Tag: Netflix

Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish-language masterpiece is hailed as a dark fairy tale that illustrates the real-life horrors of war and political strife. The film, which won three Academy Awards, centers around 10-year-old Ofelia, who has moved to a remote forest compound along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a brutal military captain who has been assigned to flush out rebels after the Spanish Civil War. After discovering an ancient stone labyrinth, Ofelia encounters mythical beings and is tasked with three quests to determine if she’s the reincarnation of Princess Moana of the underworld. The visual effects alone are worth watching for, as del Toro is famous for creating fantastical creatures.

Written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (the cult-favorite director behind 2019’s Parasite), the film is a heartwarming action-adventure tale about a young South Korean girl who fights to protect her best friend, a genetically-modified super pig named Okja, from an evil corporation. It features a star-studded ensemble cast, which includes Hollywood celebs Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, and Lily Collins, with South Korean child actress Ahn Seo-hyun in the starring role.

Another must-watch by Bong Joon-ho (and his English-language debut), Snowpiercer is a gnarly exploration of class divide, depicting a post-apocalyptic future where survivors of the new ice age ride around endlessly on a train. While the upper classes are treated to luxury living in the front cars, the poor inhabitants reside in filth and squalor. Then they decide to rebel. The action-packed sci-fi flick stars Hollywood A-listers Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton in some very memorable performances.

A nightmarish social and class commentary whose real horror is found in its exploration of human nature forced to its limits, The Platform is a Spanish film that takes place in a towering futuristic prison where prisoners are fed via a descending platform. The prisoners at the top are provided with a feast too big to finish themselves, but selfishness and desperation ensure that the bounty never reaches the people at the bottom, leading to stomach-churning results. In a few words, its premise could be described as, quite literally, the cannibalism bred by capitalism.

While the concept of a severed hand searching for its body may sound more macabre than moving, this profoundly unique French animated film manages to interweave its strange premise with a dreamlike meditation on love, fate, and the human condition. Of course, there’s also the stunning artistry of the animation to take in. Consider it a highbrow cartoon movie for grownups.

Now considered a modern classic of the martial arts genre, this 2004 action-comedy hailing from China is jam-packed with epic fight scenes and fun special effects. Set in 1940s Shanghai, it stars Stephen Chow (also the film’s writer and director) as a petty crook who dreams of joining the notorious Axe Gang… until he accidentally pisses them off and finds himself in the midst of an explosive battle between secret Kung Fu masters.

Praised by critics and viewers alike, and earning Alfonso Cuarón the Oscars for both Best Director and Best Cinematography, Roma is an intimate, semi-autobiographical drama depicting the life of a middle-class family living in Mexico City in the early 1970s. It presents a moving portrait of characters including Cleo, an Indigenous live-in maid, and Sofía, the matriarch of the family Cleo works for, who learns of her husband’s infidelity. Between its artistry and plotlines, it’s a film that stays with you.

An almost too-relevant take on the “zombie” genre, this South Korean film portrays a young gamer who is forced to barricade himself in his apartment and communicate through social media as a virus spreads among the world outside, turning his fellow citizens into flesh-eating monsters (classic!). Although he struggles with isolation, he is determined to survive, especially after he connects with a female neighbor living across the way. While it may not be the most original story, it’s definitely a fun must-watch for fans of zombie flicks.

Alfonso Cuarón’s clever coming-of-age film has been a fan-favorite for nearly two decades. It stars actors Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal as two teenage friends who embark on a saucy road trip with an older woman through the Mexican countryside, melding comedy, drama, and sexual themes. It reimagines the American “road movie,” setting it among the social, political, and natural landscape of Mexico.

This Italian-language flick is a dreamy drama with a fairytale-like twist that traverses time while staying grounded in real issues like the class divide. It tells the story of Lazzaro, a good-hearted young peasant in rural Italy who lives and works on a farm run by a cruel landowner. When the landowner’s son, a rebellious nobleman, asks Lazzaro to help him stage his own kidnapping, the innocent worker experiences a freak accident that leads to him waking up in the future. The film was a hit at Cannes where it debuted in 2018 and where it won the prestigious title of Best Screenplay, so you know you’re in for a unique ride.

