10 Docs to Get Into Documentaries

One aspect about my current self that I would have laughed at in High School if you had told me is how my love of documentaries has grown over my college and adult years. What I once thought was a snoozefest turned out to be a gripping genre with a gem behind every corner. Documentaries are limitless and can cover everything. Each doc will feel different and refreshing as it tackles different topics, filmmaking styles, and whatnots. However, documentaries are also really difficult to get into for many people.

A few years ago I posted Where to Start with Documentaries? which is still a good guide, but since then I've come across so many more documentaries and ones that are easier to get into. So, as an updated list (in no particular order) I'll be talking about ten wildly different documentaries for all purposes. Now without further adieu...

10. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

A more recent documentary that relates to many Americans. It takes a look at Mr. Rogers and his TV show. More of a love letter than a nitty gritty look at the man, but it'll leave you sobbing by the end of it regardless of your relationship with the most kind hearted man who ever lived. Pretty standard doc style, but a good way to dip your toe into the world of nonfiction with someone relatable.

9. Lucha Mexico

An incredible look at the wrestling scene in Mexico. You don't need to know a lick of wrestling lingo, or basics, to enjoy this story. It covers everything you need to know from how Lucha is part of the culture, how honorable wearing a mask is, and it even covers the bloodier side of wrestling where you can get seriously hurt. The filmmaker's love for this sport oozes off the screen and you'll feel like you're watching a classic sports movie. Heck, maybe you'll get into Lucha too after watching this.

8. Filmworker

This should be essential viewing for all cinephiles. Stanley Kubrick is a legendary filmmaker whose work is experienced by everybody at some point in their lives, but what Filmworker illuminates is a certain special someone who's been with and helped Stanley in crucial roles behind the scene of his later career. This someone is Leon Vitali. After working with Kubrick as an actor on Barry Lyndon he decided to help the director achieve his goals in his oncoming projects. What that means is that this documentary recounts, in gripping interviews, Vitali's life as he starts to learn nearly every job in filmmaking in order for him to help Kubrick achieve his dream. It's a fascinating look at a remarkable person whose fount of stories and experiences are priceless.

7. Cave of Forgotten Dreams

How could I have a list of documentaries without a little Herzog? This documentary allows the public to take a peak into a cave located in southern France that had been closed off for thousands of years. Inside were cave paintings dating back 32,000 years ago that look pristine today. Being sealed for such a long time the cave had captured many things in unbelievable condition including footprints. Having only a few days, and a few hours in those days, to capture the cave Herzog brings to life something that can only spark your imagination as you're taken for one of the most interesting history lessons you'll ever have.

6. AlphaGo

One ancient board game that is still played heavily today that Americans most likely have no idea exists, let alone know how to play, is Go. Go is a game that is both fairly easy to grasp, and yet undoubtedly complex when you see how competitive it is. Strategy for it is intense and one team made it their mission to create an artificial intelligence that could not only play the game, but be able to formulate strategies and beat humans. And so, this documentary takes a look at AlphaGo rise to fame as it challenges masters of Go and captures the attention of the world. Like Lucha Mexico you don't need to know anything about Go, because the story is about AI and its relation to man battling each other from a board game.

5. Faces Places

This is one of the most relaxing documentaries I have every watched. It's filled with positive energy and relaxing vistas as the documentarians themselves take viewers on their road trip. Agnès Varda, French New Wave revolutionary, and photographer artist JR travel across small villages to capture and print out ginormous photographs that they then paste onto buildings, water towers, or anything that has a semi-flat surface. It's a journey, road trip, reflecting piece of cinema that soothes the soul. A must watch for everyone.

4. The Biggest Little Farm

This needs to be seen by all 8th grade biology classes. It's a perfect look at an ecosystem learning to work together, and a fun journey of non-farmers starting over with their lives and jumping into the deep end of life. It's funny, it's disgusting, it's sweet, and most importantly it's educational. Not just for school classes, but it says a lot about how we treat our environment today.

3. Diving into the Unknown

This is a crazy one. It follows Finnish divers as they dive through a cave system in Norway. Unfortunately this story leads to tragedy as two of the divers get stuck and die. When the authorities are called in they decide to leave the bodies down in the cave because it was deemed too dangerous to go down and retrieve them. Not having any of that nonsense the group of friends band together and start their own secret operation of retrieving their friend's bodies. With cam helmets this doc is put together in stunning fashion, and the claustrophobic nature of cave diving and the true story will leave you on the edge of your seat and most likely tears in your eyes.

2. Tickled

This is one of the reasons I love documentaries. It's the WTF of it all as some of them capture an oddity that turns into something much bigger and possibly sinister. Tickled is a film about an underground "sport" of tickling competitions. These competitions would be recorded and always involved men. These men would be tied up, usually undressed, and tickled. The investigation turns darker as death threats start being flung at the documentarians and the person behind all of this has had a dubious past. Probably one of the more "what did I just watch" type of intro documentaries you can find.

1. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Do not, and I repeat, do not watching this on an empty stomach. This doc takes a look at Jiro, a master sushi chef in Japan, as it documents his life and experience at crafting this dish. It goes into his apprentices and how many years it takes to complete only a fraction of the training. It shows the Japanese work ethic and illuminates a part of their culture for western viewers as you're just amazed and blown away at the dedication and skill that is put on display. This will most easily be a repeated viewing for most watchers.

I hope that these choices have been of interest to you and possibly inspired you to seek out documentaries. Each of these choices I'm more than happy to watch again and like any good documentary it's something that I felt I learned from, has taught me culture, and is a story that I feel like I could go back to again and again. Well, those were my picks, but I want to hear from you. What are some of your favorite documentaries that you'd choose to show someone who isn't interested in them?