Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Alone Together’ Examines the Relationship Between Creators and Fandom

REVIEW: ‘Alone Together’ Examines the Relationship Between Creators and Fandom

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings03/20/20213 Mins ReadUpdated:01/27/2025
Alone Together
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Alone Together is a documentary film directed by Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler (better known as Bradley & Pablo) centered around pop singer Charli XCX. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Charli announced that she would create an album entirely from her home. The result tracks Charli’s efforts over the course of five weeks, bolstered by the help of her fanbase—who she refers to as “Angels”—and her boyfriend Huck Kwong, as well as her managers.

The relationship between creator and fandom has often been a tricky one, especially with the advent of the internet providing an avenue for the latter to have more access to the former. On the one hand, it’s easier for fans to support a creator online through various avenues. On the other hand, the internet can become a breeding ground for entitlement to take root, with the key example being the circumstances surrounding the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Thankfully, Alone Together falls into the former category as Charli’s “Angels” help gather the equipment she needs and offer advice over the five-week period of constructing her album. Their actions are genuinely altruistic, which is a breath of relief given the multiple petitions and hashtags I’ve seen over the years that have been the opposite.

The documentary also lets Charli be open with her fans about her mental health struggles and her relationship with Huck. The former topic really stood out to me, as I’ve often felt myself struggling creatively and mentally during the pandemic. Watching Charli discuss her depression, as well as how it often drives or hampers her creativity hit home for me as well.

“I don’t think I’m interesting enough or funny enough of a person to function without my work,” she says in one of her scenes. I have had the exact same thoughts more than once, so to see someone who is a massive celebrity admitting the same thoughts made me feel a little less alone.

The way this documentary is structured is also unique and lends a more personal touch to its approach. Bradley & Pablo pieced the film together from Charli’s Instagram stories and Zoom calls, as well as footage from her concerts and news footage tracking the rise of the pandemic.

The one element I wasn’t a fan of was the computer-generated scenes featuring angelic beings. Even though I understand that it was meant to represent Charli and her fans, it felt like a bootleg version of Sailor Moon at times.

Alone Together is a surprisingly honest documentary that explores the relationship between creators and fandom in the digital era and how creativity has evolved considering the rise of COVID-19. It is uniquely crafted. Even though I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of Charli XCX, I appreciate the honesty she placed in this work and the fact that she was willing to partake in an unprecedented level of collaboration with her fans for this project. If you ever needed an example of how art can inspire others to do good, this is a great start.

Alone Together premiered on March 18th at SXSW 2021 and is available to watch now on Hulu.

Alone Together
  • 8/10
    Rating - 8/10
8/10

TL;DR

Alone Together is a surprisingly honest documentary that explores the relationship between creators and fandom in the digital era and how creativity has evolved considering the rise of COVID-19. It is uniquely crafted. Even though I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan of Charli XCX, I appreciate the honesty she placed in this work and the fact that she was willing to partake in an unprecedented level of collaboration with her fans for this project. If you ever needed an example of how art can inspire others to do good, this is a great start.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleSXSW 2021: ‘Language Lessons’ Teaches Closeness Through Video Calls
Next Article ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Rogue: Untouched’ Touches the Heart
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here