Truth is sometimes weirder than fiction, but before Netflix came around, most people didn't seem to care that much. Overall, it seems that audiences favored action-packed blockbusters over documentaries, which were frequently thought to be "boring" or just "educational,"
However, a lot has changed today that more documentaries than ever before are accessible thanks to streaming platforms. Films that were formerly considered to be on the periphery of arthouse cinema are today discussed with the same enthusiasm as the most recent multiplex releases, and their influence goes beyond simple enjoyment.
The very finest documentaries even have the power to improve our lives. All documentaries aim to educate us about worlds we never knew existed. With so many alternatives to choose from, we at Highsnobiety have chosen ten Netflix films that might help you change your perspective on the world in ways you might not have previously imagined. The following movies explore issues that have the potential to spur significant change, from gun control to environmental issues.
Here's the Best 10 Netflix Documentaries That Will Change Your Life & Mindset:
Best 10 Netflix Documentaries That Will Change Your Life & Mindset
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1. Seaspiracy (2021)
Is a 2021 environmental documentary film about fishing directed and starring British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi. The movie explores how humans affect marine life and promotes a fish-eating ban.
Synopsis
In the movie, Tabrizi serves as both the narrator and the protagonist, learning crucial details concurrently with the audience. This framing technique helps to build tension and momentum in the story. The early focus of the movie is the extinction of the whale, shark, dolphin, and sea turtle populations. According to the movie, environmental groups' focus on relatively small consumer plastics like straws has obscured the larger issue of fishing gear's plastic waste, also known as ghost nets, as well as the destruction caused by bycatch. The movie also makes the claim that environmental groups have failed to define or properly implement sustainable seafood, sustainable fishing, or things that are safe for dolphins. The Marine Stewardship Council, the Earth Island Institute, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition are the targets of these complaints in particular.The Taiji dolphin drive hunt in southern Japan, whaling in the Faroe Islands, Thai and Chinese seafood markets, coastal West Africa, and salmon aquaculture farms in Scotland are just a few of the diverse locations the movie is set in. Tabrizi and his team appear to be in danger from corrupt fishing industry figures or local authorities at different points; part of the action is depicted using concealed camera tactics, and animation is utilized to simulate violent incidents. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an American environmental organization that specializes in direct action at sea, is featured significantly in the movie. An extensive segment of the video also documents unlawful fishing methods and labor abuse in Liberian seas.
The documentary also looks at the conditions of contemporary slavery aboard Thai fishing boats and speaks with a number of survivors.
The film's overarching theme is that the only way to stop human exploitation and fish supplies from dwindling is to stop eating fish. Numerous statistics support this allegation, such as the assertion that by 2048, the world's seas may be virtually fish-free.[19] The prospect of fish farming aquaculture is also raised, however it is later disregarded following a visit to Scotland. According to the movie, aquaculture is unsustainable due to issues with fish feed, disease prevalence, and coastal deterioration.
2. Take Your Pills (2018)
Take Your Pills is an hour-long American documentary from 2018, directed by Alison Klayman and produced by Motto Pictures and Netflix Studios. The documentary explores the positives and negatives of taking psychostimulant medications, such as Adderall the main focus of the documentary. The film is a series of interviews with college students and working adults who are prescribed stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), along with parents who touch on the difficulties raising children with ADHD and interviews with professionals commenting on the use of stimulants.
The documentary opens with a brief introduction of the interview subjects, their backgrounds, and how Adderall or other stimulant medicines have affected them. The movie conducts interviews with people from a variety of demographics and life stages, including college students, kids, ex-NFL players, and psychologists. Other interviewees talk about their own experiences using the drugs while the medical experts talk about the history of stimulant usage and their viewpoints. Some family members have also mentioned observable changes brought on by the drugs.
3. The Playbook (2020)
The Playbook is a 2020 docuseries starring Patrick Mouratoglou, Glenn 'Doc' Rivers, Jill Ellis, José Mourinho, and Dawn Staley.
Coaches with championship résumés share their personal rules for success in sports and life in this reflective and inspiring documentary series.
4. Dogs (2018)
Dogs is a 2018 American documentary television series which premiered on Netflix. The series, created by Glen Zipper, was released on November 16, 2018.
The first season contains six episodes, roughly 50 minutes apiece. Each episode examines a facet of life in which dogs and humans interconnect, showcasing the relationship between dogs and humans for different countries, cultures and people.
