We enjoy binge watching our shows, but we have a huge soft spot for documentaries. In an increasingly fast-paced world, they are usually an in-depth condensed bomb of information with a dash of entertainment. They can provide context and explanation to things that seem baffling or difficult to understand. They are akin to non-fiction books that are easier to digest because they are supplemented with great visuals and fantastic background music. Sometimes they start a dialogue and other times they inspire you to change yourself and eventually the world.
Netflix released this seven-episode docuseries just as most of the world was entering a phase of collective lock down. The true-crime mini series is about the life of zookeeper Joe Exotic and invites viewers into the crazy and interconnected society of big cat conservationists, murder for hire plots, and questionable tattoos. People either deeply loved it or hated it, but no one walked away unscathed. Fun fact: brought to you by the same filmmakers of Fyre.
Pandemic; how to prevent an outbreak
Interestingly, this series was released in January of 2020 and was filmed in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but could not have arrived at a more timely moment in history. The show explains how a viral outbreak begins and spreads its way around the world. Just like in real life, the real stars are the women and men on the front lines battling diseases and outbreaks.
If you are a fan of Money Heist then you might be interested to understand why this show has exploded and has gone from cult following to mainstream. Even if you are not a fan of the show, the deep-dive is super entertaining.
Nothing is as mind boggling as creativity. Where does it really come from? Why do some people have more of it than others? Neuroscientist David Eagleman takes you on an audio-visual journey that explains the creative process of various innovators while exploring brain-bending, risk-taking ways to spark creativity.
We’re even more perplexed by flat-earthers. How is it possible that there are people in this day and age that still believe that the earth is flat? The documentary features interviews by many proponents of the theory and leading scientists. It is an interesting exploration of extreme conspiratorial thinking.
This film might be older (from way back in 2011 which feels like two lifetimes away) but it is timeless. World renowned sushi chef Jiro Ono is so unassuming and humble that you almost forget that he is the owner of a Michelin three-star restaurant. It is such a soothing watch which will absolutely change the way you think about sushi and might leave you craving some of the good stuff.
News site Vox is behind this series that puts the spotlight on topical issues that impact people’s lives. The docuseries — which features episodes that generally range from 15 to 20 minutes in length — aims to dig deeper into topics, questions and ideas that aren’t often part of the daily news cycle. Among the subjects covered are the rise of cryptocurrency, why diets fail, and the world of K-pop music.
We have lots of strange questions about people. Zainab Johnson, Sammy Obeid and Alie Ward of Brain Child, obviously had similar ones and decided to find 100 people, shove them into a room and start getting some answers on human behaviours using interesting experiments. It is science with a dash of comedy? Or is it the other way round? It is light and fun.
We’re suckers for cute kittens and squishy babies. But the little bundles of joy are so much more complex and fascinating than they appear. The sheer amount of growth and development that happens in the first year of life is incredible. The Netflix series delivers the hard science with a side of cute which keeps us going back for more.
We mentioned cats, but this is not a stress free viewing experience. And it is not really about your feline friends. It is deeply disturbing true-crime docuseries about Luka Magnotta, who became internet famous by sharing videos of himself killing kittens,murdering of Lin Jun, and the online amateur detectives who eventually tracked him down
It feels wrong to describe Banksy as a street artist, because he is more like a purveyor of commentary and narrative to the zeitgeist by using whatever medium that strikes his fancy. And in 2010, he chose to do it through a documentary film. It tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles, and his obsession with street art, but that is just the front. Prepare to meet lots of artists and think lots of big thoughts.
Billy McFarland sold the dream of a luxury music festival then failed to deliver. Ticket-holders thought they would be partying on the beach with supermodels in the Bahamas and instead found empty beaches and no way to get home. We are still not sure if this is the “truth”, but it is still a fun watch.
Most of us are aware that privacy is dead and that our data is compromised, but very few of us really understand the extent of the mess or how it is even happening. This fantastic documentary explains and explores how the company Cambridge Analytica exploited our social media data to manipulate Brexit and the 2016 presidential race.
Minimalism
If you have ever felt like you were crumbling under the weight of ownership of stuff, this documentary might be for you. Minimalism is not monolithic, and there are so many different ways to enter this lifestyle. Watch how so many different people from very varied walks of life try to live more meaningful lives by owning less.
Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh decided he wanted to build a utopia, in the Oregon desert of all places. But local ranches were unhappy about it. The resulting conflict is documented and eventually leads to the US’s first bioterror attack. The often forgotten moment in American history is still relevant, interesting and enlightening to watch.
All of humanity shares a single planet and it is glorious and marvelous, despite the extent of our ruining it. The British nature documentary features animals in their natural habitats but also focuses on human impact on the environment. Honestly, even if you are not interested in nature, you should watch for David Attenborough’s narration alone.
Our Planet – Behind the Scenes
If you enjoyed the above, are interested in learning how documentaries get made or just want to see a fly-on-the-wall view of making a nature documentary then this is definitely for you. There is a lot of drama and hardship trying to capture the footage that you see in Our Planet
And it definitely helps the viewer to appreciate an already amazing series.
Everyone thinks they know exactly how you should eat and are willing to die on the hill of telling you about it. For every proponent of a diet or eating plan, there are a million people ready to defend it and another million wanting to bury it forever. James Wilks asks the specialists, elite athletes, special ops soldiers and visionary scientists what they eat and what they think everyone else should be too. Does he find out the truth about meat, protein and strength? Watch to find out.
ABBA said it best when they sang “must be funny in the rich man’s world.” Money is an instant and powerful corruption and fraud magnet. From crippling payday loans to cars that cheat emissions tests, this investigative series exposes brazen acts of corporate greed and corruption. We’re still not ready to burn our cash, but we almost reached for the lighters after watching this show.
Photo by Scheier .hr on Unsplash.