If you like your movies like you like your video games, and you like your video games action-packed and full of gory fight sequences, good news! The Night Comes For Us, an Indonesian gangland thriller, should check all of your boxes. Crime, violence, and masterfully choreographed martial-arts battles ensue after a Triad enforcer spares the life of a young girl and turns his back on the gang. Warning: the use of fake blood is gratuitous, but hey if you’re into that sorta thing…

Horror fanatics, this one’s for you. The Spanish supernatural chiller, Verónica, involves many elements signature to the “teen possession” genre: an ouija board, a creepy nun, an attempted seance that goes horribly wrong. But when Paco Plaza’s terrifying take on the familiar theme hit Netflix back in 2018, it was described by many viewers as “the scariest movie ever.” The fact that it’s based on a true story only adds to the goosebumps. Watch at your own risk.

As for a supernatural drama that goes in the decidedly opposite direction, there’s Atlantics. A mesmerizing tale that takes place in the shadow of development and exploitation in a suburb of Dakar, Senegal, it combines serious political commentary with magical realism to culminate in a ghostly story of love and revenge. The director, Mati Diop, made history in 2019 when she became the first Black woman to direct a film in competition at Cannes.

An international co-production of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, France, and the Netherlands, 2015’s The Lobster is the first English-language film by acclaimed Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. An instant art house hit, the “absurdist dystopian black comedy” stars Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz as characters who must navigate love in a world where single people are given a certain amount of time to find a partner before being forced by the state to turn into an animal. The deep-cutting (and disturbingly hilarious) satire plays on the commentary plenty of single people in the real world are probably used to hearing.

After a Mexican teenager named Ulises gets mixed up in local gang violence, he is forced to flee to Queens, New York, where he finds himself living an alienated and lonely life. The film uses flashbacks to tell the story of what happened to Ulises, a member of the Mexican youth subculture dubbed Cholombiano, which is marked by baggy clothes, eccentric hairstyles, and a love for dancing to manipulated cumbia music. While the story and social commentary paint somewhat of a dismal picture, the actual film work is breathtaking.

Coming out of New Zealand, Hunt for the Wilderpeople perfectly embodies writer/director Taika Waititi’s brand of quirky, semi-sweet comedy as it follows a troubled teen and his grouchy foster father through mishaps and adventure in the New Zealand wilderness. It’ll leave you with plenty of laughs and probably some inner warm-and-fuzzies.

This erotic French thriller makes psychological suspense rather sexy. A crime novelist experiencing writer’s block escapes to her publisher’s luxurious country house in the South of France for some peace and quiet to work on her next book. But then a mysterious young woman claiming to be his daughter suddenly arrives, and drama is soon to follow. The much-talked-about ending has spurred controversy thanks to its multitude of interpretations – and if that’s not reason enough to watch, we don’t know what is.

“Get rich or die trying” is the overarching theme of this fresh French drama about a scrappy teenage girl from the rough “banlieues” of Paris stumbling into a life of drug-dealing and street-hustling. It’s a raw illustration of urban youth and the tragic consequences of dabbling with crime to overcome one’s circumstances. As it was her first feature film, director Houda Benyamina won the Caméra d’Or prize for Divines when it debuted at Cannes in 2016.

Starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, Spanish crime drama Everybody Knows takes place in a small town just outside Madrid, where a woman named Laura (Cruz) returns home for her sister’s wedding. When her daughter is kidnapped for ransom, the secret she’s kept for years begins to unravel and family tensions reach a boiling point. Juxtaposed with the mystery surrounding the kidnapping, the storyline makes for an intricate and interesting watch.

Based on the true story of a case that rocked Italy in 2009, this gritty Italian drama recalls the last days of Stefano Cucchi, a young Roman man who was arrested on drug possession charges and mysteriously died in police custody a week later. The powerful narrative explores the all-too-relevant (and universal) themes of police brutality and corruption within the criminal justice system.

