While entertainment industry documentaries offer a unique perspective on the industry, they have been criticized for several limitations, including:
Furthermore, documentaries are "appointment viewing." Unlike a fictional drama that can be paused indefinitely, a documentary about a scandal happening right now (a la Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV ) generates week-long social media discourse. They are cheap to produce, expensive to ignore, and endlessly rewatchable. They also carry prestige. Even as Netflix cuts costs elsewhere, its documentary division remains a priority because Oscars are won here.
In the not-so-distant past, the "making-of" featurette was a simple marketing tool—a ten-minute extra on a DVD featuring the director saying, "It was a joy to work with this cast," and actors laughing between takes. It was sanitized, safe, and promotional.