In 2000 Eminem wrote "Stan," a cautionary tale of a crazed fan who took his obsession with the rapper several steps too far. A quarter-century later, "Stan" is now used as a term of endearment, and even a verb, by fans who proudly "stan" their favorite artists.

Eminem's relationship with his "Stan" army, and his own personal rags to riches tale, is detailed in "Stans," director Steven Leckart's look at fandom, connection and the parasocial relationship we court with our top celebrities. Eminem's Stans won't find too much new information in the documentary, but they'll likely see themselves in the handful of superfans whose own personal obsessions with the rapper are examined.

Eminem's well-traversed tale — from finding his voice in hip-hop and honing his skills in Detroit, eventually meeting Dr. Dre and becoming one of rap's most celebrated talents, only to be imprisoned by his own fame and hitting rock bottom following the death of his best friend and mentor, to later triumphing over his personal demons and finding balance on the other side, on his own terms — lays the backbone for the story. Eminem is on hand, as are pals and VIP players such as Dre, LL Cool J, Ed Sheeran, Carson Daly, Jimmy Iovine and Adam Sandler.

Along the way we also meet a handful of fans, identified by their first names (Noah, Brendan and Zolt, for starters), who share their stories of what Eminem means to them, and which parts of their stories relate most closely to his. One fan has the Guinness Record for most tattoos of a single artist, another is a trans fan who found themself through Eminem's art. There's the fan who writes their own Eminem fan fiction, and so on.

Those fans help break up the story of Eminem, giving "Stans" an unconventional telling. But those individual fans don't add a lot of depth to the story because we don't know enough about them to invest in their personal narratives. We just know they really like Eminem.

"Stans" has several local touches, with shout-outs to Gilbert's Lodge in St. Clair Shores and legendary Detroit club Saint Andrew's Hall. Eminem visits the site of his childhood home, along Dresden Street in Detroit, and there's footage of Eminem shooting his "Recovery" album cover along Dutton Road in Auburn Hills.

"Stans" isn't the be-all, end-all telling of Eminem's tale, but it puts his stamp on it for now, using the lens of his fans to give it perspective.

Director Leckart averts an obvious moment of fan exultation (and audience satisfaction) by not having his subjects meet their hero; even while Eminem praises his fans, Marshall Mathers retains his mystery, as well as his elusivity. That doesn't change just because the cameras are rolling, for Stans or for anyone else.

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'STANS'

Grade: B

No MPA rating (language, adult themes)

Running time: 1:42

How to watch: In theaters Aug. 7-10

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