Name: Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child
Director: Andrew Renzi
Released: 2023-08-01T12:30:00

Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child charts the journey of Jake Paul from polarizing Youtube prankster to polarizing professional boxer. The documentary film is streaming on Netflix.

Story

Jake Paul made his fortune being a Youtube star alongside his older brother, Logan Paul. They rose to fame at very young ages and that level of exposure fed into their egos significantly.

Jake developed a reputation for being a bad boy and his controversial aura landed him in hot water on more than one occasion. He persevered and got an opportunity to get back into the limelight when he and Logan were challenged to a boxing match by fellow Youtubers, KSI and Deji.

Following that first fight, Jake got bitten by the boxing bug and decided to make a career out of it. He used his marketing brain to upset the status quo and promote fights that brought in more money and attention than traditional fighters did.

In the past three years, Jake Paul competed in multiple professional fights and built a new reputation as a severe boxer who can actually hang in there with the best.

Positives

Jake Paul genuinely elicits mixed reactions from the public. This documentary succeeds in peeling back the curtain and providing more context to his life and behavior.

The film moves at a very agreeable pace, chronicling Jake’s journey right until his fight with Tommy Fury, and is considerably engaging. Each fight is laid out clearly and there is a systematic progression to events.

Negatives

The justification by Logan Paul for their father’s abusive behavior as a direct factor in his career is ridiculous and disrespectful. Mental health is a genuine issue that needs to be acknowledged more and the way Logan brushes off Jake’s trauma is disappointing.

That particular issue and Jake’s goal to start a fighter’s union are two aspects of his life that deserved more attention and it is unfortunate that they are just generally referenced without further follow through.

Verdict

Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child is an impressive film that might well truly change the opinions of many watching about the problematic social media celebrity. One cannot fault Jake Paul’s capitalization of his image and turning it into a money-making machine backed up by pure effort to improve his skill in boxing.