Last Updated on September 4, 2024
Like movies, documentaries tell us a compelling story. Documentaries usually open our eyes to hidden truth, or knowledge we’ve neglected paying attention to. What I love most about documentaries, is that I get to learn something new every single time I watch one. Most importantly, I don’t look at watching documentaries as wasting my time. Which brings me to my next point.
I feel like in the age of information it’s hard to focus on the most valuable and important things. Why? Because we are all constantly bombarded with mindless distractions. I’m sure you’ve got some ideas floating in your head about what I mean.
Time is the most valuable commodity. So why not use it wisely?
Today I would like to introduce you to ten incredible documentaries you should watch. I can guarantee that you will be entertained and learn something new. Oh, and you won’t be wasting your time either. Enjoy!
Please Note: If you happen to have Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video, most of the documentaries mentioned in this article can be streamed for free.
BBC Planet Earth
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Released in early 2007, BBC’s Planet Earth is a series of interesting documentaries that cover a world-wide perspective of nature and how Mother Earth creates such beauty and awe. The 11-part series is narrated by David Attenborough and covers every corner of our Earth. This includes each pole, mountains, deserts, jungles, and oceans while showing everything in between.
Having such a comprehensive look at the world around us shows what we could be missing and gives us a global perspective of life, nature, and beauty. It’s incredible to see how large the world really is!
Transcendent Man
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In general, technology has always been an incredible thing to watch. No one has predicted the evolution of technology quite as much as Ray Kurzweil, a futuristic inventor and author who wrote The Singularity is Near.
The documentary follows Kurzweil all around the world as he describes what is next in technology and the future that could very well involve some great companionship between man and machine.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
One of the greatest television documentaries of all time is Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. This thirteen part series originated in 1980, and was able to win an Emmy and a Peabody Award. While it was originally broadcasted on PBS, it was shown in over sixty nations around the globe and over 500 million people have been able to see this amazing series.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage takes you on an adventure to discover the meaning of life and our place in the universe. This documentary is a must see before you die. It goes into so much detail and stays interesting until the very end.
Collapse
Collapse is an American movie that premiered in 2009’s Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary follows Michael Ruppert’s experiences. Ruppert is an ex-police officer for the city of Los Angeles and has been called a conspiracy theorist by critics. He has written books regarding 9/11 and the energy crisis.
Ruppert talks mainly about the economic issues, peak oil, sustainable development, fractional reserves, fiat money, and the collapse of America. He also makes numerous predictions about our future as a society and where we are headed. Even though I didn’t agree with some of his points, the documentary is still very entertaining and thought provoking.
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
In this documentary you’ll get to follow Adam Scorgie as he demystifies the underground market and brings to light how the marijuana industry can function while remaining illegal. By interviewing experts, he tries to explore the cause and effect nature of this gigantic industry. It’s very interesting to see how multiple parties profit more from something that’s illegal, rather than legal. Remind me of the alcohol prohibition…
The Corporation
The Corporation tells the story of modern America and how corporations are formed. The story has a major theme that gives way to American business starting as a legal entity that only belongs to the government to having its very own personality and eventually having all the legal rights as a person. Profit over everything is the motto, and global economic dominance is the goal.
Senna
Aryton Senna was a world-famous motor-racer from Brazil whose life was taken in a tragic accident in a 1994 race. The documentary has no formal commentary, which makes it all the more interesting. Aryton Senna had a rival named Alain Prost who the film does focus on quite a bit. The movie is entirely made from home footage of Senna’s family and old races. Senna’s passion for racing and love of life is deeply elevating.
The Imposter
When a 13 year old Texas boy named Nicholas Barclay went missing in 1994, a world-wide chase began. While he wasn’t found, a French man named Frederic Bourdin, pretended to be the little boy in 1997. The documentary here tells the story of the dramatic turn of events that led to the ‘finding’ of Frederic Bourdin. It tells the sad story about the family and the imposter who took their last hope of finding their son. It’s a must watch!
Grizzly Man
Finding our place in nature can be hard, but it sure wasn’t for Mr. Timothy Treadwell who spent several years of his life living in the Alaskan wild with bears that he loved. While he lived there for thirteen years, he began filming during his last five.
The documentary covers his last five years before he was fatally attacked by a bear. It shows footage that Treadwell filmed and shots of locals, including law enforcement. I must warn you though, it might be boring for some people.
DMT: The Spirit Molecule
This Spirit Molecule is an interesting documentary investigating dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a chemical that has been used for thousands of years by humans. DMT’s scientific, spiritual, and cultural relevance is explored throughout this documentary. Scientists have found that DMT is a natural chemical that exists in our brains, while also being alive in many plants. I don’t want to spoil anything else for you. Be sure to watch it, it’s fascinating.
