Rating: 4.0

The portrait of a celebrity is misinterpreted by everybody. The casual seekers, obsessed fans and artists themselves all view the mural from different perspectives. Selena Gomez shared her life story in “My Mind & Me.” The Apple TV original documentary takes a deep dive into six years of her life, where mental health is heavily emphasized. 

Within minutes of “My Mind & Me,” viewers see two different sides of Gomez. The film begins in Paris in 2019, where Gomez is heading to an event. It then shifts to preparations for her Revival Tour in 2016. Casual mentions of self-criticism and self-esteem affect Gomez during her preparations until she breaks down backstage. Finally, in a heartfelt crisis, Gomez pleads, “When am I going to just be good enough by myself? When am I going to be good enough — just me by myself, not needing anybody to be associated with?” 

It seems the foundation from childhood stardom to her superstar status has negatively influenced Gomez’s mental health. The limelight has constructed various personas that she cannot seem to recognize herself. Throughout the documentary, Gomez gives voiceovers of her diary entries to express her perspective on stress, depression, agony and her effort for change. Although Gomez does not face her battles alone, she becomes lonely and misunderstood by others. The appeals of her mother reveal a lack of communication as Gomez is diagnosed with bipolar disorder after her mental breakdown. The support from her close friends is passive, not active. Gomez discussed her feelings, but the lack of support, empathy and physical touch from her friend group impacted her. 

The documentary touches on Gomez’s philanthropy efforts. Gomez had the opportunity to travel with WE Charity to Kenya to see the schools she helped raise money for. Viewers see Gomez in a valuable state — she is recovering from her previous mental state. The visit to Kenya plays an important part in her life. This is where Gomez discovers what she should be doing in life — to be a philanthropist; however, her dream is crushed when reality sets in — she is a pop star. She has to work and provide content to everyone, despite it negatively affecting her mental health. 

Director Alek Keshishian brought out the side Gomez initiated — everyone deals with life’s struggles. Through the streets of her hometown of Grand Prairie, Texas or her diary entries, Gomez took control of her narrative. While the documentary did not touch base on her Lupus diagnosis as one might have hoped, fans gained a different perspective of their idol. As a result, “My Mind & Me” contributed to the sub-genre of celebrity documentaries by providing a different point of view.