With the coronavirus lockdown in place, most of us have more time on our hands than ever. Thankfully, there are loads of streaming services packed full of decades’ worth of films and TV shows to keep us occupied – but choice (or too much of it) isn’t always a good thing.
We’ve all sat scrolling through the endless list of titles on Netflix struggling to find something to watch, quickly reading the descriptions before those pesky previews start sounding. And if you’re looking for an engaging, thought-provoking documentary, it can be tough digging out the quality stuff.
So, here’s a list of our top 5 documentaries from the last few years that you might have missed – and they’re available for you to watch right now. Take a look and let us know your favourite documentaries in the comment section below!
1. Three Identical Strangers (2018)
This film has to be seen to be believed. It’s a remarkable true story that begins when a bewildered 19-year-old freshman is recognised as somebody else on his first day at community college. It’s both heartwarming and terrifying, and leaves you questioning much of what you thought you knew about human nature. With a one-hour and 36-minute runtime, the story moves at a rapid pace and you’ll be hooked as things quickly start to seem amiss.
2. Betting on Zero (2017)
Betting on Zero tells the story of global nutrition brand Herbalife, allegations that it’s one massive pyramid scheme and the billionaire investor gambling on its collapse. The film explores alleged consumer fraud and the exploitation of vulnerable people by the multi-billion dollar company. As it documents the struggles of former salespeople who bought into tall stories of success and were left empty-handed (or worse), you can’t help but question the ethics of the business practices on display and sympathise with those who may have been shortchanged.
3. The Great Hack (2019)
Ever wondered how all those annoyingly specific (yet increasingly relevant) adverts appear on your social media feeds? Ever thought about how the very same data used to tailor those ads to you could be used to influence your thoughts or political leanings? Well, The Great Hack takes you on a deep dive into the world of data harvesting, privacy and exploitation, and answers those questions along the way.
It examines the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal – which hit the headlines in 2018 – and investigates the use of personal data to influence political goings-on around the world, including Brexit and the 2016 election of Donald Trump. This doc leaves you considering the trustworthiness of social media platforms with our most personal data and raises questions about the divisiveness exacerbated by systems designed to bring us together.
4. Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
As we approach the next US presidential election – which is already gearing up to be as bizarre and migraine-inducing as the last one – it’s worth giving Michael Moore’s fiery 2018 teardown of Donald Trump (and other leading political figures) a watch.
Over its two-hour runtime, the film links school shootings, the Flint Water Crisis and consecutive administrations and political decisions that may have contributed to the rise to Trump and his ilk. Moore has a flair for the dramatic and outrage-inducing, and while the comparisons he draws between Trump and a certain German dictator may be a bit of a reach, it’s impossible to ignore some concerning similarities.
5. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019)
There’s a good chance you’ve already heard of this film, or at least the colossal balls-up of an event it documents – both the festival and movie sparked significant conversation, shock and laughter in 2017 and 2019 respectively. This documentary covers the creation of the now infamous Fyre Festival, and its ultimate demise before it even began. Along the way, you’re introduced to the people who worked behind the scenes as they share their sometimes funny, often astounding tales of beginning, promotion, collapse and fraud.
To the outside observer, there’s satisfaction in watching braggadocious, all-talk entrepreneurs and businesspeople fail spectacularly in a costly and exhausting venture that was doomed from the start. And it was pretty amusing to watch as privileged 20-somethings descended on an ill-prepared Bahamian island full of excitement, only for the painful realisation to set in that everything was not as it seemed. But at the centre of it all is the story of a young CEO who ripped off investors, colleagues, customers and staff to the tune of more than $25 million.
