7 Documentaries on Netflix You Must See
Netflix has an abundance of documentaries to flick through. From true crime to thrilling sports tales, there's something for everyone on the streaming service.
Here are seven of the must-watch documentaries available to stream on the platform right now.
Civil: Ben Crump
Courtesy of Netflix
This documentary tells the story of Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump, who took on the cases of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor with the mission to raise the value of Black life in America. Directed by Nadia Hallgren, we get an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the life of Crump and see him balance family and work.
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold
John Bryson
Alternatively, there's another portrait of an icon available to watch. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold chronicles the life of the essayist, novelist, screenwriter and critic Joan Didon through personal stories from behind the influential work. Guest appearances throughout include Vanessa Redgrave, Harrison Ford, Anna Wintour, David Hare, Calvin Trillin, Hilton Als, and Susanna Moore.
Dick Johnson is Dead
Courtesy of Netflix
Kirsten Johnson made this stellar documentary in hopes of dealing with her fear of losing her father. It is both heartfelt and humorous, blending fact with fiction by staging creative and imaginative ways for her father, Dick Johnson, to die with the goal of laughing through pain. It's a lovely portrait of a father/daughter relationship with a life-affirming message at its core.
My Octopus Teacher
Netflix
Nature documentary lovers will enjoy every second of the Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher. Following diver Craig Foster, we watch as an unlikely friendship forms between him and an octopus in a South African kelp forest. It's quite a remarkable film, with stunning underwater footage that was shot over eight years. The 3000 hours of footage has been condensed to a neat 85 minutes to tell this unlikely tale of humanity.
The Deepest Breath
Netflix
Thrill seekers will love one of Netflix's most recent documentaries, The Deepest Breath. Enigmatic from the start, we watch as a champion freediver chases her dreams through the connections she makes along the way. It's exhilarating yet touching and will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
The Phantom
The Phantom
Patrick Forbes dives into the case of Carlos DeLuna, who was arrested for the murder of Wanda Lopez in 1983. He was sentenced to death in Texas, where he maintained his innocence, and this documentary brings forth chilling evidence that suggests an innocent man was executed for a crime he did not commit.
13th
Netflix
13th has long been heralded as the ultimate condemnation of mass incarceration. It discusses the 13th amendment in the constitution, which states, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States". Mixing archival footage with interviews with activists, politicians and formerly incarcerated people, DuVernay investigates the journey from slavery to mass incarceration.
