Diane Warren: Relentless profiles the songwriter, a fifteen-time Oscar nominee–entering 2025–and recipient of a 2022 Honorary Academy Award. She has also won an Emmy and Grammy Award. Other honors include both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

If you’ve never heard of Diane Warren, you’ve almost certainly heard her songs being sung by other performers. Many of them have become mega-hits through four decades in the music industry. It speaks to her work ethic–look at the list of songs she’s written and it includes a who’s who of performers. Included among her Oscar-nominated songs are:

• “Because You Loved Me” (Up Close & Personal)
• “How Do I Live” (Con Air)
• “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon)

It’s astonishing to think that after 15 nominations, Warren still doesn’t have a competitive win. When one looks at her competition, there are years where one can say, how did she not get a win. But anyway, this documentary is about more than just her Oscar losses. It’s about who Diane Warren is as a person. One thing that fans or curious viewers will see in the film is the songwriter’s signature sense of humor. We also get to see how she came to be who is today. There are somber moments, too, including the revelation of sexual molestation when she was 12 years old.

This is a life-spanning documentary covering Warren’s childhood until shortly before the SXSW premiere. Growing up in Van Nuys as part of a middle-class Jewish family, Warren would turn to music. She was something of a rebellious child growing up. Warren was the youngest of her siblings, who were over a decade older than her. Her childhood friends let viewers on what the songwriter was like as a child.

In terms of Warren’s work life, the film offers something of a tour around her office, giving fans a rare look into offices that they wouldn’t otherwise see. For one, there’s the office that hasn’t been cleaned up in years because of Warren being superstitious. There are conversations with many friends and colleagues, including performers who have sung songs penned by Warren. During an interview with Cher, Warren just happens to be on the phone.

Diane Warren: Relentless is intimate in scope but offers an all-around portrait of the legendary songwriter. Because the film premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival, it does not include the fact that Warren’s home burned down during the LA wildfires last week.

DIRECTOR: Bess Kargman
FEATURING: Diane Warren, Cher, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, Kesha, Jerry Bruckheimer, Clive Davis, Frances Fisher, Randy Jackson, Quincy Jones, Crystal Lujan

Greenwich Entertainment released Diane Warren: Relentless in theaters on January 10, 2025 and MasterClass will start streaming exclusively on January 16. The film holds its Florida premiere during the 2025 Miami Jewish Film Festival. Grade: 3.5/5

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