Genre: Documentary
Actor: Clarence Jones, Elizabeth Gaynes, Herman Schwartz, James Asbury, John Johnson, Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Nixon
Director: Stanley Nelson, Traci A. Curry
They say art imitates life, but nothing gets to the heart of humanity like documentary filmmaking. Whether you want to flex your history knowledge or binge a true crime, here are the best documentaries and docuseries available to stream now.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Clarence Jones, Elizabeth Gaynes, Herman Schwartz, James Asbury, John Johnson, Nelson Rockefeller, Richard Nixon
Director: Stanley Nelson, Traci A. Curry
Although limited by the timeframe in which it was released—that is, before its characters really got to finish organizing themselves in response to the film's subject matter—Aftershock still provides a detailed primer on the ways the American healthcare system has been manipulated to take advantage of the underprivileged. The documentary can get technical but since it grounds its reporting on two tragic stories of preventable loss, there's more than enough reason to pay full attention. It definitely isn't meant to answer every question about pregnancy care, but it definitely compels deeper inquiry into the ways we've been socialized into perceiving romantic notions about childbirth.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee
In 2013, following the Ukrainian government’s termination of an EU agreement (in blatant disregard of what its citizens have been calling for), a wave of peaceful protests start to crop up at the country’s capital. Things escalate when the police violently disperse the protestors, but the people of Ukraine are not so easily held down. They fight back, growing in number and conviction each time they do, until an all-out war finally breaks out.
Winter on Fire documents this series of events, staying close to the ground and allowing bits of humanity to shine through its subjects. In between chilling clips of the clashes, we're shown intimate interviews with people of all walks of life. They're doctors, actors, students, bankers, lawyers, and clergymen, from various classes, races, religions, and genders. Despite their many differences, all of them share one hope: to secure a better future for the people of Ukraine.
Genre: Documentary, War & Politics
Actor: Bishop Agapit, Catherine Ashton, Cissy Jones, Kristina Berdinskikh, Kurganskyi Eduard, Natan Hazin, Serhii Averchenko, Valery Dovgiy
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky
In the world of excavation and wonderous breakthroughs, Unknown: The Lost Pyramid is a refreshing take on archaeology by showing the discoveries of Egyptian history from native Egyptian archaeologists. Following Dr. Hawass and his mentee, Dr. Waziri, as they race against the elements of the desert, the documentary uses their passion and egos to spearhead the narrative. Thus, every step closer feels both prideful and invasive with the constant reminder that they're excavating 2000+-year-old tombs. Comprehensive explanations and illustrative cinematography illuminate the meticulous labor that goes into Egyptology.
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Actor: Zahi Hawass
Director: Max Salomon
The latest installment in Netflix'S “Unknown” docuseries, Unknown: Killer Robots puts the evolution of artificial intelligence under an ethical microscope. Although the title could be misleading, it does cover the possible dangerous applications of AI as it forces us to question the growing divide between human morality and machine efficiency. With advances in war and medicinal applications, the capabilities of AI to heal, save and destroy are terrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measure. Like the previous films in the series, it is hyper-concentrated to an almost-stifling degree, but it’s also powered by the passionate subjects on either side of these advancements. Forgoing sensationalism, this digestible documentary questions intention over the technology itself.
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Director: Jesse Sweet
With the U.S. the clear favorites for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Netflix immediately grabbed the chance to depict their third consecutive win… But with the surprise defeat in the round of 16, Netflix had to show a different story, and they delivered a personal and empathetic behind-the-scenes look in Under Pressure. The limited series is definitely dedicated to the fans, as the four episodes show plenty of the famous personalities that America has been rooting for, but even new viewers can appreciate the immense hard work and dedication the team devotes to their dream. Even if that goal has been cut short for some team members, Under Pressure is a reminder that the U.S. Women’s team is still in the running, and can aim for the three-peat dream again.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Alex Morgan, Alyssa Thompson, Lindsey Horan, Lynn Williams, Savannah DeMelo
While it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out among a throng of Netflix True Crime specials, Till Murder manages to hold its own by squarely and concisely centering on the main conflict: Soering vs. Haysom. It’s his word and against hers, his show of love and logic versus her natural charm and charisma. Was he a hopeless romantic who was manipulated into slaying the two people he thought tormented his beloved? Or was she the victim of a murderous and obsessive boyfriend who couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else owning her? The framing, while simplistic and a tad sensational, helps in quickly grabbing your attention and holding it for all four hours.
Genre: Documentary
Alexandra, daughter of Nancy Pelosi, has been working as an documentary filmmaker for HBO for more than 20 years now and the theme of her newest work does not surprise. Turning the camera on several Jan Sixers, she asks them about that day, and whether their belief in Trump and the conservatives has changed following their jail time. Her way of being in the film, though, is very present: physically and with her voice. Pelosi places herself not just as an interviewer, but as an interlocutor, probing their statements and more often than not exclaiming "You still believe in X?!" in one way or another. The Insurrectionist Next Door is colloquial, it's comedic tragedy with a hope to bridge the gap between two opposing political beliefs: a synecdoche for America as a whole.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Alexandra Pelosi
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Ben Affleck, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez
Director: Jason B. Bergh
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Bobby Moore, Boris Johnson, Bukayo Saka, Catherine, Princess of Wales, David Beckham, Diego Maradona, Emma Saunders, Gareth Southgate, Harry Kane, Leonardo Bonucci, Luciano Spalletti, Marcus Rashford, Paul Gascoigne, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Tom Cruise, Wayne Rooney, William, Prince of Wales
Director: Kwabena Oppong, Robert Miller
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Fred Armisen, Nasubi, Takehiro Hira, Toshio Tsuchiya
Director: Clair Titley
Genre: Documentary, History, War
Actor: Adolf Hitler, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Frank Murphy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, James Stewart, John 'Lucky' Luckadoo, John A. Clark, Joseph Stalin, Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Winston Churchill
Director: Laurent Bouzereau, Mark Herzog
The animation can sometimes be distracting, but for the most part, The Billionaire is a well-edited docuseries about a deeply intriguing affair. The use of real-life tape recordings (secretly made by the Bettencourts’ butler) lends it an authentic air, while the re-enactments remain tastefully shot throughout. They’re accurate but anonymous, and never cheesy in the way others like it normally are. The framing is somewhat sensationalized, but that’s to be expected in covering scandals of this scale. What is surprising is how the filmmakers manage to bring everything back to Liliane and her daughter Françoise Bettencourt Meyers. By centering on their fractured, complicated relationship, this documentary about France’s corrupt elite somehow feels relatable and universal in its own way.
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Genre: Documentary
Director: Arthur Jones, Giorgio Angelini
An endearing show about a working-class town and their team who had just been demoted out of the English Premier League. Nothing is going well in the town of Sunderland, and to put it in the words of a fan, if the team doesn’t do well (it doesn’t) “that’s just the last nail in the coffin”.
This story of a failing team struggling not to let down its town makes you an instant fan and puts you through the disappointment and triumphs that life-long supporters have to live with every week.
With everything from game footage to interviews and behind the scenes politics, it’s also the perfect fix for anyone who misses sporting events.
Genre: Documentary