The movie is about one of the best psychiatrists in the world, Phil Stutz. It was made by his friend and patient, Jonah Hill. Hill meets with Stutz for an extraordinary session that turns the usual doctor-patient relationship on its head. Together, they bring The Tools, Stutz’s signature visualization techniques, to life in a funny, vulnerable, and ultimately healing way.

A look at social media and how it may be used to spread disinformation and corruption in a society where everyone is almost always online.

 

Let’s be honest: there aren’t many documentaries that will make you reconsider having a Facebook account. Social media continues to dominate our lives, but few have considered the implications – until now. The Social Dilemma is an engrossing and disturbing look at how everything from algorithms to A.I. is secretly managing and affecting our lives.

Hunter Moore hosted IsAnyoneUp? in 2010, which allowed anonymous people to publish nude images of their ex-partners with the purpose of wrecking their life. Moore made certain to include their entire name and other identifying information, as well as links to their social media accounts. Moore earned between $8k and $13k per month from the site, which also featured several underage girls.

 

While many recall the presence of the website and Moore’s abrupt disappearance from the internet, many are unaware of the true awful impact Moore’s activities had on the lives of so many young women. It took the combined efforts of an enraged mother named Charlotte Laws, a former Marine named James McGibney, and the internet’s own Anonymous to bring Moore down and end his reign as a self-proclaimed “professional life ruiner.”

The Final Dance, a documentary on the Chicago Bulls’ 1997/98 season, features archive footage and interviews with Michael Jordan and some of his closest allies and enemies. There are ups and downs, as well as slam dunks.

 

You don’t have to be a basketball enthusiast to enjoy The Final Dance. The collaborative ESPN/Netflix production delves deeply into what makes one of the twentieth century’s most iconic figures tick: feuds, conflicts with the front office, and family stories all play a role. Everything is presented in a way that allows you to learn as you go without being condescending. Furthermore, if you enjoy basketball, you may relax knowing that you’re witnessing a secret aspect of one of the game’s greatest dynasties. Hundreds of hours of previously unseen film were used in The Final Dance, which presents a unique, multifaceted perspective on the guy once known as “Air.”

Tackling a topic that sadly still permeates our culture, Mercury 13 is nevertheless a must-see, diving into the reality of being a female astronaut in the ’60s. Don’t remember them? This film explores why that’s the case, revealing the truth behind their absence in history. Dubbed the Mercury 13 – after the first US space mission, Mercury – these women underwent the same rigorous testing as their male counterparts and yet were denied the chance to take flight.

 

Why it’s worth a watch: A piece of history that many of us just don’t know about, this is one of many examples of sexism that’s so ingrained in our collective past we don’t realize it. If you’re a fan of untold backstories, you’ll be both enthralled and, at times, enraged by the story of these remarkable women and how their dreams were backburnered because of their gender. As told via interviews with the remaining members of the group, this is a fascinating cultural document. 

Healthcare. Anyone who’s been shocked to hear their pharmacist utters the words “that’ll be $800, please” for a 30-day prescription knows this is a lucrative industry. That’s what makes The Bleeding Edge such a succulent topic for a documentary, as it delves into one another medical avenue, the $400 billion medical device industry. You heard. Exploring five devices and the havoc they’ve caused patients is jaw-dropping – and very necessary – viewing.

 

Why it’s worth a watch: Whether you live in a country with free healthcare or not, the sheer gall of some companies in rushing out products prior to being thoroughly vetted is astonishing. Which, of course, makes for compelling viewing.

Porn is something that none of us feels 100% comfortable talking about, but if we’re honest, we’re all familiar with it one way or another. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in the multi-billion dollar porn industry, the American documentary film Hot Girls Wanted is for you. Directed by filmmakers Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, the documentary followed the lives of several 18- to 19-year-old pornographic actresses and premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2015 before being snapped up by Netflix.

 

Why it’s worth a watch: This documentary doesn’t pull any punches and shows some of the best and worst aspects of working in the porn industry. Netflix was obviously pleased with its reception as it released an accompanying documentary TV show called Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On to further explore the story.

If you like comic Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey, or the 1999 film Man in the Moon, which starred Carrey as Kaufman, this is the documentary for you. Using contemporary interviews with Carrey and never-before-seen video of the creation of Man on the Moon, director Chris Smith focuses on Carrey during the filming of Man on the Moon, in which he kept in character as Kaufman throughout production.

 

It’s almost frightening how readily Carrey resurrects his idol, Kaufman. The company apparently did not want the behind-the-scenes film to be released, and you’ll understand why once you see it. Carrey’s dedication to the part clearly caused issues on set, but Jim and Andy is a captivating story about two of the world’s biggest comedians and why they do what they do.