The title of this South Korean psychological thriller makes sense for plenty of reasons related to the plot, but it is, as a whole, best described as a slow burn drama that intensifies until its shocking conclusion. After a young man, Jong-su, is tasked with taking care of a female friend’s cat while she’s away, he unwittingly gets pulled into a fiery love triangle with his friend and a mysterious, Porsche-driving Korean playboy. When it was released in 2018, the film was a hit on the festival circuit and made just about every Best Movie of The Year list, so both critics and viewers agree that it’s a must-see.

For some lighthearted, good ol’ fashioned sex comedy in the Western tradition of raunchy movies like American Pie and Superbad, there’s Brahman Naman. The commercially-angled Indian feature takes on the familiar, yet always-funny, plot of a group of nerdy college guys on a booze-soaked quest to lose their virginities. While there are some India-specific touchpoints related to classism and sexism, it’s definitely a pick that can be enjoyed by bros across the world. Trust, you won’t soon forget the ceiling fan scene.

History buffs who can stomach the harsh realities of war and political strife won’t want to miss this harrowing true account of a child soldier in Cambodia, surviving the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Based on the memoir of the same name by activist Loung Ung, the film was actually directed by Angelina Jolie, who also worked alongside Ung to write the script. It’s shot in the Khmer language of Cambodia and was made with the help of a completely Cambodian cast and crew.

This Danish period piece, adapted from the famous novel Lucky Per by Nobel Prize-winning author Henrik Pontoppidan, follows the epic rise and fall of Peter, a poor but ambitious engineering student who has the chance to rise up in Copenhagen society thanks to his modern, grand-scale ideas. All signs point to the good life until the inner demons stemming from his past emerge. It’s a dramatic and complex character study that reinforces the detrimental effects of unresolved trauma.

The first-ever feature film by a female Saudi director (shout out to Haifaa al-Mansour!) and the first film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, Wadjda is an uplifting story centering on a rebellious, spirited young girl on a mission to buy her own bicycle – despite the fact that riding a bike is a frowned upon activity for girls. It’s been celebrated for its accurate depiction of the challenges faced by women in the region due to culture and religion while leaving enough room for the hopeful potential of progress.

Martin Freeman (best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy) stars as the oddly rugged and handsome protagonist of this Australian post-apocalypse narrative filled with socio-political overtones. Cargo takes its doomsday conceit quite seriously — there’s pretty much no sense of humor to be found anywhere in this dire and bleak movie — and some of the film’s images of racialized violence are extremely disturbing. Viewers with certain sensitivities may need to stay away.

Cargo tells the story of a recently infected father, hoping to find living humans to take care of his daughter before he turns undead. I’m not really sure what’s been happening in the popular zeitgeist over the past 5 years that suddenly stories of men wandering through barren wastelands while protecting helpless children have become so ubiquitous (see: The Mandalorian). Still, Cargo uses this motif as the set up to a fable about xenophobia and racism.

The zombies in Cargo, who are mostly reanimated white people, go into what one character calls “hibernation” — they’re often found putting their heads in the sand or walking into walls as if to shield their eyes from seeing the horrors around them. Meanwhile, the film’s antagonist (also a white man) begins trapping Aboriginals in cages and using them as bait to hunt the hordes of rotting somnambulists. If the movie is a commentary on race, it seems to be saying that white people purposefully look away from the violence other whites commit against people who don’t look like them. Of course, it’s ultimately a roving band of Aboriginals who wind up rescuing the child from certain doom.

Don’t let the misleadingly corny title fool you, #Alive is a deceptively frightening South Korean film that uniquely works in the year 2020: when a stylish, streetwear clad gamer named Oh Joon-Woo (played by Yoo Ah-in, whose acting is truly Oscar-worthy throughout) successfully barricades himself in his apartment as a mysterious virus infects everyone around him, he begins to lose his grip on reality. His attempts to call for help by streaming pleas to be rescued on social media are met with an endless cycle of news reports urging him to stay inside as hunger and loneliness slowly destroy his sanity.

