TOP 10 DOCUMENTARIES JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI 99% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES Even if you don’t like sushi, you’ll be salivating over the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which not only lovingly photographs Jiro Ono’s $500/plate delicacies, but also goes deep into his work ethic and passion. Gelb’s exploration of one man’s pursuit of total perfection, and the personal cost of that pursuit, is utterly captivating regardless of your food cravings. Gelb could have made a documentary about any person who is at the top of their field, but focusing on Jiro Ono opens up the door to not only a feast for the senses (you can almost taste the sashimi), but also a fascinating look at Japanese culture, especially with regards to Jiro’s complicated relationship with his two sons. It’s a filling documentary even if it leaves you physically hungry for such delicious-looking food. 98% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES BLACKFISH Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the multi-billion dollar sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals. HOMECOMING: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ 98% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES Homecoming presents an intimate look at Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performance that paid homage to America's historically black colleges and universities. Interspersed with candid footage and interviews detailing the preparation and powerful intent behind her vision, Homecoming traces the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement. 94% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES THE PALMA De Palma is an absolute must-watch for any and all cinephiles, whether you’re a fan of Brian De Palma’s work or not. The film’s conceit is basically that filmmakers and De Palma fans Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow sit the legendary director in front of a camera and pepper him with a litany of questions that cover his entire career, for which De Palma is more than happy to be absolutely candid. Hear stories about the making of films like Scarface, Blow Out, and Untouchables, his friendship with filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and George Lucas (and subsequent jealousy when their careers went stratospheric and his didn’t), and the creative tensions on the set of Mission: Impossible. You’ll walk away wanting Baumbach and Paltow to turn this into a series of documentaries about various filmmakers running through their entire filmographies. ICARUS 94% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES Icarus began as a project from Bryan Fogel in which the documentary filmmaker wanted to go on a doping regimen for the Haute Route to see if he could elude the race’s intense drug testing. But as Fogel makes contact with a Russian expert in doping, he soon becomes embroiled in the biggest athletic scandal in history, as his “expert” turns out to be the mastermind behind Russia’s doping of the Sochi Olympics. Part dark comedy, part thriller, Icarus is an exciting, fascinating, and truly stranger-than fiction watch. 93% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES MISS AMERICANA The Taylor Swift Netflix documentary Miss Americana is far from your typical music doc. It isn’t even really all that focused on Swift’s music so much as it is on Swift as a person. More specifically, it’s a film about Swift’s long journey to figuring out how not to care what people think about her, and how that manifests in her feminist awakening and decision to publicly express her political opinion—which we see occur in real-time. Some will ding the film for being too manicured, and in truth it’s impossible to tell just how heavy a hand Swift had in the tailoring of the documentary re: her self-image. But the film’s true moments of insight are hard to ignore, and it’s fascinating to watch Swift come to terms with who she is as a human being while also being one of the most famous people on the planet THE GREAT HACK 88% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES The 2019 Netflix documentary The Great Hack takes a deep dive into the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, and how, despite Facebook’s denials, the social media giant used personal data harvested by its users. Through interviews with investigative journalists and Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Brittany Kaiser, the film offers a shocking deep-dive of how data has become the most valuable resource on the planet, and how data is used to target users with ads and fake “viral videos” and news stories to swing major elections. One of the most disturbing documentaries of 2019, full-stop. 82% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES THE UNKNOWN KNOWN While a number of films have been made about the Iraq War, legendary documentary filmmaker Errol Morris goes straight to the source for The Unknown Known. The film chronicles the political career of former U.S. Secretary of Defense and congressman Donald Rumsfeld, with Rumsfeld himself sitting in for a series of interviews with Morris. Tough questions are asked, and while Morris isn’t really here to outright admit wrongdoing or reconsider his choices, the steadfastness and confidence with which he recounts the Iraq War saga is downright chilling. As far as political documentaries go, this is a must-watch. THE GAME CHANGERS 70% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES The Game Changers follows the story of James Wilks - elite Special Forces trainer and winner of The Ultimate Fighter - as he travels the world on a quest for the truth about meat, protein, and strength. Showcasing elite athletes, special ops soldiers, and visionary scientists. The 2018 documentary film about the benefits of plant-based eating for athletes, covers multiple success stories of plant-based athletes, references scientific studies, and touches on other arguments for plant-based diets that extend to non-athletes. 59% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES FORKS OVER KNIVES Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the chronic diseases that afflict us can be controlled or even reversed by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline traces the personal journeys of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. On separate paths, their discoveries and groundbreaking research led them to the same startling conclusion: Chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes can almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. The film follows everyday Americans with chronic conditions as they seek to reduce their dependence on medications and learn to use a whole-food, plant-based diet to regain control over their health and their lives.