Here's Some of the Best Documentaries Currently Streaming
This week we turn our attention to the weird and wonderful world of nonfiction films
My affinity for the documentary was undoubtedly sparked and shaped by the True/False Film Festival. Every March in Columbia, MO, people flock to that mid-Missouri college town for a “four-day, ecstatic celebration of nonfiction cinema, art, and music.” I have many fond memories waiting in line through freezing temperatures trying to squeeze in as many films as I could in a few days’ time. If you’ve been, you know it’s quite a unique experience.
Today, Billy and I are taking you on our own little streaming documentary film festival. We have several interesting docs here that run the gamut from uplifting and inspiring to weird and dark. That’s one of the best things about nonfiction films -- there’s always something for everyone.
Drew recommends…
20 Feet From Stardom (streaming on Netflix)
Have you ever gone to a concert and wondered about the lives of the backup singers? Here are these wonderfully talented individuals that remain anonymous to the people that enjoy the music they help create. 20 Feet From Stardom remedies that -- and then some. In this stirring documentary, it’s the background players that get the spotlight.
It doesn’t take much to fall in love with these figures. After all, they are the voices behind some of your favorite songs. Icons like Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, and Stevie Wonder speak on camera about how invaluable backup vocalists have been to their careers, which adds weight to the doc. There’s also some great footage of these singers doing their thing back in the day with the likes of Ray Charles, David Bowie, and more.
Trust me when I say this isn’t one you will regret watching, especially if you love music. It’s a fun 90 minutes where unheralded yet gifted singers talk about their experience, and it’s all set to an excellent soundtrack. Next time you’re at a concert you may even find yourself watching the background singers instead.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (streaming on HBO)
Unsurprisingly, the Church of Scientology was not a fan of Going Clear. This HBO documentary takes the church to task for its many, many controversies. Directed by famous documentarian Alex Gibney, Going Clear tells the history of the religion and lets eight former Scientologists tell their side of the story.
The accounts of abuse and shady behavior the ex-adherents report is disturbing and alarming. Not only are the teachings and beliefs of Scientology, and its founder L. Ron Hubbard, deeply suspect and potentially dangerous, but the leadership appears to have misled and allegedly exploited its members, including famous people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Now, some of what’s in the documentary lands in the realm of hearsay as opposed to fact, but the accumulation of detail becomes unshakable.
Scientology is such a fascinating religious cult because of how and why it has attracted so many of the rich and famous. Going Clear does a great job breaking this down, with the help of the former Scientologists. You start to get a clearer (no pun, intended) picture of the church’s structure and operations, as well as why it shrouds itself in such secrecy. After watching this, you won’t look at a story about Scientology the same ever again.
Billy recommends…
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (streaming on Netflix)
Jim Carrey is an all time comedic actor who has switched primarily into dramatic roles in his later years. Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond is the chronicle of his first “give me the Oscar” role and it is beyond fascinating.
Carrey has The Truman Show a year earlier, but it was the shock to the system we needed to believe that he could carry a dramatic role. The next year Carrey is portraying the iconic and controversial comedian Andy Kaufman in the movie Man on the Moon, directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Milos Forman. A recipe for success, right? Not quite, just like Andy Kaufman, he complicated the entire filmmaking process.
In this documentary we see Carrey turn into Kaufman. Not just because of the makeup and costume design. It’s almost as if Kaufman came back to life. Carrey refused to be himself during every moment while filming this movie. On and off set. At one point the director Milos Forman is pleading with Carrey to drop the facade for even a second.
By the end we get such an interesting perspective from the current day Jim Carrey. It is an experience that clearly changed his life. Weirdly enough he claims that it is because he thinks his body and mind wasn’t the same after. Not damaged, but a little bit of Andy stuck around. A beautiful and terrifying sentiment. I loved every second of this. Please give it a watch. I should warn you… you may dislike Jim Carrey by the end.
Abducted in Plain Sight (streaming on Netflix)
Not much bothers me in narrative film. Blood, cursing, and sex go by unnoticed. However, as soon as I throw on a documentary the reality of these stories is almost too much. Despite that I try to never turn off a film, documentary or not. It is out of respect for the effort that went into making the film. I made it through Abducted in Plain Sight, but I didn’t want to.
Don’t get me wrong, this documentary is incredibly well-made. The subject matter is unbelievably terrifying, though. This film chronicles the Broberg family whose daughter is abducted twice. By the same man. A man who was a mentor, friend, and lover to the Broberg family.
True crime documentaries might be my least favorite genre of film, but this carefully directed film enthralled me from beginning to end because it doesn’t only focus on the crime. It does a beautiful job showing the power of deception and the naivety of everyone involved. By the end you will be mad at everyone they interview. While their actions seem complicit, you begin to understand why it happened. Any true crime fan will enjoy this one.
Streaming TV Corner
What we’re watching this week
Drew: I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter (streaming on HBO)
When it comes to morally murky true crime docs that spark fascinating debates, you probably won’t find anything better this year than HBO’s two-part I Love You, Now Die. In July 2014, 18-year-old Conrad Roy committed suicide. His girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Carter, was then charged with involuntary manslaughter due to text messages that revealed she actively encouraged Roy’s suicide. Part 1 of I Love You, Now Die lays out the case against Carter, essentially acting as the prosecution. Part 2 is the defense, coming at the case from a different perspective that’s more sympathetic to Carter. It’s all a very strange modern tale of teen romance, the media, and criminal justice. Expect to argue about this with whoever you watch it with afterwards.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to a friend, share it on social, or shout it from the nearest mountaintop. We’d appreciate it.
If you’d like to read past newsletters, hit up our archive.