The series has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series' first season has a 92% approval rating with an average score of 9.17 out of 10 based on 12 critic reviews. The site's critical consensus states, "Dogs is a kindhearted series that offers viewers a glimpse of several extraordinary canines and the people they orbit, resulting in a hopeful celebration of humanity and its best friend." Laura Bradley of Vanity Fair stated that "its primary draw is its earnest storytelling never manipulative, never syrupy. Yes, there’s fluff on the surface but at its core, Dogs is good."
5. Man On Wire (2008)
Man on Wire is a 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Petit's 2002 book, To Reach the Clouds, released in paperback with the title Man on Wire. The title of the film is taken from the police report that led to the arrest (and later release) of Petit, whose performance lasted for almost an hour. The film is crafted like a heist film, presenting rare footage of the preparations for the event and still photographs of the walk, alongside re-enactments (with Paul McGill as the young Petit) and present-day interviews with the participants, including Barry Greenhouse, an insurance executive who served as the inside man.
Synopsis
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
6. Resurface (2017)
Resurface is a 2017 short documentary film about a veteran who was on the verge of suicide before finding an outlet in the form of surfing.
Synopsis
After years of nightmares, depression, and seizures, Iraq war veteran Bobby Lane could see no way out of his trauma other than suicide. Then he met Van Curaza, a former big wave surfer who since founded Operation Surf and dedicated his life to helping veterans find solace in surfing. Backed by a growing body of research demonstrating the healing power of the ocean on the mind and body, organizations such as Operation Surf and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation are using surfing to help veterans cope with physical and mental trauma.
7. Last Dance (2020)
The Last Dance is a 2020 American sports documentary miniseries co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix. Directed by Jason Hehir, the series revolves around the career of Michael Jordan, with particular focus on the 1997–98 season, his final season with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The series features exclusive footage from a film crew that had an all-access pass to the Bulls, as well as interviews of many NBA personalities, including Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and Phil Jackson.
The series aired on ESPN from April 19 to May 17, 2020, in the United States, while its episodes were released on Netflix internationally the day after their US airings; beginning on May 23, two episodes were aired back-to-back on ESPN's corporate partner ABC. ESPN2 aired an alternate version of the series intended for family viewing, which removed most of the profanity heard in the episodes. It received critical acclaim, with praise for its directing and editing.[3] It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Synopsis
Charting the rise of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
8. BlackFish (2013)
Blackfish is a 2013 American documentary film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. It concerns Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld and the controversy over captive orcas. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2013, and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films for wider release. It was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.
Synopsis
The documentary concerns the captivity of Tilikum, an orca involved in the deaths of three people, and the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity. The coverage of Tilikum includes his capture in 1983 off the coast of Iceland and his purported harassment by fellow captive orcas at Sealand of the Pacific. Cowperthwaite argues these incidents contributed to the orca's aggression.
The film includes a testimonial from Lori Marino, director of science with the Nonhuman Rights Project. Cowperthwaite also focuses on SeaWorld's claims that lifespans of orcas in captivity are comparable to those in the wild, typically 30 years for males and 50 years for females, a claim the film argues is false. Other people interviewed include former SeaWorld trainers, such as John Hargrove, who describe their experiences with Tilikum and other captive orcas.
The documentary argues that the wild-caught orcas experienced extreme stress when captured as juveniles, and spending a lifetime in aquariums being forced to perform and breed lead to aggression toward other orcas and humans. The film features footage of attacks on trainers by Tilikum and other captive orcas as well as interviews with witnesses.
9. Abstract: The Art of Design (2017)
Abstract: The Art of Design is a Netflix original documentary series highlighting artists in the field of design. It was released on Netflix on February 10, 2017. The series was created by former Wired editor-in-chief Scott Dadich.
Synopsis
An in-depth look into computer design and modern contemporary design with some of the world's most highly regarded designers.
10. Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King (2022)
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King is a Netflix original documentary film directed by Luke Sewell. Its story follows a group of cryptocurrency investors who investigate the untimely death of their exchange's founder, Gerry Cotten as well as the $250 million that they suspect he stole from them. The film was released on March 30, 2022.
Synopsis
A group of investors turned sleuths as they try to unlock the suspicious death of cryptocurrency multimillionaire Gerry Cotten and the missing $250 million they believe he stole from them.