Avicii: "It will kill me" - Behind Avicii: True Stories

Avicii: True Stories shall return to Netflix on Friday, December 28. It will be available for streaming in the U.S. and the U.K. Avicii passed away in Oman on April 20, 2018, at the age of 28. Avicii's family said he "could not go on any longer."

True Stories captures Avicii's live on tour in the years leading up to his death. Many speculated that True Stories was withdrawn from Netflix's streaming service as a result of his death but documentary director Levan Tsikurishvili told the Guardian its first release was only intended for Scandinavia, Europe.  "The film was never supposed to have a wider release back then," he said.

"What happened was that people tried to watch the movie in the US and UK and couldn’t find it. So, they ran with the story that it had been pulled.” he added.

The documentary was filmed over the course of four years. At some point in the documentary, Avicii's manager then, Arash Pournouri admits Avicii will die due to his interminable schedule of touring and interviews. He says "Tim is going to die. 

"With all the interviews, radio tours and playing. He'll drop dead."

Avicii is clearly overwhelmed with exhaustion and stress as he can be seen saying, "There was never an end to the shows, even when I hit a wall. My life is all about stress." As the film draws to an end, he says touring can be so stressful and difficult. "It will kill me."

Avicii became dependent on alcohol as a coping mechanism for his social anxiety. Alcohol helped him cope with the stress of performing. In the documentary, he says, "If I don't [drink] I gradually get more and more nervous before shows." Avicii had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014 due to health issues caused by excessive drinking.

One of Avicii's friends comments in the documentary saying Tim is "a shell of what he used to be", and another describes him as "a ticking bomb".

The film ends with scenes of Avicii tanned on a peaceful beach in Madagascar, decided on moving on only with what makes him truly happy, producing music. What was supposed to be a happy ending is now described by Tsikurishvili as "chillingly false" given that Avicii died six months after the documentary's premiere.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Tsikurishvili said Avicii "was never comfortable as the center of attention" and saw stardom as a "made up" concept.

Here's the Avicii: True Stories trailer.