“Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru,” a new documentary about the larger-than-life motivational speaker and communicator, will be watched by three different types of people: the first, of course, will be Robbins’ ever-devout fans and followers, who most likely will praise the movie for its very existence. The second type of person will be the cynical, critical person, arguably having a pre-loaded bias or thought of Robbins as more huckster than a savior.

The third type of person, someone who might find themselves more comfortable in the middle, will no doubt get the most out of what this movie has to offer.

From Academy Award-winning director Joe Berlinger, the man behind such seminal non-fiction documentaries as the “Paradise Lost” trilogy and “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” (the latter film, which Robbins approved of in getting this documentary made), trades in his darker, more investigative documentary exposé for something unapologetically hopeful, choosing to show the more uplifting side of Robbins’ work rather than a take-down approach. On that note, those looking for a deeper, more personal, profile of Robbins may be left unsatisfied.

Those who are looking for a peek behind the curtains of one of the most famous self-help events, however, will have more than enough footage to take in here. Covering the six-days of Robbins’ famous “Date With Destiny” at a convention center in Boca Raton, Florida (a hop-skip-and-jump away from his oceanside mansion), more than 2,500 people from 71 different countries excitedly await their own personal life-changing transformations. 

At about $5,000 a ticket for the weeklong event, Anthony “Tony” Robbins, (though he would prefer “life-strategist”) has built his empire on loyalty, charisma, and results. Standing at an immense 6’7″ with a gravelly voice and fixed gaze (while dropping profanity-laden language to snap people into the present moment), Tony’s work is the epitome of tough love by calling people out on the things they are choosing not to confront.

At one hour and fifty-five minutes, “I Am Not Your Guru” shows the entire gamut of the seminar. Condensed down from twelve hours a day to a highlight reel of select participants sharing their stories of hardship and traumatic pasts (try not to think anything of the fact that the people who make the cut are mostly attractive women), it is the raw emotion and vulnerability of the crowd that offers real moments of honesty. Horrific scenes of childhood sex slavery, suicidal thoughts, and the general feeling of being unloved are just some of the issues brought up here, most of which Robbins relates to with his own abused past.

Now, back to the overarching uneasiness that a self-help documentary might inspire: people will take whatever they wish out of a movie like this, depending on what they are looking for. Objectively, documentaries are thought to be real when they are without personal bias, rather than amplifying a certain side of a story. In this regard, Berlinger is unapologetic about how he portrays his subject, intending to highlight the good a film like this can bring. In an industry of ever-growing takedown documentaries that seek out the bad in the world, Berlinger attempts to be among the minorities of good-hearted and inspiring films.

What is entirely undeniable, however, is that Tony helps people in need of help, seemingly telling them the things that they already know but in his trademark will-power framed mindset. Perhaps Robbins is as divisive as he is because what he’s selling might be smoke and mirrors: is the idea of happiness an illusion? Is willing yourself to be happy delusional? Does it last beyond the six-day event? And if it works, does it really matter?

As Christian Bale’s Batman says at the end of 2008’s “The Dark Knight” in response to a series of crimes that have been pinned on the caped crusader, “Sometimes, the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes, people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”

“Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru” is unrated, but features strong language. 115 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.