I read two full reviews that are more negative than they are positive about Miss Americana just to make sure I’m seeing all sides of the reviews, and what I found interesting (other than the fact that both of these reviews were written by straight men) was the fact that both of the reviewers call the documentary open and honest and say Taylor shows her talent and likeability, but then they both constantly counter all their compliments with “but it seems manufactured or calculated.”
Which basically means - they see all the positives, but there’s some force refusing to let them believe the positives are genuine, and that force has a name: sexism. They never once point to tangibles about why it seems calculated or crafted, it’s always just a feeling. And it sucks that underlying sexism can lead to a poor review because straight men are “feeling” that a woman’s honesty and vulnerability is calculated.