In 2023, Max (formerly HBO Max) released The Movie Business , a series that followed the chaotic production of War Dogs and the rise of streaming auctions. But the definitive text of this era might be The Offer (though a dramatization, it inspired a wave of documentary follow-ups) and The Last Movie Stars , which used archival audio to show how Old Hollywood was crushed by the New Hollywood.
As long as there are red carpets, there will be janitors mopping up the rain behind them. And as long as that gap exists—between the fantasy on screen and the reality on the ground—audiences will be there, popcorn in hand, watching the documentary.
Once relegated to DVD bonus features or late-night PBS slots, the behind-the-scenes documentary has shed its skin as a promotional tool and emerged as a heavyweight genre of its own. From the rise of streaming giants to the exposés of systemic abuse, from the tragic coda of a child star to the financial collapse of a studio, audiences cannot get enough of watching how the sausage is made.