Lately, I have been on a documentary kick. I have always loved documentaries and I would watch them but I defined myself to certain types of documentaries (like 9/11). While these are good, and I still watch them with great frequency, I decided to widen my horizons and watch different types of documentaries and I was pleasantly surprised. These are the Top 9 Must See Netflix Documentaries:
9. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
100% on the Tomatometer
Okay, so honestly I put this one first because it's good but it's not great. I very much disagree with the Tomatometer here. This is a documentary about Americas first female serial killer. There are parts of this movie that are really interesting, specifically when she is interviewed, but there are other scenes that just drag on for an unseen amount of time. I would say, watch it for sure, you have to be in a documentary mood.
8. Hot Girls Wanted
82% on the Tomatometer
This documentary was really only okay. I didn't finish it because I didn't like it all that much. It is about girls responding to adds on Craigslist and becoming porn stars. There is a lot more to it than that but the filming wasn't done very well and it wasn't very great all around. I would say watch it if you want to know more about it, if this kind of thing interests you but if not I wouldn't waste your time.
7. Supersize Me
93% on the Tomatometer
I really enjoyed this documentary but it was really, very nasty. Then again, I suppose that is the point. This is about what happens when a man only eats McDonalds food for 3 months, every day, every meal. I watched this documentary in middle school health and was grossed out beyond repair. After that I didn't start eating fast food like McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy's until I got to college and now it's the only thing I can afford. I would say watch this if you haven't already.
6. The Imposter
95% on the Tomatometer
This movie was amazingly good. I didn't even know it was a documentary until after I watched it. This movie is about a con artist who tricked a Texas family into believing that he was a relative who disappeared years earlier. This movie was impeccably made and I loved it. You should definitely watch it, no matter what. It is so so good.
5. Making a Murderer
97% on the Tomatometer
This documentary is very very good. It's a more of a documentary TV shows. It's a large time commitment so you have to actually have time to watch it. It's about a man who was falsely accused of a murder and set free only to find himself back in jail a little while later. This documentary is jam-packed with information so you have to be paying very close attention. If you are up to it though I would put in the time and focus to watch this. It's for sure worth it.
4. First Position
93% on the Tomatometer
Wow. This documentary exceeded my expectations. I really didn't think I was going to get through it but I became very invested. This documentary follows 6 ballet students as they train and compete in the Youth America Grad Prix, the most important dance competition in the world. I have never really been super into dance. It was never my thing, but a friend recommended this documentary to me and I was hooked immediately. So good. So unique. Everyone should watch this one.
3. Blackfish
98% on the Tomatometer
This movie far exceeded my expectations. I watched it with a friend and it was absolutely captivating. I could watch it again and again. This movie focuses on a killer whale, named Tilikum that has taken the lives of many, while held captive in SeaWorld. This movie just makes you mad. Not at whales or animals, but a humans. The way we treat animals and capture them for our own entertainment is horrifying. This movie will show you that. It is a must see.
2. The Hunting Ground
This movie is another must see. I just recently watched it a few weeks ago, I wish I had watched it earlier. Every college student should be forced to watch this and write a paper on it. This documentary is all about rape crimes on U.S. College Campuses. They are common, they are real, and very little is being done. I could write an entire article solely on this film. Watch it and then rewatch it. If that still doesn't seem good enough watch it again.
1. 13th
I have very few things to say about this documentary other than watch it. Anything I would say wouldn't do justice to this film or what it is trying to get across. This documentary forces Americans to think about the mass incarceration, not just of people, of black men in America. I'm not going to say anything else other than watch it. Watch it today.
So there ya have it, my opinion of the nine best documentaries on Netflix. Now I am no expert and there are many documentaries I have yet to see. In a year or so I'll come back with a new list. For now, though, this is what I have. I hope you come around to watch most or all of these documentaries. I am for sure excited to watch more.
