I hate Valentine’s Day, regardless of my relationship status. I have always hated it, and I’m sure many of you hate it. I find it to be a uselessly, made up holiday, and I think you should show how much you love your loved ones every day of the year.
So, instead of being sad and watching all the Rom-Coms Netflix has to offer, consider watching some of the best documentaries I’ve seen on Netflix:
1. The Woman Who Wasn’t There- This, for lack of a better word, psychotic documentary is about the former president of The World Trade Center Survivors’ Networ, Tania Head. Tania shares her 9/11 survival story, but there’s one problem-she was never in the Twin Towers that day and completely made up her entire story.
2. TalHotBlond- A Catfish story like no other – a true story surrounding a love triangle that takes place online and leads to a real life murder between the two men competing for an 18-year-old female’s love.
3. After Porn Ends- This documentary follows the lives of a few men and women who quit the adult film industry. The film is extremely captivating in itself because it does such a great job reminding us that those who perform in adult films are just as human as the rest of us.
4. Jesus Camp- This story follows several young children who are preparing to attend a summer camp dedicated to Evangelical Christianity. After watching, you’ll question whether or not these children seem to be brainwashed, and it may even have you scared to answer the question yourself…
5. Hot Girls Wanted– The filmmakers of Hot Girls Wanted did a great job drawing connections between how easy women can be drawn into the sex trade due to our technology-dependent generation. The documentary features footage from Miley Cyrus, Emily Ratajkowski, and everyone’s favorite “Teen Mom,” Farrah Abraham.
6. Beyond Clueless– An interesting analysis of a variety of coming-of-age classic movies. A little strange at some points, but definitely attention grabbing and thought provoking throughout.
7. Buying Sex– This documentary discusses the reform over prostitution laws in Canada. One half of the story is told by those who believe that prostitution should be regulated and legal in Canada, and the other half is fighting for it to be completely illegal due to the violent nature towards women in the profession.
8. Room 335- Possibly my favorite on this list! Room 335 takes place in a senior residence home in Florida. Directed by Andrew Jenks (some of you may be familiar with his show, “Life With Jenks,” on MTV). Jenks does an amazing job showcasing the lives of many people who society tends to forget about. You will laugh and you most definitely will cry.
9. It Happened Here- This film shows the experiences of five student survivors of sexual assault across the nation. It Happened Here shows us just how difficult it is to report a sexual assault and to not only get justice, but to be believed to be telling the truth.
10. Happy Valley- I am definitely not the biggest sports fan, nor do I ever watch documentaries about them. However, Happy Valley is about the Penn State scandal that occurred when assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested for child sex abuse charges. Not only is it interesting to see the community react to the situation, but to see their perspective on the incident and whether or not they believe Sandusky was actually guilty.
There you have it- some of my favorite documentaries on Netflix. I hope you take some time to yourself during Valentine’s Weekend and pick one (or seven) to watch.