Child Star

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TheMovieSearch R Child Star, streaming on Hulu, sets out to shine a light on the lives of kids who grew up in the entertainment industry—digging into their stories and exposing both the glitz and the darker truths behind the fame. On the surface, it’s a compelling concept. The show gives us an overview of the good, the bad, and the ugly, offering viewers a chance to understand the sacrifices and struggles these child actors endured while navigating an industry that often failed to protect them. At first glance, I’d say this is a well-produced documentary. It’s informative, polished, and it gives audiences access to personal accounts from people who lived through one of the most fascinating and often troubling aspects of Hollywood. But here’s where my biggest issue comes in: there’s nothing new here. These are the exact same stories we’ve already heard countless times over the years. Instead of breaking new ground or uncovering fresh truths, the series simply takes narratives that the actors themselves have already shared—on talk shows, in interviews, in their own books—and strings them together into one collective piece. That doesn’t make it bad or unwatchable, but it does make it repetitive. Watching felt less like discovering something eye-opening and more like revisiting a scrapbook of stories we already knew. After a while, it becomes obvious that the documentary is spinning its wheels, saying the same things in slightly different ways without adding depth. What also stood out to me was the tone of blame-shifting throughout. Many of the stories put the weight entirely on the industry—directors, casting agents, producers, and executives. And don’t get me wrong, they absolutely should be held accountable for everything they’ve done wrong. The industry has created lasting damage for so many young lives, and that should never be excused. But as a parent myself, I couldn’t help but think about the other side of the coin. Parents are supposed to be vigilant, present, and protective of their children—especially in an environment as predatory and exploitative as Hollywood. Instead, too many got swept up in the money and fame, leaving their kids vulnerable. For me, that’s the missing piece of this documentary. It touches the surface of that issue, but it doesn’t dig deep enough. And without fresh insight or new revelations, Child Star feels more like a retread than a powerful expose. It’s not terrible by any means, and I can see it being educational for people who haven’t followed these stories closely. But for anyone who’s been paying attention for years, it feels bland, repetitive, and in the end, pretty forgettable. It’s the kind of thing you watch once and never feel the need to revisit again. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/26/25 Full Review Farah R Demi Lovato's documentary offers a deeply unsettling insight into the dark side of child stardom. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Audience Member It provides new information and clarifies these troubling stories. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/25 Full Review Beth I Profound and heartbreaking. So grateful this was made and work is being done to protect kids going forward in entertainment (including online). Also incredibly grateful Demi is doing so much better now! I genuinely hope and pray the rest of the featured artists (as well as the ones who were not tapped for this) are all in a great place with life too. They deserved to have people protecting them, not taking advantage of them and over working them. Please watch this especially if you have young children drawn to YouTube, TikTok and similar. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/30/24 Full Review Kim P I know she was a producer and co-director but Demi Lovato made SO much of this about her, it was disappointing. I DID like that when a couple people she'd worked with in the past took some "gentle pokes" at Demi for her past behavior towards them, she owned it and didn't get defensive. If it hadn't been so Lovato-centric, I would have found it much more compelling. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Kyle M Few documentaries and maybe couple coverages examined this topic, there are still aspects we have yet to grasp, and Demi Lovato’s objective examination excels between her emotional struggles and familiar others in this continuously eye-opening documentary that unveils a hidden broken layer to our childhood memories. As part of her curious examination, Lovato actually dug through couple historical cases that built the focus, although missed couple other degrees that actually attributed to the work environment’s restraints. (B+) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Child Star

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