated with Montserrat Caballé and shared the stage with Luciano Pavarotti as naturally as he owned stadiums with Queen. Roger Taylor, Brian May and Mercury's closest friend Peter Freestone appear on camera; the result is quieter and more personal than any rock biography has any right to be. Stream Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (2012) on iFILM.