Early on in Matthew Heineman’s documentary on Colombian superstar J Balvin,
The Boy From Medellin, you get the sense that filmmaker and singer alike had a specific kind of film in mind. Opening with a kindhearted moment at a Mexico concert, where Balvin (born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín) talks candidly about his mental health struggles, you get the sense that
The Boy From Medellin was designed as a chronicle of an artist set to return to his hometown, older and wiser than when he’d first left.
And, to be fair, Heineman’s documentary delivers on that account. As a portrait of an artist returning to his roots, the film delivers. Longtime fans of Colombia’s "Prince of Reggaeton" will find much to enjoy, in between slick concert footage featuring his biggest hits, grainy home movies that show his DIY start and intimate one-on-ones, where Balvin wrestles with the burdens of being a global superstar.