7 documentaries to watch if you liked Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
The documentary Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing on Netflix pulls back the curtain on the billion-dollar world of family vlogging—where viral fame meets childhood innocence. This documentary doesn’t hold back. It zeroes in on kid influencers who live their lives in front of the camera, often without a say in what gets posted. Exploitation, blurred boundaries, and the strange mix of parenting and profit.
Hosted by Sarah Elbaum and featuring commentary from former kidfluencers, digital rights activists, and content creators, the film takes a close look at what happens when a child’s home life becomes content. There's no sugar-coating. Just real stories and tough questions. Like, who’s protecting the kids when the line between family and business disappears?
The documentary struck a nerve—partly because it’s timely, but also because it spotlights a growing industry most still don’t fully understand. No heavy-handed agenda. Just the facts, the footage, and the fallout. A little unsettling, but mostly eye-opening.
For those interested in the messier side of internet fame, it’s the kind of documentary that lingers. So if Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing hit a nerve, here’s a roundup of seven more documentaries that dig into similarly twisted digital territory.
Showbiz Kids, Kid 90, and 5 more documentaries like Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
1) Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV shines a harsh light on the underbelly of early 2000s children’s television. This documentary revisits the Nickelodeon era—laugh tracks, slime, and all—and tears into the darker stories hidden just off-camera. At the center is Dan Schneider, once a kingmaker in the world of tween programming.
Former cast and crew speak up, sharing unsettling details about toxic work environments, emotional manipulation, and blurred lines of power.
The faces are familiar. With raw interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, the documentary shows what child stars were really up against in those so-called golden years of kids’ entertainment. Nothing overly dramatic—just the facts, layered in enough context to hit hard.
For many, this one may have stirred up old memories and fresh outrage. And for anyone who found Bad Influence compelling, this documentary is an obvious next stop down the rabbit hole. It is currently streaming on Max.
2) Child Star
Child Star isn’t just another nostalgic look at fame—it’s a firsthand deep dive into what really goes down behind the curtain. Directed by and starring former Disney kid Demi Lovato, this documentary blends personal history with a wider look at the system that chews up young talent and spits out headlines. It’s part memoir, part reckoning. One moment, it’s glitzy red carpets and fan mail, the next moment it’s contracts, control, and breakdowns behind the scenes.
Lovato keeps things grounded. No dramatics, just brutal honesty and smart storytelling. Alongside her, other former child stars—including Drew Barrymore—reflect on their own battles with fame, pressure, and growing up in a fishbowl. Fame came fast and so did the fallout.
For anyone into Bad Influence, this one lands right in that same unsettling territory. Currently streaming on Hulu.
3) Showbiz Kids
Directed by Alex Winter, this documentary flips through the lives of former child actors who once ruled screens—then quietly disappeared. The premise is simple: let the kids-turned-adults talk. No sugarcoating, just lived experience.
Names like Wil Wheaton and Evan Rachel Wood pop up alongside lesser-known actors, each with stories that range from weirdly hilarious to deeply unsettling. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Some made it out okay. Others are still untangling the aftershocks. Either way, the honesty hits hard.
What makes this documentary stand out is the mix of old Hollywood nostalgia with a present-day reality check. It’s raw. Unfiltered. Sometimes awkward. But that’s the point. For anyone who watched Bad Influence and wanted more context—more layers—this one lands with a quiet punch. Definitely worth a spot on the list. Streaming on Max.
4) Surviving R.Kelly
Launched by Lifetime, this multi-part series dives deep into the disturbing allegations against R. Kelly, told primarily through the voices of women who lived it. It’s raw, personal, and heavy with emotion. Every episode lays out a timeline of abuse, manipulation, and silence—often from people who should’ve spoken up.
The cast includes survivors, their families, legal experts, and cultural commentators. Familiar names like Sparkle and Andrea Kelly (R. Kelly’s ex-wife) speak with clarity and weight, grounding the story in lived experience rather than headlines.
This documentary sparked real-world consequences, pushing law enforcement and the music industry into long-overdue action. Fans appreciated its no-frills approach—just people telling the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear. For those exploring the dangers of unchecked fame and exploitation, Surviving R. Kelly is a necessary addition to the list. Streaming on Lifetime.
5) Kid 90
Kid 90 is a raw, personal time capsule from the '90s, pulled straight from the archives of Soleil Moon Frye—aka Punky Brewster. This documentary stitches together old camcorder tapes, voicemails, and diary entries, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like growing up in the spotlight before social media even existed.
It features the who's-who cast of teen icons from the era, think Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Stephen Dorff—back when they were just kids trying to figure life out. But it’s not all nostalgic vibes and old-school skate footage. The doc leans into the darker stuff too—loss, identity, fame, and the mental toll it all took.
What makes this documentary stand out is how unfiltered it feels. No polish. No PR spin. Just real footage of a generation that grew up way too fast. For those drawn to the real stories behind influencer culture, this one's a fitting companion piece to Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. Currently streaming on Hulu.
6) Depp v Heard
Depp v Heard digs into one of the most public and chaotic celebrity court battles of the decade. This Netflix documentary follows the 2022 defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, unpacking everything from courtroom clips to TikTok reactions. It’s not about taking sides—it’s about watching the internet lose its mind in real time.
Instead of offering slick commentary, the doc lays out both perspectives, letting the media frenzy speak for itself. Footage swings between legal drama and online obsession, blurring the lines between fact, opinion, and viral content. No talking heads. Just raw coverage from multiple platforms.
Depp and Heard take center stage, but in many ways, the real character here is the internet. The court of public opinion became louder than the actual courtroom. Fans found the documentary fascinating for the way it dissects digital culture and modern-day spectacle. Definitely one to watch after Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. Currently streaming on Netflix.
7) Age of Influence
Age of Influence unpacks the messier side of internet fame—the scams, the schemes, and the people who saw social media as a way to cheat the system. This documentary doesn’t stick to just one influencer. Instead, it builds a collage of stories, from con artists and wannabe celebs to self-proclaimed gurus who flew a little too close to the ring light.
Created by Vox and streaming on Hulu, it doesn’t glamorize or shame. Just lays things out. Punctuates the very thin line between content creation and manipulation. No big-name celebs here—just real people caught in their own PR spirals.
What caught the eye of many viewers was how familiar these stories felt. Fast success. Online fame. Public takedowns. It all moves fast, like scrolling through a feed. A little chaotic, a little thrilling, this documentary fits right into the algorithm alongside Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing. Currently streaming on Hulu.
If Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing captivated viewers with its exploration of online fame's darker corners, these documentaries dive even deeper into the world of influencers, fame, and the consequences of chasing clout. Each one offers a fresh perspective, shining light on the hidden truths behind the screens.
