Documentary
I've definitely seen more of these, probably in middle or high school, but these are ones I remember/watched in college. Will add more titles if I remember any
Update, 3/4/2017: I've decided to include mockumentaries here as well. Even though they're technically comedies, I feel like they'd belong here more than the "Comedy" list
Update, 6/8/20: Scratch the Mockumentary comment, they are all placed in Comedy now
Update, 3/4/2017: I've decided to include mockumentaries here as well. Even though they're technically comedies, I feel like they'd belong here more than the "Comedy" list
Update, 6/8/20: Scratch the Mockumentary comment, they are all placed in Comedy now
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30 titles
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.This is one of the most disturbing films I've seen in my entire life. Even as the rapists and murderers celebrate their past exploits with glee, there is a sickly undertone of something truly horrible and sinister in knowing that every recreation is a real crime perpetuated in the past by the very people this film spotlights. The extravagance and brutality of the production underscores a chilling revelation of how the Indonesian political sphere operates. The scene where Anwar's neighbor recreates a torture scene (in what I assume was much like his stepfather's very real killing) was awful, but the final scenes in the film where Anwar is confronted by his demons provoke such a genuine disgust that I was brought to anxiety-filled tears. I will never watch this again but I applaud its unique framing of such horrific atrocities
Watched May 28, 2023 - DirectorSteve JamesStarsWilliam GatesArthur AgeeEmma GatesA film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.A staggering runtime and certainly a dense watch, but an unflinching portrayal of lower-income urban life in America. Phenoenal exploration of all named cast members, and a fascinating watch throughout. Very much a coming-of-age story in a sense as well.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsFred RogersMargaret WhitmerTom JunodAn exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.Very informative about the show's production, as well as the pure soul that Mr. Rogers truly was. Profoundly moving at times, and showed the radical impact he had on children's educational television (taking on difficult topics, etc.)
Watched with family on October 13th, 2018 - DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsAyrton SennaReginaldo LemeJohn BisignanoA documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.An interesting take on a documentary, telling the tale of Ayrton Senna's life and career using actual race footage, interview commentary and home videos. For someone not particularly enraptured with Formula One racing, this was still an intriguing look into the sport and an enjoyable watch
Watched October 12th, 2019 - DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.An unbelievable tale about a humble man that lived (and continues to live) in complete obscurity in his home country, but discovered widespread success in South Africa, where nothing was known about him. The mystery slowly unravels throughout the doc with great historic footage, imaginative sketches and artistic modern shorts, all using Rodriguez's albums as the soundtrack. Highly recommended
Watched July 16th, 2020 - DirectorJoshua OppenheimerStarsAdi RukunM.Y. BasrunVolker HanischA family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.An intimate piece describing the 1965 Indonesian mass killings from the perspective of a survivor's brother, still filled with boastful perpetrators of the heinous crimes. This is a companion piece to The Act of Killing, and the exploration of the deep rift between descendants of killers or survivors juxtaposed itself in the killers' refusal to acknowledge their murders as morally wrong (a rift in their own psyche). This is less harrowing than The Act of Killing but underscores the trauma that Indonesians still face in silence for fear of reprisal.
Watched May 29, 2023 - DirectorDavid GelbStarsJiro OnoYoshikazu OnoMasuhiro YamamotoA documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.A very interesting film that tells the story of the chef Jiro Ono, and his desire to perfect his craft; also details his two sons' careers as chefs, and the people involved with Jiro's sushi. Very interesting with some great visuals of food
- DirectorCatherine BainbridgeAlfonso MaioranaStarsGeorge ClintonRobbie RobertsonGary GiddinsA documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.Very informative film about the profound yet nigh invisible impact on mainstream U.S. music made by indigenous peoples. I liked the documentary's framing of East to West and early rock to late rock. I learned a lot about many musicians I unfortunately had not known prior, but I was nonetheless impressed and glad I watched this.
Watched November 6th, 2019 with family - DirectorJulie CohenBetsy WestStarsRuth Bader GinsburgAnn KittnerHarryette HelselThe exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.Though I had been familiar with RBG prior, I hadn't known much about her life or evolution as a judge. This was an entertaining watch filled with both humor and pertinent information relating to Ginsburg's impact on the judicial landscape of the United States
Watched in theaters with a friend on May 30th, 2018 - 20211h 58mPG-138.0 (14K)96MetascoreDirectorQuestloveStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.I really enjoyed the performances and audience and attendee interviews of the first half, but the latter half's broader focus on contextualizing various late '60s events and the black revolution seemed to distract from the more straightforward concert presentation at the start. That being said, this was an informative piece highlighting a lesser-known music festival and provided nice insight into black (or at least Harlem culture) of the time period.
Watched May 5, 2024 - DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.While I generally think of myself as socially conscious, this highlighted some turning points in the United States' political history of which I was previously unaware. They have perpetuated decades of mass incarceration and systematic oppression for marginalized communities (specifically black men) and I can only hope for a more equal future
Watched January 6th, 2020 - StarsDon HenleyGlenn FreyDon FelderThe life and times of the super successful American soft-rock band, Eagles.Watched pretty much exclusively for the Documentary Now parody, but it gave me a lot of information about an extremely influential band. A bit overly long for me, but it was an entertaining watch to see their rise, fall and new coda to their career. I learned a lot about the entire band and was reminded of how many hits they've had, so it was a cool time.
