HN Explorer

Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?

650 points by rasulkireev ↗ HN
This questions has been asked before [0][1][2], but I'm thinking that in the last 4 years something new and exciting has been created or discovered.

If you could describe in a couple of words why you mentioned what you mentioned, that would be fantastic.

[0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18085765

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18537512

[2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18271167

567 comments

[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 340 ms ] thread
rasulkireev
I'll start. My favorite is Cosmos, starring Neil deGrasse Tyson. Another favorite of mine is the BBC's Planet Earth series.
gandalfgreybeer
I don’t know what the popular opinion is on this one, but it felt like there was something missing in his version. I enjoyed it, but Sagan’s original series, strikes a different chord.

I don’t think it’s nostalgia too since I was too young to catch the original series.

rasulkireev
That is so fascinating. I almost never see the Tyson Cosmos recommended. But see Sagan's everywhere. And somehow still didn't watch it.
4m1rk
I might be wrong but I hesitate watching old science documentaries, because science usually gets outdated.
ocbyc
Operation Odessa
_fat_santa
it's got one of my favorite lines in a documentary: "he said would you like nukes with your submarine, we sell those too". Russia in the 90's after the fall of the soviet union was a wild place.
suranyami
+1 Absolutely mind-boggling documentary…
anonu
Most Ken Burns stuff... Especially the ww2 one. Also, released in the last year, the Beatles: get back documentary is fascinating to watch the creative process and dedication to the task, if you're so dedicated to sit for all 8 hours of it.
gandalfgreybeer
I honestly want to watch the Beatles doc but haven’t committed to the time yet though. My mother and her friends who were Beatles fans in their peak seemed to have enjoyed it.
70jS8h5L
I love documentaries, and these are my favourites. All very worth a watch.

- The Crash Reel

- McConkey

- Buck

- Apollo 11

- Carts of Darkness

- The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

- Samsara

- Baraka

- Brooklyn Castle

- Spellbound

- Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

- Crumb

- The Jinx

- The Art of Flight

- King of Kong

- Indie Game: The Movie

- Capturing the Friedmans

- OJ: Made in America

- The Barkley Marathons

- The Seven Five

- Murderball

- Unbranded

- Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee

- Big River Man

- Hoop Dreams

- Word Wars

- Free Solo

- Long Shot

- Meru

- Being Elmo

- All This Mayhem

- Jiro Dreams of Sushi

- The Cove

- Project Nim

- Alone in the Wilderness

- Behind the Curve

- The Dawn Wall

- Grizzly Man

- 13th

- Winnebago Man

- Man vs Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler

- Get Me Roger Stone

- Icarus

- 13th

- Koyaanisqatsi

- The Thin Blue Line

- An Inconvenient Truth

- Oklahoma City

- Virunga

- The Staircase

- Evil Genius

- Undefeated

- Betting on zero

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tra3
Appreciate the list very much. Do you think you could share the ones to start with and why you liked them?
70jS8h5L
To be completely honest - my memory for films is terrible, so I struggle to remember why I loved many of these. Also, many of them take unexpected twists and to say why I loved them so much risks ruining part of the surprise. I've watched countless documentaries and in order for them to make this list I have to _really_ enjoy them, and for the most part they require no interest in the subject matter in my opinion - they're just objectively good. So, I'd recommend literally any to start with, but with all that being said, some favourites amongst the favourites:

The Crash Reel - an amazing tale of a person preparing for the olympics, with an unexpected turn and just a very heartwarming/impressive journey - very very highly recommended.

The Cove - follows a whaling event that happens every year, and exposes the savagery of it. However, it's filmed almost like a thriller, in how the team set up to expose the event. Very eye opening, if a little sad, but very very good.

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster - just an amazing documentary about a man who makes amazing film posters - incredible, you'll see that he's responsible for so many recognisable posters from your childhood.

Being Elmo - lovely film about the puppeteer behind Elmo - really heartwarming

13th - very good film about racial injustice in the legal system.

Overtonwindow
Get me Roger Stone was brilliant, I never quite understood what a political provocateur was until I watched that. Now it’s amazing to spot them throughout the political universe.
mtVessel
Capturing the Friedmans is brilliantly constructed. Jarecki peels the onion one layer at a time, saving key details for when they'll have maximum impact.
gandalfgreybeer
I haven’t checked the previous links but just going off the top of my head:

- Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I watch it every now and then to inspire me about my craft. I want to go to Japan to try his food in the future.

- Icarus, I suggest you go into this blind without knowing what it’s about.

- The Barkley Marathons, this sort of got me into running.

Edit: I just went into the older discussions about how there’s a dark side to Jiro Dreams of Sushi. And honestly, as an Asian (not Asian American), I think the difference in reception is a cultural thing.