The first 45 minutes of the film are truly terrifying, and Yoo Ah-in’s acting really captures something fundamentally nightmarish about either a zombie apocalypse or a global pandemic. After Joon-Woo meets a second survivor from the apartment complex across the street, the latter half of the movie plays out like a more standard pre-Covid survivor story. 

The movie’s moral message says something a bit ambiguous about the nature of solitude in the age of social media. On the one hand, no one ever really connects with each other anymore. On the other hand, social media is the only thing keeping us from feeling so bitterly alone.

Silent Hill: Revelation is in no way a good movie, but it’s gratifying. The first film adaptation of the avant-garde video game series of the same name took several interesting and ingenuitive creative liberties with the source material — but this sequel to the relatively successful adaptation goes totally off the rails. 

The Silent Hill video games take place in the eponymous fictional town, which exists on the border between the worlds of the living and the dead: Silent Hill is a kind of cosmic purgatory where the sins of its denizens manifest as hideous monsters; each demon represents the unconscious conflicts of the various protagonists. The Silent Hill 2 video game specifically is considered a masterpiece of the medium and single-handedly created an argument for the legitimacy of video games as art. Unfortunately, Silent Hill: Revelation wholly abandons both the concept and chronology of the original games (SH: R is technically an adaptation of the third Silent Hill video game, but honestly, don’t worry about it) — the film opts instead for schlocky 3D effects and an entirely incoherent plot. 

But it’s not all bad: although the story is a total mess, the art design of SH: R is exquisitely grotesque, filled with creative, putrid devils and delightfully bizarre set design. Revelation isn’t a traditional zombie movie per se. Still, there’s plenty of undead creatures skulking about the burnt-out suburb, including the series’ beloved, buxom baddies known as the Bubble Head Nurses. The movie crescendos into a strange kaiju battle between the franchise’s main antagonist, Pyramid Head, and his new gynoid rival, The Missionary. Sci-fi legend Malcolm McDowell makes a hilarious and nearly non-sequitur cameo. Whereas the video games were understated and unnerving, SH:R is bombastic and campy — a silly Halloween funhouse set in an existential Hellworld.

The artists at the animation studio Laika are absolute masters of stop-motion cinematography, and Paranorman is their zombie-filled, kid-friendly treasure. The movie is a showcase of offbeat, twisted whimsy, and while the story and action aren’t exactly scary, the movie’s message is heartwarmingly kind. 

Norman is an outcast in his eccentric hometown, Blithe Hollow (loosely based on Salem, Massachusetts). Preferring the company of the dead, Norman faces his conservative family’s constant disapproval due to his habit of convening with ghosts. His vaguely schizophrenic uncle tasks him with quelling a legendary witch’s curse. Still, Norman’s mystical quest goes awry, leading to a zombie invasion by the undead pilgrims who founded the suburb. After begrudgingly accepting the help of a ragtag group of sidekicks, Norman winds up saving the village not with magic but with empathy for those who hurt each other out of panic.

There’s a not-so-subtle message about queerness weaved in and out of this tale: Norman’s father fears his son will become a “limp-wristed” freak because of his innate supernatural sensitivities. Despite the hurt his patriarch causes him, Norman realizes that peoples’ cruelty is often the result of their fear. (It’s no surprise the film garnered a nomination for a GLAAD Movie Award thanks to its positive and honest portrayal of queerness.)

Zombie movies are often morality tales in disguise, and Paranorman is a moving love letter to the genre: it’s a family-oriented film about the power of forgiveness and tolerance wrapped up in a magical story of the dead rising from their graves.

The Evil Dead will likely be remembered as director Sam Raimi’s magnum opus and is often considered a zenith of zombie films writ large. Although it lacks the moral or political complexity of comparable zombie films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, the bonkers visuals, over-the-top acting, and unhinged cinematography is beyond inventive and almost unparalleled in the contemporary horror landscape.

The plot feels almost formulaic now — the movie’s been endlessly parodied or re-imagined in more post-modern contexts (think Cabin Fever and Cabin in the Woods): Four students discover and then read from a mysterious evil book while on a weekend getaway, thus accidentally catalyzing a series of demonic possessions and summoning a horde of reanimated rotting corpses that attempt to drag the kids to Hell. Protagonist Ash Williams, a wisecracking, catchphrase-spewing anti-hero, has since become a cultural icon and a punk sex symbol — thanks to genius characterizations from the strong-jawed Bruce Campbell.

