Genre: Crime, Documentary, Mystery
Actor: Tijuana Ricks
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: Crime, Documentary, Mystery
Actor: Tijuana Ricks
Imagine a travel show hosted by someone with zero interest in travel. It can go either of two ways: you can hate the guy for his ignorance or love him for trying anyway. Thankfully, veteran comedian Eugene Levy falls in the latter category in the aptly titled series The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. Here, the unadventurous 75-year-old gets out of his comfort zone and finally explores a world that, according to him, he’s spent his entire life avoiding. Levy may not be a cultural connoisseur, but he’s a pleasant presence with nice comedic timing, warm people skills, and a big sense of gratitude, so really, what’s not to like?
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Eugene Levy
Wilt Chamberlain’s story is inherently fascinating. An athletic wonder who rose to fame in the South during the Jim Crow era, Chamberlain had to pave the way for other Black athletes who followed in his footsteps. It wasn’t enough that he was good, or that he had the height to end all heights; Chamberlain had to be remarkable to be recognized by his white peers and the national association. And that’s exactly what he became, “an exceptional athlete who happened to be seven feet tall” as one expert puts it. So it’s rather disappointing that the definitive documentary about him doesn’t match his greatness. It gathers family members, sports experts, and fellow basketball players to share their thoughts on Chamberlain and accompanies their anecdotes with archival footage and photos to make a decently engaging but ultimately formulaic documentary. This will be fun and moving for NBA and basketball fans, but it lacks the magnitude to go beyond its expected audience.
Genre: Documentary, History
Director: Christopher Dillon, Rob Ford
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Actor: Debbie Pollack, Katrin Faust, Lucia Lu, Miroslaw Wawak, Monika Laschke, Niklas Kohrt, Patrik Berg, Rick Hübner, Tristan Bumm
Director: Caroline Schaper, Jan Zabeil
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, William Byron
Today's comic book industry and cinematic universes are inextricable from popular culture, but the road to global recognition was long and arduous. Superpowered: The DC Story chronicles a fraction of that journey including the quiet beginnings of the publishing house as Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's response to being bullied, all the way to the risky investments in film and TV adaptations and championing diverse voices. The three-part series delves into the "holy trinity" (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) and how the cultural phenomenon of comics evolved over the years. Every era summarizes how DC creators had to overcome rigid executives, competing publishers like Marvel, and the highs and lows of relevancy in the ever-changing consumer market. With contributions from creators, innovators, directors, and actors, the attention to the politics of media and the call for diversity round out the somewhat-insightful and fan-sustained life of the DC universe.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Rosario Dawson