‘Fyre Fraud’ Review
Featuring: Billy McFarland, Ja Rule, Bella Hadid, Cameron Davison, Maria Konnikova, Austin Mills, Ava Turnquest, Matthew Burton Spector | Written by Lana Barkin, Jenner Furst, Jed Lipinski, Julia Willoughby Nason | Directed by Jenner Furst, Julia Willoughby Nason
Fyre Fraud, directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, is the competitive documentary from HULU to highlight the Fyre Festival scandal with one monumental differentiation from the Netflix feature Fyre: The Festival the Never Happened – HULU have bagged an interview with the elusive culprit of events and architect of disaster himself, Billy McFarland!
While the comparisons to Netflix’s documentary are perhaps fair on the subject matter a lone it is unfair to suggest that these two separate documentaries are in any way rivals. In fact, a better description would be to state that these separate entities are perfect companion pieces that independently investigate two very distinctive angles on a multifaceted and layered controversy. Netflix’ documentary eyes a plastic indulgence of the glitz and glamour. Not necessarily glamourizing the controversy that followed but finds a certain off-putting gleam in its eye when highlighting the ridiculousness first world issues, ultimately finding lacklustre accountability.
HULU take a very different and far more accountable approach by looking at the legal side to the fallout. Not necessarily the large investment companies or enterprises but also the individual who put the little time and money they have into something that took away from them everything in the blink of an eye, with little to no reparations. It is a compelling narrative to behold as well as incredibly personal to hear the sheer criminality of the circumstances.
The interview with McFarland is somewhat divisive depending on your outlook on the situation. On one hand, it holds the perpetrator accountable for his actions and cuts deep with a sensible harshness. Yet on the other hand, somewhat glorifies and gives a pedestal for a criminal to stand up and excuse his behaviour. The latter of which is the wider grey area. Why give a man such as McFarland, who through his naivety and ignorance in crafting this disaster of a festival, has clearly voiced enough of his personality and disposition another chance for hollow forgiveness.
Fyre Fraud is available to watch on Hulu now.
