First of all, I wasn't a fan of Blackpink or K-pop in general when I watched this. There are a few things about this doc I really liked, but there were also some significant cons.
First of all, I really fancied the way they made the members look way less 'perfect' than they are portrayed in other media. You get footage of studio sessions, live concerts as well as footage from their time in training. This made the doc feel much more genuine than I initially expected, and makes it a must-watch for any hardcore Blackpink-fan.
Another pro of this film is that they definitely don't glorify the k-pop industry. These very charismatic girls tell many a tale of the insane work-hours and other struggles that they experienced in their training and their touring schedule. I found it quite interesting to hear about the insane training facility these girls were in, fighting against very difficult competition and working 28 days a month for 14 hours a day; for YEARS on end.
I missed a bit more of this critical view though. The industry itself is extremely commercialized and competitive, and instead of exploring these very serious downsides of the industry, these are only briefly mentioned. I would have liked the doc to have explored these negatives much more, but i guess that wasn't possible (don't want the production company to get a bad rep). The harsh reality of the K-pop industry shines through the cracks of this documentary on occasion: The girls sitting around after a recording session, them crying on stage because of their homesickness and of course their stories about missing out on so much of their childhood and adolescence.
The biggest flaw i had with this doc is that it doesn't really go in-depth on any part of the story, and generally lacked a storyline or purpose. I don't feel like i learned a lot about the K-pop industry, nor do i feel like i really got to know this group that much. This film would have benefited from a much longer runtime. The 80 minutes don't give enough time to explore the many interesting facets of this group and the industry as a whole. We get an introduction to each of the girls, get some recording and touring footage, then, before you know it, the credits are already rolling.
Overall, i would 100% recommend this movie to fans of Blackpink or K-pop in general. There is a lot of interesting footage of recording, touring and the chemistry between the girls in general.
I believe this movie is much less interesting for people that have no knowledge on the subject. I still enjoyed my time watching it, but there for sure are better music-documentaries out there.
Overall i'd score it 6.5/10.
