The entertainment industry documentary has emerged as a dominant genre in the streaming era, serving dual roles as both a promotional vehicle for intellectual property (IP) and a critical journalistic investigation. This paper examines the evolution of the form—from behind-the-scenes featurettes to blockbuster exposés (e.g., Framing Britney Spears , The Last Dance ). It argues that these documentaries function as tools for “legacy management,” negotiating between corporate interests, fan activism, and historical revisionism. By analyzing case studies from music, film, and sports entertainment, the paper explores how vérité aesthetics and archival footage are deployed to construct narratives of redemption, exploitation, or artistic genius, ultimately questioning whether the genre can truly hold power accountable or if it inevitably serves as a soft-power mechanism for the industry itself.
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