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What’s the best documentary you’ve ever seen?

370 replies

LovelyQuiche · 07/12/2022 20:13

Mine is is “The Rescue” about the Thai cave rescue where those young footballers were trapped. Totally enthralling, even though I knew the outcome already, and seeing what they had to deal with actually helped me mentally for giving birth a fortnight later. Like, if they can do that, then I can do what millions of other women do and give birth

what’s yours?

OP posts:
AmberGer · 07/12/2022 21:02

Child of our time

Ivegotmyhappyfaceontodayles · 07/12/2022 21:03

The one that's stated with me is, I think it was called, Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children. Utterly heartwrenching.

And this one was suggested on another board and is so compelling (once you get past the weird start!)

powershowerforanhour · 07/12/2022 21:03

China Blue was an eye opener.

jellybe · 07/12/2022 21:03

The BBC documentary of the Hillsborough disaster. I'm what the victims families were put through was just disgusting and heartbreaking

IntentionalError · 07/12/2022 21:04

Another one which stays with me was a show about the Penlee lifeboat disaster in 1981. The boat was smashed to pieces against rocks while trying to rescue sailors from a merchant ship which broke down in a ferocious storm. Tragically, everyone died. The extraordinary seamanship & courage of those lifeboatmen, and the pride of their bereaved families was humbling.

TeenyTomTilly · 07/12/2022 21:04

Blackfish

TeenyTomTilly · 07/12/2022 21:05

And also Fyre Festival

Floogal · 07/12/2022 21:05

Never seen Johnny go home but I saw a similar documentary on channel 4 in autumn 1999. I think it was called lost. About homeless teen

Pootle40 · 07/12/2022 21:05

blackfish (soon to leave Netflix!)
Challenger (Netflix too). Re the shuttle explosion for anyone not aware.
The Keepers (Netflix)

Will think of some others.......

AnneShirleysNewDress · 07/12/2022 21:08

VinoDino · 07/12/2022 20:41

One I've watched a few times is Heroin: Cape Cod. Not your usual junkies from deprived areas, but 'normal' people from a fairly affluent area and the opioid epidemic in America as a result of prescription drugs like OxyContin being dished out like sweets for pain, due to the makers saying it wasn't addictive. Very sad and depressing.

Mommy Dead and Dearest had me opened mouthed. The Act was the drama of this.

Agree, Mommy dead and dearest was unbelievable.

Mbear · 07/12/2022 21:08

I found the one about OJ Simpson way more interesting than I thought I would. It’s 4/5 episodes, so not a short watch. But really worth it.

TeenyTomTilly · 07/12/2022 21:10

Glendaruel · 07/12/2022 20:18

There was a documentary made by two French brothers who followed a rookie fireman in New york, the it aim was to show him grow from not to man. About two months into filming the date was 9/11 and made one of the most powerful documentaries I've seen

This one?

Pootle40 · 07/12/2022 21:11

Bowling for Columbine

Grizzly man

Floogal · 07/12/2022 21:12

Staying lost about these homeless teenagers in Leicester and Nottingham (1999). Harrowing bit when they were high on downers.
Hunt for Britain's paedophiles (2002), as horrifying as it sounds.

Boooooot · 07/12/2022 21:13

Those that are interested in the OxyContin documentaries have you seen dopesick on Disney plus? It’s a drama series about it with Michael Keaton and it’s so so good.

powershowerforanhour · 07/12/2022 21:13

TT: Closer to the Edge is worth watching even if you're not into bikes.

twigy100 · 07/12/2022 21:14

Outcry- a guy in America who was wrongly accused and advised to plead guilty for a smaller sentence but was given 20 years. Then fighting for his innocence and against the people that failed him.

Cleopatra67 · 07/12/2022 21:15

Three Salons in Blackpool. Currently on iPlayer. Made in 1994. Absolutely riveting and heartbreaking.

FrownedUpon · 07/12/2022 21:15

Abducted in Plain Sight.

RaRaRaspoutine · 07/12/2022 21:17

Surviving 9/11 on bbc, it was completely shocking and surreal. The Challenger disaster doc on Netflix left me numb and horrified and I basically went straight back and rewatched it.

the one that sticks in my head is channel
4’s A Very British Brothel about a mum and daughter running a brothel . I said “what the fuck” out loud at least twice. It’s just… so grubby and sad, yet some small moments are almost sweet with how the mum looks after the girls, and some of it is surreally funny. It’s also classic doc fodder in the sense that a calm female voice provides narration whilst the weirdest stuff is being shown on screen.

StollenAway · 07/12/2022 21:18

I came on to say Hillsborough. I have no interest in football and I only had a vague idea of what had happened as I was a young child at the time but watched it on the back of a recommendation on here years ago and it was so incredibly gripping and heartbreaking. The journalist was just incredible.

But this thread has reminded me how much I loved Être et avoir and Searching for Sugarman. And actually I really want to watch Être et avoir again now that I have primary school aged kids.

VinoDino · 07/12/2022 21:20

@NewToWoo I haven't seen that. I'll check it out.

Heroin Cape Cod was on Sky Atlantic/Now TV, not sure if it's still there. The doctors just suddenly stopped the OxyContin hence them turning to heroin, and it was cheaper. Louis Theroux also covered it but I was strangely not impressed (I'm usually a big fan of his).

Floogal · 07/12/2022 21:21

This one about a poor family and upper middle class family who live close to eachother. The affluent kids came across bratty (2003)

Closedlips · 07/12/2022 21:23

IntentionalError · 07/12/2022 20:41

Free Solo, about a climber who took on the apparently suicidal challenge of climbing El Capitan in Yosemite on his own & without ropes. One tiny slip would have resulted in certain death.

Unbefuckinglievable.

Absolutely love Free Solo, and The Alpinist is even more insane if you haven't see it. It's shot in the most dramatic way.

napody · 07/12/2022 21:24

Soproudoflionesses · 07/12/2022 20:35

3 identical strangers fascinated me

Me too, an absolute corker.