By Maya Greenberg
We’ve all seen documentaries before and they often get a bad reputation among movie fans, as often times people find documentaries boring. Non-fiction in general seems unappealing and less exciting in comparison to fiction. However, I disagree. To me, the moments that are captured in documentaries are authentic, and incredibly impressive. Documentaries are some of the most entertaining and exciting films out there. I think that the fact that they are non-fiction stories makes them even more powerful because as a viewer, I know that what I’m watching, really happened. Below, I have cultivated a list of seven documentaries to sell you on this movie genre. Most of them you can even watch for free!
1. Catfish
Not only is this film extremely entertaining, but it is where the word ‘catfish’ got its alternate definition. “Catfish” stars Nev Schulman, who you might recognize as the host of the MTV series by the same name. The documentary was made by his brother, Ariel Schulman, and their friend, Henry Joost. It was just them three, and Ariel decided to start filming one day when Nev struck up a weird online friendship with a girl and a relationship with her older sister. Nev is such an interesting (borderline concerning) person, and watching him go through this and his initial rejection of the plot that’s unfolding around him, makes for a great documentary, solely because it is the story of how Nev got catfished. Despite obviously knowing he would get catfished, the story still came with many shocks. It twisted and turned in ways that boggle my brain. It’s investigative, captivating and it’s one of my favorite documentaries out there.
$3.99 on YouTube, Apple TV, Vudu, Prime & Google Play.
2. Stories We Tell
This film was created by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley, and it documents her discovery of who her mother was, through interviews with her family. Many family secrets are uncovered, and it’s really interesting because you can see the familial relationships and dynamics unfold around the mystery of Sarah’s mother. The documentary is funny, heartwarming, and definitely had me crying. If you’ve ever had dysfunction run in your family, it’ll hit you while also being sweet and lovely to watch.
Free on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Roku.
3. 13th
I’m sure you’ve heard of this one. The list wouldn’t be complete without it. “13th” is a documentary that changes your worldview. Ava DuVernay criticizes the United States’ justice system and unpacks the history of African-American enslavement in excruciatingly succinct detail. It packs so much information into a well-crafted, intelligent documentary. “13th” lays out America’s history of racism towards African-Americans and what they have gone through in the last 200 years. I am of the opinion that everyone should watch this film, but prepare to get knocked flat on your intellectual ass while doing so, because the truth is harrowing. It’s also worth mentioning that I would pay good money to see this movie, and Netflix put the whole thing on YouTube for free, so if that’s not a sign that you need to see it, I don’t know what is.
Free on YouTube or with a Netflix subscription.
4. Grizzly Man
Timothy Treadwell is a bear enthusiast and wildlife activist who lived among bears for multiple summers in a row. He documented most of these summers, and the footage is harrowing. Not just because he’s among bears, but also because Timothy Treadwell is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever seen. I almost can’t believe he’s real. I love him and am scared of him at the same time. I can’t describe this man to you, you’re just going to have to watch the film. While most of the footage was shot by Treadwell himself, it was put together by Werner Herzog, a phenomenal filmmaker who sat through countless hours of footage of this man so that we could feel the joy and pain of watching this movie. I recommend watching this if you really just don’t know what to expect from a film and want to take a journey inside someone else’s mind for a couple hours.
Free on YouTube, Roku, or with an Amazon Prime subscription.
5. Silverlake Life: The View From Here
When I say this movie broke me, I mean I was full on sobbing and could not stop. This film was created by Tom Joslin, a UCLA film professor, and his partner Mark Massi as they both are diagnosed with AIDS. The footage shows their life and their love for one another and has such a powerful and beautiful message. It’s one of the first films that humanized gay people living with AIDS and this film has captured humanity in one of its truest forms. The film was eventually edited by Peter Friedman, one of Joslin’s former students, and it was so well done. My heart broke watching this documentary, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything because it documents the people behind the AIDS epidemic in a light that the media almost never allowed for at the time. Even today, stories like this do not come around often and this one is worth a watch.
Free on YouTube and on LMU’s Library website.
6. Heroin(e)
“Heroin(e)” is a film about three women, a fire chief, a judge, and a missionary, fighting against the opioid epidemic in West Virginia. The film was created by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, is Oscar-nominated and is only 40 minutes long. If you want to see women providing help and relief and hope to the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, this is a great film to add to the list. It’s scary, but these women are truly impressive and so cool. It’s a very aptly named film. It is educational, but in a way that is just so honest that you can’t ever feel like it is condescending its audience in any way. It is depressing and hard to watch at times, but many of these films are, and I think that’s part of what makes them so incredible.
Available on Netflix.
7. Don’t Look Back
Finally, what would this list be without a music documentary? I give you, Bob Dylan on his tour of the UK. D.A. Pennebaker, one of the most incredible documentary filmmakers out there, presents Bob Dylan as he is, as just a guy who wants to make music. Dylan has had fame and fans thrust upon him and with his free-spirited personality, it doesn’t gel. But when I watched the scene of him playing a sold-out stadium and the entire audience is dead silent, I was shocked. The hold Dylan has on his audiences is crazy, and it exemplifies the power of music and Dylan’s message. Especially in the face of today’s screaming crowds where fainting is a regular occurrence, watching this film is such a different take. I don’t even listen to Bob Dylan, but trust me, you don’t have to in order to enjoy this film.
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Each of these documentaries, when I watched them for the first time, fundamentally changed my view on documentaries and helped me fall in love with this genre bit by bit. I hope they can do the same for you!