Icarus is convincing proof that twists and turns aren’t just for Hollywood movies. Bryan Fogel, a filmmaker and cyclist, intended to make a documentary about doping in sports, so he injected himself with steroids and documented the process. Consider it similar to Super Size Me, but with pharmaceutical-grade medications instead of Big Macs. His intention was to discover how simple it is to get away with doping in professional sports.

 

Why it’s worth watching: In light of Lance Armstrong’s antics, the idea of trying to get away with doping in sports is a fascinating one. What he discovers after chatting with a Russian doctor, however, dramatically transforms the objective of the doc, transforming Icarus into a gripping, political thriller.

A 911 operator receives a call in 2001 from a concerned husband who has discovered his wife dead at the foot of the stairs. That person is novelist Michael Peterson, who becomes the subject of a documentary that spans a decade. Kathleen Peterson actually fell? Was she the victim of domestic abuse? The French filmmaking crew that takes on the case began filming immediately after Michael’s indictment, and they are allowed free freedom of the entire Peterson family, which is surrounded by as many weird turns as the murder case.

 

Why it’s worth watching: Because you can go into the enormous number of fan theories afterwards! This is a gripping true crime series in the vein of Making a Murderer. Unlike that series, The Staircase had a big bias advantage: the documentary’s editor grew close to Peterson and ended up dating him over the course of a decade. Get this thing watched.

Simon Leviev used the dating app Tinder to meet women and emotionally manipulate them into lending him hundreds of thousands of dollars while posing as the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond billionaire.

 

Whilst it appears to be a narrative about a dating app scammer, it is actually a terrifyingly honest look at how narcissists and abusers prey on and purposefully seek out weak people. Each victim’s life was shattered, and many are still struggling to rebuild.

If you thought Gorillas in the Mist was scary, wait until you see what the people of Virunga National Park go through. We’re not just talking about chimps here but about the heroic park rangers whose efforts to save mountain gorillas from extinction are truly heartbreaking. The film was nominated for an Oscar for its exposé on the Congolese park, the horrors of poachers, and the deceitful practices of oil multinationals.

 

Why it’s worth watching: Be prepared to cry buckets at the horrors. Yet it’s not all bad because the actual message here is about how far people would go to conserve a species.

You’ve seen Masterchef and Bake Off, and now it’s time to dive into the world of culinary perfection. The series examines each of six outstanding world-renowned chefs in their own restaurants to profile their discipline and dedication. It’s similar to observing artists at work. There’s no competition here to keep your attention, no race to the finish line like on other cookery shows.

 

Why it’s worth watching: Alright, there’s no contest, so you’re probably wondering what the appeal is. While there is no competition, this is also not about the restaurant industry’s commercialism; it is simply about how each chef’s creative process is born and the satisfaction they take from putting up their creations.

The story of the infamous 2017 Fyre Festival, which promised a paradisiacal escape to the Bahamas but swiftly devolved into a scene straight out of Lord of the Flies due to the outrageous mismanagement of its overconfident organizers, particularly its primary fraudster, Billy McFarland.

 

Nothing is more therapeutic in 2019 than seeing America’s elite’s foolish follies and sins finally come back to bite them where it hurts. Director Chris Smith (Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond) convincingly depicts an unsettling portrait of “entrepreneur” Billy McFarland’s arrogance, potentially psychopathic tendencies, and sheer delusional feeling of desperation in Fyre.

The truth about keeping whales in captivity is told in this Netflix Original, which follows the story of Tilikum, an Orca who killed three people while working at Sea World. While those fatalities were heartbreaking, filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite investigates why the killer whale acted in this manner. Is it in his blood? Or was it because he was taken from his family when he was two years old and held in isolation and confinement for twenty years? Hearing the testimonials of his former trainers will just tear your heart even more.

 

In an attempt to make sense of a thorny moral quandary, both sides of the nature versus nurture coin are discussed here. This is a tale that is still making headlines: should animals be held in captivity for human entertainment? This documentary is a must-see on Netflix.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He was convicted guilty of murder two years after his exoneration. So, did he actually do it? This docuseries follows him throughout his life, from his first brush with crime to the present day.

 

Why it’s worth watching: This is one of the most intriguing films on Netflix if not one of the best true crime documentaries ever filmed. The murder trial episodes are the tensest, as his defence team claims he was framed by the Manitowoc police department and backs up their claim with some really compelling evidence. There’s a reason why this show has sparked popular curiosity.

Amanda Knox’s case is a contentious one. In 2007, the American student was charged with Meredith Kercher’s murder. Kercher was found brutally slain while both were studying abroad in Perugia, Italy. Knox’s involvement sparked a flurry of suspicion, and the media portrayed her as the villain. She, her lover, and a third party were all charged with murder, and the former two were finally released after serving four years in prison.

 

The case itself is fascinating when told as a story, but what makes it so compelling are the one-on-one talks documented on film, including interviews with Knox.