_fat_santa
Icarus is possibly one of the most impactful documentaries of our generation. One of the few docs ive seen where direct and harsh action was taken in response to what the documentary showed.
westhom
Another vote for Icarus, and also a vote for not reading anything about it.
rasulkireev
I'm so intrigued about Icarus. Interesting why people recommend to watch without reading, but I'll do exactly that. Thanks
muzani
Icarus, 2017, distributed by Netflix?
tatoalo
I'm going to list just a few of the best I have seen so far:

- The Last Dance [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8420184/]

- Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13651632/]

- Indie Game: The Movie [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942884/]

- The Staircase [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388644/]

- Making a Murderer [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5189670/]

- Icarus [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6333060/]

- Apollo 11 [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760684/]

gandalfgreybeer
I absolutely loved the Last Dance but I really like basketball. I wouldn’t recommend it to non-fans of basketball though (basing this off a small sample size of friends).
enonevets
I’m not into sports and I don’t follow basketball. I couldn’t tell you beyond really famous basketball players who the majority of players are. And although I grew up in Jordan’s era of basketball, I didn’t watch his games. All that to say, I enjoyed it.

If you like something, recommending it is fine. Let the people decide if it’s a topic they’re interested in it or not.

spaetzleesser
I am not into basketball but I found The Last Dance excellent.
westhom
FWIW, I was absolutely captivated for all of Last Dance, and I don't watch basketball. But I do have an affinity for "30 for 30"-style docs on the human interest side of sports.
Overtonwindow
+1 for Icarus. Until just a few years ago, cycling was up to its eyeballs and doping. Wasn’t just one American, one Italian, or one German. It was nearly everyone.
arnejenssen
You can see Indie Game for free on Mailchimp.com https://mailchimp.com/presents/film/indie-game-the-movie/
moviewise
Ed: “If you can’t get the work done, then the past two years are basically worth nothing … There were at least five times, a good five times, where I totally broke down and I just didn’t want to do it anymore … I was actually really worried that either Tommy or I would die in the process of making this.”

From:

https://moviewise.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/indie-game-the-mo...

amelius
I don't like documentaries that much as most documentaries tend to paint a one-sided picture.

That said, the people they argue against generally also like to paint one-sided pictures.

saulpw
The OP asked for "best documentaries" and it sounds like in your opinion the best documentaries wouldn't do this. Do you have any content to suggest instead of empty and dismissive commentary?
olddustytrail
AlphaGo. Surprising human and moving considering the subject matter.
beezlebroxxxxxx
Harlan County, USA

Classic documentary about coal miners going on strike in the 70s. Deeply moving images, and incredible soundtrack from local artists. Won an Oscar too.

2OEH8eoCRo0
The World at War - BBC documentary series about WWII. Shows humanity simultaneously at it's best and worst.

The Vietnam War - Ken Burns documentary series. Very balanced and sobering take on the Vietnam war, events leading to the Vietnam war, and unrest in the US during that period.

The Fog of War - Errol Morris doc about Robert McNamara.

The Salt of the Earth - Doc about photographer Sebastião Salgado

Alone in the Wilderness - Dick Proenneke films himself building and living in a remote cabin in Alaska

Also can't go wrong with Adam Curtis.

yotamoron
The fog of war is amazing.
MezzoDelCammin
I'd be more careful when using the word "amazing".

I agree that technically it's well done, but IMO it leaves too much space to McNamara to write his own narrative.

McNamara's role in the escalation of Vietnam War and the U-turn he did in the Senate hearings towards the end of his term as Secretary of Defense is something he IMO never properly tried to reflect upon...

2OEH8eoCRo0
He's still a human being and I think he showed incredible reflection. It is apparent that the events of the past still weigh on him. I came out with more respect than I had going in. The Vietnam war was a tragedy.

For a different view look at the Rumsfeld doc. Rumsfeld doesn't give a single inch but I probably wouldn't either if being asked about a still ongoing conflict.

MezzoDelCammin
Well, comparison to Rumsfeld is just setting the bar too low.

Don't take me as saying that Fog of War is bad or that McNamara is completely missing self reflection. Far from it. On first seeing some 15 years ago I have been impressed as well.

It's only over the years as I kept finding more and more about just how much responsibility for Vietnam does McNamara bear that I found that he's somehow trying to present himself as a technocrat without much in the way of a moral responsibility. Sort of a Nuremberg defense by steering clear of the ethical aspects almost altogether.

Simon_O_Rourke
Any of Ken Burns' documentaries are good, The Civil War and Vietnam being two of the best. Even his take on Prohibition and Baseball are very watchable.
michaelcampbell
I loved the Civil War, and I think the quality of Vietnam was great too, but it made me so angry I had to stop watching it. I am not of an age where I was in danger of going, but I had siblings that were. They luckily did not go.

I liked his Jazz one too.

Simon_O_Rourke
> I loved the Civil War, and I think the quality of Vietnam was great too, but it made me so angry I had to stop watching it.

I'm just curious - what particularly made you angry about it?

My father served in the military, but was posted as a medical orderly to West Germany rather than Vietnam at the time, this was in the early 70's. He tended to some of the wounded guys getting repatriated after getting physical therapy, and said the experience had destroyed far more lives than just KIAs on the battlefield.

michaelcampbell
> what particularly made you angry about it

There were lots of things all pointing to essentially the same issue; the fact "we" (I'm American) _KNEW_ that it was almost certainly unwinnable and kept it going despite all the facts and just kept throwing young people at the problem.

