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SummaryThe documentary directed by Nick Bilton films what really happens when aspiring actress Dominique, fashion designer Chris and real estate assistant Wylie build their social media profile by buying fake followers and using bots to become influencers.

Fake Famous

Season 1 Premiere: 
Feb 2, 2021
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
User score
Mixed or Average
5.6
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
40% Positive
2 Reviews
60% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Feb 2, 2021
83
Collider
In some ways, it’s very Black Mirror, but in other ways it’s kind of silly where the real victims are the PR firms and companies so desperate to make a sale that they can’t even distinguish if their potential customers are real or fake anymore. To Bilton’s credit, he also acknowledges that the influencer culture is not just one thing, and that while it may be built on dubious engagement, there are other times where activists have used the platform to try and effect change. Furthermore, why it’s sad that so many young people want to be famous, there’s a “same as it ever was” element to that desperation.
Feb 2, 2021
80
CNN
Fake Famous offers a novel window into the world of influencers, conducting an experiment to see if three young wannabes can be transformed into marketing dynamos. While their tales don't unfold entirely as planned, the HBO documentary exposes how ripe for manipulation this whole culture is, and the powerful incentives to game the system.
Apr 1, 2021
60
The Times
Occasionally the film, with its buzzy vibe, felt as superficial as the industry it was sending up. Yet it was entertaining.
Feb 2, 2021
60
Decider
Despite the fact that there are some very funny and weirdly satisfying aspects of Fake Famous, it somehow seems incomplete. ... Instead of trying to find new people willing to go with the experiment, he essentially concentrated on Dominique leaning into the experience. Yes, the social experiment still worked, but we would have liked to have seen more examples of it working than just a single person.
Feb 2, 2021
60
The Hollywood Reporter
Nothing in the three portraits of Bilton's aspiring social media superstars comes close to the nuance and empathy in a documentary like Jawline, which did a much better job of blending "You're so old!" informational aspects for the geriatric (anybody older than millennial) audience and actual relatability for younger viewers. ... I was engaged, but completely unconvinced by Fake Famous.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.6
60% Positive
3 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
20% Negative
1 Rating
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Feb 19, 2021
7
3ebfan511
This film shows how easy it is to manipulate things on Intagram, from the images themselves, to going further and buying "likes" and how these platforms stand to benefit from these things occuring in some ways. The experiment is very fascinating, although as the pandemic hits late in the film, it perhaps ended the experiment sooner than one would like. Also having more subjects than just 3, and a larger variety of subjects...would have been even more interesting. It kept me engaged as I wanted to see how things would play out with each subject, and is definitely worth seeing if you like the subject matter.
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Mar 11, 2021
6
JLuis_001
''Self-help and self-aware Self-made millionaire Turn it up, and tone it down Entertain like a **** clown Self-image and self-belief Selfish acts between the sheets Self has no sense of tact Self is too self-detached We are self, the self that loves itself now We are self, I only see myself now Self-absorbed and self-obsessed If not me, then someone else Self sees a billion stars But still can only self-regard''
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See All 5 User Reviews
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Production Company:
  • Consolidated Documentaries
  • Home Box Office (HBO)
Initial Release Date:Feb 2, 2021
Number of seasons:0 Seasons
Rating:TV-MA
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