SHAWN MENDES: IN WONDER

SHAWN MENDES: IN WONDER, a documentary streaming on Netflix, follows global singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes as he tours the world while balancing his family, career, personal relationships, and being happy.

The movie begins in Brazil as Shawn Mendes, the pop singer/songwriter, has just cancelled one of his shows for his global tour. Cut to three months earlier, Shawn and his entourage are taking the stage by storm. Fans adore his music, and he’s heating up the pop charts with several songs.

Shawn came from humble beginnings in Canada. As a teenager, Shawn felt the urge to become a music artist, and his teacher, parents and friends all supported his endeavors. Local crowds attended early shows in Shawn’s career until one day, a manager watched Shawn sing on YouTube. The rest is history.

Shawn and his girlfriend, former Fifth Harmony singer, Camila Cabello, prep for their joint performance at the 2019 VMAs. Later, Shawn returns to his hometown in Canada to reunite with his family and perform at the stadium in Toronto. Afterwards, the global leg of his worldwide tour begins.

Everything is all fine and dandy until Shawn’s vocals get stretched too thin. At this point in the movie, the opening sequence comes back into play, leaving viewers wondering what will happen to the twentysomething performer now.

SHAWN MENDES: IN WONDER is a well-produced, entertaining documentary. There’s just enough archival footage from Shawn’s past to set up the movie’s story of his career and family life. Editors splice together the scenes so well that viewers might even forget they’re waiting to find out about the quality of Shawn’s voice, something the editors hinted at in the opening scenes. The score also fits the whimsy of the movie’s worldview too, which makes the movie flow with ease.

SHAWN MENDES: IN WONDER has a strong Romantic worldview. The movie portrays Shawn’s worldwide fame with both very high highs and very low lows. It has some moral elements that stress the value of friends, family and caring about other people, including strangers. An important message in the movie is that people are not defined by what they do for a living. The movie also contains some Christian references, such as Christmas in one scene and a scenic shot of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. There’s a New Age scene, however, where Shawn has what he calls a “manifestation journal” and writes what he wishes to be true in expectation that it will happen. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for the movie’s Romantic worldview, the New Age scene, some strong foul language, and a reference to marijuana and a couple living together.