Always Lalisa is an intimate look at a global superstar told with a gentle hand that strips back the glamor and reveals a woman with the same fears, joys, and anxieties as the rest of us. It’s also a journey about what happens when you realize that the life you’re living has been limiting you and kind of killing your spirit? Do you sit in that discomfort because it’s familiar or do you go through the aches and pains of learning something new? Lisa obviously chose the latter and we got to see her explore that in this documentary.
At the helm of bringing this vision to life is Sue Kim. She’s previously worked on documentaries like The Last of the Sea Women and K-Pop Idols. And you can tell that she entered this project with the intention of showing us, as cheesy as this sounds, that Lisa is just like us. In particular we get to spend time with Lisa during that one year that she was taking a break from Blackpink alongside the other members. And that year acted as the biggest transformation for Lisa where she got to start her own agency, embrace her singing voice and its capabilities, and just ask for what she wants.
MORE: The Julia Set TIFF Review: Doesn’t Have to Break the Wheel to Be Intriguing
Within that space we got to see her go from just a kid who loved to perform to a force to be reckoned with on that Coachella state. But we also saw the real heartache that comes with a journey like this. Personally I cried when she talked about her teacher Mr. Nok and how he influenced the kind of person and performer that she is today. The same thing goes for Lisa talking about her parents and her friends. There’s love there that grounds her and makes it so even when she’s anxious about an album leak, if people understand her alter egos, or if she’s going to get all the steps right for her Coachella set, she’ll be okay.
But honestly the best part of Always Lalisa was watching Lisa blossom. Because the director made it feel like even if you aren’t a fan of Lisa, you’re watching a friend work through their anxieties, find themselves, and then live the life they’ve always wanted. There’s this sense of being proud of someone even if you’ve never met them. And I think that’s something so hard to achieve in any medium; to make the target audience feel empathy but also great joy that she’s reaching unprecedented heights in her career.
Not everything is super happy in Always Lalisa either.
This documentary doesn’t ignore the bumps along the way when it comes to the K-pop industry in particular and how it affected her. Because it got her to where she is now. But it also stripped away some of her dreams and who made it harder for her to be who she wanted to be. The documentary also addresses past scandals, rules she had to begrudgingly follow, or even her album leaking after an entire year of working on bringing that to life before she had to return to Blackpink.
The documentary also wasn’t only about Lisa, something that feels like an intentional choice of the director but also of the superstar herself. Because she didn’t get here by herself. And I’m not talking about Blackpink or YG. I’m talking about Lisa’s agency LLOUD Co, her manager, her stylist, and every single person that helped her hit the right step or note. They were also given their flowers because they are part of her journey. And that makes the documentary a well-rounded story about triumph, community, and fans.
Fans themselves are a huge part of Always Lalisa. We get to see the joys that come with interacting with fans and how she understands the power that music and community can have with the people who support her. But the documentary also spent time on showing the darker side of fandom; the hatred that comes with it, and how it can also lead to harassment and death threats. Lisa doesn’t shy away from it, and because of it, it feels like you’re getting to know her as a person in an unprecedented way.
Lisa’s journey is far from over when it comes to her music, acting, fashion, and whatever she has planned next. But Always Lalisa makes it clear that she took a chance on herself when it came to the kind of performer and person she wanted to be, and it paid off. She looked her fears in the eye and decided that the discomfort of trying something new was worth it. She succeeded because of that decision. And with a mindset like that, she will continue to succeed and create the kind of career and life she’s always wanted.
Always Lalisa premieres October 12 in theaters.
