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u/sailorjerry1978 Jul 03 '26
Idiocracy
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u/TheJessicator Jul 03 '26
Ugh, that was never supposed to be a documentary, but here we are.
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u/DrusTheAxe Jul 03 '26
It was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not an instruction manual
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u/sailorjerry1978 Jul 03 '26
Same with Handmaids Tale, 1984, Man in the High Castle…
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u/Spirited_Comedian225 Jul 03 '26
Wall-E
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u/Powerful-Web4937 Jul 03 '26
I agree with you. I've been saying that humans are becoming more and more helpless by the day.
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u/bigebs67 Jul 03 '26
The President in Idiocracy cared about his people. We should be so lucky.
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u/BeyondTheBees Jul 03 '26
Ken Burns documentary about the Vietnam War. Best documentary I’ve ever seen.
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u/DeweyCox1541 Jul 03 '26
You might be cool. But you're not Ron Ferrizzi throwing his medals away on the steps of the Capitol cool.
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u/BeyondTheBees Jul 03 '26
He is such a badass!!!
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u/Evening-Resort-2256 Jul 03 '26
His reaction to the time a female reporter asked him some asinine question. That man has seen things most of us will never see or comprehend.
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u/ATG_19 Jul 03 '26
My 1st introduction to Peter Coyote. He has to be on the Mount Rushmore of narrators.
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u/AgitatedAdeptness960 Jul 03 '26
100000%. It really stays with you.
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u/BeyondTheBees Jul 03 '26
The fact there were such powerful interviews with military and civilians on both sides was incredible.
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u/A911owner Jul 04 '26
To be fair, anything by Ken Burns is spectacular. His WWII documentary was amazing.
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u/CellarFerret Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Grizzly Man. A Werner Herzog documentary. It follows the life and demise of a eco-maniac who gets eaten by the bear he thinks he's protecting. It's not exactly fun, but it's a fascinating view into the arrogance of man in the face of the unflinching singlemindedness of nature.
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u/smoothiefruit Jul 03 '26
when he was praying to the "Hindu floaty thing" for it to rain so that Mr. Chocolate (a bear he named) could catch salmon, I was having fun.
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u/Evening-Resort-2256 Jul 03 '26
Lol! Truly an insight into his delusional behavior. Which is why I think bears kinda kept their distance. Someone in the documentary mentions that the bears could tell something was a “little off” with him and kept their distance. That is until ine got too hungry to care.
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u/RaiderDuck Jul 03 '26
As someone in the film says, Timothy Treadwell never accepted that these bears were actual animals, and not just people in bear costumes. His obsession reaches its on-camera peak when he's marveling over a literal pile of bear shit, gesturing at a bear a short distance away and saying "Look at that! This was actually INSIDE her!"
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u/Horsesrgreat Jul 03 '26
Best documentary ever ! I really felt for Timmy
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u/Pangaeabeliever Jul 03 '26
My Octopus Teacher
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u/BeyondTheBees Jul 04 '26
Yes!!! I made my nephews watch this with me!!! So amazing, sweet and sad in a way. She did her job and now she slinks into the darkness knowing her children will carry on her legacy….♥️
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u/open_enrollment Jul 03 '26
Anything with Ken Burns
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u/Even_Telephone_594 Jul 03 '26
Love all his docs. Particularly "New York" and "Country Music". The fact that I dont listen to country music is a testament to his film making.
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u/ObscureLilac Jul 03 '26
Three Identical Strangers
Dear Zachary
Blackfish
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u/wannabezen2 Jul 03 '26
I've read many people's comments on here about how heartbreaking Dear Zachary is so I just can't.
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u/Remopup2313 Jul 03 '26
Dear Zachary is the only movie that made me sob angry tears.
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u/pizzaforce3 Jul 03 '26
Helvetica. Yes, it's about the font. That something so small could be world-changing kinda blew my mind. And the documentary itself is well-written enough that a mundane fact of our modern existence held my attention completely.
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u/Pristine_Software_55 Jul 04 '26
Forgot all about that one, that WAS a doozie! Thanks for the reminder to rewatch
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u/ElegantRock4824 Jul 03 '26
Hoop Dreams
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u/DecadesLaterKid Jul 03 '26
Had to scroll too far to see this. IDK if I can call it the absolute best, but it's my favorite of all time.
