Jennifer Lopez joins Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé as the latest subject of her own pop star documentary, though no doubt Lopez would recoil at the description: she is also a movie star, entrepreneur, philanthropist and more, as Halftime (Netflix) often reminds us. This hugely entertaining, if occasionally comically serious, film follows Lopez from the day of her 50th birthday celebrations to the Super Bowl half-time show she co-headlined with Shakira in 2020.
At first, the star of Halftime threatens to be Lopez’s diamond-encrusted drink cups, but there is much to be fascinated by in this behind-the-curtains portrait of life as a megastar. Over 90 minutes, it reveals itself to be a curious, intriguing mix. Lopez does not hold back on what displeases her. The NFL invites her to do the Super Bowl half-time show, and it is a rare honour, promising her an audience of more than 100 million viewers. But the joint invitation with Shakira rankles, and their allotted running time is similar to what a solo act would have, which puts the squeeze on; Lopez describes it as “the worst idea in the world”. Her manager, Benny Medina, goes further. “It was an insult to say you needed two Latinas to do the job that one artist historically has done,” he tells the camera.
