'Call Her Alex' Review: Hulu's Docuseries Chronicles The Rise Of Podcasting's Powerhouse

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Jun 9

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

Alex Cooper’s Two-Part Hulu Series Offers Moments of Insight—But Falls Short of Capturing Her Full Impact

Alex Cooper is more captivating than the two-episode documentary chronicling her meteoric rise. In Call Her Alex, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival ahead of its Hulu debut, director Ry Russo-Young attempts to chart Cooper’s evolution from small-town Pennsylvania girl to global podcasting phenom and CEO of a media empire. The result is an often heartfelt, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately serviceable look at a woman whose unapologetic voice defined a new media generation. Still, the story told here only scratches the surface of her cultural impact, and with only the first two episodes previewed at Tribeca, the full arc of Cooper’s journey remains untold.

Split into two episodes, Call Her Alex opens with Cooper gearing up for her 2023 "Unwell Tour," a live-show extension of her wildly successful podcast, Call Her Daddy. The series leans heavily on childhood home videos, behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, and present-day confessionals, framing Cooper as someone who’s always been obsessed with storytelling. And to her credit, that thread remains convincing. In one sequence, she describes reenacting hockey game scenarios in her basement while her father filmed for the local league. It’s in these honest, awkward, and very human moments that the series shines.

But the documentary doesn’t truly find its rhythm until the back half of Part One, when it explores Cooper’s college years at Boston University. A former Division 1 soccer player on a full scholarship, Cooper was benched after accusing her coach of sexual harassment—a painful experience that becomes the emotional core of the docuseries. Her discussion of the fallout—from university betrayal to lost athletic dreams—is handled with striking vulnerability. It’s the kind of revelatory material you wish was more present throughout the series.

Episode Two dives into the rise of Call Her Daddy, spotlighting its early Barstool Sports origins, its $60 million acquisition by Spotify, and Cooper's eventual $125 million deal with Sirius XM. While her entrepreneurial achievements are presented in a checklist fashion, the show does carve out space to examine the toll her success took on her personal life—including the estrangement from extended family due to the show’s explicit content and public scrutiny. The doc also touches on her decision to become politically vocal after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, showing an evolution in both tone and mission.

The presence of big-name guests and family members offers further insight. Cameos from Vice President Kamala Harris, Christina Aguilera, and Janelle Monáe underscore Cooper’s wide cultural influence, while interviews with her parents reveal the real-world consequences of broadcasting such an unfiltered persona. The doc delves into how her parents lost relationships with family and friends over the podcast’s explicit content—a rare moment of gravity that elevates the narrative.

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However, with just two episodes shown so far, Call Her Alex still feels more like an overture than a full symphony. The editing is slick and the production values are high, but there’s a missing layer of unvarnished access—perhaps still to come in future episodes—that could give longtime fans a deeper understanding of Cooper's complexities. The film teases these moments: a scene of her discussing body image issues and teenage bullying; the strain of scaling a brand at the expense of mental health; her thoughtful shift in tone as political stakes rose—but they’re fleeting, never allowed to fully land.

Ultimately, Call Her Alex is a fitting, if sanitized, tribute to Cooper's journey. It hits the major beats and offers just enough introspection to satisfy casual fans and newcomers. But for those who’ve followed her from the early, raunchy days of Call Her Daddy through its more evolved, socially aware present, the doc leaves one major question lingering: who is Alex Cooper when the mic is off and the cameras stop rolling? And will the remaining episodes have the courage to answer that?

RATING: ★★★

Watch the Trailer Below:

Both episodes of “Call Her Alex” premiere June 10 on Hulu.

Call Her Alex

Festival: Tribeca (TV)
Director/Screenwriter: Ry Russo-Young
Cast: Alex Cooper, Ry Russo-Young
International Sales: Unwell, Disney/ Hulu
Run Time: 56 Mins