Although Campbell is the star, the movie really shines thanks to astounding special effects from Tom Sullivan, whose meticulous and detailed work with prosthetics, practical effects, and stop motion animation brings Raimi’s gruesome vision to life. It’s almost depressing how horror movies these days rely so heavily on CGI considering the brutal beauty of Evil Dead, which ironically feels far more alive than the endless slew of uncanny computer graphics that have become more widely used in the new millennium.

By the way, the 2013 reboot of Evil Dead (also titled Evil Dead) is absolutely incredible as well — it’s not streaming on Netflix right now, but it’s worth seeking out!

Trump’s 2016 campaign promise hinged around the construction of a wall on the border of the United States and Mexico, quickly catapulting the issue of immigration into the forefront of the news, yet the actual duties and responsibilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have remained shadowy, at best. The directors, Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz used their prior relationship with an ICE spokesperson to give us inside access into the world of assaults and attacks on undocumented immigrants, from enforcement techniques, filling arrest quotas, racial profiling, and (sometimes) illegal tactics that ICE officers employ. Immigration Nation reveals a heart-wrenching look at families who have experienced trauma and loss at the hands of some of the cruelest policies that the U.S. has in place. 

Told through a multitude of interviews, Fear City examines the five major New York crime families during the 70s and 80s (Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Colombo) but with a major focus on the FBI agents who sought to remove them from power. If you’re looking for a sexy and glamorized view of the mafia, Sopranos-style, you won’t find it here. The focal point of this documentary is the minutiae of police work, from painstaking research to setting up wiretaps to unpacking surveillance transcripts.  It all leads up to the Mafia Commission Trial, the 1985-1986 trial that brought down the heads of these ruling families, and referred to as the “Case of All Cases”.

If you’re tired of shows like Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle, let me introduce you to a much kinder Love on the Spectrum. Exploring the world of dating and love for adults with autism, viewers get to experience first dates and relationships that celebrate love and acceptance. It doesn’t do much to educate the watcher on autism, nor does it feature a particularly diverse cast (it’s super white, but does have one queer relationship), but it is free of the snark and condescending comments that usually accompany reality dating shows. 

I’ve never met a health and wellness trend I didn’t love.  Okay, that’s not entirely true, but I’ve never met a health and wellness trend that didn’t at least interest me.  CBD, air purifying devices, collagen powders, crystals…all of it is my jam.  The global wellness industry is currently valued at $4.5 trillion so it seems as if it’s many people’s jams. (Un)well was an immediate must-watch for me but should come with a warning: while the task of the documentary is to investigate wellness trends and debunk misleading claims, we don’t walk away exactly clear on where we stand. It does cover some pretty interesting subjects like intermittent fasting and essential oils so if you have even a passing interest in wellness, it’s an engaging watch.

For over 20 years, there have been hundreds upon hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse in gymnastic programs across the United States. The IndyStar has reported that ‘at least 368 child gymnasts have alleged sexual assault by gym owners, coaches, and staff working for gymnastics programs across the country’ which has been a ‘rate of one every 20 days.’  This gut-wrenching documentary explores the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal, concentrating on Larry Nassar, the team doctor that was named in hundreds of lawsuits. Athlete A applauds the countless brave women who spoke out and brings the focus on the culture that allowed this abuse to remain unchecked for years.

You’ve most likely heard of this sports documentary that recounts Michael Jordan’s time with the Chicago Bulls and their final championship during the ‘97-’98 NBA season. There are interviews with over 100 people connected to the team (including many notable basketball players) and never-before-aired footage, making it an enjoyable and captivating watch. The best interviews are the ones with Jordan himself; his sheer willpower and dedication to winning are on display, but it’s the transparency and honesty in his answers that make this a must-watch.

