Best Documentaries on Netflix
Interestingly, the trend towards documentaries has changed a lot since the 1990s. When I was a kid, Discovery, Animal Planet, History Channel, were all an information-lover needed. That is nowhere near the case now. People prefer their documentaries dramatized like movies. This has led to a new trend of movie-documentaries which are basically usual non-fictional films with documentary-like expert comments appearing after short intervals. Netflix is leading with these kinds of films and has made some really good documentaries. Here is the list of the best documentaries on Netflix:
1] Roman Empire
Roman Empire was the first major prosperous empire across western civilization. However, neither was it built in a day, nor were successions, annexations, divisions, and exchange of power within the empire so simple. The Roman Empire is a complex story and that is what makes understanding it so fun. To add a cherry to the cake, Netflix’s documentary on the Roman Empire has dramatized the story while keeping it as real as possible.
2] The Last Czars
The story of the Czars couldn’t have been depicted more accurately than the way Netflix did it. Perhaps books never explained the emotions of the Czar and his family and their reasons for making bad choices as much as this film does, thus making it a must-watch. The Czar wasn’t a bad person by heart, nowhere near the tyrant history tells him to be. However, his decisions were influenced by the immature Czarina (his wife) who in turn was under the vicious influence of Rasputin.
3] Hitler’s Circle of Evil
World War 2, Hitler’s life, the concentration camps, and that era of military industrialization have been hot topics for documentary makers. However, no one else has presented the story of Hitler’s rise and fall better Netflix’s documentary Hitler’s Circle of Evil. This is the story right from the story makers. As those who survived the World War tell what happened, people shall learn the plan, the execution, the mistakes Hitler made in that era.
4] Rise of Empires: Ottoman
The fall of Constantinople has been a major event in history. The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire had stood firm against Islamization for ages, till Mehmed the Conqueror invaded and won against Constantine XI, thus changing Constantinople to Istanbul. However, this mighty task wasn’t easy and many had failed in it including Mehmed’s own father. So, what prompted Mehmed to take this task? How did he win against the greatest empire in history?
5] Women at War (series of films)
While a lot of documentaries have been made over the World Wars, the Women at War series of films is a clear exception. These documentaries explain the little acknowledged but very important role of women in the World Wars. They were more than mere nurses and phone exchange handlers. Women were the moral support leaders needed while the men were too busy at the fronts. Perhaps, the soldiers would sustain a day without the efforts of these ladies.
6] Dancing with the birds
Nature is astounding. It is way beyond what we can imagine while lazing on our couch in a crowded city. Dancing with the birds is a beautiful documentary of migrating birds, their colors, their mating cycles, their migration cycles, etc. If you are fascinated by nature, this documentary would be a very pleasant one for you. So if you wish to dance with the birds, go through the documentary on Netflix.
7] Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox might seem another crime thriller, except that this investigation was the basis of many similar ones to come. The Amanda Knox case investigations were pretty popular in the Italian media, but everyone was confused over the real events behind the ever-changing story. One eventful day in 2007, Meredith Kercher, a British student was found murdered in her apartment in Italy. Her roommate Amanda Knox spun a false story of her murder. However, the truth was established otherwise. Know the story by watching it on Netflix.
8] Captive
As we live our comfortable lives, we can never imagine what getting stuck in a hostage situation would be like. The Netflix documentary Captive is a series on kidnappings and hijacks across the globe and how respective governments negotiated the escape of the prisoners. This documentary is an in-depth analysis of the psychology of hostages and the responses of those responsible for their release.
9] Secrets of Great Britain’s Castles
Castles have been made famous by fairy tales, but these Christian palace-forts weren’t just in books. Great Britain is a mix of cultures and that reflects in the variety of architecture in its castles. Castles is an extensive series on Netflix in which historian Dan Brown takes you to the most magnificent castles in Great Britain. Don’t miss it.
10] Genius of the Modern World
Historian Bettany Hughes understood and appreciated the works of men who shaped modern history. She went on to share the biographies of these people through her documentary series Genius of the Modern World. To begin with, she has covered the lives and works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud. Don’t be disappointed by merely three episodes, there are more to come. Your recommendations?
