The Beatles' "Now And Then" music video is a goofy little time capsule

On the heels of releasing their first song in almost 30 years—and their last song ever—The Beatles now have a final music video to accompany “Now And Then.” Peter Jackson, who directed the in-depth docuseries Get Back and whose team pioneered the audio technique that made “Now And Then” possible, was tasked with creating a video that brought Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr back together for one final time. And based on the video, he took that task quite literally.

In a statement, Jackson admitted to his trepidation about being in charge of a music video, particularly because of a lack of footage of Lennon around the time he made the demo, of the other three members working on it during the Anthology sessions, or suitable contemporary shots (“they didn’t even shoot any footage showing Paul and Ringo working on the song last year”). Luckily, McCartney, Starr, and Apple Records provided him with what he needed and then some, with bonus footage of “the earliest known film of The Beatles and never seen before” provided by the group’s one-time drummer, Pete Best.

Jackson created what he terms a “short film,” the ending of which he hoped to “craft something that could adequately sum up the enormity of The Beatles’ legacy,” an “impossible” task because “Their contribution to the world is too immense, and their wondrous gift of music has become part of our DNA and now defies description.” His ideas got the seal of approval from Harrison’s son Dhani, and Jackson has “genuine pride” in the final result.

“To be honest, while we hope we’ve given The Beatles a suitable final farewell, that’s something you’ll need to decide for yourselves when it’s finally released,” he said.

Now that it has been released, the music video is not unlike the song itself: sentimental and nostalgic, if veering on cheesy at times. It works best when focused on the archival footage of the band working on the track; the blend of present-day McCartney and Starr with Sgt. Pepper-era Lennon and Harrison is jarring and frankly, a little goofy. (To be honest, it looks more like when someone adds a sticker GIF to their Instagram Story than a Peter Jackson-worthy visual effect.) Nevertheless, Beatle fanatics may find themselves charmed by the time capsule quality of the video, which travels backward through the group’s career all the way through to childhood photos and footage of the four members.

In an introduction, McCartney promised Jackson “passed the audition” for making a Beatles music video, although it feels less like a true Beatles project than two older musicians looking back on their glory days. When the glory days were that glorious, you can get away with having a mawkish final farewell. And when the group takes their final bow in the last shot of the video, the sentiment somehow still feels earned. It’s not a timeless classic like so much of the band’s creations, but it’s still something fans may want to return to now and then.