The Price of Glee (2023) User Reviews

Ignore the 1 star reviews

[Chriper7 · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

I decided to watch this BECAUSE of the 1 star reviews, not in spite of them. The complaints from other reviewers confirmed that I might actually enjoy it. Other reviewers didn't like that they didn't interview the main cast, only interviewing people on the 'periphery'. To me this was a huge positive.

What I DIDN'T want to watch was people saying what they thought they were supposed to say. It was refreshing to get the perspectives of people who didn't have to worry about how what they said may have an influence on future job prospects.

What made this documentary so interesting to me was exploring the effects of fame, particularly in the case of Cory Monteith who had never experienced fame prior to Glee and wasn't prepared for it. The most valuable perspective on Cory's mental state was that given by his former housemate.

Also interesting was a look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics. Once again, if it had been the main cast who had been interviewed, we would have gotten niceties and politeness. However those who were interviewed just laid things out as they saw them. Very refreshing and unexpected documentary.

This review is from a person with a casual interest in the show. I'd watch Glee if it happened to be on TV at the time and there was nothing better on.

DISGRACEFUL & EXPLOITATIVE

[Fa_B99 · 1/10 · 30 January 2023]

What an exploitative cash grab. Do not watch this!!!

This "documentary" is a collection of half-truths, hearsay and lies, presented by a bunch of oppotunists. Non of the cast-members of the actual show were involved in this, a lot of them have spoken out against it.

The producers of this should be ashamed of themselves, especially since they had the chance to create an actually interesting documentary.

Focusing on the unrelated deaths of several cast members was absolutely disgusting. The poster alone is terrible: putting Cory and Naya next to Mark and the claiming that their deaths was a result of the show ("the price of glee") is unacceptable.

Again: DO NOT WATCH THIS.

Don't watch. Not a documentary at all!

[act-53846 · 1/10 · 2 February 2023]

Not really sure what this was supposed to accomplish. Very little insight into what happened behind the scenes. There really isn't a "price of Glee." They only share viewer ratings, no discussion detailing profits were added to the film.

There is no link between the three famous deaths which are pictured (Naya, Cory, & Mark).

The series has no other cast members or producers. It is mostly stand-ins, roommates, and set designers of the show. Which results in most people's statements being assumptions, judgements, or hearsay.

One set designer even admits, he didn't know how actors arrived to the studio (meaning sober or not) as by the time they would be on set, they would appear to be fine.

Maya's father is completely disassociated from his daughter's tragic death. He self-admits this within the doc. If he weren't so disassociated I'm sure he would see this 3 part series for the garbage that it is. 2 episodes being primarily on Cory.

Mark is briefly mentioned but overall he gets maybe 15 minutes of show time and there is no one interviewed to share his upbringing or how Glee effected him.

Only a psychotherapist is brought in, couldn't have a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in sexual deviation? Childhood trauma? Addiction? Etc...

All in all, save yourself the time. You will only learn that the cast and crew had long demanding days, with very little to no off-time during the first 2 seasons.

Endless Vamping, No Substance

[ywjhvp · 3/10 · 2 July 2023]

There's no substance here, it's basically just hours of vamping as people who had minimal interaction with the cast members reflect on their limited experience. No new information, the same video clips and photos with different special effects and dramatic music to change the tone... it's all speculation and ultimately draws no meaningful conclusions or lessons for viewers.

Some of the participants flat out admit that their only source for the things they say is social media. If close friends and loved ones aren't participating in the documentary, if the law enforcement handling these cases didn't get involved in the story telling, those are immediate red flags.

Repetitive to the point of nauseating.

Man, if there aren't lawsuits over this . . .

[Mr-Fusion · 4/10 · 1 July 2023]

It's a pretty big red flag when no one in the cast is involved, which becomes a black mark as things progress.

