Admittedly, watching documentaries is not the favorite pastime of most moviegoers. Let’s face it, most people will watch a new episode of Fast and Furious or one of a countless number of Superhero films when given a chance.
But documentary films can be extremely powerful, as anyone who has watched a Ken Burns film such as Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, or a Michael Moore film such as Bowling for Columbine.
But the good news is that great and entertaining documentaries are always coming out, although you won’t generally see them at your neighborhood 8-Plex.
Excluding the list of upcoming movie releases, here are the top documentaries to look for this year.
#1. Allen v. Farrow
Both Woody Allen and Mia Farrow are very famous. And almost everyone knows a little
bit about their messy sexual allegations.
After all, the couple split up on decidedly rocky terms, with Woody having a relationship with one of Mia’s adoptive daughters (whom he later married,) and then in 1992 another adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow accused Woody of sexually abusing her.
Allen was investigated but never charged, and the documentary alleges that Woddy used his power to keep the sexual abuse under wraps.
#2. Billie English: The World’s a Little Blurry
This is not simply a pop star documentary about how Billy became a singing sensation but an honest look at how even a pop star can have a life of insecurities, with footage going back to her early family days, and even driving her first car.
Yes, there are clips of Billy performing, as well as a revealing look at her songwriting procedure, something that is intimate to every pop star. But throughout, you get a feeling that at any moment her star could come crashing down and the next thing you know she would be selling coffee as a barista at Starbucks.
Most pop stars never let the public get that close to their personal insecurities, and it’s as if she wanted them to show through as an explanation in case her star burns out bright.
#3. Framing Britney Spears
Everyone knows that Britney Spears is a famous pop star and this documentary covers the rise of Britney Spears from Baby One More Time on. But the documentary concentrates on the river of S**t that women such as MS Spears encounter as a result of her fame.
Framing Britney Spears is essentially an indictment of our paparazzi culture, and how they not only stalk her every move but give her very little breathing room to grow and live.
#4. A Glitch in the Matrix
Everyone of course has seen the Matrix films and their suggestion that we live in a simulated universe.
Here, director Rodney Ascher doesn’t try to prove or disprove the Matrix theory but rather concentrates on the psychological and real-life consequences of those who take the Matrix theory as a reality. Believing wholeheartedly in the Matrix can have real-world consequences for those who adopt the belief, just as other people fall in line to believe a religious cult. The documentary can be a bit chilling, and it is well worth watching for others to question their own beliefs.
#5. The Hidden Life of Trees
Everyone talks about global warming and the deforestation of vast amounts of territory, particularly in the Amazon rainforest. But do people really understand trees, which are vital to our world? Not likely, and director Jörg Adolph follows naturalist Peter Wohlleben as he reveals the hidden side of nature that most people never see.
#6. Murder Among the Mormons
This a documentary about the Mormon Church, a set of deadly pipe bombs that
went off, courtesy of forger Mark Harmon, and vital interest of the Church in obtaining documents that either prove or to bury documents that conflict with the Church’s modern view of history.
Although it is a Crime documentary, it is far more airy in tone than traditional documentaries such as those who document Ted Bundy or Ted Kaczynski,
You can view Murder Among the Mormons on Netflix.
Documentaries to watch for in 2022
There are two very interesting documentaries coming out in 2022 that you should be on the lookout for. The first is an Elvis Presley bio, tentatively scheduled for release in late May of 2022, which features a shaved-headed Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker.
With such big star talent, this is likely to be the documentary of the year for 2022. And although no date is yet set, Judd Apatow, the director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin is scheduled to produce a documentary on the life of the late comedian George Carlin, beloved by millions.
