5 brilliant documentaries made for lazy day viewing

Documentaries differ from movies but their premise is similar; they aim to educate, inform, excite and, in some cases, have a life-changing effect on their subjects. They are drenched in realism; each one detailing a significant moment in time or a figure (either ordinary or important) who has been witness to or partaken in extraordinary and shocking events. At the most basic level, they seek to answer the questions so many leave unanswered.

Below are five documentaries that simply must be seen and are perfect for a weekend duvet day:

The Thin Blue Line

This one is important for so many reasons and was my introduction to the brilliant Errol Morris. When he began this project, he was working as a private investigator, and he uses this and the medium of film to review the case of a murdered Dallas policeman and the man who was put on death row for committing the crime. This case isn’t straightforward, and Morris presents the incident through multiple perspectives and possibilities, each dramatised scenario slightly changed to represent the different points of view of witnesses to the crime. It considers the perception of the truth and was a landmark documentary in that the evidence Morris submitted changed everything. A riveting watch. 

My Beautiful Broken Brain

When 34-year-old Lotje Sodderland suffered a life-altering stroke, she decided to document everything. And so the viewer is invited to witness her personal voyage into the complexity, fragility, and wonder of her brain in the aftermath of her recovery. She completely regressed after the trauma; unable to read, write or even perform the simplest of tasks, thrown into a new existence of distorted reality where words held no meaning and where her sensory perception had changed beyond recognition. Along with director Sophie Robinson, stunning visual effects, and the inspiring words of David Lynch, the viewer watches as Lotje struggles, adapts, and adjusts to her new life.

West Of Memphis

This film and its two subsequent documentaries are primarily revered for how they eventually helped to free three innocent men. The case was a horrendous triple homicide involving little boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, and the ensuing trial of the then-teenage suspects is considered a pinnacle achievement in courtroom-focused true-crime documentary reporting. Beginning with an examination into the police investigation into the 1993 murders, filmmaker Amy Berg brings to light new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley. All three were teens at the time and lost 18 years of their lives after being wrongly convicted and imprisoned. The documentation of the story is compelling.

Blackfish

This fascinating documentary examines the life of performing killer whale Tilikum in SeaWorld Orlando, who has caused the deaths of several people while in captivity. It reveals the deception behind the deaths, the extent to which some were willing to go to to ensure SeaWorld profited by harbouring an animal not meant for captivity. Their treatment of Orcas was inhumane; creatures we know have deep family bonds and high intelligence directly taken from their natural habitat and forcefully turned into an object of family entertainment. A must-watch.

The Innocent Man

Your next true crime obsession is here. In a story that gained national attention with John Grisham’s best-selling non-fiction book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, the six-part documentary series The Innocent Man focuses on two murders that shook the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, in the 1980s — and the chain of events that followed. Directed by Clay Tweel,  The Innocent Man includes interviews with victims’ friends and families, Ada residents, attorneys, journalists, and others involved in the cases. Developed as a documentary series by Tweel and Ross Dinerstein, it blends new footage with compelling archival video and photos.