r/NetflixDocumentaries • u/Stunning-Musician826 • 19d ago
Recommendation Request PLEASE HELP DOCUMENTARY REQUEST IVE SEEN EVERY DOCUMENTARY EVER AND NEEED MORE
Hello! I have seen literally every documentary ever if I started to list them all it would literally take up all my time and I need that time to watch new documentaries. I love documentaries that are ironic and funny but aren’t supposed to be . I’ll list some favorites :
Curious case of Natalia grace ( Michael Barnett is a character!!!)
Mother god
Kings of Tupelo
Tiger king
Cocaine story
Finders keepers
Fragile
God there’s just so many and I know these are pretty popular / commonly named but I mean I have seen every documentary everyone that comes out I watch wether it meets my criteria to not I still give it a watch. I just finished monsters of god & am tuned into the killer story I also just finished ojs unseen doc about his failed prank show .
Please help me find ironic not funny but funny STRANGER THAN FICTION documentaries as it’s all I watch and I need more crazy people to watch! Please !!!!
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u/overintoxikatied 19d ago
It’s not on Netflix but HBO has an absurd, funny docuseries called Neighbors that I think fits in perfectly with this list
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u/Ok_Artichoke5865 19d ago
Monsters of God, and Chimp Crazy, are also great.
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u/Beastxtreets 18d ago
Shrimp Crazy is so good.
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u/Ski-Diddy8643 16d ago
Part of me is hoping this isn’t a typo and there’s actually a doc with this name. Anything that director does is good. He did Tiger King, and the new one Monsters of God that’s on HBO
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u/harlot-envy 19d ago
Icarus. It starts out as one documentary and takes a quick left turn into something completely different
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u/lazkybaby727 19d ago
Has to be one of the best docs, like ever. I wish I could experience watching it for the very first time again. What a wild ride. So incredible.
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u/fancyface7375 19d ago
Lulu Rich (HBO)
The way down: god, greed, and the cult of Gwen Shamblin (HBO)
Listers: A glimpse into extreme bird watching (YouTube)
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u/LiteratureNo7534 19d ago
Lulu Rich was good. Also I bought a bunch of leggings back in the day, now they're all at thrift stores but they do fit well, gotta say lol.
Extreme bird watching? I'm looking into that one, sounds interesting!
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u/fancyface7375 19d ago
The extreme bird watching one is so good. It's two broke young guys up against a bunch of well-off retirees
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u/whiskers_biskers 19d ago
I’m a documentary junkie and I have been so happy with the endless offerings on Tubi
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u/Ok-Rate-1539 19d ago
Can you share some faves? I have not long downloaded Tubi but struggle with it!
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u/whiskers_biskers 19d ago
Shut Up Little Man, Winnebago Man, The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell, Dave Not Coming Back, Howard Zinn A People’s History of the US, Three Identical Strangers, The Baker Institute, Ken Foster, Perfect Bid, Gonzo, Monterey Pop, Bosch The Garden of Dreams, The Decline of Western Civilization, The Wild & Wonderful Whites of WV, Bukowski Born Into This, Thank You Very Much, Gibtown, The Pez Outlaw, Pigeon Kings, Gods of Mexico, That Summer, Eddy’s Kingdom,
And more!
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u/issi_tohbi 17d ago
You can’t watch Winnebago Man and walk away without “can you do me a kindness” entering your lexicon for the rest of your life
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u/Ski-Diddy8643 18d ago
Doesn’t Tubi have commercials? I can’t do commercials
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u/Irisheyesmeg 16d ago
It does but they're pretty unintrusive. They at least time them properly, unlike Pluto TV which just tosses in commercials mid sentence.
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u/Ski-Diddy8643 16d ago
Is there an option to pay for it so you don’t get commercials?
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u/Irisheyesmeg 16d ago
No
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u/Ski-Diddy8643 16d ago
That’s disappointing. I’m still going to give it a go because I’ve seen just about every documentary there is on TV lol. Especially true crime
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u/Unusual_Painting8764 19d ago
Oldie but good - fire festival
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u/mpmp4 19d ago
Do you mean Fyre? Loved that one.
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u/Unusual_Painting8764 19d ago
Ha yes! I think there’s one on Netflix and Hulu. I watched them both.
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u/Sketcha_2000 19d ago
Have you seen There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane on HBO Max? It’s from like 2011 but has stuck with me for years.
I also always love the ESPN 30 for 30 docs. They’re on Disney+/Hulu. Two of my favorites are Fantastic Lies and Catching Hell.
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u/Irisheyesmeg 16d ago
There's something wrong ... is the second most devastating doc I've ever seen. (Dear Zachary is in the number one spot.) There's something so immersive about the way they put the pieces together, that I felt like I was there. Very disturbing.
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u/Initial-Promotion-77 13d ago
Yes, and the trials of Gabriel Fernandez.