The Rubik’s Cube is a surprisingly newer toy; it was released on the market in 1980, with the World Cube Organization forming over 20 years later, in 2004. Sue Kim, the director of The Speed Cuber wasn’t even aware of this world until her son picked one up a few years ago and was instantly obsessed. A fun and surprisingly emotional film, we are even introduced to Feliks Zemdegs and Max Park, the “Michael Jordan of cubers…[with the later] possibly the Lebron James.”

Do you ever feel like it’s too late in the game to ask a question about something that you feel like you should know already? That exact sentiment is what led me to watch this documentary on Jeffrey Epstein. I knew he was a rich sex offender who had a reportedly suspicious death while in jail, but that was about the extent of my knowledge. The real story is so much worse.  We meet some of his victims and hear the truly heinous acts of this well-connected yet almost untouchable man. Although the story is highly captivating, expect to leave with a million more questions and a nauseous feeling in your stomach.

If you played video games growing as a kid (or even now) High Score feels like an addicting hit of nostalgia. Narrated by Charles Martinet, the voice behind Nintendo’s Mario, we explore the history of video games; from the visionaries and designers who conceived some of the most loved games like Pacman, Mortal Kombat, and Sonic to the designers who treat each visual and audio element as a work of art. Witnessing the beginning of this multi-billion dollar industry and seeing how video games have evolved over the years is a colorful adventure in storytelling. 

I am fascinated by cults.  Not in a creepy “will-join-once-I-find-one-that- ”feels right” type deal, but I’ve always been curious about how sane and logical people decide to give up everything to follow leaders that I, personally, never found too charismatic. Holy Hell investigates the Buddafield cult, which started in Hollywood in the 19080’s, led by “a vaguely Ramon Novarro-Esque failed actor named Michel”. What’s most unique about this documentary is that the director, Will Allen, is uniquely situated to do this exposé, as he was a member of the cult for over 20 years, and can offer an insider’s look.

If you’re a fan of passionate storytelling (possibly on subjects you don’t know too much about), science journalist Latif Nasser has got a show for you. Exploring the connections of a vast array of subjects to each other and the universe, Nasser’s infectious enthusiasm and goal to be a lifelong learner makes complex subjects downright enjoyable.

The rise of singer/rapper Gustav Elijah Åhr, more commonly known as “Lil Peep” was cut short due to a tragic accidental overdose in 2017 on his tour bus. Everybody’s Everything recounts the life of Lil Peep, as he made his way from Long Beach, NY to Hollywood. This is a heartbreaking look at a young artist who was so much more than a “SoundCloud rapper” whose music connected with so many people across the globe.

If you were wondering where the political documentaries were, here’s the only one you need to watch this year. Knock Down the House chronicles Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s journey from the Bronx to politics. The hardworking and charismatic AOC isn’t the only woman featured; we also meet three other Democratic mainstays: Missouri’s Cori Bush, Nevada’s Amy Vilela, and West Virginia’s Paula Jean Sweareng. 

Based on the bestselling memoir of the same title, Becoming follows former First Lady Michelle Obama on her 34-day city book tour.  Through her warm demeanor, genuine interactions with others, and stories about her first date with Barack or her “high school guidance counselor who didn’t think she was Princeton University material”, it’s hard not to fangirl Michelle Obama.  She’s motivational, a strong champion of women, and just a lady I’d like to grab drinks with. 

Narrated by Samira Wiley, Night on Earth uses state-of-the-art new technology to follow nocturnal animals around in their natural habitat. You get to see some unique creatures and learn interesting tidbits, but what’s truly astonishing is the beautiful footage. It’s nature porn in all its glory, and sometimes real porn, with clips of animals mating and ya know, sometimes killing each other. Watch for the visuals alone.

For any history buffs out there, Rise of Empires: Ottoman unpacks the Ottoman Empire’s rise to power with a documentary-meet-over-the-top-reenactment lens. Tywin Lannister does the narration (I mean, actor Charles Dance) as we follow Mehmed II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, engage in some cool kickass battles. I’m not sure how true to history this doc remains, but I’m half Turkish (Turkey = modern-day Ottoman Empire) so I’m a little biased. Okay, a lot biased. ​​​​​

20 Feet from Stardom won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and currently has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason: the background singers featured are all phenomenal. Singing backup for some of the most influential musical legends in history, these (mostly) women all deserves to be known and celebrated. Full of intimate interviews, we learn about their lives and careers and amazing vocal abilities through raw and enthusiastic storytelling. You can’t help but root for each and every one of them. 

