Documentary rehashes ‘Empire’ star’s downfall, but fails to rewrite scandal

I’VE watched my fair share of phenomenal to awful documentaries. Generally, I’m drawn to the subject matter. When it includes never-before-seen material, coupled with unheard-of testimonies, it heightens interest.

- DEBASHINE THANGEVELO

Some of these offerings had me flitting from being in an emotional chokehold to utter shock. They include Surviving R Kelly, Allen vs Farrow, Phoenix Rising, The Menendez Brothers, My Name is Reeva, Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star, Tracking Thabo Bester, The Tinder Swindler and even Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.

Of course, these are simply the ones at the top of my head.

My point is, when the subject matter is so compelling, there is an eager audience on standby.

That doesn’t mean that peddling Googleable information and slapping a clickbait headline will work in favour of the documentary.

It needs to have gravitas. It just needs to have more ...

When P. Diddy was incarcerated, the documentaries around him were pushed onto the small screen thick and fast. It was simply a numbers game at that stage. Public interest beckoned for content, and filmmakers were keen to deliver.

However, some of them were a waste of time and are not worth mentioning.

This brings me to The Truth About Jussie Smollett? on Netflix. I recall the alleged hate crime incident — and subsequent fallout - a few years ago.