Like the rest of the world, I was introduced to Eminem when his “My Name Is” music video premiered on MTV’s Total Request Live in January 1999. From then on, I was a massive fan of the rapper also known as Slim Shady, and it stayed that way for quite some time. So, when I found out that his new documentary, Stans, was going to be available with a Paramount+ subscription, I made sure to check out the exploration of his career and those diehard fans of his.
Little did I know going into the documentary, but I would leave the experience with a whole new perspective on Marshall Mathers, his music, his career, and the legions of stans that have dedicated so much of their lives to one of the greatest rappers of all time. What a journey it was…
I Went Into Stans Thinking It Was Just About Fandom (Which It Kind Of Is)
When I watched the Stans trailer before the documentary landed on the 2025 movie schedule, I thought I was going to simply be watching a deconstruction of fandom, especially surrounding Eminem. With the documentary being a play on the rapper’s 2000 hit “Stan,” which tells the fictional story of an obsessive fan, it’s easy to see where I was coming from in this regard.
To be totally honest, a lot of the documentary is about the countless fans that idolize Marshall Mathers and his massive library of tracks, and how his music has inspired them and lifted them up in some of life’s hardest moments. While a few of the fans admittedly take things farther than I would have with their obsession, they’re never presented in a negative light or anything close to the “stan” played by Devon Sawa in the unsettling music video.
But Eminem Opening Up About The Impact Of Fame Led To Me Seeing Him In A New Light
While Stans does spend a lot of time interviewing fans from all around the world, the incredibly engaging documentary also dives deep into how fame, and those fans, impacted practically every aspect of Eminem’s life. There are great moments where the rapper opens up about how much the fans mean to him, but there are also some pretty harrowing moments along the way, and one in particular led to me seeing him in a new light.
Partway through the doc, Eminem opens up about a time when he took his daughter to the mall only to be surrounded by screaming fans. The way he describes it makes the situation feel less like a run-in with fans and more like something out of Dawn of the Dead. Though well-meaning, the fans changed the way he went about his daily life, and watching that resulted in me seeing him as a human being just trying to live his life.
The Documentary Is A Must-Watch For Stans, Fans, And Non-Fans Alike
There have been a lot of great music documentaries this year, and this is right up there on that list. Similar to the great Becoming Led Zeppelin being something that fans and non-fans alike can enjoy, the new Eminem doc is an eye-opening and entertaining experience that has something for everyone, stan or not.
If you’re a fan of Slim Shady, there’s something there. If you’re a diehard fan, you’ll find something to latch onto. If you know nothing about Marshall Mathers and his rap persona, this is going to do the trick. It’s rare that you find something so eye-opening and entertaining, but this doc does it.
I’m really glad I watched Stans, especially because it has me seeing Eminem in a whole new light. Now I just need to find one of those wildly memorable popcorn buckets.
