Documentaries get a bad rep for being boring. The last thing you want to do when watching a movie is to actually learn something, right? Well, here is a list of really great documentaries that will keep your attention, and probably make your world a little bigger at the end.

1. Inequality For All (2013) directed by Jacob Kornbluth

Hey! What ever happened to the middle class? This documentary will shed some light on the current economic situation in the U.S., and propose some issues that arise when the middle class disappears and the gap between rich and poor gets wider. Sounds boring; this isn’t econ class. But it’s filled with personal stories and humor… we have to laugh to keep from crying, right?

2. Waiting for Superman (2010) Directed by Davis Guggenheim

“I hate school…” is a phrase that has probably made its way across our lips many times throughout our (seemingly endless) years of schooling. But if you’re anything like me and have had the privilege of going to good schools pretty much all of your life, you need to watch this movie, STAT. This film investigates the decline of the public school system, and discusses the ways in which America’s poorly thought out education system has failed those who can’t necessarily afford or make their way to schools that will prepare them for higher education. This is a great documentary that will give you a bit of perspective as you finish up your schooling.

3. Rich Hill (2014) directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos

The title becomes ironic when you find out what this documentary is about. The film follows a few young boys who live in a very poor town in the Midwest while trying to navigate their adolescent years. I personally enjoyed this documentary because the filmmakers are just following the lives of individuals—they aren’t bombarding you with facts or trying to force you to think a certain way by making you emotional. You can simply draw your own conclusions from this movie, and decide for yourself what to get out of it.

4. Dear Zachary (2008) directed by Kurt Kuenne

WARNING: If your emotional capacity is running on empty, don’t watch this movie. This film is a gripping crime story, a touching journey, and a commentary on the legal system. It follows the story of Dr. Andrew Bagby, who was killed by his ex-girlfriend (who also happened to be carrying his child). Kuenne, through personal interviews and home videos, shows the custody battle between Andrew Bagby’s parents and the woman who killed their son, but he also creates a touching video collection of Andrew’s wonderful friends and life in hopes of showing Andrew’s son who his dad was. Bring a box of tissues when you watch this one.

5. The Mask You Live In (2015) directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom

I am a feminist (and if you believe that men and women should have equal rights, then congrats! You are too). But I do believe the conversation can get a bit one-sided. I hear a lot of arguments blaming men for everything; they are the reason for all of women’s issues; they hold us back. But that’s not necessarily the case. As a society, we tend to recognize and attack the gender norms that confine women, without realizing men feel like they need to live up to a certain standard as well. This film is an eye-opener—men are humans too! And guess what? They have feelings and feel pressured by society to be a certain way, just like US. This film offers the other side of the narrative, showing that feminism isn’t a woman problem, but that it stems from the gender norms we as a society place on everyone.

Now go have a movie night, and overload on LEARNING while also being entertained. But hey, don’t leave your critical thinking caps at the door.