The description Netflix put out for Rotten is pretty intense for a show about food supply and production: “Local farming is fading as profit margins decide what food makes it to our plates. The new Netflix documentary series Rotten exposes the fraud, corruption, and the consequences on our health of today’s global food industry. Nobody’s hands are clean.” Each episode focuses on a different food industry issue with the main takeaway being that everything is corrupt. If you want to know more about the secret dangers of chicken harvesting and bee pollination, this is a good place to start.

How long could you keep your relationship a secret? For Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, try 7 decades. After meeting in 1947, these two ladies met and fell in love in Chicago, where Donahue played catcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League…yup, the same team that was the inspiration for the movie A League of Their Own. What followed was a 72-year love story, with neither of their families knowing a thing until both women were in their 80’s.  A super sweet and heartfelt relationship will make you smile and bring you hope (and can’t we all use some more of that right now?) 

Are we still obsessed with TED Talks?  I hope so because The Call to Courage which depicts Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability and shame should be mandatory watching.  A research professor in social work at the University of Houston, Brown shares what she’s learned about relationships, difficult and uncomfortable situations, and bridging the divide and why being vulnerable is the bravest thing we can do and why we should choose courage over comfort.  

This eight-episode series is a poignant documentary focusing on the life and death of Aryton Senna. Senna covers the time period from the beginning of Artyon’s racing career, all the way up to his tragic death in a 1994 crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy. Senna’s family was heavily involved in the production of the mini-series, giving it that authentic feeling (nobody knows you better than your family). The documentary also gives a deeper look into Senna’s life and career, showing us that while some people are only here for a short time, what they accomplish in those few years are worth a lifetime.

When you think of Taylor Swift, your brain automatically goes to her career as a singer. So it would be natural to assume that a music documentary about her would be like a lot of the other music documentaries we’ve seen over the years. Except it’s not. Produced by Swift herself, Miss Americana is actually focused more-so on the singer’s life as opposed to her music career. The documentary includes Swift’s journey of growth, self-reflection, and her decision to publicly express her political opinions. Miss Americana shows Swift in a different light, allowing viewers to connect to Taylor Swift the person and not the “brand.”

The first production under Higher Ground (a production company formed by Barack and Michelle Obama), American Factory gives a look at the cold hard truth of the factory industry. The documentary focuses specifically on the now-defunct General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio. The film walks viewers through the manual labor and working conditions required of employees, and details how workers often fell victim to the rich and powerful in hopes of achieving “The American Dream.” The documentary also covers the transition of General Motors, as a Chinese billionaire went through the process of personally investing in it for his company Fuyao. If you ever wanted to learn more about the factory industry during that time period, this is the film for you.

Abducted in Plain Sight is a documentary based on the real-life story of the Broberg family, whose daughter, Jan, was abducted twice by their neighbor Robert Berchtold. Director Skye Borgman tells the disturbing story of how Berchtold single-handedly disrupted the Broberg family in the attempt to kidnap Jan not once, but twice. Borgman goes into each specific abduction detailing the sick and twisted methods used by Berchtold in both kidnappings. It’s rare that you hear the story of somebody getting abducted by the same person twice, and while the documentary is indeed dark, it’s certainly an informative piece one should watch. 

Whether you’ve watched Tiger King or not, chances are you have at least heard of this popular documentary. Tiger King was the talk of “early quarantine,” and now interest has surged again with the recent appearance of Carole Baskin (another “character” in this story) on Dancing with the Stars. The seven-episode series follows the strange and crazy tale of Joe Exotic as his zookeeper job somehow leads him into a whirlwind life full of crime, and well, more crime. Murder, Mayhem, and Madness are definitely the right words to describe Tiger King, and viewers should check it out if they haven’t already had the chance.