As The Price of Glee opens, it's not bad - everything's cheery, Glee's future is bright - but then FOX has a hit on its hands, and they put their actors through the grind. The show had a famously grueling work schedule; but boy oh boy, if you didn't already think the industry was a slaughterhouse for young talent, this "documentary" will helpfully remind you at every turn. It's like an E! True Hollywood Story without a conscience, exploiting the tragedies that plagued a network TV show. The way they zeroed in on Naya's grief-stricken dad just made me feel gross. There's real pain behind the scenes of Glee, but don't bother with this.

It's pure trash.

One or the most horrible and opportunistic things I've seen

[mariagomez2020 · 1/10 · 22 May 2023]

I'm a huge gleek; I've been following this cast and this story and the way they put the blame on specific people; the tabloid type headlines , the sinister music . What a piece of s***, what a disrespect for the ones who are not alive to tell their stories. Or the people that made mistakes and this kind of narrative the only thing that do is reflecting one the sensationalism of the DEATH of 3 human beings, and in the current lives of the rest of cast and crew members.

The entertainment journalists; I've never heard of them regarding glee, the way they say they have a curse, everything is bad and very disrespectful of the human tragedies and making it just a click bait story is a shame.

Could Not Finish

[beczayn-65996 · 1/10 · 7 September 2023]

Was never a Glee person but wanted to watch the documentary since I knew the cast had some controversy that I never really looked into. My gosh is this a bad one. They just casually glide over the fact that one cast member was charged with CP then show people sympathizing with him? Like what!? "How alone he must have felt" is a real quote. How about the literal children he was exploiting?

I stopped watching after that.

Keep in mind that the other two individuals that lost their lives deserved a lot more than what they got in this. Cory's old roommate was the only one who gave any sense of who he truly was and what he was going through. The rest is just gossip.

Poor Naya, her story is sad and again, this "documentary" just does her no justice.

Just a gossip track that rushes through three people's lives and gives sympathy when they shouldn't and lacks sympathy when they should.

If you're an actual Glee fan, don't watch. If you're not a Glee fan, don't watch.

The people should be ashamed they took part.

[chris_rowe-881-168820 · 1/10 · 24 February 2023]

You'd think with three episodes, it'd be close to an episode per death for example but what you get is just exploitative behaviour green-lit by discovery to trick people into thinking their service is even remotely interesting.

This show is tragic, it's people who worked on the show and other desperados on the outside of their lives who try and make themselves look even remotely close to the three, cannot believe the girls dad did this show. Awful.

The information this gives has been on tv/YouTube for ages and this show tells you nothing! No footage or anything remotely new. Yeah backstage people worked on the show cast an opinion but it's just like death is sad, it's yhst vague.

I'd love them to go deeper on how horrible Lea is.

The only reason I give this one is Corey's roommate who had surgery and how has an awkward permanent smile. Hilarious.

Lots of hearsay and sensationalism

[robert-kallmeyer · 4/10 · 30 June 2023]

There was some basic and interesting information in this show which is labeled a documentary, but it really felt like the show highlights only the things that are dramatic and controversial, and what appeals to people who like tabloids. It didn't feel respectful to the actors who had died or to the principles of what should be called a documentary. I couid still watch something while acknowledging these flaws, but I found myself losing interest and struggled to pay attention. It felt like they were trying to draw out the information they had to keep the drama going. I can't recommend this show.

Disappointed

[fpfzkkk · 2/10 · 13 April 2024]

I watched this show because I was a fan of Glee and I guess I was expecting each of the 3 episodes to focus on one of the actors that died (I.e. One episode just on Cory, one on Naya, ect), instead over the course of 3 hours, 85% was all just about Cory, 10% was about Naya and the last cast member was barely even mentioned and for the life of me I cannot remember his name! That's how little this show cared about him. What a shame. If you're a huge fan of Corey, you'll enjoy it , but if not, don't waste your time. I wish that they spent more time memorializing all the cast members and their experiences, but they didn't.