In the last five years, a new sub-genre has emerged: the crisis management documentary. When a major star faces public backlash or a studio releases a bomb, they now respond with a documentary.
Take Britney vs. Spears and Framing Britney Spears. These are entertainment industry documentaries with an activist bent. They aren’t just observing the system; they are trying to dismantle it. Similarly, The Last Dance (about Michael Jordan) functions as an entertainment industry documentary about the sports-media complex, showing how Jordan’s brand was as carefully manufactured as any movie star’s. In the last five years, a new sub-genre
Streaming services love these docs because they monetize controversy. A problematic figure can reclaim their narrative via a six-part series. A disastrous movie release (see The CW: The Rise and Fall of a Teen Drama Empire) becomes a hit streaming series. Spears and Framing Britney Spears
Most industry docs focus on the 1% who succeed. American Movie focuses on Mark Borchardt, a Wisconsin filmmaker trying to finish his low-budget horror short Coven. It is a portrait of obsession, poverty, and the delusional hope that keeps independent artists going. It is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made about the process of creation. Similarly, The Last Dance (about Michael Jordan) functions
Several factors have fueled the explosion of entertainment industry documentaries in the streaming era: