Stars:
‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil ‘ is a telling of Demi Lovato’s 2018 relapse while filming a documentary about her new tour. Demi Lovato takes the footage of said documentary and adds that to this look inside what happened afterwards. This hard look at addiction and recovery may make people uncomfortable, but for how brave Demi Lovato is and how powerful her message is makes this a must-watch from SXSW this year.
Demi Lovato has had past trauma be publicly debated and scrutinized for years, so when in 2018 she relapsed and disappeared from the spotlight many of her fans just looked for a sign that she was okay. Seeing the ugly side of her fans in responses to her team that the fan outrage harassed and bullied them. Seeing Demi herself progress from what she felt was rehabilitation from what real recovery is, and how she was able to grow from the brink of death.
Now during the year 2020, when she has again turned her life around, she has the same struggles as I’m sure everyone has had so far. Her stance on sobriety is interesting and may cause debate as to what she feels so far as recovery. Many people even in the doc insist that moderation does not work, yet Demi is still using in moderation. Whether you can side with her on that is one thing, but I admire the bravery and courage to be able to be open about sobriety.
Demi also reveals that it is possible her public bi-polar disorder was misdiagnosed, stating that she never got a second opinion and after numerous doctors confirmed she likely did not have bi-polar disorder. The end kinda feels a little more like a promotion than an actual conclusion to the story being told.
Overall, ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil’ is a real look into Demi Lovato, and the pressure of fame, addiction, and sobriety. Whether you agree with her or not is up to you, but she is authentic and making her own choices, and that deserves praise.
