Documentaries are always a super good thing to binge watch but I always end up struggling to find some to watch. I always catch myself looking up some of the best ones right now but there are so many older ones that are just as good as the newer ones. I decided to list some of my favorite documentaries that are old and new but are super good watches. These documentaries are everywhere from crime and criminals, to tigers, to cheer and so many more. They all have their own unique twists that are going to have you on the edge of your seat unable to stop watching. Right now because of the Coronavirus catching up on documentaries is super easy and this list will be a great start to getting anyone hooked on documentaries.
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
If you have not seen Tiger King yet on Netflix then you are seriously missing out. This documentary completely blew up at the the beginning of when every state was quarantined. This documentary shows the crazy world of exotic zoos and all the tea behind some of the most popular exotic zoos in the United States. I recommend watching this documentary immediately to learn why Carole Baskin 100 percent killed her husband.
Fyre or Fyre Fraud
Both Netflix and Hulu have a different documentary based around the Fyre Festival. Both documentaries are super interesting. The documentaries uncover what happened at the festival and how Billy McFarland scamming social media influencers into attending and paying for this crazy music festival. The Hulu one focuses in more on Billy's career pre and post Fyre Festival while the Netflix one focuses more on the planning of the festival. Both documentaries are fantastic so I recommend watching both for two different views about the festival.
The Staircase
This documentary is on Netflix and is a 13 episode story about the Peterson family. The wife ended up passing away after what seemed to be a fall down the stairs in the family home. The husband Michael Peterson was found to be possible at fault for the wives death. This documentary dives deep into the Peterson family and uncovers a lot of wild stuff throughout the trial. It is such a good binge worthy documentary recommend for anyone super into crime trial type documentaries.
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
This is another documentary on Netflix and this one dives deep into the mind of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. This is. an interesting binge worthy documentary. It is 4 episodes where audio of Ted Bundy during his time on death row is pieced together. It is a super interesting look into Ted Bundy's own point of view of his life and the killings.
Making a Murderer
This is another documentary on Netflix that is a two season worth of material to binge watch.The documentary dives into Steven Avery spending nearly two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit. The two season documentary shows Avery attempting to prove his innocence. I enjoyed this documentary so much and really shows how the criminal system is not perfect and can make mistakes.
Blackfish
Blackfish is on Netflix and Hulu and focuses on Seaworld specifically its breeding of killer whales. I am a huge advocate against animal captivity so if you are also like me you will find this documentary really interesting.The documentary shows how Seaworld obtained much of its killer whales. It also shows a look into the whales lives and the accidents that occur between whales and trainers.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
This is another documentary on Netflix and it is a 3 episodes that dives deep into football star Aaron Hernandez. If anyone else is like me and knew basically nothing about Aaron Hernandez other than he went to prison this will be really interesting for you. It shows most of Hernandez's life and what led up to him being arrested and what happened once he was in prison.
The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez
Another Netflix documentary of six episodes. This documentary is not for the faint of heart. It is super emotional and discusses the life of 8 year old Gabriel Fernandez and what led to his eventual death. It also talks about the several trials that took place. It is super sad and can be hard to watch at points but truly shows how messed up the system can be for young kids being abused.
Surviving R. Kelly
This documentary is two season that shows several survivors experiences with R&B singer R. Kelly. These woman courageously show a part of their life they often wish they could erase. The woman dive deep into their relationships with R. Kelly and the abuse, rape and predatory behavior they themselves witnessed and experienced with R. Kelly. This documentary is done so well and is quite emotional but really uncovers a part of R. Kelly that was kept quiet for so long.
Unabomber - In His Own Words
I knew nothing about the Unabomber and the fact he was making homemade bombs and shipping them in the mail to people. I had never heard of this story before so I found this documentary really interesting. The documentary even shows the Unabombers own perspective of his early childhood into his eventual arrest. A very easy interesting watch for anyone who is into crime.
McMillions
This documentary is a 6 part Hulu series that is one fo the best documentaries I have watched most recently. For those who are like me and had no idea that McDonald's Monopoly games were being rigged for decades. This documentary uncovers the FBI investigation into the rigged McDonald's Monopoly games and who may have been apart of this elaborate rigging. it is fantastic and perfect for binge watching.
CHEER
This documentary on Netflix blew up in January as it gave a look into the world of collegiate cheerleading. This documentary shows the ups and downs of the members on the Navarro College Cheer Team before joining the team and as well as ups and downs leading up to the college national championships. Jerry Harris a member of the cheer team who I was actually lucky enough to cheer with in high school is one of the many stars of the show who show the true realities of cheerleading. A perfect documentary even for those who have never cheered before because it just shows athletes in their natural setting.
