“I built a relationship with each person first and foremost over time.”
“I think you stop an industry like this by stopping people going.” said Ms. Shwer.
By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 6/22/25 – When the credits roll on The Kids Are Not Alright, what lingers is more than heartbreak — it’s a sense of responsibility. Premiering June 29 at Dances With Films in Los Angeles, Mikaela Shwer’s searing new documentary is the result of nearly ten years of investigative dedication, deep trust-building, and an unwavering commitment to telling a story that far too many have tried to silence.
“I’m Mikaela Shwer. I am the director, producer, and editor of The Kids Are Not Alright, which is a feature documentary about the long-lasting impacts of the troubled teen industry,” she introduced in a recent interview with The Hollywood Times.
Shwer’s background in high-profile true crime and documentary editing (including Allen v. Farrow and HBO’s Last Call) uniquely positioned her to helm such a complex narrative. But, as she emphasized, The Kids Are Not Alright demanded something different: “These are people’s lives that I do feel responsible for in sharing their stories… it’s just a completely different responsibility that I feel on my shoulders.”
Growing up in Phoenix, Shwer remembers watching classmates “kind of disappear from high school,” with little understanding of where — or why — they were sent. Years later, while researching the cult-like Synanon group and its use of “attack therapy” on children, Shwer began to connect the dots. “I started to learn about the long-lasting impacts of these places, which I had never thought about,” she said.
That realization collided with tragedy. “That week, John Martin Crawford, a big activist in the space against the troubled teen industry, had died by suicide.” It was then that the urgency of the story crystallized for her. “I shifted my focus to do this film right away.”
The documentary centers around Liz Lanelli — known online as Survivor 993 — whose transformation from survivor to advocate provides the film’s emotional core. Shwer reflects, “We really didn’t know where this story was going to go with Liz… it was a slow process over these years.” That slow burn, however, became the film’s strength. By the time Ianelli became a key figure in a federal investigation, the trust between filmmaker and subject was palpable — and so was the weight of what they were revealing.
The result is a film that feels urgent without sensationalism. “We were told we needed a celebrity, or we needed to go get someone out of a program on camera,” Shwer said of the early studio offers. “That wasn’t the story I wanted to tell. This needed to be about care — for the people in it, and for the truth.”
That ethical approach sets The Kids Are Not Alright apart. Rather than fall into the traps of exploitative true crime tropes, the film stays grounded in human experience and carefully earned trust. “I really wanted to make sure these survivors knew they could trust me… I’m not a therapist,” she said. “So, I think I built a relationship with each person first and foremost over time.”
That emotional intelligence extended into the editing process. Wearing multiple hats, including director and co-editor, Shwer brought her experience to the cutting room, but also welcomed collaborators. “I was very fortunate to work with Veronica Pinkham and Will Allegra Garofalo,” she said. “I love collaborating in editing… it helps the edit to evolve in different ways than maybe if you’re doing it solo.”
The so-called Troubled Teen Industry has operated for decades under a veil of secrecy, with minimal regulation and countless allegations of abuse. Yet, as Shwer noted, it’s often dismissed. “They were written off as ‘bad kids’ who went to these troubled teen programs… nobody had really stopped to ask: had something happened in those places?”
While she didn’t face direct threats from institutions, Shwer acknowledged the gravity of the material. “We focused really on some programs that are already closed,” she explained, adding that legal scrutiny helped back their findings. “There were lawsuits already about abuse and neglect in these places.”
As the film prepares for its LA premiere, Shwer is already thinking ahead. “We are certainly hoping to do a robust impact campaign. We’re going to take the film into the educational market… conferences, schools.” But for her, it starts with simply listening. “People were just so happy someone was listening,” she said. “A lot of people come to our screenings and say, ‘Oh, my sister went to one of these places,’ or ‘I knew someone, and we’ve never talked about it.’”
Through social media (@thekidsarenotalrightdoc) and their website, the team plans to share legislative updates, survivor support resources, and additional screenings. Shwer also points to organizations like Unsilenced Now as powerful allies in the growing reform movement.
The Kids Are Not Alright is not an easy film. It’s not meant to be. But it is essential — a carefully constructed, emotionally resonant documentary that turns silence into testimony and trauma into resistance. “This is about people’s lives,” Shwer reminds us — and she treats those lives with the dignity, empathy, and gravity they deserve.
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at their premiere at DWF NYC.
Final Verdict: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
A quietly powerful and deeply responsible film, The Kids Are Not Alright is one of the most urgent and necessary documentaries of the year. It’s a must-see not just for what it uncovers, but for how it dares to listen.
Screening Information:
When: June 29, 2025
Where: TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood (Dances With Films Festival)
Follow the film:
Website: thekidsarenotalrightdoc.com
Instagram: @thekidsarenotalrightdoc
Director: @MikaelaShwer
Watch our full interview with Mikaela Shwer on The Hollywood Times Official YouTube Channel.
