Review: Leaving Neverland

It’s safe to say that “Leaving Neverland” is the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen. Yet that is why it is so important that we watch it. At over four hours long and spanning two parts, it is not easy to take in. The film is narrated by Wade Robson, James Safechuck, and their respective families as they share their story surrounding years of childhood sexual abuse by Michael Jackson.

The survivors speak in graphic detail about the abuse they were subjected to as children – beginning for one at the age of seven. The film feels like a horror movie. I periodically had to close the laptop I was watching it on and take a walk. You find yourself thinking “how could this have happened?” and yet it undoubtedly did. The film speaks a truth about modern society’s relationship with celebrity and larger than life figures such as Michael Jackson. His status as the “King of Pop” gave him an unreachable quality that allowed the abuse to continue over so many decades. From an editing perspective, I appreciated the director Dan Reed’s care and pacing in the film. It was not rushed and allowed Safechuck and Robson time to share their story on their own terms. The bravery of both the survivors and the filmmaker makes me hopeful that sharing their story will give strength to those previously unable to speak out on abuse. Saying that the film is heavy is an understatement. I can only imagine the difficulty faced in its production.

I think that the film definitely expands the conversation around separating the art from the artist and if that is even possible. This is an issue we are grappling with all too frequently in a post #MeToo era. It becomes much more complicated than “canceling” someone when their impact on pop culture and media is so deeply intertwined with society. Do we “cancel” films such as “Chinatown” and “Manhattan” because their makers sexually assaulted women and children? Do we stop listening to Michael Jackson altogether? These are increasingly difficult questions to answer. Perhaps it is less of a question of separating the art from the artist than shifting the lens through which we take in this media, be it music, film, television, government, comedy (the list is dishearteningly long).

As often happens with high-profile documentaries, there has been a pushback and claims that Wade Robson and James Safechuck are lying. The Jackson Family is suing HBO for millions of dollars. Yet I interpret all of these elements as all the more reason that people need to see the film. The truth always comes out in one way or another, no matter how horrific it is.

“Leaving Neverland” premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and is available for streaming on HBO Go.