‘BTS: The Return’ documentary review: Music, introspection and the pressures of a comeback

At the start of the Netflix Documentary BTS: The Return, the group’s leader, RM (Kim Namjoon), reflects, “Normally, the life of a K-Pop artist is really short. But, luckily, our life has extended. The pressure is that we have to decide what to keep and what to change. But for those kinds of questions, no one knows.”

A week after the release of their comeback album Arirang, and a grand live concert at Gwanghamun in Seoul which was streamed globally on Netflix, BTS: The Return, a one-and-a-half hour long documentary directed by Bao Nguyen eschews all pomp, hype and theatrics for a quieter introspection into the comeback of one of the world’s biggest pop music acts in the last decade.

Jung Kook in ‘BTS: THE RETURN’.
| Photo Credit:
COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The film follows BTS members RM, Jin, SUGA, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook as they hunker down in Los Angeles and work on their new music. Having flown there right after completing their mandatory military service (Jin joins them later after completing his solo concert tour), we discover that the group is on a tight timeline to finish their comeback album. After working on nearly 100 songs, the group is now attempting to work on a couple more songs and looking to finalise a concept and title for all the music they are creating.

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While concert films put the realities of the stage, the intense preparation that goes into it all, and the exhilaration of meeting the fans, Nguyen here chooses to start from where it all begins — the music. In BTS: The Return, the septet also has to contend with the fact that they have all changed in many ways after a hiatus, solo music stints, and military enlistment. The intense pressure of creating something special, amidst the hype, expectations, and scrutiny, overwhelms them. 

(L-R) j-hope, Suga, Jin, RM, Jung Kook, and Jimin in ‘BTS: THE RETURN’.
| Photo Credit:
COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The end product is a film far from sanitised or simply celebrating their successes. When we meet the group, they’ve hit a wall, and their temporary slump feels visceral. The group debates and mulls over everything from the English in their music (there are some interesting discussions with their label executives), whether the Arirang sample works in their song ‘Body to Body’ (J-Hope’s jubilant jig versus RM and Suga’s reservations), wondering about their place in this ongoing creative process (Jin’s quiet reflections), and wanting to step back from the constant expectations and scrutiny (Jungkook’s contemplation). It feels rather refreshing that the director chooses to dwell on all of this, the conflict and the self-doubt.

In many ways, the film seeks to and is largely successful in offering fans of BTS and people curious about the group a glimpse into their creative process. The documentary also captures the band members’ reflections on their current place in their journey. They are keen that their music also reflect how much more mature and evolved they are as a group. Nguyen alternates between creative discussions in their recording studios and sunshine-filled breaks inside the pool. There is a sense of freedom here. And yet, the pressures of a deadline and the weight of expectations follow them like a shadow, and creep into their dinnertime conversations. 

Jin, Suga, Jimin, V, Jung Kook, and RM in ‘BTS: THE RETURN’.
| Photo Credit:
COURTESY OF NETFLIX

ALSO READ: BTS and ‘Arirang’: A guide to the album release, live concert and more

While the documentary could have benefited from a shorter runtime, the slower approach is deliberate. In the film’s final moments, the members look back on how far they have come (‘like being back together with my family,’ Jin says) and the fact that they are all in this together. As they are ready to embark on an expansive comeback tour, the documentary feels like an essential, well-made companion to Arirang. The ‘Blood Sweat & Tears’ that have paved this journey are more than evident here.

BTS: The Return is currently streaming on Netflix