10 Best Netflix Documentaries If You Crave Thrilling Real-Life Stories
Are you in for new discoveries?
It was the era of streaming services that contributed to the new golden age of documentaries: both the money for production and the platforms for promotion were provided by streaming giants like Netflix.
This prompted a surge in documentaries that otherwise would not have found their way to the screen.
Powerful suspense, fantastic stories, original concepts and inventive visuals – these are the hallmarks of Netflix's documentary projects.
1. The Mind, Explained
This show can be watched in one sitting – 20-minute episodes cover everything from the origin of diamonds and the DNA structure to the history of K-pop culture and the secrets of the human mind.
Add a pinch of humor, interesting little-known facts, and concise infographics to fascinating subjects, and you have one of Netflix's best educational projects.
2. The Tinder Swindler
The documentary was released on Netflix in 2022 and immediately gained popularity. Director Felicity Morris managed to tell an interesting story without falling into moralizing: the women themselves admit that they behaved too frivolously.
The story revolves around a womanizer pretending to be rich on dating apps and tricking women into trusting him. Gradually, he moved on to discussing business plans and swindling victims out of large sums of money.
3. Diagnosis
If you ever couldn't stop watching House M. D. or Grey'Anatomy, then Diagnosis is for you. This interactive medical mystery is based on a New York Times column by therapist Lisa Sanders, who advised the creators of the show about Dr. House.
In the documentary, Lisa described difficult cases from her practice and patients who no one could diagnose. In each episode of the show, Lisa turns to viewers for help in solving the mystery of unexplained illness.
4. Abstract: The Art of Design
Nike sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield, Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, and logo creator Ian Spalter are just a few of the design and art geniuses who appear in the show. All of these talented people with unique perspectives talk about the future of global design and how it affects our lives.
In each episode, the characters use their own personal visual language, such as communicating with the viewer through sketches or tricking perception with optical illusions.
5. Babies
The creators of this project are convinced that children are much more complex and interesting than we used to think.
To understand how a tiny creature can grow into a complex and multifaceted personality, scientists followed 15 children for a year, from the moment they were born until their first birthday. They attached sensors to them and conducted hundreds of tests.
6. The Movies That Made Us
Want to know how the McCallister house from Home Alone was built, where Die Hard was actually filmed, and why Dirty Dancing stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey hated each other? Then be sure to check out this nostalgic show about the making of '90s movie hits.
In fact, almost all of our favorite movies have fascinating creation stories that involve a series of obstacles, a dose of chance, and boundless human ingenuity.
7. Night on Earth
Netflix is known for its passion for cutting-edge technology. This time, the platform has released a mesmerizing wildlife miniseries shot in 4K Dolby Vision.
Thanks to highly sensitive night cameras, we can observe the lives of nocturnal animals for the first time, and find out what happens in savannah forests and jungles when the sun disappears below the horizon.
8. High Score
A six-episode miniseries about the history of video games from the 70s to the 90s, featuring the voice of Charles Martinet, who voiced Mario and Luigi.
Watching the show, viewers will learn how video games migrated to consoles and later to computers, how Sega waged a war against Nintendo, and how the first RPGs, fighting games, and online games appeared.
9. Donʼt F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
You'll probably want to hit pause and go outside for some fresh air, but this gritty crime series about the fight for justice is definitely worth checking out.
The plot revolves around a group of concerned people trying to determine the identity of a man who is posting horribly violent videos online. In the first video he kills animals, and after a while, he films a brutal murder of a man. An amateur investigation turns into a global, international search for the madman, who is eventually found and sentenced to life in prison.
10. Icarus
Bryan Fogel is an amateur cyclist. After learning that his idol, Lance Armstrong, has been caught on using doping, Fogel embarks on his own investigation. He sets out to uncover the truth and expose a world of lies.
Intense and gripping, Icarus won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It shows the mind of a fan who is obsessed with a star.