The boutique fitness craze looked like enlightenment from the outside. Inside, it was ambition, betrayal, and a whole lot of sweat.

Philip Byron’s documentary “Spin Wars” traces the cutthroat origins of the indoor cycling boom that turned SoulCycle, Flywheel, and Peloton into household names and billion-dollar companies. The film premiered at Tribeca Festival and releases this December.

Byron, who also wrote the film with James Thayer, pulls back the curtain on the “mind, body, soul” culture that promised transformation but delivered something darker. The doc features interviews with Katie Couric, comedians Heather McMahan and Mary Beth Barone, writer Jill Kargman, and performers Anna Roisman and Brandon Kyle Goodman.

Jillian A. Goldstein produced alongside Byron.

For indie filmmakers tackling stories about massive corporate empires, “Spin Wars” shows how personal testimonies and cultural commentary can expose the contradictions behind wellness brands. The film arrives as audiences continue questioning what companies sell versus what they actually deliver, especially when billion-dollar valuations are on the line.