When I was a child, my mother always told me not to judge anyone because I could never know what life was like in their shoes.

Indeed, we can never know what everyone else is going through in their lives but with all the documentaries and docuseries being made we can surely know a lot more about some people’s lives. Documentaries are like a secret window into the life of the person being focused on. It offers you the opportunity to see what went on before somebody acted the way they did. In short, it gives us the full picture and helps us relate to the circumstances, the thoughts and emotions, and the resulting reactions.

Documentaries and Docuseries both have seen a rise in appreciation due to this factor in the past decade. Even though such movies and series do not end up being box office hits, they are highly acclaimed by critics and loved by viewers. I can only speak for myself though, and when it comes to choosing a movie, I would rather watch something based on true events than a piece of fiction. I am not saying I do not like fiction because I sure do. Sometimes it becomes necessary to indulge in some out of this world storyline to get your mind off the daily grind.

Documentaries not only offer a sneak-peek into famous people’s lives but they also help us learn a lot. Channels like National Geographic and Discovery are fine examples of teachers on your TV screens. The majority of cable TV viewers can easily access these channels and many more to watch all their favorite documentaries and docuseries broadcasted by several channels nowadays. Cable providers such as Mediacom cable, Optimum cable, or Spectrum cable, etc. offer hundreds of channels to their subscribers that include all kinds of entertainment. So regardless of the genre, you are interested in, there would be something to watch every day.

Even though documentaries had existed in the time of cable TV, it is the streaming services that have made them all the rage. The sheer convenience of watching anything at any time helps people watch more of what they like without wasting time flipping through channels and wasting time and energy on something that just caught their eye. Assuming that almost everyone these days has a subscription to at least one streaming service we have put together a list of the best documentaries that you can stream right now.

Read on for a brief description of each amazing story covered in a beautifully insightful manner and watch in your own time. You would not want to miss any of these.

 

What Happened, Miss Simone?

The Oscar-nominated movie follows the life of Nina Simone, the singer-songwriter who became a star musician in her early years before joining the civil rights movement and becoming one of the most famous activists involved in the movement that took over the entire country. The archived footage and previously unreleased recordings portray her struggles as an activist and how she overcame them to rise to the occasion.

 

Amy

Another documentary that portrays the life and troubles of a beloved singer. The film was released four years after the sudden death of Amy Winehouse who struggled with drug abuse and mental health issues. It won the Best Documentary Feature award at the Oscars. Featuring several interviews with her friends and family the movie paints a complex picture of the artist we all know as Amy Winehouse.

 

Formula 1: Drive to Survive

Who does not know about Formula 1 racing? The world of racing is so fascinating and exhilarating. However, we usually just see the race, cheer along the sidelines, and loose contact as soon as the drivers cross the finish line. This Formula 1 documentary follows the daily lives of various drivers who compete each year in the Formula One World Championship. Based on two seasons this series will take you much deeper into the world of racing than you have ever been.

 

OJ: Made in America

This documentary segregated into five parts walks you through the life of O.J. Simpson, the triumphant college football player who later became a professional athlete. However, his career took a tumble when he became the prime suspect in the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. The series puts together news coverage and archival footage to explore how things turned out the way they did. Ezra Edelman has without a doubt done the story justice and the Emmy and Oscar award the documentary won are proof of that.

 

The Keepers

Sister Cathy Cesnick, a nun who taught at schools like the Archbishop Keough High School and Western High School, disappeared in 1969 and was found dead two months later. The murder case was never solved; however, there have been many speculations as to what may have happened. The docuseries looks at the possibility of her death being linked to an effort to bury a sexual abuse allegation against a chaplain at one of the schools she had worked at.

 

Period. End of Sentence

Another Oscar-winning documentary depicts the daily life of women in India who are continuously working to remove the stigma attached to menstruation in the culture and provide proper sanitary products to women around the country. The movie was filmed in Hapur, India, and shows the amazing change a simple machine brought about by providing affordable sanitary pads.

 

Minding the Gap

Filmmaker Bing Liu portrays his personal life and his friendship with two other men from Rockford, Illinois in this documentary. They all share a love for skateboarding and use it as a pastime to escape the traumas they had suffered in the past. Liu narrates his own story along with an exploration of issues like toxic masculinity and domestic abuse that the skate culture had opened up to him.

 

Grey Gardens

Last but not the least, Grey Gardens is a cult classic documentary film that follows the life of a mother and daughter who were once part of the high society but have become solitary and live in a dilapidated house now. The documentary follows around these distant relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as they go about their daily lives while everything around them crumbles.

 

There you have some of the best documentaries available for streaming. Get your binging gear on and get started. Trust me you will not regret watching any of these!