The new Netflix documentary In Wonder follows singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes through his self-titled tour as he writes his latest album Wonder. The film shows viewers a close look at his personal life, but still only seems to scratch the surface of who Mendes truly is as a person.
The film begins by following Mendes as he walks through the backstage of a venue and through the crowd of fans, followed by a scene of him performing, then in the shower. In the first few minutes, it is made clear that this film is about to tap into every overdone trope possible.
Mendes has solid musical skills, and his performance footage was well done and entertaining. Throughout the film, though, he mentions various mental health issues he has encountered, with no further exploration of them.
He confirms his relationship with fellow singer Camilla Cabello, tells the brief backstory of their relationship, includes a few clips and calls it a day. For a relationship that fans have been spectating about for years, I think it’s fair to say that this small look was lackluster at best.
Mendes also takes the audience with him as he ventures home for a few days during the tour. This portion of the film revealed little to no information about him or his childhood, except for the interior of his home and his little sister’s memory that he never wanted to be famous. Oh, and the fact that he sometimes smokes weed with friends.
Overall, I give the film a 6/10. It isn’t horrible, in fact, if you are a fan of
Mendes, it is borderline enjoyable.
Cinematically speaking, it’s predictable, but not bad. The scene of him talking about Cabello is admittedly pretty cute, and his interaction with his family makes him seem more human.
However, the only legitimate struggle he faces in the 82 minutes, is having to cancel one of his 106 shows. Although it is understandable that he feels guilty, this isn’t a deep enough issue to make him seem more approachable.
If his goal was to scrape the surface and leave viewers “wonder”-ing what else there is to him, the mission was accomplished.