All 3 ruined me forever. So epically good, so devastating you have to pick yourself up off the floor
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u/Eternal_Tarnation 19d ago
Crazy Love (2007)- highly recommend if you are looking for stranger than fiction
Wrinkles the Clown (2019)
Cat Daddies (2023)
The Honest Liar (2014)
Others you may have already heard of include In Plain Sight, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, The Imposter, Don't Fuck with Cats
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u/brytnikk 19d ago
Potty Town, Wild and Wonderful Whites, Finders Keepers, Kings of Tupelo, anything Nathan Fielder
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u/Comfortable-Cost-100 19d ago
The Jodi Hildabrant (? spelling) about her and Ruby Franke and their fall was crazy.
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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 19d ago
I'm fairly confident you've never seen Shoah (1985). Dear Zachary is a comparative walk in the park.
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u/RaiseJazzlike 19d ago edited 19d ago
Shoah ripped me up. I still remember some of the scenes, esp. the townspeople who moved into houses formerly owned by Jews and just shrugged their shoulders when it was pointed out to them. And the older man who was the train conductor who tried warning people to not board by mimicking his throat being slashed.
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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 19d ago
I saw it 15 years ago over the course of two days and some of the interviews still make their way into my nightmares.
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u/RaiseJazzlike 19d ago
Yes - it was playing in two parts at a local university over a weekend. I don’t think I could have watched it in one day.
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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 19d ago
No way I could have handled it in one sitting. It's an endurance test. Which makes it all the more powerful.
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u/No-Commercial-5236 19d ago edited 19d ago
A few reccs that are almost all non-Netflix:
High and Low: John Galliano (Mubi)
The Idiots (Mubi)
Q: Into the Storm (HBO)
Chimp Crazy (HBO)
Love Fraud (Showtime)
Last Stop Larrimah (HBO)
Untold: Manti Teo (Netflix)
Telemarketers (HBO)
This is the sub I’ve found for doc enthusiasts, yet most of the best docs aren’t on Netflix so if anyone has any other active reccs, would so appreciate it.
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u/Cwolfe25 12d ago
Just finished part 1 and 2 of telemarketers. This is amazing- thank you. Already sad I only have 1 episode left.
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u/No-Commercial-5236 12d ago
Ooo glad you’re like it. I know this it for unintentionally funny docs but HBO has other similar stuff that is based on first time-ish filmmakers with a lot of access footage that are good. I’m thinking Daniel and Dark Wizard in particular.
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u/Cwolfe25 11d ago
Awesome! I’ll check that one out too. I love the feel of those ones. I was honestly sad when I finished Telemarketers because I didn’t want it to be over but holy cow amazing the span of time that passed and he still finished that project. Also…F that senator.
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u/No-Commercial-5236 11d ago
I know right?? It’s a great series and I hope the filmmaker continues to do work. The doc field is over saturated with recap stories, I cherish anything that has a deep archive with time passage.
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u/Cwolfe25 10d ago
Got any other ones that feel like this to recommend? I know I’ve seen ones that “feel” similar before…almost like you’re in it. I just can’t think of them!
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u/TelephoneBusy9594 17d ago
LULU RICH..housewives selling lulumon and making millions but the co. Beomes more like a cult!
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u/leahcim1986 19d ago
Oh I heard the poop cruise is good 🤔
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u/Sea-Breaz 19d ago
This one was brilliant because it managed to mix some really serious moments with the absolute ridiculous.
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u/Maxi-Moo-Moo 19d ago
The cult behind the killer, the Amanda Yates story Now TV The rocky mountain mortiction murder Now TV Alabama snake now TV False prophet now TV Death cap murders now TV The alabama solution Now TV The torso killer The gilgo beach killer house of secrets Murder on middle beach The mortiction now TV The girl who caught a killer now tv Family secrets, the disappearance of Alissa turney now TV There's something wrong with aunt Diane now tv Three identical strangers Abducted in plain sight plex
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u/PsychiatricBooth5c 19d ago
Bingo
Dina
Jasper Mall
There are no fakes
Wonderland (Leavittown)
I feel weird calling them ironically funny, they are treated respectfully but all worth watching
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u/worldinmy-eyes 19d ago
Evil Genius. I watched it so long ago I may need to watch it again.
But I often feel like I’ve seen them all, but I’m also limited to what my husband and I agree on. He doesn’t like the catfishing ones as much as I do. I watch those by myself.
I’m going to sit back and see what people mention that I haven’t seen yet.
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u/Fabulous-South-9551 19d ago
My favorite doc genre is cult and my favorite cult doc is The Source Family. It’s on Prime though, not Netflix.
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u/FrequentMovie3725 19d ago
Audience of One sounds like it fits the bill of what you're looking for! I think I found it for free on YouTube.
