Sometimes we are not in the mood to watch full-length movies and in those cases, documentaries are the way to go for bringing intense and binding stories to us in a rather shorter format. On top of that, you get to learn about your favorite celebrities or about cases that make you question the essence of humanity. In the same tone, here are the 15 best documentaries that you can watch on HBO Max.
1. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
If you know where the line “And I’ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks” comes from, I am impressed by your music taste, and liking of Nirvana and their legendary lead man, Kurt Cobain. Often regarded as the king of grunge rock and roll, Kurt was one of the most influential musicians to walk the earth and his name is still held in high regard. Some albums created by his band Nirvana like Nevermind (1991) and In Utero (1993) are still one the most listened in the world.
In this documentary by Brett Morgen, he brings us the tale of Kurt Cobain’s childhood, his career as one of the most unforgettable musicians in the world, and his untimely demise. He uses footage from Kurt’s archives and tells us the tale of the King of Grunge Rock and Roll.
2. All The Beauty and The Bloodshed
The brilliant mind of Laura Poitras brings us the tale of Nan Goldin, an internationally renowned celebrity and activist who waged a full-on war against the Sackler Family, holding them responsible for the opioid addiction crisis. This story is told through her unfiltered interviews, investigation, and bold photography. This is a rather interesting documentary on HBO Max that will keep you hooked till the very end.
3. 4 Little Girls
4 Little Girls is a documentary of a rather dark day in American history. The documentary takes us back to September 15, 1963. On this day, a 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed by four members of the racist group Ku Klux Klan. The bombing cost the lives of four African American Girls named Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. This documentary tells us the story of this disastrous event.
4. Cameraperson
This documentary is more like a memoir of cinematographer Kirsten Johnson where she brings us a wonderful compilation of footage she shot through the years in pursuit of her career. The documentary does not comment on society, or any socio-political themes but is a simple tribute to the power of a camera. This a rather heartwarming documentary that you can check out.
5. Navalny
This documentary is a winning work that sheds light on the assassination attempt made on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a military-grade nerve agent called Novichok. In August 2020, a plane traveling from Siberia to Moscow made an emergency landing when Alexei Navalny became deathly ill. When the doctors examined him, it was found that he had been poisoned with Novichok. This documentary revolves around his recovery and his team trying to get to the bottom of this attempt on Navalny’s life.
6. Capturing The Friedmans
This documentary on HBO Max takes us to a shocking case that surfaced in the 1980s. It tells us the tale of a typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose entire world was broken into pieces when Professor Arnold Friedman was arrested for possession of child pornography magazines. Not only that, on further investigation it was found that he and his 18-year-old son, Jesse were involved in the molestation of Arnold’s students. This documentary is a shocking and thought-provoking work that makes you wonder how low a person can go.
7. The Truth vs. Alex Jones
The Truth Vs. Alex Jones is a documentary that will make you angry about how ignorant people can be for their personal gains. The Truth vs. Alex Jones brings us the story of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who called the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings to be a hoax. The parents of the children who lost their lives in the shooting sued Alex Jones for it and the documentary revolves around the case which held Alex guilty.
8. All That Breathes
All That Breathes takes us to Delhi, India where two brothers take on the responsibility of saving the lives of a species of bird called the “Black Kite”. With Delhi’s air condition deteriorating and the skies getting infested with smog, Black Kite, a species of bird essential to Delhi’s ecosystem keeps falling from the sky. Two brothers, Salik Rehman, and Mohammad Saud take it upon themselves to save the lives of these birds in the makeshift hospital they created in their basement. One reason to watch this documentary is that it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at Oscars 2023. However, sadly, it could not win.
9. Moonage Daydream
When it comes to creating music history, the name of David Bowie is hard to miss, and this documentary brings us to the life of David Bowie and his musical career and how he became one of the most well-known names in the music industry. What makes this documentary special is that it has been sanctioned by the Bowie estate and brings to light the brilliance of the visionary director Brett Morgen.
10. Hail Satan?
Hail Satan? gives one insight into one of the most controversial religious movements in American History. This documentary gives us an unbiased look into the rise of the Satanic Church or Satanic Temple. The leader of this Church, Lucien Greaves, claims that he and his followers have started this movement to save America’s soul. Among all the controversy and negative reception, how true is this claim made by them? Find out in this documentary.
11. Little Richard: I Am Everything
When talking about rock and roll music, Little Richard’s name is often left out mostly because people are not aware of the part he played in shaping the Rock and Roll we know today. The music created by Little Richard inspired some legendary musicians like Elton John, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Prince. So, if you are a fan of Rock music or music in general, you should watch this documentary to learn about the man who might be behind your favorite musician’s inspiration.
12. Amy
Amy is a documentary revolving around the life of the British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. Created by director Asif Kapadia, this documentary shows us the rise and fall of Amy as a musician and her gradual and deadly spiral into alcohol and drugs. She was found dead at her house in 2011 at the age of 27. This documentary gives us an insight into how big of a name she could have become if she were alive today. The excellence of this documentary is evident by the Oscar it won in 2016 for Best Documentary.
13. Class Action Park
Class Action Park revolves around Action Park in New Jersey which opened in 1980. This park was a total disaster and was created and run by unqualified people. This park was so poorly designed and the rides here were so poorly designed that they claimed the lives of six people between 1980 and 1987. This documentary tells us about all the mismanagement and cover-ups that were made in an attempt to keep the park operational. However, none of them worked out and the park was ultimately shut down.
14. Night and Fog
First released in 1955, only a decade after the conclusion of World War 2, this work by Alain Resnais brought to light the brutalities of The Holocaust. This documentary features actual images and footage from the camps of Auschwitz and Majdanek which are truly graphic and heart-wrenching to look at. This documentary was extremely controversial when it first came out the French censor board was more than supportive of its premiere at Cannes while the German Embassy tried its best to block its premiere. This documentary is more than a short film but a piece of history that needs to be remembered.
15. Mommy Dead and Dearest
Mommy Dead and Dearest is a documentary that will make you question the lines of right and wrong. This documentary brings us the tale of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her boyfriend who pleaded guilty and were charged with the murder of Gypsy’s mom Dee Dee Blanchard. However, the reason for this murder was not money, or anything of that sort but the extremely abusive behavior of Dee Dee Blanchard towards Gypsy which drove her to kill her mom. This documentary takes a deeper look into the case and the trial of Gypsy and her boyfriend.
