Child starthe new documentary about teen fame, co-directed by Demi Lovato and Nicola Marsh, begins with a confession.

Lovato, one of our more open and honest celebrities, recalls the moment she saw a Shirley Temple movie on TV at her great-grandparents’ house and decided about her future: “I wanted to be the youngest and the best at what I do.”

This feeling, shared by young actors and young people with dreams of working in any industry, is the monkey’s paw that surrounds Child star (whose title is an apt allusion to the 2001 biopic Child star: The story of Shirley Temple). Ultimately, the film offers a number of actors – some of whom are famous for how fresh they were at the start of their careers – the opportunity to put into words how this phenomenon can fundamentally change the way we perceive the world and our place in it.

Most of the Hulu film, which premieres Sept. 17, consists of relatively intimate conversations between Lovato and her subjects, which are worth watching if only for the fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses they offer of shows and films that defined a particular generation.

Victoria Time/Disney

She talks to Drew Barrymore and Christina Ricci about finding mentors and parental figures through already established Hollywood stars like Steven Spielberg and Cher. Kenan Thompson tells how almost all of his Nickelodeon money was stolen by a shady accountant. Disney colleague Raven feels sorry for Lovato because of the periods of dissociation they went through while working on the studio’s shows. Jojo Siwa speaks openly about missed opportunities after coming out. Director Chris Columbus, who shot the series “The Final Years,” is another reason why she can’t concentrate on the shows. Home alone and the first two Harry Potter Movies, offers an insider look at the way young stars are treated once they become very famous.

Lovato shares some of the film’s most insightful moments with Alyson Stoner, who stars alongside her in Camp Rock (yes, they say, “She’s really good!”) They reminisce about “Disney High,” the term young Disney stars jokingly used for their substitute for real high school, complete with on-set educational programs and dating drama between all the actors, while also speaking openly about eating disorders and constant stress.

In between these conversations, which often take place in quiet cafes or on sofas at home, the film shows how Hollywood’s child starization is becoming increasingly intense. Lovato herself got her big break on the Disney Channel at a time when much of the channel’s programming was focused on films and shows about children becoming famous.

The Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montanaand Lovato’s own show about showbiz Sonny with a chance all came out in the 2000s and offered their young audiences an inspiring glimpse into what happens when you’re a teen star. A recurring theme is the whiplash many of these actors suffered from the constant positive affirmation from the industry and the subsequent bullying, isolation and harassment from peers and fans.

There’s even talk about the growing number of children on social media who don’t have the same protections as other celebrities their age in Hollywood, where laws have been in place for decades to prevent young actors from being abused. (Just last year, a law was passed allowing young people to sue their parents for the income they earned as child influencers.) Barrymore puts it best when she explains that child stars are first and foremost a “commodity.”

Child staris cathartic in some ways, but never particularly dark, and when it does touch on more serious topics – eating disorders, drug abuse, self-harm – it doesn’t linger too long, nor does it blame anyone or anything in particular for contributing to them. (Hulu is owned by a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, after all.)

True crime documentaries Peace on set: The dark side of children’s televisionwhich premiered earlier this year, focused attention on allegations of misconduct made against Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider by many of the former child actors who had worked for him. Child star is not a true crime, nor does it contain such accusatory elements, but instead assumes that exploitation is inherent and even expected in an industry built on the backs of people too young to stand up for themselves.