First rising to fame as a member of K-Pop superstar girl group BLACKPINK, Lisa has fast become a household name in the pop-sphere. As somebody who is quite familiar with the world of K-pop, sometimes my perception of who is popular outside is a little skewed, so ‘Always Lalisa’ was a fascinating watch to see how this Thai-born icon has transcended the industry.

***WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS DISCUSSED SO IF YOU JUST WANT TO KNOW THE FINAL THOUGHTS WITHOUT SPOILERS, SCROLL DOWN TO UNDER THE ‘FUTW’ MUSIC VIDEO***

As the movie starts, the first person we meet is Lisa’s mother. She tells a story about how she went to a fortune-teller to discuss her name. The fortune tells her that the name Lalisa is powerful enough to hold the love of the world, so on this advice, this is how our movie’s subject was named. What a beautiful foreshadowing.

The documentary starts as BLACKPINK go on hiatus. They decide to have a year away from group activities to pursue the things they want to do solo and from the start, you can hear both the excitement and trepidation in Lisa’s voice. Throughout this time Lisa has a plan that ends with her performing solo at Coachella. A bold goal, but with the right team by her side, she is ready to take this on.

Throughout the documentary, we get a real glimpse of the behind the scenes of this journey she was on. As I watch, I’m sitting in two minds. Presented in Thai, Korean and English- even this detail shows how she exists between worlds. As a casual fan, I very much enjoy getting to know more about Lisa. She shows footage of her as a young girl in Korea and it reminds me of the time I went to Seoul in 2012. My friend and I went and visited the YG Building, and now looking back, Lisa could’ve been in there going through the gruelling training process while we wandered by as music tourists. For those who may not be familiar with the K-Pop idol system, Lisa uses this documentary to share her experience. We hear about the restrictions, the training conditions, the work they put in and really how hard it is to even make it to a debut stage.

The other mind I’m sitting in as I watch this is the communications/marketing mind. This documentary is not just telling us the story, but it is providing a space for Lisa to address and answer to so many things that have come up during her career. She addresses scandals, she gives a human perspective to the creation of her debut solo album, she gives herself the opportunity to present as a multifaceted artist. We get a glimpse into her mindset. Part of me commends her team for what I think is great PR move.

This does not take any of the emotion out of it. Not at all. In fact. I do find myself crying quite a few times throughout the movie. The moment that stuck with the most was when she talks about her dance coach, Nook. I often see people critique Lisa’s coaching style when she appeared on a Chinese idol survival show and how tough she was on the girls. Hearing how Nook was tough on her, because he saw her potential, I feel this shows her style in a new light. Again, this goes back to how good this movie is on shining a light on everything she has been criticised for.

She addresses the harsh reviews of her first album, the YG Leak scandal and even some of those dating rumours. She talks about her appearance on ‘White Lotus’ but for me, the most interesting scenes were showing the work that goes into a stage like Coachella. Once we get to her performance, I find myself so emotionally invested and when I see her Mum in the crowd, I start bawling yet again. I feel proud like I’ve just watched a little sister achieve her dreams.

Overall, ‘Always Lalisa’ does everything it’s supposed to do. It humanises and lifts the curtain on what it is like to be not just a K-Pop idol, but a foreign idol who is now making it on a global scale. It presents a way for Lisa to connect and start a clean slate to keep building on. It is very hard to watch this movie and not find yourself rooting for her. Perhaps being in my mid-30’s, I might be watching this differently than somebody a lot younger. To me, it was akin to watching a Disney Channel/Nickelodeon star breaking out. Trying to find herself outside a restrictive environment. Figuring out who she was but having to do it in such a public way. The pressure of being so young and now having to step out and try all the things you want to do with the world watching? Such a double edged sword, so seeing the process really is endearing.

Whether you are into K-Pop or really know much about Lisa, I feel it’s worth the watch. For fans though? It’s a must watch. For anti-fans? If you are open enough, this movie could change your mind. If you aren’t, it’s going to irritate you more.

No rating here, but my final thoughts are this: I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.

For updates on the movie, head here.