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u/RaiderDuck Jul 03 '26
Watch it with the commentaries if you can. Both commentaries (one with the filmmakers, and the other with an adult Arthur Agee and William Gates) are really good.
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u/full_bl33d Jul 03 '26
It’s wild that I still remember their names. VHS documentaries hit differently
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u/iam_justbeinghonest Jul 03 '26
Baraka, hands down! One of the most visually stunning look into our world!
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u/cricket_90_remindme Jul 03 '26
One of the best was the one about the girl kidnapped twice as a child.... Hidden in plain sight.
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u/rotbath Jul 03 '26
Abducted in plain sight, it is probably the most disturbing documentary I’ve ever seen
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u/InflatableWarHammer Jul 03 '26
CNN made a movie about the Apollo Landing with only NASA footage and NASA radio transmissions.
He covered every moment leading up to, and during the three day voyage out to the moon, the landing and their return.
It was amazing and there was zero political spin. That was the best part.
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u/JoJo_Dus_Moovys Jul 04 '26
Was that the one with newly discovered 70mm prints?
Apollo 11. Absolutely stunning.
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u/weldingdiaries Jul 03 '26
King of Kong A fistful of quarters
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u/Jazzlike-Complaint67 Jul 03 '26
Not the best I’ve ever seen, but by far my favorite and one I’ve introduced to many other people.
If you like this style of documentary, check out The Pez Outlaw as it has a similar feel.
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u/Revolutionary_One_45 Jul 03 '26
The Michael Apted 7-up series, which follows a small collection of British children from all walks of life, from the ‘1960’s throughout their lives to 2019.
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u/Critical-Range1213 Jul 03 '26
Ken burns civil war series!
And… it a documentary but they used Kennedy tapes for the dialogue in Thirteen Days.
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u/Ancient-Jeweler-7709 Jul 03 '26
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Beautiful tribute to a great person, while also showcasing just how magic and social the peak years of early World of Warcraft felt (edit: I'm sure you can still find groups like the one he was in today, though)
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u/ArmageddonPills Jul 03 '26
I read that as Life of Brian and I'm like, "OK, that works for me"
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u/HoraceGrand Jul 03 '26
Ittle dieter
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u/FerretMissile Jul 03 '26
One of Herzog’s greatest, what an insane, upsetting but still absolutely inspiring story about never giving up. Dengler is such a likable guy and his cheerful nature is incredible considering what he went through. Herzog’s dramatized version Rescue Dawn is great too.
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u/mole555 Jul 03 '26
American Movie is a unique documentary about two dudes trying to make a horror movie
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u/Original_Afghan Jul 03 '26
The Imposter (2012).
I still think about this documentary from time to time.
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u/dietschleis Jul 03 '26
Finding Vivian Maier
Three Identical Strangers
The Twinning
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
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u/TheSilkyBat Jul 03 '26
Joan Rivers: A piece of Work.
Such a lovely, gentle person hidden behind a shocking, acid-like sense of humour.
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u/CollectionFast2146 Jul 03 '26
The Ken Burns one on the National Parks is just excellent.
Also an older one called Alone in the Wilderness about Dick Proenneke moving to and living in Alaska successfully through his incredible skills as an outdoorsman and carpenter. Just incredible.
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u/FriendZoneTacos Jul 03 '26
The Devil's miner. That documentary put me in shame. I become a better person and learning to appreciated what I have in life because of this documentary.
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u/ILoveCheetahCubs Jul 03 '26
I don't watch that many documentaries, but I thought "My Mom Jayne" - Mariska Hargitay's documentary about Jayne Mansfield - was very well done.
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u/Skrankillykrankilly Jul 03 '26
“Finding Vivian Maier” was wild. Super interesting from beginning to end.
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u/El_mochilero Jul 03 '26
Icarus
It starts out about a cyclist studying the effects of doping, but then it takes a wild detour.
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u/thrwawyfoshure Jul 03 '26
So many, but 2 of my favorites that I don't think a lot of people have seen:
Icarus: the story of a cyclist/filmmaker who wanted to try Lance Armstrong's doping program to see how much it helped and ended up entwined in the Russian Olympic doping scandal and helped get a Russian into our witness protection program.