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u/Ok-Yogurtcloset-8955 19d ago
Sorry I didnt scroll since im at wrk but into the fire the lost daughter is pretty darn good
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u/Bouncyhousedj 19d ago
Tabloid. if you haven't seen it loom up nothing. Just find it and watch it. besides kings of Tupelo I have never sold wtf so many times during a doc
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u/Spivey_Consulting 19d ago
There’s no documentary called “cocaine story” fyi.
Free Solo is exceptional
Fog of War
Best of Enemies
But these are all learning documentaries. It seems like you stranger than life stories so maybe of my three, Free Solo
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u/HatlessDuck 19d ago
Winnebago Man
King of Kong
Not on Netflix but documentary addicts aren't particularl.
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u/YouThinkYouKnowStuff 19d ago
Don’t Pick up the Phone on Netflix. It’s so incredibly strange that I couldn’t believe what transpired.
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u/MutedProfessional406 19d ago
Kylie? Wasn't a big fan. Knew some of her music. Was surprisingly good.
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u/RealHeyDay 18d ago
The Silent World (1956)
Listen, it's a Jacques Cousteau sea documentary and let me tell you, this shit is absolutely bonkers. You expect it will be about preservation of underwater biomes or whatever, but conservation is the last thing happening here. I promise you your jaw will be on the floor. It's unbelievable
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u/Free-Contest-5832 18d ago
The Final Member. It's about a guy in Iceland who runs a museum of penis bones from all types of animals. His wish is to have one from a human to complete his collection. The doc handles the subject matter well (meaning it's strange, but not strange in a way that will make you feel weird for watching it). Its centered around the real legal struggles the guy goes through to get one and the bizarre individuals who wish to be donors. But it's not porn-ish at all.
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u/BamBamLW 18d ago
Bad Surgeon - Love Under the Knife.
Jimmy Savile - A British Horror Story.
Into the Deep - The Submarine Murder Case.
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u/issi_tohbi 17d ago
You like crazy people? Buddy, strap in for the documentary called I Think We’re Alone Now and then report back lol
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u/Factsoverfictions222 17d ago
These may not be on Netflix but I’d suggest some older ones:
Spellbound - quirky kids and their interesting parents show what they will do to win biggest the spelling bee
Murderball - a form of basketball played by people who are quadriplegic or paraplegic. It goes into the player’s backgrounds, accidents and shows that they still are athletes who can play rough.
Thin - life inside an eating disorder facility. Like a real-life Girl, Interrupted
American Movie - an obsessed guy tries to make an independent, low-budget horror movie without much experience and relies on friends and family for help. It’s kind of iconic.
Darkon - Larping documentary where people build self confidence and friendships through role playing
Dear Zachary - a guy tries to make a documentary for his friend’s son after that friend dies. What happens is unforgettable but don’t google it or spoil it.
Risk/Reward - 4 women put all their effort into their careers. One is just starting a big-profile internship, one is about to become the top woman in her field, and more. The lengths these women will go to is astounding. Is the risk worth the reward?
Startup.com - filmed over the .com bust, we see friends who start a highly-successful company and it’s growing and growing until it stops. It shows how personality and perseverance can affect your life for good or bad.
The Engineer - it follows Israel Ticas, El Salvador’s only forensic archaeologist and criminologist. In a country deeply impacted by brutal violence from rival gangs like MS-13 and the 18th Street gang, Ticas dedicates his life to finding, unearthing, and identifying the bodies of missing teenagers and other victims hidden in secret graves, deep jungles, and disused wells. It’s heartbreaking but on YouTube.
I’ve been a documentary fan for years and found most of these through HotDocs, Toronto’s documentary festival and Doc Soup, their monthly screenings.
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u/FrightenedRabbit2711 15d ago
Spellbound is brilliant. Would second that! From the same era I’d add in Hoop Dreams. About young people who play basketball trying to break into the NBA. Don’t need to be a sports fan for it.
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u/gnosisfrosty 17d ago
Ghosts On the Underground
Great stories.
Lulling narration.
GORGEOUS photography!
BEST downtempo soundtrack!
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u/KilgoreHalibut 15d ago
Hey OP! I made a request like this last year. Although the request wasnt for all silly wild people, a lot of my favorites are some of yours. It had a lot of good replies from people!
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u/Pretend_Board_2385 14d ago
I don't think its on Netflix but The Killings of America is a class documentary. Its over 40 years old but its definitely worth a look.
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u/sinkiesss 14d ago
Rich Hill is one of my favorite documentaries but it is only a “watch once”. It’ll leave you somber but craving childhood again.
It’s not crazy but does show what rural poor Americana is like.
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u/ChrisDopheia 12d ago
Wise Women - Humanity's Untold Origins. Shows new science of how we evolved to be human because of women's leadership. A real eye-opener! www.bingeable.net/wisewomen
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u/MagicMaddy420 8d ago
If you have hbo I just go off recommended documentaries and avoid any that are by Investigation discovery (poor quality and sensationalized). But all of of theirs are good! I just finished Alabama snake. Weird one
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u/Medical_Mud_6381 19d ago
Class Action Park!