Hundreds of documentaries have been made since 1894. The first documentaries didn’t last for more than two minutes. Nowadays, you can find documentaries that are three-hour long. In this article, we discuss the four wildest documentaries you need to check out.
1. Beware the Slenderman (2016)
Two Wisconsin girls made a strange decision in 2014. They tried to kill one of their classmates to please the Slenderman, a boogeyman they met online. Fortunately, the classmate survived. But, the lives of three people changed permanently. Beware the Slenderman is available on HBO. It highlights how urban mythology, mental illness and influence from social media can cause horrific crimes.
2. Crip Camp
Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham directed Crip Camp. The documentary was released on March 25 and it narrated about Camp Jened. It was a large camp located in New York that hosted disabled people from 1950 to 1980. Attendees in Crip Camp advocated for the rights of the disabled in the United States.
Higher Ground produced the documentary and Jim LeBrecht moved to Camp Jened in 1971. By then, Jim was a teenager battling with spina bifida and most of his peers often discriminated against him. But, his life changed in Camp Jened as he interacted freely with other people. The disabled were allowed to party and smoke in the camp. Judy Heumann and other activists started staging protests that resulted in the formation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can watch Crip Camp on Netflix.
Alex Honnold free solo climbs El Capitan’s Freerider in Yosemite National Park. (National Geographic/Jimmy Chin)
3. Free Solo (2018)
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin directed Free Solo. It is one of the best sports documentaries in history. The film surprised the audience when it won the Oscars 2019 Documentary Feature award. It was competing against RBG in the same category. Alex Honnold is known for his athletic achievements. He is a specialist in free soloing that involves climbing sheer rock faces that lack rocks. A slight mistake can result in death.
Free Solo documents Alex’s attempt to climb El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The filming crew hesitates in some instances. The rock climber meets with Sanni while being filmed and they start dating. Free Solo is available on National Geographic.
4. Cheer
Greg Whiteley directed Cheer and it was released on January 8, 2020. Cheer is a six-part docuseries that you can watch on Netflix. Some people might believe that the film is about mean girls. Instead, it features athletes from the Navarro College who fracture their bones and roll ankles after falling from a pyramid.
Cheer focuses on the experiences of the college’s cheerleading team as it advances to the national cheerleading championship. The docuseries shows the emotional pull and intensity of the sport. Also, it displays the tough-love that the coach has for their squad. The team has amazing controlled gymnastics and strength.
The film industry has evolved over the past two centuries. Some companies invest millions of dollars to create thrilling documentaries that will please their subscribers. Nonfiction narratives are suitable for on-demand viewing. Filmmakers make viewers feel intimate by using real-world snippets and familiar existence.