I’ve watched over 45 documentaries since quarantine started, and here are the top films that I’d recommend to anyone and everyone!
Up until college, I thought documentaries were so boring. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that truth sometimes is more exciting than fiction and now I love watching them! Bloody crimes and murder mysteries are not my jam, but here are the most entertaining sports, celebrity, nature, and white-collar crime documentaries that I’ve enjoyed just as much as any blockbuster. This blog post is focused on full-length documentary films, but I plan on making a separate post on my favorite docu-series as well!
Film posters are from imdb.com.
SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2018, Netflix)
I remember learning about Bethany Hamilton and the shark attack when I was little and she was featured in an American Girl magazine. This documentary talks about that infamous day, but also covers how Bethany has continued to surf, even with one arm, even as a mother. She is such an inspiring athlete and all the footage with the huge ocean waves is awesome.
The Dawn Wall (2017, Netflix)
If you liked Free Solo (2018) with Alex Honnold, think of this documentary as a prologue. In 2015, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgenson attempted to climb the Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park, but the story that got them there was even crazier!! Spoiler alert, it involves a traumatic event in Kyrgyzstan. You’ll have to see it to believe it.
Icarus (2017, Netflix)
Filmmaker Bryan Fogel starts an experiment with performance-enhancing drugs to investigate the world of doping in bicycle races (Lance Armstrong isn’t the only one!!) and it turns into a multi-sport Olympic drug scandal involving a Russian scientist. This one was wild, y’all!
The Short Game (2013, Netflix)
You may have heard of Anna Kournikova, but her younger brother Allan also has some athletic skills. This documentary follows 7 and 8-year-old golfers from several countries as they compete in the 2012 US Kids Golf World Championship. They are sooo cute and unfiltered and it’s crazy the pressure they put on themselves.
The Speed Cubers (2020, Netflix)
Is solving a Rubik’s cube a sport? I’m not sure, but these speed cubers solve them in 5 seconds and that seems impressive. This wholesome 40-minute documentary follows the friendship and competition between two guys, autistic American speed cuber Max Park, and his role model Feliks Zemdeg from Australia as they prepare for the World Cube Association’s World Championships in 2019. This is such a short and sweet story and absolutely worth your time!
Touch the Wall (2014, Amazon Prime Video)
This is an older documentary chronicling Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin and her road to the 2012 London Olympics. She was only 17 at the time, and she just seems like the sweetest and most humble person ever!
CELEBRITY DOCUMENTARIES
BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky (2020, Netflix)
I couldn’t tell you the name of a BLACKPINK song before watching this documentary, and I still don’t listen to Korean pop music, but this documentary was so cool! You learn about each of the four women of BLACKPINK and how the band was formed when they all attended a prep school that essentially trains South Korean teenagers to become pop stars.
P!nk: All I Know So Far (2021, Amazon Prime Video)
I had forgotten how many bops P!nk has had. She is such an incredible role model and performer and this film shows her as she prepares to sing at Wembley Stadium in 2019. I liked this documentary because it has a great mix of concert footage and family life. Her two kids are featured prominently, and they are so adorable.
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020, Netflix)
It’s no secret that I love Taylor Swift, and I’ve seen this documentary probably three times already. She was out of the public eye for a few years before her seventh album, Lover, came out in 2019. This documentary showcases her personal life and touches on subjects she hadn’t talked about in interviews before like body image, political views, and LGBTQ allyship. There’s also a decent amount of time in the studio where you watch her write some of her newer hits!
NATURE/ANIMAL DOCUMENTARIES
I am Greta (2020, Hulu)
This documentary shows some personal moments with Greta Thunberg and her family. She’s already an iconic climate activist and it’s easy to forget that she’s just a Swedish high schooler. The film shows her experiences with anxiety and Asperger’s and her journey to New York on a sailboat. While tv celebrities face public pressure and scrutiny, Greta deals with a different kind of criticism about her every eco-friendly move.
Pick of the Litter (2018, Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime Video)
A documentary about dogs? Sign me up! This documentary follows five labrador puppies as they train to become guide dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind. You root for the dogs and the trainers, and this is just a great feel-good documentary.
A Plastic Ocean (2016, Netflix)
There is a TON of plastic in the ocean, and this documentary shows the whole cycle involving animals, people, and the climate. It’s pretty depressing, especially when you see how much plastic animals are eating, but definitely worth the watch.
Seaspiracy (2021, Netflix)
This is more of a horror movie than a documentary, and it’s paced as such. There’s a lot of dark things going on in the fishing industry, and this film explores many aspects of the greed that starts with the laborers and goes up to the corporations and regulatory agencies at the top, with all the dead animals in between. Honestly, it’s pretty horrific, but it’s a must-see and I haven’t eaten fish in the past few months because of it.
WHITE-COLLAR CRIME DOCUMENTARIES
Make You Look: A True Story About Fake Art (2020, Netflix)
If you’ve ever seen a famous painting and thought, I could totally paint something like that (think Jackson Pollock), you aren’t the only one. For decades, there were dozens of counterfeit paintings that were auctioned off and authenticated by New York’s highest art gallery, Knoedler & Company. Who was in on it and how much money did people pay for these fake paintings? You’ll have to watch and find out!
Operation Varsity Blues (2021, Netflix)
You’ve probably heard about the college admissions scandal that resulted in celebrities like Lori Laughlin going to jail. This documentary shows you who they paid to get their kids into the most prestigious schools and how exactly the cheating and deals happened. There is obviously no live footage of the negotiations, so this is re-enactment based. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it wasn’t too cheesy, and I thought this was a pretty interesting film.
The Social Dilemma (2020, Netflix)
Want to know how social media companies are taking advantage of you? It’s more psychological than you may think. The re-enactment parts in here were pretty corny, but the interviews with Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc. employees were interesting.
What are your favorite documentaries? Let me know in the comments below!
RECOMMENDED:
Feel-Good TV Shows and Movies
8 Tips to Improve Your Relationship with Instagram
40 Lessons From One Year in Quarantine
Pin it!
