Top 10 Controversial Documentaries
We teamed up with the brilliant Pandemic Film Club (@pandemicfilmclub) to bring you our first ever Top Docs, ten of the most controversial documentaries out there.
These are documentaries that spark conversation, debate and sometimes even conflict. They strive to expose taboo subjects and challenge their audience’s preconceptions.
The following picks do that in abundance and are guaranteed to rock your world.
Leaving Neverland by Dan Reed
picked by Doc Weekly
Surprisingly, popular opinion in the US is still very much divided on whether Michael Jackson abused children or not.
Jesus Camp by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
picked by Pandemic Film Club
Inside a children's zealous religious camp in the U.S. where children become pawns for the far right.
The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley by Alex Gibney
picked by Doc Weekly
Silicon Valley's "fake it 'til you make it" attitude has been lauded by entrepreneurs the past two decades with Steve Jobs as its poster boy. But healthcare entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes unwittingly exposed its deepest flaws.
The House I Live In by Eugene Jarecki
picked by Pandemic Film Club
Eugene Jarecki's eye-opening, activist film about America's war on drugs and resulting mass incarceration.
The Cleaners by Moritz Riesewieck, Hans Block
picked by Doc Weekly
Social media posts need to be filtered, but who decides what comes down and what stays up?
Dreamcatcher by Kim Longinotto
picked by Pandemic Film Club
Kim Longinotto's look at a former sex worker trying to help young women get off the Chicago streets.
Mommy Dead and Dearest by Erin Lee Carr
picked by Doc Weekly
*Spoiler Alert* When is it ok to kill your own mother?
The Work by Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous
picked by Pandemic Film Club
In this extraordinarily moving documentary, prisoners engage with members of the public in an intense, experimental therapy procedure.
Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee by Nanette Burstein
picked by Doc Weekly
The antivirus millionaire stands accused of many heinous crimes, including murder, from his time spent in Belize. Unbelievably, he is currently free in the USA, despite Belize's request for extradition.
Hot Girls Wanted by Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus
picked by Pandemic Film Club
A judgement-free examination of a group of young women working in the porn industry.