And partially because it was my country doing it. The lack of transparency and outright lying. It's something I need to just get over I guess; it's what gov'ts do.

AndrewOMartin
Sorry to nitpick but The World at War is Thames Television. I think they became ITV.

I also used to think it was BBC because of the quality and dignity of the production, I wouldn't be surprised to hear some people claim this is an example of the Mandela effect.

giantg2
Is that actually Dick building the cabin, or is it a reenactment based on his diary/book?
leobg
He filmed (and narrated) himself, AFAIK.
MezzoDelCammin
I'm really surprised Ken Burns isn't higher in this thread.

Basically anything he made is a gem (though Civil War could use a slight correction these days, mainly because all the work done on the consequences - "Reconstruction" by PBS would probably be a good complement).

asdfqwertzxcv
Just finished Dick Proenneke’s books, which the movie was based on. Such a great read that sounds boring - reading a guy’s journal as he lived alone in Alaska for nearly 30 years - but it felt like a warm blanket each time I’d dip into the books.

Want to note that he didn’t like the documentary. He felt it was too staged and inauthentic and didn’t use his voice as the voiceover. He mentioned that he wouldn’t do it again if asked.

lazyeye
In a similar vein to Dick Proenneke's book, have a read of "An Island to Oneself" by Tom Neale. It's about a guy who lived alone on a remote island in the Pacific. Incredibly calm and peaceful book about living a life completely removed from the endless complications of modern life. It's out of print but pretty sure you can download it as an ebook.
lazyeye
Similar to "Alone in the Wilderness" I recommend a recent doco series "The Last Alaskans". Unlike most recent reality/doco style shows it's not the usual melodramatic, exaggerated rubbish. The characters speak for themselves and its allowed to "breathe". The TV series is inspired by the book "The Final Frontiersman" by Heimo Korth. Heimo is one of the characters in the series.
tobinfekkes
Love seeing Dick Proenneke mentioned here. My grandpa (also named Dick) built a hunting cabin with Proenneke on the adjacent lot.

Both structures are still there at Twin Lakes, and are operated by Alaska State Parks now.

We have some cool photos and stories from that time.

funhatch
The World at War was actually produced by Thames TV for ITV, not the BBC, back in the days when they made documentaries. It’s an excellent series though. Laurence Olivier is a great narrator.
popcalc
Spin (1995) https://youtu.be/Uock08dy19s
nlarion
Excellent film, to me, it perfectly describes the relationship between the corporate media and politicians in the US. That being said, this film is 25+ years old, and while still very relevant (and great) it generally leaves me feeling apathetic.
f1shy
Freedom to choose by Multon Friedman

Black gold saga — a 4 hour documentary about oil, from discovery to the present. It really helps to understand how short sighted were some EU countries with Russian gas.

booleanbetrayal
The Power of Nightmares (BBC / Adam Curtis) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430484/] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK3wz-OyR1U
dayofthedaleks
Adam Curtis is great, but his stuff is better described as commentary. He basically does James Burke's 'Connections' [0] as polemic. Can't get enough personally.

[0] Burke's 'Connections' and 'Day the Universe Changed' are definitely worthy of mention on this post.

DoubleDerper
^^^ Thank you! ^^^ Came here to reccommend Connections by James Burke and glad to see someone else has mentioned it. It's a masterpiece of popular science production made better with the grainy film patina of the 70s and 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XetplHcM7aQ

dzink
I define best as one I’ve been most surprised by with insightful learnings that have helped elsewhere (even if the topic wasn’t initially exciting).

- The Crimson Wing - i don’t suspect you’re into flamingos, I’m not either, by far. Yet this documentary has the most gorgeous cinematography I have every seen in a movie and equally artfully done soundtrack that triggers perfect flow and creative lines of thought/programming any time I listen to it. So watch it not for the content but for the vibe (great if you have kids too).

- The lost pirate kingdom (https://m.imdb.com/title/tt14057360/) Not into pirates either, but this documentary goes into how the democracy of piracy eventually spilled into the US constitution. When the British empire realized they couldn’t pay a navy to dominate the earths oceans, they commissioned mercenaries to do the attacks on Spain for them in exchange for the loot. The mercenaries recruited by giving a equal share to all participants on a ship (equity), which incentivized better than pay as well. They then self organized in cities and eventually migrated to US territory which eventually had its own revolution for independence.

- For All Mankind (not documentary, but alternate history based on more real NASA and JPL situations than any other i’ve seen)

I found these because we watched every documentary about space, nature, and history we could find with the kids so we could “travel” with our minds when we weren’t allowed to do it in person during the pandemic.

ljf
'Bitter Lake' and 'Hypernormalisation' - both by Adam Curtis, and both blew me away.

Loved 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' by Werner Herzog

selimthegrim
Did you see the latter with the 3D glasses?
ljf
No, I didn't know that was an option! Would loved to have, would have been brilliant in a cinema - I just happened to find it one night when my wife was out and I wanted to watch something different. Beautiful - always loved Herzog but sent me on a mission to watch more of his work.