Must see insider documentaries revealing the truth

It’s an old cliché but it still rings true: the truth is stranger than fiction. Maybe that’s why people generally gravitate towards fiction. While audiences generally prefer escapism and films that take them away from the realities of life – as if the last 13 years of the MCU isn’t enough to prove that notion – documentaries have always also held a firm spot with audiences generally. Documentaries have been around for aeons, but with the rise of technology and the availability of online resources, documentaries have gained a much stronger foothold. There’s a general assumption that documentaries are a popular form of entertainment. When you think about it, they really shouldn’t be. The truth is that most documentaries are not very entertaining – often posing an array of questions but never revealing any solid answers. Yet their popularity remains constant and even on the rise, with streaming giants like Netflix taking full advantage of the genre to the point that it now has roughly 36 000 hours of documentary content to offer viewers. With all this in mind, let us now take a look at three must-see documentaries hailed for revealing the truth.

1. The Social Dilemma

It was only a matter of time before social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram received their comeuppance. Those are the big three that The Social Dilemma tackles. Released in 2020, The Social Dilemma explores the manner in which social media creates a climate that nurtures addiction, encourages conspiracy theories, manipulates emotions and behaviours, and all for profit. The film also delves into the extent of social media’s impact on mental health, with particular attention paid to how the need for extra likes creates a dopamine deficit while depression, brought about through social media, affects young people.

2. Fahrenheit 9/11

2004’s Fahrenheit 9/11 is one of the older must-see documentaries, but for anyone wanting a deeper look at America’s war in Iraq and the various intricacies of that war, Michael Moore’s take to this day remains an absolute must-watch. Moore crafts a film that gives audience members a film that isn’t so much a critical analogy of George W. Bush’s presidency, but simply a presidency that on the whole was a dangerous one. Moore’s documentary is a multifaceted one that explores an array of avenues ranging from the media’s influence on Bush’s election to their ties with the Bin Laden family, going on to suggest that the Bush administration never had the interest of the American people at heart.

3. Inside Job

The 2008 US recession remains one of the biggest financial calamities in recent history. This behemoth financial catastrophe didn’t just have an effect on the US, but also on the rest of the world. After all, if the US sneezes, the world gets sick. 2010’s Inside Job was so good, it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Director Charles Ferguson, by examining the latest stock market news at the time, crafts an intricate story going all the way back to the 1980s when under the Reagan administration the markets and financial services were deregulated largely by way of Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the US federal reserve from 1987 up until 2006. Basically, under his tenure, loan companies and banks were given a lot more leeway to gamble with their depositors money. In the end, the Obama administration had to bail out wall Street to the tune of $700 billion and this included stimulus packages to save the American economy, and likely the world at large.