Fyre

A luxury music festival announced for the Bahamas in 2017 collapsed before the crowd arrived. Tickets cost thousands; the people who reached the island found tents and a cheese sandwich. The documentary lays out how the collapse was arranged and how Billy McFarland stacked new lies on top of old ones. Chris Smith directed. Netflix released it on 18 January 2019. Ninety-three percent of 94 Rotten Tomatoes reviews are positive with a 7.6 average; Metacritic sits at 75 from 26 reviews. The film itself caused an argument. Jerry Media and MATTE Projects, the companies that marketed the festival, were among the Netflix documentary's co-producers. Cinematographer Michael Swaigen, who shot behind-the-scenes footage during the collapse, chose to work with the rival Hulu documentary instead, citing a better working relationship. Hulu's Fyre Fraud arrived four days earlier. Its director Jenner Furst attacked the Netflix version, saying the people who promoted the original festival were taking large licensing fees and gaining prestige. It took four nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and won none. Who it is for: viewers drawn to fraud stories and the collapses of the social media age. Who it is not for: anyone wanting neutrality. The producers were one of the parties involved, and that should sit beside you while you watch.