REVIEW: ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry’ delivers an intimate look into the superstar’s life

A close knit family, loving dog and modest home in the greater Los Angeles area — “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” gives viewers an intimate glimpse into the 19-year-old superstar’s real world.

In her new documentary released Feb. 26, Eilish reveals the more simple side of her life that led to her ultimate rise to stardom. From her brother, Finneas’s, small, makeshift bedroom studio to the biggest stage at Coachella, Eilish has consistently stayed authentic to herself.

And if you are looking for an insane, glamorous tell-all into the life of the singer, this documentary is not it. Instead it focuses on the simplicity of the life Eilish still (sort of) maintains. 

With the support of her parents and her brother, Eilish’s life has remained somewhat grounded and normal. Her parents worry about her when she drives away alone for the first time, and they come into her bedroom while she sleeps to tell her she has been nominated for six Grammys. Through all the fame and success, they still remain the parents of a 19-year-old. There is a power in the mundane things that remain at  the core of Eilish’s life and that are highlighted extremely well in this documentary.

The majority of the film follows Eilish and Finneas as they create her Grammy award-winning album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” Viewers get an inside look into their creative process, Eilish on the bed singing her iconic soft-spoken vocals while Finneas plays the songs and edits the lyrics when needed.

Early on into the film we see the struggle Eilish feels with her newfound fame. Her love of music and a majority of her songs come from a deep, dark place that she feels only certain people will connect and have access to. 

So now what does she do when her label, Interscope Records, tells her to write a hit that is “accessible?” Finneas, standing in his childhood kitchen, explains “I feel like I’ve been, told to write a hit, but I’ve been told to not tell Billie that we have to write a hit.” 

This is the tug-of-war that is a reality for most young stars — finding the balance between having a childhood, creating music and managing stardom. 

Though Eilish ultimately goes on to write all those hits, without the protection of her brother, she might not be able to go about her creative processes the way she wanted to.

A highlighted figure in the documentary, besides her family members, is Justin Bieber. Eilish explains her love for Bieber during his rise to superstardom, as most 12-year-old girls probably could. 

Bieber represents the teen-star who became ultra-famous and then makes a few mistakes. He serves as almost a juxtaposition to the way Eilish is navigating her rise to fame. A figure who was once an unknown figment, Bieber is now a close friend to Eilish, collaborating with her and calling her to congratulate her on her 2020 Grammy sweep. 

With no narration and no narrative plot structure, this documentary easily could have felt misdone or uncompleted. However, the simple qualities of the film made it all the more tender, heartfelt and real. Not overly produced or edited, the film’s shaky camera work at times and intimate subject matter bring you closer to the very private star. 

Toward the end of the documentary, they show the start of her worldwide tour and the struggles that come with that lifestyle. 

Eilish’s concerts involve crazy dancing and jumping that make a larger-than-life performance seem incredibly intimate. But with that kind of movement comes injury. Eilish deals with the strains on her body in a graceful way and only wants to get back on the stage to continue her shows. As the film comes to a close we reach the climax of her career thus far, a combined six Grammys won by EIlish and Finneas. 

Eilish does what she loves — she does it for her fans and for herself. Her mother, father and brother are still heavily intertwined in Eilish’s journey. Now we get a chance to see what it takes for a teen popstar to try and continue to live their life as normally as possible.

While Eilish’s life in the spotlight is only beginning, there is hopeful light shining on her future. Everyone knows what can happen when someone becomes famous too young — Bieber being a prime example in the documentary. The outside world sees her music, dark and twisty, and easily labels her the same way. And although some of those parts may be true, the Eilish shown in the documentary loves to laugh, loves to perform and loves the people in her life.