The Dark, Sad Life of Boogie2988

I've known about Boogie2988 for many years. I was a fan of his whacky content as a teenager. In later years however, Boogie's (real name Steven) popularity has depleted, along with his money. With constant controversies and restless self destruction, the Mr Rogers of the internet has fully washed up from the wave of backlash.

This documentary is a very well made film in many respects. It's not overly long, it explores many aspects of someone's life, is brilliantly edited and doesn't hold back on being real. I honestly didn't expect this doc to be as scathing as it wound up being. I was expecting it to be pity porn. Whilst it may be quite somber in approach, it doesn't appear to be taking Boogie's side when it's unjustified.

Boogie hasn't got the best reputation at this point, he's become too difficult to like or route for. He's a classic case of a guy who really can't do what's best for himself. Anyone in his situation should be removing themselves from the internet on indefinite hiatus to figure stuff out. Unfortunately, as the film makes clear, it seems he now needs youtube more than youtube needs him.

Despite all the misgivings, I do hope Steven can sort himself out, and view this work as a wake up call to finally move on and really try on his self improvement. Whilst many will be angry, I think he can get better and maybe bounce back a little in the right circumstances. The biggest enemy in his life is clearly himself, and if he can learn legitimate self respect, then the only way to go is up.

Any real criticisms of this film will be more targeted on the subject than the overall production value. The artistry of the film itself is really commendable for an independent feature with likely little money behind it. It's an entertaining and revealing piece of work.