X
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 1 h 23 m
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 1 h 23 m
Summary In Wonder follows Shawn Mendes’ journey toward self-discovery, after the physical and emotional demands of his rise, and his last world tour, pushed him towards a personal and musical reckoning. The documentary is a heartfelt look at a songwriter and performer wrestling with the pressures of stardom and the emotional tolls of coming-of-a...
Directed By: Grant Singer
Written By: Connor Brashier
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 1 h 23 m
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 1 h 23 m
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
40
8.7
Where to Watch
Summary In Wonder follows Shawn Mendes’ journey toward self-discovery, after the physical and emotional demands of his rise, and his last world tour, pushed him towards a personal and musical reckoning. The documentary is a heartfelt look at a songwriter and performer wrestling with the pressures of stardom and the emotional tolls of coming-of-a...
Directed By: Grant Singer
Written By: Connor Brashier
Where to Watch
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
40
20% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
60% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
20% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 Critic Reviews
40
20% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
60% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
20% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The doc has its cake and eats it, too, reaffirming Mendes’ vulnerability without putting much of anything on the line.
The pop icon’s stardom is so etched in concrete at this point that he could tell his fans just about anything and they would never stop listening. So it’s a pity that the documentary vehicle that surrounds him isn’t more forthcoming about the man beneath the wife beaters and airtight skinny jeans who sends so many swooning, but surely must, at times, feel lonely late at night like the rest of us.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 356 User Ratings
8.7
86% Positive
306 Ratings
306 Ratings
3% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
11% Negative
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 356 User Ratings
8.7
86% Positive
306 Ratings
306 Ratings
3% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
11% Negative
38 Ratings
38 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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love the way that they included his family and all the people that he cares about on this.
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Singer does find a slight bit of drama to seize on at about the two-thirds point of the film, which, for understandable purposes of having anything at all happen in the movie, he trumps up to the point it becomes nearly comical.
“In Wonder” wants so much to be a humanizing portrait, but it doesn’t go deep enough to crack Mendes’s polished love-crooner veneer, nor does it say anything new about fame that hasn’t been said in other pop-star docs of recent years.
Singer hopes to offer the history of Mendes' career, maturation and emotional journey through memory and imagery instead of hard fact, which renders the film feathery and dull. If anything, I wanted less self-discovery and more straight-up musical performance.
Exec produced by Shawn & his mgr, it's easy to see how this doc serves primarily as marketing for his upcoming album and to uphold his mask of perfection intact. Plenty of scripted voiceovers by Shawn starting with the opening scene which shows him naked and buff in the shower, a self-indulgent thirst-trap. It sets the tone for the rest of the film. This, I assume, is a tour documentary hence 70% of the film is dedicated to images of screaming fans, filled stadiums & adulation for the idol. The doc allowed me to appreciate his passion, talent and hard-work, but it portraited a privileged white man who faced no adversity to reach his success beyond putting in the effort. And that seems to be the truth, so not much story to be had here. The parts of the documentary that I appreciated more are the intimate moments in his life outside the stage-persona. Glimpses of his relationship with his girlfriend (singer Camila Cabello) show him at his most vulnerable & open, their relationship will likely make a more interesting film. Good to see he is still closed with his sister, parents & friends back home. The only drama in this film comes from Shawn getting laryngitis in Rio and cancelling the show. But even this is made into a self-indulgent scene complete with a dramatic view of Shawn in the empty stadium calling his mom followed by - you guessed - adoring fans outside his hotel instantly forgiving him & singing his praises. I guess it is as honest as it gets for a heartthrob, but it leaves one questioning: can someone really be this perfect & fortunate without ever facing any adversity (beyond a sore throat)?
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Production Company
Netflix Studios,
Permanent Content
Release Date Nov 23, 2020
Duration 1 h 23 m
Rating TV-MA
Genres
Awards
MTV Movie + TV Awards
• 1 Nomination