Watched September 3rd, 2018 - DirectorFloyd RussStarsJermaine O'NealStephen JacksonMetta World PeaceA brawl broke out near the end of a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004. Nearly 17 years later, we re-examine that night and all the consequences that came from it.This was an interesting exploration of a massive brawl between fans and players with interviews from basically all perspectives. I think this is one of the stronger Untold stories overall, though I do remember wishing that there was some sort of deeper discussion about the suspensions and rivalries between the teams and fans.
9/14/21 - DirectorChapman WayMaclain WayStarsRichard BrosalJames GalanteA.J. GalanteThey were the bad boys of hockey - a team bought by a man with mob ties, run by his 17 year old son, and with a rep for being as violent as they were good. The story of the Danbury Trashers.This was an extremely entertaining dive into a savage minor league hockey team with a devout fanbase, but I have to acknowledge that there was basically no insight from opposing teams or fans. Even the most critical of the group (the Minor League Hockey Commissioner) confessed that there was something charming about the group by the end of their tenure, despite their violence. It was a fun watch but could have been explored the team in a more multi-faceted way
c. 2022 - DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRandall AdamsDavid HarrisGus RoseA film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.I appreciated this for being one of the first documentaries to include crime re-enactments, and the cinematography was cool. Every person interviewed had a clear slant on the case and Morris as the director tried to jab at those that supported Harris.
Watched September 6th, 2018 with family - DirectorHenry JoostAriel SchulmanStarsNev SchulmanAriel SchulmanHenry JoostYoung filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.A very interesting watch, they did a good job detailing the thought process of both Nev and his "catfish". Also spawned a pretty entertaining TV show
- DirectorDavid Terry FineStarsTim DonaghyMatt MaltepesYears after serving time for betting on games he officiated, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy revisits the scandal that shook up the league.I liked this for delving into sports crime from a referee's perspective and Donaghy's surprising refusal to claim any substantial wrongdoing. That being said, there was little exploration of the deeper and more interesting topic that Donaghy may not have been the only referee fixing matches in this time period.
Watched 1/11/23 - DirectorKevin Wilson Jr.StarsRafer AlstonTom AustinSeth BergerInspired by New York City streetball, influential brand AND1 turned local legends on the court into international icons. So why did it come to an end?This was an entertaining watch exploring streetball and AND1's rise as a company, but it didn't really explore the deeper topics presented late in the documentary discussing how Nike's new shoe cannibalized their sales or the underpayment of AND1 players.
c. 2/2023 - DirectorJon WeinbachStarsLeBron JamesDwyane WadeCarmelo AnthonyFollows the story of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball team and how "The Redeem Team" set a new standard for American basketball.While I ended up liking this more than expected, the focus specifically on Lebron and Kobe seemed to detract from the documentary's message about superstars coming together as a team. Many of the members weren't shown interviewed, and I feel it would have been interesting to get more perspective on their playstyle and overall preparation than the tale of bringing glory back to USA basketball.
Watched c. 5/2023 - DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldArlene Pralle1992, Florida, USA. Aileen Wuornos is claimed to be the world's first female serial killer.For all of the Internet fame Florida gets for bizarre characters, this illuminated several that I had trouble believing weren't actors. The eccentric and horrible lawyer, the conniving adopted mother, an emotionally and monteraily abusive ex... While there were moments where Aileen Wuornos clearly wasn't entirely all together, this documentary does make one question the ethical compasses of everyone involved in the trial.
Watched January 22nd, 2020 - DirectorAndrew FriedStarsUtkarsh AmbudkarAndrew BancroftJames Monroe IglehartLin-Manuel Miranda Hamilton's improvisation hip-hop group, Freestyle Love Supreme and their reunion performances in New York City in 2019.I enjoyed this, but I wish it had shown more extended cuts from a show. Learning about the cast and being impressed with their talents was great, but it seemd to focus on their relationships and not the craft, which was compelling but not what I had anticipated.
Watched July 25th, 2020 with family - DirectorRon FrickeStarsBalinese Tari Legong DancersNi Made Megahadi PratiwiPuti Sri Candra DewiFilmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.This didn't really have a plot, but it did show a lot of aspects of foreign cultures that I wasn't familiar with before.
Watched on New Year's Eve 2015 at the apartment - DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.I remember disliking this for its slow pace, but it definitely gave me lifelong knowledge of penguins and their mating habits (in that I still remember a lot of it today, even though I watched it many years ago).
Written July 14th, 2018; watched during childhood - DirectorMark ShelleyBob TalbotStarsDaniel SternFrom PBS and NATURE - On a typical late summer day a baby sea otter washes up on the beach in Monterey, California - hungry, lost, injured. It's a tragic event, but not surprising. California sea otters are struggling. For decades marine biologist Karl Mayer and his small staff have worked unceasingly - one otter at a time - to bring this "keystone" species back from the brink of extinction so it can play its important role in the local marine environment. But the effort has stalled, and no one knows why. This is the story of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's 501st attempt to save an orphan otter. From her discovery as a stranded newborn pup crying on the beach through her rehabilitation in secret roof tanks atop the Aquarium, we follow as Otter 501 learns how to dive, hunt, eat, and fend for herself in the wild, where survival is a long shot at best.I know this is a TV episode, but I didn't know where else to put it, and I wanted to give the Documentary list a little love. Pretty informative
- DirectorBryan StorkelStarsJohn AshcroftJoe BidenMatt BiondiExamine one of sports' biggest steroid scandals via interviews with the head of BALCO lab, athletes suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs and more.This was pretty good and highlighted a lot of a doping scandal I had only been passably familiar with, but the conclusion was a bit lackluster and seemed to focus way too much on Conte (rather than the more intriguing investigation piece).
Watched August 21, 2023