7 of the best recent documentaries not to be missed

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

There are no reflections and long discussions in the documentaries, but there are the most accurate and ruthless facts, supported by a lot of materials. In this case, the viewer does not have to rely on the opinion of the director or screenwriter, he needs to think and draw conclusions himself. In our today's review - the best documentaries of recent times, which undoubtedly deserve attention.

Once upon a time … Tarantino

The film by director, screenwriter and producer Tara Wood invites the viewer to take a journey into the mysterious and seemingly incomprehensible world of Quentin Tarantino. In it, you can get acquainted with the life of a talented director and actor, and perhaps understand why his films turn out exactly like that. Tarantino's path to success was not strewn with rose petals, he knows exactly what a lack of money and problems that you yourself are not able to solve. However, while watching the film, the viewer will find many surprises, unexpected turns and discoveries, and the picture itself may seem more exciting than any feature film.

Grey Cardinal

Lauren Greenfield's film, which is based on a long interview with the former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, tells not only about the life of the ruling family. It's more about what corruption can lead to at the highest levels. Against the background of 1000 pairs of shoes of the wife of President Ferdinand Marcos left in the palace after the coup in 1986, one can see the degree of poverty the country has reached during the reign of the family. Imelda Marcos herself did not stand aside from social and political activities. She was a minister and deputy, and after the death of her husband she was elected to the House of Representatives three more times. Nevertheless, the entire film and interviews with the former first lady in their entirety show a picture of complete indifference to the fate of the country in general and ordinary people in particular.

American Factory

The tape by Stephen Bognard and Julia Reichert was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. The film, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary, tells the story of a car factory in Ohio, which was closed back in 2008 due to the crisis. The closure of, in fact, the backbone enterprise led two thousand people to the loss of their jobs and, accordingly, to the collapse of the hopes of the families of employees. However, the film also shows the era of the revival of the old factory. In 2014, a new owner came to the factory - a Chinese billionaire, but his appearance and attempts to launch the enterprise did not immediately resonate. It seemed humiliating to some to obey the Chinese, but time put everything in its place. People of different nationalities and cultures learned to listen and hear each other day after day and even managed to make friends. In general, the film turned out to be very life-affirming and even funny.

McMillions

The world premiere of the documentary series took place on February 3, 2020, but viewers have already been able to fully appreciate the incredible story told by James Lee Hernandez and Brian David Lazarte. In general, this documentary is somewhat reminiscent of a comedy, the scale of the scam, as a result of which millions of dollars were stolen from McDonald's under the direct leadership of the head of the security service Jerry Jacobson, seems too incredible. By the time the fraudster was arrested in 2001, he and his accomplices had managed to steal about $ 24 million.

Miss Americana

Lana Wilson's film is dedicated to the life and work of the singer Taylor Swift. The picture turned out to be extremely touching and fascinating. This is not only about the personality of the performer, but also about the attitude that has been formed in society over the years towards women in show business, about the need to defend every victory and their right to freedom from sexual harassment. For the first time, Taylor Swift decided on such a frank conversation about herself and it turned out to be actually very interesting, and sometimes taking an unexpected turn.

Diego Maradona

The British film by Asif Kapadia about the great football player shows, for the most part, Diego Maradona's meteoric rise to fame, and tells less about his football talent. It is about that period in Maradona's life, about which it is not customary to speak loudly. When the footballer played for Napoli, he was connected with the Neapolitan mafia and drugs, he used cocaine and was a regular at nightclubs, refused to recognize his own son, born out of wedlock, and actually put an end to his career with his own hand. Surprisingly, the director managed to simply show his hero, without enduring negative assessments and without urging the viewer to condemn. On the contrary, the leitmotif of the picture is the recognition that every person has the right to make a mistake.

Pharmacist

Jenner Furst and Julia Nason's documentary series, released in February 2020, is about a desperate father who lost his son in a 1999 drug dealer shootout. Can a simple pharmacist from Louisiana, who could not come to terms with the death of the dearest person, resist a whole system of pharmaceutical corporations, mired in corruption and making money out of human misfortune? At the center is not only the tragedy of the little man, but also the real ability of an ordinary citizen to change something not at the local, but at the national level. The show cannot be called too intense, but it turned out to be very emotional.

Some people are convinced that documentaries are not for everyone, and some consider such films to be downright boring pastime. We offer you to get acquainted with films that refute this opinion. After all, each of these pictures is in no way inferior to a bright and interesting feature film.