A glossy nostalgia special that works best as a fan reunion and a piece of pop-culture self-mythology. It has genuine charm, strong archival appeal, and a few big emotional payoffs, but it is also very specific in its audience and can feel more like a branded event than a fully satisfying documentary.
37% ★★☆☆☆ (67,633)
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
Where to watch: Disney
Movie · Documentary · Music · PG
2026 · 59m · ★ 37% (68K)
From me to younger you.
Director: Sam Wrench
Starring: Miley Cyrus, Alex Cooper, Tish Cyrus-Purcell
Overview
Filmed in front of a live studio audience and hosted by Alex Cooper of 'Call Her Daddy' fame, Miley Cyrus reflects on the creation and impact of the series with never-before-seen archival footage, all the while interacting and reminiscing on some of the show's most memorable sets 'brought back to life' — including the Stewart family living room and the legendary Hannah Montana closet.
Director
Sam Wrench
Production
HopeTown Entertainment, Unwell Productions
Cast
Miley Cyrus, Alex Cooper, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, Noah Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gary Marsh, Jamal Sims, Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Jason Earles, Moisés Arias, Dolly Parton, Lucas Till, Taylor Swift, Barack Obama, Jack Champion, Marc Malkin, Cody Linley
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy nostalgia special that works best as a fan reunion and a piece of pop-culture self-mythology. It has genuine charm, strong archival appeal, and a few big emotional payoffs, but it is also very specific in its audience and can feel more like a branded event than a fully satisfying documentary.
Best for
Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana fans
viewers who enjoy nostalgia-heavy TV reunion specials
audiences interested in Disney Channel pop culture
fans of performance-driven celebrity retrospectives
people who like playful, self-aware fan service
Skip if
you never watched the series or don't care about Disney Channel history
you want a rigorous behind-the-scenes documentary
you dislike celebrity-hosted studio specials
you prefer a broader music-doc structure over fan nostalgia
Overview
This special is built on the emotional afterlife of a phenomenon rather than on revelation. Miley Cyrus revisits the character, the sets, and the mythology with a mix of humor, distance, and real sentiment, which gives the piece more personality than a standard anniversary package.
Worth noting
The live-audience format and recreated spaces make it feel like a memory palace for a generation that grew up with the show. That said, the appeal is highly targeted: if the series was part of your childhood, the callbacks can hit hard; if not, the whole thing may play as polished but insular brand maintenance.
Bottom line
What lingers is the sense of an artist reclaiming a piece of her own past on her own terms. It is less a documentary about production than a celebration of identity, fandom, and the strange durability of teen stardom.
Top Letterboxd reviews
rhys ⭐️ (4★) · 5463 likes
she sat down with the president of disney channel and said i wanna make history
aaron (5★) · 3242 likes
i think it’s time to talk about tour dates
zak · 2856 likes
she had the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever by leaving her house and recreating the famous meme, and she did it. iconic.
JoshuaCaine · 2454 likes
This made me realize just how much I miss being a kid
sixxthirty (3.5★) · 1937 likes
chappell roan being in this is so ironic considering she hates when people look at her