Youtube is usually a place where people to go to for videos of cats doing strange things, makeup tutorials, or new music videos. But Youtube, I found, can also be a place to learn new things that you might not hear about anywhere else. There are many great channels out there for this purpose, but the one that does it extremely well is Vice. Vice's content is originally made for magazine, but they have since branched out to the digital well and have flourished in that.

For those of you that want to get into the world of Vice documentaries, here are some videos to start you off! (Warning: Some of these videos contain graphic content)

Suicide Forest in Japan

This is the first every Vice documentary I watched, and it obviously did something right because now I'm all for them (and I've watched this one like 5 times). The story told in this documentary is so interesting and the narrator in it, who is a naturalist, makes the perfect story teller for a subject that can be so grim.

Cult Leader Thinks He's Jesus

Whether you're religious or not, this documentary will definitely have you hooked just by the mere absurdity of it. This is immersive journalism at its finest, and it sheds light on a community that is rarely heard of.

Teenage Exorcists

Just like the one before this, the same thing can be said about this documentary: it's pretty crazy. I strangely want to meet these girls, and then I don't. The whole documentary can be found on Youtube in two parts.

Inside Maximum Security Prison: Murder, Mayhem, and Meditation

Prison is one place you never want to end up at, which is why a majority of the people will never know what it's like behind bars. This extensive documentary takes viewers inside one of the tightest prisons in the country, giving us a look at what life is like in jail.

Inside North Korea

Going where virtually no one ever goes, it can be argued that Vice got on the map with this inside look at North Korea. Although there were many restrictions, the Vice team was able to tell a descriptive story with great narration and whatever footage they were able to get.

Streets by Vice

"Streets by Vice" is actually a recurring video series that focuses on different major streets in different states. Each video gives an overall history of the street by including various interviews from different backgrounds.

Backstreet Abortions in the Philippines: Year of Mercy

This is the latest documentary that I've seen, and it's probably the one that touched me the most. It was produced so well, and the way that they juxtapose this issue of abortion with the Philippine's strong Catholic faith makes for great storytelling.

The world of Vice documentaries is actually more like a black hole, sucking you in until who knows when. But you learn something new from watching these, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for more than just your average viral video.