If you haven’t already, put some respect on the name of Simple Plan.

Admittedly, Simple Plan haven’t always taken the straight and narrow road to success. But, after over 25 years, one cannot deny that their hard work and persistence have paid off. As one of Canada’s most popular bands over that span, they have shown that they’ve still got what it takes to rock audiences. Now, with the release of Prime Video’s Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd, Montreal’s very own mega-band are finally getting their moment in the cinematic sun.

Directed by Didier Charrette, Kids in the Crowd takes into the simpler times of Simple Plan. By offering access into their early basement shows in Montreal and months grinding out the club circuit, the documentary shows how the hard work of kids with a dream gradually led them to global stardom. But the road to fame is far from easy. Whether it was trying to get noticed or trying to please audiences of different styles, Crowd shows the battles that they had to face along the way.

In short, the story of Simple Plan was anything but simple.

As the latest in Prime Video’s series of ‘rock docs’, Kids in the Crowd does a good job of reminding viewers why the band continues to resonate with audiences. Through the traditional blend of old footage and new interviews, there’s still a boyish charm about the band that shines through. Having started out at a very young age, the band is shown to already have an undeniable work ethic and enough creativity to carve out their own niche in the music business.

What’s more, the film showcases the struggle of knowing exactly what that niche truly was. Caught between pop and punk in their styling, Simple Plan has always been their own ‘thing’ in the music industry. They have the ability to thrill the Warped Tour one night and jam with Avril Lavigne the next. However, in an industry that thrives on the question of identity (and identification), that can make for a longer road to acceptance. (After all, punk kids don’t necessarily want to identify with pop fans.) Even so, Kids in the Crowd shows their determination to learn how to be themselves on stage—and learn, in fact, who they are in the process.

But, thankfully, the documentary does a solid job of doing more than hyping up their rise to success. In fact, the true impact of the film lies in the revelations surrounding the band’s relationship to their audience. Described as ‘authentic’ and ‘inclusive’, Crowd recognizes the impact that their music has on their fans, both young and old. Songs like ‘I’m Just a Kid’ or ‘Addicted’ didn’t break record sales upon their first release but, as the boys grew in popularity, the songs began to resonate with their fans on a deeper level.

Whether it’s ‘This Song Saved My Life’ or ‘Perfect’, Simple Plan’s infectious jams are more than earworms. Instead, they tap into the insecurities of youth who are trying to find their place in the world. And that’s the sort of language that can cross generations. In Kids in the Crowd, the band show the importance of that connection and the ways that it’s helped youth deal with feelings of loneliness. Conversations around suicide and depression are heard from fans who found something hopeful  in their music that they couldn’t find in other places. In essence, their music became the voice of those who were struggling to find others who could speak for them. (The band even started The Simple Plan Foundation as an opportunity to help support those in need.)

However, Kids in the Crowd wisely shows how the band has had to mature as well. One could have understood if the documentary chose to avoid the allegations against bass guitarist David Derosiers in 2020. (And, to be fair, the film doesn’t delve into it deeply and Derosiers isn’t interviewed.) Instead, they use it as an opportunity to share how they’ve become more inclusive. (“We want everything around the show to be a safe space,” we’re told.) Suddenly, the boys who sang ‘I’m Just a Kid’ have had to grow up and they want to do better for themselves and their audience. After all, this Kids in the Crowd have their own kids now as well. And they take the responsibility of passing hope to the next generation more seriously than ever.

Twenty-five years in, they’re still learning.

In the end, Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd doesn’t reinvent the ‘rock doc’ genre. However, what it does have, it offers in earnest. Charrette depicts the band as a group that still has their youthful enthusiasm for what they do, even if it’s changed over the years. One can’t help but be reminded of the power of their music and the positive impact that they’ve had on audiences for the last quarter century.

So, maybe, it’s time for us to give these Kids the respect that they deserve.

Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd is available on Prime Video on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.