“Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” is an Apple TV+ original documentary centered around the 19-year-old singing sensation Billie Eilish. Spanning multiple tours, music video productions and song writing sessions, director R.J. Cutler’s film takes an intimate and vulnerable look at not only Eilish herself, but also the complex atmosphere of the music industry.
While most rise-to-fame style documentaries focus on the growth of a star from child to present, “The World’s A Little Blurry” places most of its attention on the height of Billie’s fame as she balances writing her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” with touring the world and simply being a teenager. The documentary offers rare footage capturing Eilish with her brother and collaborator Finneas as they co-wrote future mega-hit songs such as “Bad Guy” and “No Time to Die.”
On the surface, the documentary is about Eilish’s journey at the peak of her superstardom, but it also emphasizes the beautiful tight-knit support system of her family. Eillish’s brother Finneas, mom Maggie Baird and dad Patrick O’Connell are key members of her team — assisting her throughout her journey into fame.
Moments like Baird tossing Eilish’s expensive outfit into a tiny washing machine after her album debut party and O’Connell offering driving advice before Eilish takes out her new car showcase the innocence behind the fame that is almost shocking. At the end of the day, Eilish is a young adult living with an extremely supportive family in her childhood home.
Fans of the singer’s music are in for a treat, as many of Eilish’s live performances are shown in full during key moments in the film. The documentary goes a step further by revealing the intimate moments with the star before and after these shows. The stressful moments before her Coachella set reveal the fear the singer felt as the giant LED screen malfunctioned. Afterward, Eilish returns to her trailer, frustrated by her performance while her family affirms her with enthusiasm. Behind the glamour and entertainment of Eilish’s art lies a real person with emotions, feelings and off days. It’s a vulnerability the media and fans don’t often see when it comes to world-famous stars like Eilish.
One of the most unexpected and heartwarming aspects of the documentary is Eilish’s relationship with popstar Justin Bieber. What starts as a message on Instagram asking to collaborate ends with Eilish crying in the arms of her childhood hero on the floor of Coachella. Bieber comes in again later, FaceTiming her immediately and offering his support after she swept the Grammy awards. It’s rare to see a relationship between someone and their idol grow into such a caring dynamic.
“Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” does exactly what this kind of documentary should do — showcase the true reality and experiences of such a prolific artist in the midst of fame. Audiences will hopefully feel like they know the singer on an even deeper level and take note of the hardships one goes through to provide such a constant output of art.
5 Bad Guys out of 5
