Kevin Bacon has named Gimme Shelter, the 1970 documentary about The Rolling Stones' 1969 American tour, as one of his favourite films, describing it as one of the most "chilling" and "disturbing" documentaries he has seen. The actor, known for his versatility across genres and his own narration work on documentaries, picked the film while browsing the Criterion Closet, highlighting its unflinching depiction of the darker side of fandom and rock and roll culture.

Directed by Charlotte Zwerin and David and Albert Maysles, the film chronicles the band's 1969 tour, culminating in the notorious Altamont Free Concert, where audience member Meredith Hunter was fatally stabbed by a member of the Hells Angels during the performance. Bacon called the film "emblematic" of the shift from the optimism of the 1960s "love-child generation" towards a darker era, noting it arrived shortly after the Manson murders. While the documentary also functions as a concert film featuring numerous Rolling Stones tracks, its unvarnished portrayal of the tour's social climate has cemented its status as a landmark of rock cinema.