Top Netflix Documentaries You HAVE To See

By Kate Mueller on October 9, 2014

image via Huffington Post

When browsing through Netflix, sometimes it gets difficult to pick the next movie. To be honest, there aren’t the greatest movies on there, at least ones that you haven’t seen a million times. Between the gushy romances, slapstick comedies and just plain stupid movies, it’s hard to determine what could be good and what actually is.

That’s where this list comes in with one of the most overlooked categories – the documentaries. These stories are real (but can sometimes be slanted) and raw. There is no dramatization. There is no set ending. There is no poor acting or story lines. It may look like a Hollywood movie, production-wise, but you are getting much more out of it.

Since it’s a documentary, it’s almost always going to be a good story because it’s a true story. I think non-fiction movies get the title ‘boring’ because they’re seen as educational.

While there is a lot to learn from these movies, boring is definitely not a word I would use to describe these particular documentaries. Here are four documentaries that you need to put on your watch list NOW (and I’ll try not to spoil them, but just in case, beware):

image via Amazon

4. For the animal activist – “Blackfish

This documentary is probably the most heard of movie of the category on Netflix. After it was released in 2013, it gained a lot of publicity and attention from all over.

If you haven’t heard of this documentary, it explores the issue of animals in captivity for entertainment purposes, specifically the orcas at Sea World.

The documentary explores the behavior of the killer whales after they suffer trauma and abuse in their small confinements.

The documentary came out three years after the death of a Sea World trainer, Dawn Brancheua, who was killed by Tilikum, an orca that had killed another woman at a previous park in Canada.

Basically, the documentary questions the motives of Sea World as a greedy, money-hungry corporation instead of the entertaining and research-based center that we’ve all grown to love.

Anywhere from former Sea World employees to animal experts weigh in on and raise awareness of the issue. Although Sea World claims the movie was inaccurate and misleading, many find themselves at a fork in the road on who to side with.

No matter what side you’re on, this documentary makes you think and question all that is America.

3. For the music majors and music lovers – “20 Feet From Stardom

*Academy Awards 2014 Best Documentary Feature

image via IMDB

This documentary follows something many people don’t really think about or pay attention to – background singers.

Featuring Sting, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crowe (who was a former background singer) and other influential producers and entertainers, this story takes you through what it was like to be a backup singer in the 60’s and 70’s to what it is like today.

You learn that background singers are one of two people: a person that is doing it because they eventually want to break out into a solo career or someone that is so humble that they just want to sing.

A tough career, full of mostly women and mostly black women in the beginning, not many can find true happiness as a background singer.

Inspired by gospel and church music of their upbringings, these women were often told to tone it down when recording American music. But the U.K. and the rise of rock ‘n’ roll allowed some of these women to find unexpected happiness because they were given free range on their vocals.

On the other hand, some women were heartbroken at the fact that they wrote and sang songs, only for a bigger artist to lip-sync and take full credit. From the background singers of Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen, you learn about the people behind the music that are 20 feet away from stardom.

image via IMDB

2. For the civil rights activists … “Bridegroom

Warning: this is a tear jerker. This amazing documentary tells the modern day love story that took a very, very unfortunate turn. Shane and Tom had a love that was endless and enduring, until a tragic accident resulted in the death of Tom (that’s all I’m going to say, don’t worry).

The film discusses the issues that the LGBTQ community faces in coming out, dealing with bullying, gay marriage not being legal and even dealing with a family that does not accept their son being gay.

What makes this film so special is the love you can feel between the two just by watching the movie. You can tell the smiles were real, that this love was something that was meant to be. Even better, the movie started out on YouTube.

On the anniversary of his partner’s death, Shane released a video on YouTube that documented his grief called “It Could Happen To You.” It gained so many views (almost 5 million to be exact), that the movie was picked up as a feature film.

The entire movie was funded through Kickstarter.com, where 6,500 donated to the cause and helped the film be released in 2013, the most funded documentary in the history of crowd funding.

1. For the sports fanatic … “Undefeated

*Academy Awards 2012 Best Documentary Feature

image via NZ Cinema

First and foremost, this movie is much more than a sports movie. It follows the Manassas High School football team in Memphis in an unforgettable season. At an inner-city school, the coach, Bill Courtney, leads that team to the first playoff game in the school’s history.

He’s much more than a coach though. He’s a father, not only to his own children, but to each and every one of those players. He checks to make sure they’re still in school and making the right choices. Even when they choose not to listen, he doesn’t give up.

Whether it’s a fight between players or deep-rooted issues that the kids are facing, the coach is there. In a single football season, these boys turn into men and discover a whole world is out there outside of Memphis.

The kindness of strangers, the dedication of players and the idea of a team coming together as family make this a must-watch movie. Seriously. Go load it on Netflix right now.

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