Genre : Documentary
Cast : Shawn Mendes as himself
Director : Grant Singer
In Wonder, a documentary on the life of Canadian popstar Shawn Mendes released on Netflix yesterday and in Shawn's own words, we can call it the story of "a guy who just loves music".
Shawn, 22, rose to fame quite a few years ago when he used to record vine song covers that went viral. He soon started writing his own songs and became a youth favourite. Today, he is one of the most loved and celebrated songwriters and singers of our generation with blockbuster hit albums.
He has billions of fans spread all over the world who kill to attend his concerts and to catch a single moment with him, hence, this documentary is a blessing for all those who crave to get a deeper insight into the singer's personal and professional life.
The documentary gives a peek into behind-the-scenes of backstage mood while Shawn is on his third concert tour, Shawn Mendes : The Tour which went on throughout 2019 with a total of 106 shows. Mendes runs through several emotions through the tour, enthusiasm, gratefulness and even, breaking down at a point when he has to cancel the Sao Paulo show due to a vocal injury. The documentary also immerses into the singer's public relationship with Camila Cabello on a deeper level through stolen moments within all the rush.
The documentary also dates back to the time when Shawn was a normal kid enjoying life with his friends and family discovering his passion for music. He was super nervous at the time of his first concert in a small auditorium when he was only 15 but still radiated the same energy and love for music. The film catches him on a nostalgia trip to his normal days while he's visiting his parents in his hometown, his conflict between being humble for all the fame he has and for craving to live an ordinary life with his close people lets you look past his "superman" personality.
All the relationships in Shawn's life including his parents, his younger sister, Aaliyah and even his school friends are explored in bits and pieces. The film captures Shawn in his weakest of moments gathering it all together and getting back on his feet to reciprocate all the love he has for his fans and more than that for music.
But the film appears to be a bit scattered in the beginning with messy shots of the singer greeting his fans and singing his heart out in concerts coming in between out of nowhere.
You only get to see the singer's ever present calm, humble, saintly and grateful demeanour, it would also have been better if the ordinary side of Shawn's idol image could have been explored further. Overall, the documentary is a hopeful and feel-good watch, trying to reinstate your faith in destiny while also subtly promoting Shawn's latest upcoming album.
