There are a lot of things about Britney Spears that I find hard to watch, because I don’t want to see her in any kind of pain. She’s been through so much and it’s not okay.
She’s been taken advantage of.
She’s been told that she’s not good enough.
She’s been treated like less than.
And a new documentary scares me.
“I just want my life back.” the trailer starts out.
The world knows Britney Spears: performer, artist, icon. But in the last few years, her name has been publicly tied to another, more mysterious term: conservatorship. Britney vs Spears tells the explosive story of Britney’s life and her public and private search for freedom. Featuring years-long investigative work, exclusive interviews and new documents, this Netflix feature film paints a thorough portrait of the pop star’s trajectory from girl next door to a woman trapped by fame and family and her own legal status. It shows Britney’s life without utilizing the traumatic images that have previously defined her. Director Erin Lee Carr (How To Fix a Drug Scandal, Dirty Money) and journalist Jenny Eliscu work to delve deep into the tangled history of the conservatorship that has been in place for over 13 years. The film weaves a shocking timeline of old and new players, secret rendezvous and Britney’s behind the scenes fight for her own autonomy. Text messages and a voicemail as well as new interviews with key players make clear what Britney herself has attested: the full story has yet to be told.
So how does she get out?
“You don’t get out. Until you scream.” the trailer says.
We’re screaming for you Britney, you deserve your life back.