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

[LovelyQuiche]

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?

Seaspiracy.

Another one for Free Solo. It both blew my mind and scared the living shit out of me.

Yes grizzly man is one I’ll never forget

Capturing the Friedmans Is the best documentary I've ever seen. The director started making it about child birthday entertainers (clowns etc) and then discovers that some members of a family were convicted child sex offenders. It's an amazing documentary that leaves you with so many questions.

@TeenyTomTilly that looks like the one

There was one on Netflix where two brothers suffered horrific sexual abuse but one brother lost his memory so the other brother made up an idyllic childhood for them to spare him? I can't remember the name.

The Vow is shocking but also enthralling, so much original footage from inside the organisation, insights from past and present cult members and even the leader himself from prison.

Blackfish
The Cove
Touching the Void (it's more of a docu-drama)
Free Solo
The Dawn Wall
Bowling for Columbine

I found American Murder: The Family Next Door a hard watch.

China: Beyond the clouds.
It was in the 90s and a sort of fly on the wall style documentary series about a tiny rural village in China.
There were old ladies with their feet bound, an acupuncturist doctor and it was absolutely mesmerising.

The aviici documentary. One of the saddest things I've ever watched. You can see the lead up to his death and how it all unfolds

The vanishing at the Cecil hotel

Four Hours in My Lai by Michael Bilton and Kevin Sim about the brutal massacre of Vietnamese villagers by American troops in 1968. Not for the faint-hearted.

There is a shimmer of human redemption though - the documentary makers located the pilot and crew of the American helicopter that intervened and stopped the massacre by hovering and training their own guns on the soldiers below. They subsequently received the Soldier's Medal, one postumously.

There's a book as well.

I came here to say this.

DH and I once watching a documentary on Netflix (I think) about a social housing project somewhere in the US and why it failed spectacularly and became ruled by gangs. It was a fantastic narrative that talked about the importance of architecture and sociology and how these had an impact on what happened. We still mention it 8 or so years later. Can’t remember its name, never seen it pop up anywhere since.

So many great ones here - but one that caught me unexpectedly was Tread - about a guy who built n armoured bulldozer and went on a rampage causing millions of dollars damage. He was going so slowly that the police were walking alongside but could not do a thing to stop him.

Bbc2 used to have so many good documentary strands, Modern Times was great and I remember one about American teenagers and prom or homecoming.

Another series is called Timeshift and th best I ever saw was about the design and building of the Severn Crossing, it's a fantastic programme, very "complete" if that makes sense, with Siegfried from old Creatures Great and Small being a bow expert.

Drugsland in BBC a few years ago was also brilliant, if hard to watch.

The Bridge, about suicides on the Golden Gate bridge.

For an uplifting watch, Batkid is brilliant

Gosh yes! The narrator - I can’t think of his name, he’s a scouser, and was perfect for it. I cried buckets.

The last breathe - omg best thing ever

The Dawn Wall, about a free climber who attempts to scale a 3,000ft cliff at Yosemite. Not my usual thing, but I was gripped from start to finish.

Blackfish was a very well made documentary, and a huge eye opener for many people (myself included).

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is FASCINATING and insanely well researched.

Will continue to watch this thread with interest!

Touching the void.
It was heartbreaking and riveting in equal measure

Secrets of the Dead, Mystery of the Black Death. How a scientist identified a gene that's resistant to the plague by testing the ancestors of Eyam's survivors. Eyam village quarantined itself to prevent the plague spreading north.

Free solo, blackfish, cowspiracy & seaspiracy, any thing Brian Cox. The rescue, I'm.sure there's a few more I can't think of...
Still not veggie yet though did try, it's a working g progress 🤔

Blackfish for me too. I rewatched it last week as it's coming off Netflix today.

Came here to say Blackfish