SXSW Movie Review: Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil
Although the social camaraderie that makes SXSW such a fun and alluring event was certainly missing from this year’s online festival, the entire programming team put their best efforts into acquiring the finest work that independent filmmaking has to offer. Following a year where film productions were halted all across the globe, this unprecedented phenomenon definitely impacted 2021’s SXSW film catalog. One rare occurrence being the announcement of two documentaries serving as the festival’s Opening and Closing Night selections.
Admittedly, my prior knowledge of pop star Demi Lovato was limited solely to the familiarity of her name. I couldn’t identify a song she sings or a show she’s been in. However, I still found myself quite invested in Michael D. Ratner’s festival-headlining docuseries, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil. Throughout this four-part series, Lovato and her closest friends, associates and family members provide unrestrained insight into the singer’s continuous battle with sobriety, and the highly publicized drug overdose that nearly took her life in 2018.
Lovato and those closest to her are undeniably candid with their thoughts, opinions and recollections of the pop star. Following a celebration of her 6th year sober, Lovato’s inner demons reunited the singer with her former drug dealer. This hidden relapse came quick and thunderous as Demi found herself indulging in painkillers and heroin from the onset. Lovato managed to shield her return to drug use from everyone in her inner circle, as her friends and family openly admit the shockwave that ran through them when Demi was found unresponsive in her bedroom on the morning of July 24th, 2018.
Keeping secrets is something Lovato has mastered throughout her life in the spotlight. Not only was she able to completely conceal her months-long drug use prior to 2018’s near-fatal overdose, Lovato has kept a tight lip regarding a dark moment in her childhood on the set of a Disney production. Demi admits to having been in a relationship with an undisclosed co-worker, but she also says she was stern and clear with her stance that she was a virgin unwilling to engage in her first sexual encounter. Yet, her wishes were ignored as Lovato recalls being raped as a young teenager during this traumatic experience. To make matters worse, she was forced to see her assailant on set every day and the torment became virtually unbearable. This forced Lovato to cope in many different ways which have resulted in her ongoing battles with eating disorders and substance abuse.
The pain in Demi Lovato’s soul still shows itself even through her remarkable smile. There are cuts so deep that they may never heal. But through her own immense bravery and a wonderful support system of family and friends that remain by her side, we can only hope that Lovato will continue to show her strength and overcome these haunting demons that lie within.
GRADE: 3.5/5
