“It’s a love story about everybody,” says one interviewee early in BTS Army: Forever We Are Young, a documentary that sets out to spotlight the impassioned global fandom of the world’s biggest boyband. Unfortunately, this is as far as we really go into any detail. So many of the more intricate aspects of this love story aren’t touched upon, and consequently this movie ends up feeling more like an extended fan tribute than a probing look at what makes this phenomenon tick.

There’s no denying the cultural footprint of BTS, with three Billboard number one albums in a single year and a reach that’s arguably bigger than The Beatles, their impact is indisputable, and their enormous fandom, the so-called “army,” is fiercely loyal, and there’s something inherently fascinating about this, deserving of a detailed introspective look. How does a boyband from South Korea become the biggest pop group in a cultural space that prioritises the western?

And to its credit, this is certainly referenced, with the documentary rightly highlighting the diversity of this fanbase, with South American, European and Asian audiences all commendably included as contributors. It also shows how the fanbase are more than the tired stereotype of screaming teenage girls, and as the documentary finds its footing, we meet doctors, nurses, lawyers, graphic designers etc of every age, all of whom articulate – often movingly – how the group gave them a sense of belonging, identity and joy. The band is evidently a great unifier. “When I think about my life before and after BTS,” one fan confesses, “I feel like I’m not alone anymore.” It’s wholesome, heartening stuff, and the film is at its best when it celebrates the fandom’s genuine emotional resonance and unity across cultures, religions, and borders.

Another positive is how skilfully it approaches the frank racism BTS fans encountered when trying to get the band airplay in the west. Despite the band’s colossal success, radio producers openly refused to play their music with some deeply shocking racist remarks. It’s maddening that a group could dominate the charts while being snubbed so brazenly, and these segments offer brief but vital commentary on how cultural gatekeeping operates even in the face of overwhelming demand.

But these moments are fleeting, and unfortunately, they’re as deep as the documentary goes. BTS Army: Forever We Are Young is, for the most part, content to remain surface-level, featuring a parade of fans professing their love for BTS without ever interrogating why that love runs so deep. Fandom is a rich, fascinating subject, and documentaries like Roger Nygard’s Trekkies or Daisy Asquith’s Crazy about One Direction show how compelling it can be when explored with nuance and curiosity. This film has no real interest in examining the psychology, sociology, or emotional architecture of fandom. By the 20-minute mark, it’s already feeling repetitive. Person after person shares how BTS changed their life, but without context or deeper reflection, it starts to feel oddly one-note, even for a film of this relatively short runtime.

Ultimately, it feels less like a documentary and more like an extended fan VT. It reminds you of those segments in the Friends Reunion special where fans as far-ranging as Malala Yousafzai and David Beckham – as well as the general public – discussed their affection for the show, but these were wisely confined to a few minute-long snippets and not the entirety of the doc, stretched out and absent of any real narrative arc. While the global montages are visually impressive and the editing slick, the overall structure is episodic and meandering. Topics such as BTS’s initial struggles in South Korea, military conscription, or their home countries’ economic inequality are touched on so briefly they barely register.

BTS and their fandom deserve a documentary that investigates as much as it celebrates, one that asks questions and helps the uninitiated understand the magic. BTS Army: Forever We Are Young has merits, and for the already converted, it may be a sweet reminder of what binds them together, but it often feels like there’s a missing piece here that prevents it probing just a bit further into its subject.

BTS Army: Forever We Are Young is in UK cinemas from 30 July: https://www.btsarmymovie.com