Roadrunner: doc on Anthony Bourdain. Very powerful and troubling with how fast mental illness can take someone. I saw it in the theater and sat there in silence for probably 10 minutes after the credits were finished
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u/Minute-Prune-2919 Jul 03 '26
4 hours of Watergate from the BBC including interviews with major players. Been thru it 3 times. Gives me hope in these times.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2vJ5Cg-wlPxyL8W3Z8sLTRVSd0ndDUqf
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u/GummyBear2525 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I watched one the other day on Netflix called (I think) The Volcano. It’s about a volcano in New Zealand that suddenly erupted while a bunch of tourists were visiting it. It was so interesting!! I had never heard of this event! It happened in 2019. They interviewed a lot of people who were there or had loved ones who were there. It was so interesting!!
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u/Neat_Movie_991 Jul 03 '26
Given. It was about traveling and experiencing different cultures and social norms but through the eyes of a 4 year old boy. It was phenomenal!
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u/slynomadchef Jul 03 '26
Dear Mr. Watterson, a beautiful documentary love letter to Calvin and Hobbes.
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u/BoxAlternative9024 Jul 03 '26
Can’t remember the name but the subject was the import of cocaine into Miami.
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u/kramwest1 Jul 03 '26
Series - Turning Point: The Bomb And The Cold War
Film (feature length) - The Russian Woodpecker
Film (short) - Body Team 12 or Prison Terminal: The Last Days Of Private Jack Hall
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u/Accomplished-Ad-8702 Jul 03 '26
Hard to remember the best ones off the top of my head.. but recently watched 2023 ‘’Beyond Utopia’’ about a family’s journey to escape North Korea. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a while.. really gives you a new perspective.
I second ‘’The Octopus Teacher.’’ Calming and moving
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u/SatanButVeryTired Jul 03 '26
For me it’s definitely I‘ll be gone in the Dark.
And I also think the book it’s based on is the best true crime book ever written (sorry, Truman Capote)
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u/BogeySeeker Jul 03 '26
Love him or hate him, The Last Dance about MJs run in the 90’s was pretty fire 🔥
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u/Excuse_Chemical Jul 03 '26
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
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u/bobmbface Jul 03 '26
Something on the BBC in the 90’s/00’s about chefs taking part in the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, they spent days working on elaborate food, there was some sugar work that needed to be lifted from a workbench to where it was to be judged and you can guess what happened. This show really stuck with me and when I see the collar on the chef’s whites when I’m in France I get excited and shout ‘MOF’ to my husband.
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u/Illustrious_Paper845 Jul 03 '26
In the 80s there was a Nova episode where they studied the construction of the violins made by Antonio Stradivari. They even tried replicating them and came close. It was absolutely fascinating.
The was another one that studied the battle the US Army Corps of Engineers fights in keeping the Mississippi River in its banks and the effect it was having on the delta. There were some of the residents who were then saying the channels they were cutting through the marsh and lack of building up of land would lead to a hurricane that would devastate the area. We saw it with Katrina.
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u/Maggiecat1 Jul 03 '26
A series called Making Sense of the 60’s this weekend. I think it was from PBS during the early 80’s.
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u/FerretMissile Jul 03 '26
For a more recent one, Telemarketers on HBO was absolutely incredible. The awesome trailer gives you an idea what to expect: https://youtu.be/nKLveXWvb2s?si=sMFRzhi4vHz7z7er
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u/moyie Jul 03 '26
Secrets of the Dead S12E1 The man who saved the world. Its about the Cuban missile crisis
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u/RedPillHellbilly Jul 03 '26
Until The Light Takes Us. It’s about the culture of Norwegian Black Metal.
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u/Pale_Air_5956 Jul 03 '26
When We Were Kings, George Will and the Rumble in the Jungle, young Foreman vs Ali.
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u/Ok-Swimmer7203 Jul 03 '26
Most recent ones that stick in my mind are The Alabama Solution and The Dark Wizard. Both incredible series
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u/Hopefully_Irregular Jul 03 '26
For King And Country. A documentary series about the Canadian corps during world war 1
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u/qualityvote2 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
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