Some bonds do not fade with time despite absence; they only grow louder in the light of memory. For Flea and Anthony Kiedis, that enduring brotherhood belongs to Hillel Slovak, whose presence now anchors The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming film.

Directed by Ben Feldman, the documentary is set to be released on March 20, 2026, with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. More than a nostalgic return to that first fearless bond, the film moves through the Los Angeles punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s while turning an emotional lens on Hillel Slovak, the band’s original guitarist, who died in 1988.

Bringing that brotherhood back into focus through a deeply personal lens, the film comes from producer Marc D’Agostino and executive producers Dan Braun, Josh Braun, David Blackman, James Slovak, and Ben Feldman. Fans can watch The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel on Netflix.

Woven from Hillel’s journal entries, unseen archival footage, and deeply emotional interviews, the story rises through the voices of those who knew that world from the inside. With current and former band members, alongside names like Jack Irons, Alain Johannes of Eleven, and funk legend George Clinton, the film becomes an intimate, powerful, and unexpectedly tender portrait of a bond that never really faded.

Meanwhile, before the documentary hits Netflix on March 20, here is a quick glimpse at RHCP’s original guitarist, Hillel Slovak.

All about Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Hillel Slovak

Long before Hillel Slovak stood at the burning centre of the band’s earliest rise, the Israeli-born guitarist was already plugged into the raw chaos of the Los Angeles scene through the early group Anthym, later known as What Is This?. Later, he joined forces with Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Jack Irons to shape the fierce first form of what the world would come to know as Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Although Hillel Slovak did not appear on RHCP's 1984 self-titled debut, the guitarist later carved his name into the band’s early sound through 'Freaky Styley' in 1985 and 'The Uplift Mofo Party Plan' in 1987. More crucially, the latter brought the original core line-up fully together on every track, giving Slovak an even deeper place in the band’s first explosive chapter.

With The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel all set to hit Netflix, fans can brace to relive that first fierce brotherhood, the ache of absence, and the imprint Hillel Slovak left behind.

Are you excited for the upcoming Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Lisa Roy

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui