Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil (2021, Michael D. Ratner)
The trigger warnings at the beginning of these four episodes don’t even begin to prepare you for the emotional journey you’re about to take with Demi Lovato, the singer who overdosed on July 24, 2018. After six years of sobriety, she relapsed and started trying heroin, crack cocaine, and meth. She talks about writing “Sober” on June 15, 2018. By that time, she had become dependent on heroin.
In four episodes, Lovato opens up about her relationship with her bipolar and schizophrenic father, the fact that her self-esteem was damaged from beauty pageants, pleasing other people, and the pressure to over-exercise and diet to look a certain way. She reveals that she was raped while working on Camp Rock, but does not yet name the assailant. The night of the overdose, she also discloses that the drug dealer laced her Oxycodone with fentanyl, sexually assaulted her, and left her for dead.
In 2019, Scooter Braun became Lovato’s new manager; he is the same person who sold the rights to six of Taylor Swift’s albums to an investment company, leading to controversy after he did not even speak to her about it before making the decision. That could be upsetting to some fans. Scooter Braun is the executive producer of this series, so he appears throughout it.
The focus here is on Demi, though, and her healing. Because of her overdose, she is unable to drive anymore. She talks about her brief engagement during the quarantine and in its aftermath, realizing that she was queer. She doesn’t quite put a label on her sexuality yet, as the discovery is an ongoing process. This emotional rollercoaster is worth watching. It goes to show that even the strongest and bravest people are facing unknown challenges. It’s definitely recommended whether or not you follow Demi Lovato’s music and acting career.
United States vs. Reality Winner (2021, Sonia Kennebeck)
Reality Winner is the eighth whistleblower charged under the Espionage Act since it was enacted in 1917. She sent classified documents to The Intercept that Russia was trying to hack into U.S. voting systems. The FBI withheld tapes of her interrogation for almost two years until February 2021.
Because news of her incarceration was buried, her mother Billie Winner-Davis fights on her behalf daily. Whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Thomas Drake are also interviewed, understanding that the U.S. doesn’t like individuals who stand up to them.
Reality Winner was concerned with providing pertinent information to the American public and her punishment was grossly out of proportion.
Being incarcerated since June 3, 2017 after interrogators assured her she didn’t need a lawyer, she remains in custody to this day. Despite her military service, she was denied bail and compassionate release and sentenced to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release. During this time, she unfortunately contracted COVID-19 which she felt she had to hide in order not to be isolated. She also was guided by lawyers to personally thank Donald Trump, the current U.S. President at that time to help her case. Unfortunately, Trump was more concerned about the documents leaking than Russian interference.
The documentary from director Sonia Kennebeck and executive producer Wim Wenders covers essential information on her life and paints a human portrait. It’s essential viewing for anyone seeking the truth on a young woman who is unjustly incarcerated. More information is available to anyone seeking to become involved at: StandWithReality.org.
The End of Us (2021, Steven Kanter, Henry Loevner)
For something slapped together during the pandemic, it’s pretty decent from a technical standpoint. There is decent lighting and sound and some good visuals. The whole thing was a little tiresome, though.
Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner wrote, produced, directed, edited, acted in, and did the camerawork for the movie. It’s impressive that they did this. However, I wasn’t in love with the boyfriend, Nick (Ben Coleman), or the girlfriend, Leah (Ali Vingiano), who are supposed to be pretty much done with each other by the time we’re introduced to their story.
Leah is constantly checking her temperature and washing her hands. It’s a safe and smart thing to do, but not very cinematic. She also would rather something trashy than something on the Criterion Channel, so no points or respect there. Nick is both a wannabe actor and screenwriter who doesn’t really want to put in the work. Their jobs are both affected by the pandemic. Nick tells Leah to put a mask on for an online meeting, which is just cringeworthy; he also doesn’t respect Leah’s boundaries which is stupid, because he has nowhere else to go.
Gadiel Del Orbe provides some much needed comic relief as Hector toward the end. Earlier, Hector and Nick have lunch in their cars, but the windows are rolled down. Choosing to get together while eating when it looks like they weren’t even quite six feet apart was a little bit puzzling.
While reliving the pandemic as the characters get their stimulus checks and celebrate a birthday in quarantine, the film is basically tolerable, but adds nothing to the dialogue and doesn’t really entertain.