Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, also known as one of the biggest Rush fans, shared his honest review of Rush’s new documentary, ‘Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple.’
Portnoy wrote, “Wow…absolutely LOVED the Neil Peart documentary ‘No One’s Disciple’…what a beautiful tribute to our hero! Bravo to everybody involved: from Sam & Scot at Banger films, to Geddy & Alex for opening their hearts and sharing so many great stories with all of us, and to the 4 fabulous drummers that had the honors to play w the boys and pay tribute to Neil!”
He added, “All of the interviews were heartwarming…at times funny and at times heartbreaking…it really painted a very full picture of the many sides of Neil. I’m so happy that a film like this exists to forever document how much he meant to so many of us!”
The review arrived days after the film’s broadcast debut in Canada, and it places Portnoy’s long-standing admiration for Peart alongside a wider wave of tributes from the drumming community.
‘Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple’ is a CBC original feature documentary directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn and produced by Banger Films and Elevation Pictures. The film examines Peart’s musicianship, writing and influence through rare archival footage, live performances and intimate reflections. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2026, and began airing on CBC and CBC Gem on September 23, 2026.
The documentary’s concert tribute segment pairs surviving Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with four drummers: Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith and Gavin Harrison. The 96-minute film is the second Rush feature from Banger Films, following 2010’s ‘Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage’.
Directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn recruited four top-flight drummers to play songs from the band’s catalogue with Lee and Lifeson in a studio. The documentary also captures the first stirrings of the Rush reunion that followed Peart’s death in January 2020.
Rush returned to the road on the “Fifty Something” reunion tour with drummer Anika Nilles, who previously played drums for Jeff Beck. Nilles stepped into the role of the late Neil Peart, the band’s longtime drummer and lyricist.
The film also gives Peart room to speak for himself. In an archival interview featured in the documentary, he says, “I think it matters for me to play better all the time and to play my best all the time.”
Portnoy’s praise follows that thread. His own history with Rush spans decades of tribute performances and public tributes to Peart, and the new documentary has extended that admiration to a new generation of listeners and drummers.
