The upcoming HBO MoviePass documentary is a must-see for fans of tech trainwrecks

The rise and fall of MoviePass is one of those stories that just begs to be documented, and, well, HBO has you covered. The platform just set a premiere date of May 29 documentary film directed by Muta’Ali and .

The film chronicles the “meteoric rise and stranger-than-fiction implosion” of the movie ticket subscription platform that initially set the world on fire when it first launched in 2011. However, it wasn’t long before the company realized that the “everything, all you can eat’ that works so well with gyms and other membership clubs , especially at the low cost of the service. In just eight years, the company went from being the fastest-growing subscription service after Spotify.

As the trailer shows, the documentary will feature interviews with many of the major players involved in the various stages of MoviePass. This includes original co-founder Stacey Spikes and former CEO Mitch Lowe. There will also be many interviews with journalists who have covered the service, FTC officials and former subscribers. By the way, the trailer promises an anecdote where a customer sends a box of poop to the MoviePass offices, and we don’t want to miss it.

Although it premieres on HBO at 9pm ET on May 29, the documentary will also be available on demand through Max. Director Muta’Ali has made several good documentaries including Yussuf Hawkins: Storm over Brooklyn and Cassius X: Becoming Ali.

As for MoviePass, well, that’s a long and complicated story. The app captured the hearts of theatergoers in 2011 by promising unlimited cinema visits for a single monthly subscription fee. The love affair did not last. The company went out of business in 2019 and filed for bankruptcy in 2020. Between those dates, there was securities fraud and, among other strange scenarios. In short, it’s perfect fodder for a documentary.

MoviePass . Co-founder Spikes recently bought the company’s assets, attracted new investors and . However, the updated pricing model is on the confusing side, with credits and tiers, and doesn’t seem to have caught lightning in a bottle the second time around.

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