By Karen Phan
“Stranger Things,” “You,” “13 Reasons Why,” “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “The Great British Baking Show,” “Big Mouth.”
Netflix has plenty of popular Originals to keep you entertained on three-day-long binge-watching sessions, but the streaming service giant also has its fair share of powerful documentaries that are worth three bedtime episodes of “Orange Is the New Black.” Here’s a painfully short list of documentaries on Netflix that you must watch.
“Audrie & Daisy”
“Audrie & Daisy” is frustrating. Audrie and Daisy’s narratives are bound to disturb you as they explore sensitive topics: sexual assault, consent, victim-blaming and bullying. The most compelling part of this documentary is the interviews with two boys who sexually assaulted Audrie. As you listen to the boys reflect on their actions and Audrie’s suicide, paired with the cyberbullying that Daisy faced when she pressed charges against her rapist, major commentary on the “boys will be boys” culture emerges; “Audrie and Daisy” highlights the extent our society goes to repeatedly protect the perpetrators of sexual assault rather than the victims themselves, and why such monsters often don’t understand why their actions were wrong.
“Newtown”
Although “Newtown” isn’t produced by Netflix, it’s a wrenching documentary worth watching. The film delves into the lives of those affected by a school shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. “Newtown” doesn’t focus on the shooter and his motives. Instead, it draws you in with its grief and forces you to feel devastated and horrified by the tragedy that forever changed the lives of its residents. A critic for The Atlantic wrote that the documentary “feels like the closest thing to a tribute audiences can pay to the children and adults who died, and the town that continues to grieve them.” “Newtown” also underscores the threat that guns pose to civilians and potentially deadly consequences, a message that is more important than ever in this day and age.
“Our Planet”
“Our Planet” doesn’t just capture the beauty of Earth. It simultaneously disturbs viewers, makes us feel guilty and prompts us to take action unlike any other natural-history series, wrote science writer Ed Yong for The Atlantic. Be prepared to be dazzled by the amazing feats of nature, but also be sure to brace yourself for profound and enlightening commentary on destructive human activities that we contribute to without realizing it. “Our Planet” is a true wakeup call, and its messages and urgency on conservation are of paramount importance.
“The Confession Tapes”
Why would you confess to a crime you didn’t commit? Directed by journalist and documentarian Kelly Loudenberg, “The Confession Tapes” is a chilling true-crime documentary that analyzes murder cases involving false confessions. Each episode breaks down a case with real audio and video footage. It also includes interviews with lawyers, law enforcement, various experts, suspects themselves and more. As one reviewer wrote on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Confession Tapes” will make you “re-examine a subject [you] thought [you] knew” with its unraveling of outrageous cases that leave you going to bed unsettled.
