Phoenix Rising

A sense of sobering justice does then come back into focus as the film goes through the creation of the Phoenix Act, a survivor-led nonprofit organization working to end the cycle of domestic violence in which Wood teamed up with a number of other women to change the statute of limitations in the U.S. from three years to ten.

A powerful, troubling documentary.

It goes without saying that Evan Rachel Wood’s story is a tough one, and the fact that she’s decided to put it all out there in Phoenix Rising makes the docuseries all the more worth watching.

Berg has pieced together a complex, harrowing story with sensitivity and transparency, and Wood has met her with unsparing lucidity. It’s a film that deserves to cause an outcry.

The first half of “Phoenix Rising” works in peaks and valleys. Wood’s courage shines through, and by focusing on Manson’s alleged abuse, there’s a compelling exploration taking place about power dynamics and relationships in Hollywood.

Some sections hold together better than others; amid everything else, the segments addressing Wood’s part in passing the Phoenix Act in California get shorter shrift than they might have if the documentary had more time to address everything it tackles in more depth. But the mission driving Wood, her family, and allies carries throughout.

The film is an authentic and brave effort that works two-thirds of the time, when it’s not bogged down in needless animated interludes likening Wood to “Alice in Wonderland.” Segments dedicated to issues with her family, and father in particular, feel overworked.