Quick Doc Recommendations

One of my cinematic goals this year was to watch more documentaries. I had previously dived into this genre years ago and wrote about it here but I have since slid back into fictional habits.

Thankfully I have done well at my goal so far and decided to write up my thoughts on the documentaries I have seen.

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere

Starting off this list with the trend of documentaries making you sad and/or depressed. Louis Theroux is a British documentarian tackling the relevant social culture that has boomed within the last few years called The Manosphere. Theroux began this investigation with the popular influencer HSTikkyTokky before inserting himself with other influencers in the United States. This documentary is less a piece on uncovering the hard hitting questions behind these influencers spouting misogyny and bigotry and more highlighting how these men gained and stay in power by monetizing hate without remorse. Available on Netflix.

Caterpillar

I feel safe to say we had all felt at some point like we’d change something we didn’t like about our bodies. It can commonly be our weight, or cosmetically like our nose being too big or maybe slanted. For this doc’s subject, David, it’s his eyes. He dreamed of changing his eye color hoping it’ll change not only his look but his sense of self. David finds a dubious company that ‘specialize’ in this procedure. He eventually goes and finds friends with similar aspirations on how eye color could change their lives. The procedure felt harrowing and horrific within the safety of my own home. The rest of the documentary is the aftermath of the procedure - What worked, what didn’t, and if David feels like it was worth it. Available on Netflix.

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

A.I. is a plague. Sadly, that’s not what this documentary says. Simply what I believe. Produced by the Daniels (directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once) and directed by Daniel Roher (who won an Oscar for his previous Documentary Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell, The AI Doc explores what A.I. is and its potential with not only ‘experts’ in the field but a couple CEOs of popular A.I. models. As the title suggests this documentary is trying to find the positive side of A.I. Many people refer to this as a mandatory change, the opening of Pandora’s box, so naturally people are trying to figure out how to live with A.I. but this documentary doesn’t tear into the subject nearly enough for my liking. It’s a good overview for your mom or grandmother who has no idea what A.I. is, but the creative endeavor and how A.I. is plagiarizing and taking copywritten work is never mentioned. The fact that everyone refers A.I. as the road to utopia isn’t emphasized enough on how ludicrous that sounds. Available to rent and buy.

Andre is an Idiot

Andre is a vibe. Of course this eccentric symbol of life will make a documentary about dying. After getting his terminal cancer diagnosis, Andre starts making a documentary on his life, how he got there, and then explores how he can make peace with this unimaginable news that blindsided him. It’s a quirky, funny, and hilarious side piece to a tragedy that shows you how much effort it is to be positive about death. Available to rent and buy.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

Baz Luhrmann, director of the 2022 biopic Elvis, comes back to the stage with this encore documentary. Using previously unused footage found in an Archive, this documentary/concert film hybrid is less about finding answers, uncovering character, and more about Elvis’ performance on stage and the energy wafting off his charisma. This is easily the best theatrical experience I’ve had this year. Seeing and hearing Elvis in IMAX felt life changing, and for once in my life I finally understood. Elvis is EPiC. Available to rent and buy.

Grand Theft Hamlet

Two friends during the Covid-19 lockdowns try to be creative in a time of great restraint. Their idea? Cast and put on a play of Hamlet inside the video game Grand Theft Auto. This documentary is an inspiring look at the creative endeavor and unlikely friendships with anonymous people. Anyone who knows about GTA might be familiar with their player base and how difficult it can be to be civil. When they finally finish auditions and start practicing Hamlet, let alone get it going, chaos impedes their ambitions. Multiple times it seems like this experiment was going to crash and burn, but at the end of the day this documentary shows how various strangers over the internet could get together and make art. Available on Mubi.

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

Speaking of goodness through video games, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is an emotional documentary about a World of Warcraft player. Ibelin, the WoW moniker of Mats Steen, was a Norwegian man born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy that make everyday activities difficult, which starts off subtle with falling down a lot until parts of the body stop moving altogether. Eventually, Mats Steen set on video games as his recreation, specifically World of Warcraft. This documentary really shines when it focuses on Ibelin’s life inside World of Warcraft and how he affected his friends. A good portion of the documentary is animated in the style of the game, and gives us a unique look about Ibelin’s digital life. Using game logs to recreate his actual movements and play, this documentary sets an emotional journey on how powerful connecting with someone is. Available on Netflix.