A still of Angel and Aaron featured in The Carters, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo Credit: Angel Conrad/Courtesy of CBS/Paramount+
Paramount+ has announced a two-part documentary, The Carters, which promises to offer a take into the lives of Nick and Aaron Carter, star-studded siblings whose careers blow-up within the pop culture sphere. Directed by Soleil Moon Frye, the documentary will offer an intimate exploration of the highs and tragic lows of the Carter family, as told by Angel Conrad, the sisters’ surviving member.
While the documentary appears poised to win sympathy and support for the family, it’s hard to avoid the uncomfortable question: is this truly an act of catharsis and healing, or is it a spectacle meant to profit from the pain and suffering of those involved?
Focusing on the devastating impact fame and fortune had on the Carter family, The Carters will showcase the dark undercurrents behind the once-glamorous lives of Nick and Aaron, who were both thrust into the limelight at a young age. Home videos, initial interviews, and startling insights from relatives like Angel, along with close friends such as Melissa Joan Hart and Scout Willis, create a vivid picture of a family in distress. Struggles with mental health, substance abuse, and neglect from their parents are believed to have played a role in the premature deaths of three out of the five original Carter siblings. Angel’s story, marked by sorrow and loss, frames the documentary as a heartfelt homage to her family’s experiences and a beacon of hope for others confronting similar hardships.
But there is something unsettling about the timing of this documentary. With the wounds still fresh from Aaron Carter’s untimely passing in 2022, The Carters is bound to raise deep questions about whether this film is truly in service of healing or if it is an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy of a broken family. Critics contend that documentaries of this nature often fall short of being the cathartic experiences they purport to be, instead serving as a calculated means to profit from personal suffering and family turmoil. Is this truly a sincere exploration of trauma, or merely a sensationalized cash grab by the streaming platform?
Soleil Moon Frye, who has her own history with the trials of child stardom, finds herself in the challenging position of balancing the need to tell a poignant story with the risk of commodifying a family’s hardship. Her assertion about fostering a “safe space” for Angel to express her truth strikes some as insincere, especially considering that Paramount+ stands to gain significantly from the Carters’ narrative.
The inclusion of prominent figures like Melissa Joan Hart and Scout Willis adds yet another layer of spectacle to the project. While their intentions may be genuine, it raises questions about the ethics of celebrity involvement in the public consumption of others’ pain.
In a world where reality television thrives on the public’s insatiable appetite for the personal struggles of famous individuals, The Carters is poised to join the ranks of documentaries that claim to explore the cost of fame while also making millions off the very things they claim to expose. Does the public truly benefit from witnessing this intimate portrayal of suffering, or are we merely partaking in the latest voyeuristic trend? The Carters promises an emotional rollercoaster, but it also serves as a stark reminder of how the line between tragedy and entertainment is often perilously thin.
As the documentary’s release on Paramount+ nears, the debate over whether this is a well-intentioned act of storytelling or a tasteless exploitation of family trauma will undoubtedly continue to simmer. One thing is for sure—The Carters is guaranteed to stir up emotions, and the question of whether it is exploiting its subjects or offering a much-needed platform for their voices will linger long after the credits roll.
