Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Big Johnson

Play trailer 2:51 Poster for The Big Johnson Now Playing 1h 35m Documentary LGBTQ+ Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Dean Johnson, drag queen, rock star, LGBTQI activist, junkie, genius, escort then John Doe. How does someone so famous in New York die as an unknown in DC? "The Big Johnson" explores the incredible highs and the crushing lows of Dean Johnson's life and untimely death. Was it murder? Was it an accident? We may never know, but what is for sure is that Dean and "the Big Johnson" changed New York City and all who knew him forever.
Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets

Critics Reviews

View More
Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Jan 21
A captivating, warts-and-all documentary. Go to Full Review Eric Langberg Everything's Interesting Sep 14
The documentary brilliantly conveys that, while drag is now a viable career path to fame and fortune, it used to be a provocative, dangerous, daring art form… and perhaps it could be again, if we follow Dean’s lead. Go to Full Review Michael Talbot-Haynes Film Threat Feb 28
10/10
An incredible movie about an incredible artist during an incredible time. Doesn’t get much better. Go to Full Review Tina Kakadelis Beyond the Cinerama Dome Feb 24
From the plethora of archival footage to the glowing way all the interviewees spoke of Dean, The Big Johnson paints a lovingly complex portrait of a person who stood tall. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
deleted d 4d Fantastic documentary on a spectacular legend. See more Stephen C @bob25009 3d Real footage in 1 hour and 35 minutes. See more Read all reviews
The Big Johnson

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Lola Rock'N'Rolla

Director

Jackie Beat

Self

Keith Levy

Self

Lady Bunny

Self

Taylor Mac

Self

Mary Woronov

Self
View All

The Big Johnson

The Big Johnson: Trailer 1 The Big Johnson: Trailer 1 2:51 View more videos
View All

The Big Johnson

The Big Johnson (2025) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Dean Johnson, drag queen, rock star, LGBTQI activist, junkie, genius, escort then John Doe. How does someone so famous in New York die as an unknown in DC? "The Big Johnson" explores the incredible highs and the crushing lows of Dean Johnson's life and untimely death. Was it murder? Was it an accident? We may never know, but what is for sure is that Dean and "the Big Johnson" changed New York City and all who knew him forever.
Director
Lola Rock'N'Rolla
Producer
Lola Rock'N'Rolla, Beth Johnson, Mitch del Monico
Screenwriter
Lola Rock'N'Rolla
Distributor
Freestyle Releasing
Production Co
Funtown Pictures, Gays from Away
Genre
Documentary, LGBTQ+, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 23, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 27, 2026
Runtime
1h 35m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)