The idea of sitting down and reading a book does not always appeal to our sensibilities. Some days you just want to absorb knowledge while indulging in your favorite past time — watching television. Cue, documentaries. With so many streaming services out there, you will never be short on content. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and it is easy to waste three hours scrolling. To prevent decision fatigue, here are six options straight from The Edit. Note that our tastes differ in this arena, so there really is a documentary for everyone.
Lauren, Fact-checker/Proofreader
McMillion$ (2020)
This is a fascinating docuseries looking into the McDonald’s Monopoly scandal. Back in 2001, something seemed off about the winners of the largest prizes — they were all related! Follow the FBI as they get to the bottom of why this happened. (Spoiler: Someone on the inside was mailing out the game pieces with the biggest prizes attached to his family members and taking a cut of the profits!) It is a surprisingly hilarious documentary (in another life, I think the head investigator would’ve been a good stand up comic!), and it is very bingeable.
Stream it on Hulu, HBO Go and HBO Now
Ashley, Creative Production Coordinator
May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers (2017)
Follow the story of two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett, while they make their critically acclaimed album True Sadness. Not only does it tell the story of the brothers’ deep bond and connection, but it gives a glimpse into their most personal and private lives through their songs. If you’re not a fan of American Folk music, I get it, and that’s okay. I still encourage you to watch it, if not only for the vulnerability and beauty of their songwriting, which lovers of all music can appreciate. In case you need another reason to watch, Judd Apatow (the mind behind your faves Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin) produced and directed it.
Stream it on Amazon Prime.
Iman, Writer
Chiara Ferragni: Unposted (2019)
With 19.8 million Instagram followers, Chiara Ferragni is one of the most powerful fashion influencers in the world. This documentary gives us an inside look into the life of the Italian entrepreneur, model, activist and mother who started blogging in 2009. Through her childhood, early days in fashion, we see her and the hard work that goes into building an international powerhouse brand. Plus, you get to see BTS footage of her over-the-top wedding that garnered more impressions (67 million engagements) on social media than the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan. It’s a modern-day “rags to riches” story that inspired me to get off the couch. The film is in Italian, but there is a dubbed option as well as one with English subtitles. While the documentary is not revolutionary, I always love getting a glimpse into the inside world of people whose lives appear to be “perfect” on the internet.
Stream it on Amazon Prime.
Sabina, Sourcing and Partnerships Coordinator
Paris is Burning (1991)
Filmed over several years in the 1980s, this documentary chronicles African American and Latinx queer and trans youth in NYC as they compete in the ballroom scene. This film is one of the only known visual records for the beginnings of what we now understand as drag culture. Woven together with the narratives of queens, it is a beautiful look into the development of a subculture that has now made its way into the mainstream. Featuring renowned queens, Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey, Paris is Burning is a layered, revealing portrait of a community that sought refuge in their craft and chosen “families” as they navigated discrimination, poverty and the AIDS crisis. This film is one of a kind and will saturate the burgeoning and prolific cultural movement of drag with meaning and complexity. It will also make you appreciate your favorite queens on Drag Race even more.
Stream it on Netflix.
Briahna, PR/Editorial Assistant
Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)
It is a three-part Netflix docuseries about the search for murderer Luka Magnotta. Initially, I was not interested in watching the series because I am a dog person, but after the first 10 minutes, I was hooked. I binged the series in one sitting. The story begins with a viral YouTube video of a man, who we later discover is Luka Magnotta, killing kittens on camera. Animal lovers all over the world united to find the killer because, like most serial killers, they begin with hurting animals then move on to hurting people. Through twists and turns, the binge-worthy show keeps you on the edge of your seat and leads to an epic reveal. This docuseries is so much more than just cats; it is about the power of people and the power of the internet.
Stream it on Netflix.
Mylan, Creative Producer
The Trials of Gabriel Fernández (2020)
Gabriel Fernández was an 8-year-old boy who was murdered by his mother and her boyfriend. This docuseries details the events in the months following up to his death, showing the severe abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of his guardians, which went largely ignored by the LA County Department of Children and Family Services. It also shows the court trials of his mother, her boyfriend, and the caseworkers assigned to protect him. Told in six hour-long episodes, you get a glimpse at the torture Gabriel endured through crime scene photos and interviews with all those involved (extended family, his grade-school teacher, his ER nurse, the jurors, and the prosecutor, among others). By the end, you will feel outraged and heartbroken and, hopefully, incentivized to want to change this broken system.
Stream it on Netflix.
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