The nuances of her trauma are given space to settle across two episodes. And when Lovato shares that she lost her virginity to a rape as a teenager and was sexually assaulted by the dealer who provided her with the drugs that caused the overdose, her complex reactions to those violations aren’t obfuscated. This even pace means that revelations aren’t sensationalised: the significant impact that the overdose had on Lovato’s health, including the permanent brain damage, are laid out clearly by the singer’s physicians. Ratner builds up the complex layers of what led to that situation, and then peels them back sensitively.
The four-episode series opts out of a linear narrative approach, instead mainly focusing on Lovato’s overdose for the first three episodes. Film-maker Michael D Ratner, who has previously made documentaries for Justin Bieber, allows Lovato to explain the reasonings behind her relapse, as well as how she came into contact with stronger drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, which she soon became dependent on. As one of her friends puts it: “If your life is set up to be focused on how you’re not well, then you’re not going to feel well.”ĭancing With the Devil explores the devastating consequences of living under these restraints and the pressure when your recovery becomes part of your brand. Despite making two films in which she spoke about having her life together, the truth is that Lovato was miserable. Placed under intense restrictions by her team, everything was monitored, including what she ate, what those around her ate and who she came in contact with. But as Dancing With the Devil demonstrates, behind the scenes her life was toxic. Up until 2018, Lovato had been sober for six years, becoming a poster child for addiction and mental-health advocacy. But in 2010, aged 18, Lovato cracked the squeaky-clean veneer, entering into a treatment facility to help with addictions to cocaine, alcohol and Xanax, as well as mental illness and disordered eating. As a child actor, she was on Disney’s teen star factory line, starring in the Camp Rock films alongside the Jonas Brothers.
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