Nick Kyrgios
Netflix

IF IT USED TO BE the case that documentaries were relegated to the classroom, played during a lunchtime when rain drove everyone indoors or when an exhausted teacher couldn’t quite get a lesson plan together, they’ve undergone a transformation of late. Thanks to streaming giants like Netflix and daring storytellers, the humble documentary now rivals Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Who could forget the release of Tiger King or The Last Dance, two documentaries that served to dominate all conversation both in the office and at home. 

As our appetite for true crime and sports grows ever more insatiable, Netflix continues to drop documentaries that appeal to a wide range of audiences. From true crime to sports, conspiracy theories and scandals that shocked the world, there’s something to please everyone on the streaming platform that will prove both entertaining and informative. The only struggle is keeping up with them all. So, to help take the guesswork out of what to watch when you settle into the couch and begin the frantic scroll through endless Netflix titles, we’ve rounded up the best documentaries you can watch right now. Sit back, relax, and get viewing. 

Break Point

Following the success of F1: Drive to Survive, tennis fans will be pleased to see their sport given the behind-the-scenes access they’ve long craved. The documentary series follows a select group of tennis players – including Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios – as they take to Grand Slams and tournaments around the world in pursuit of their dreams. 

The Deepest Breath

The documentary explores freediving as it follows a champion looking to break a world record with the help of an expert safety diver. The film depicts how the two meet, while also shining a spotlight on the sport itself – where risks abound as individuals look to chase a dream. 

WHAM!

Even if you aren’t a fan of their music, it’s hard to resist this nostalgic deep dive into the pop duo and their historic rise to fame. Capturing the early lives of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, the documentary illustrates how these two childhood friends became the faces of the 80s music scene before playing their last concert at Wembley Stadium. 

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me

Director Ursula Macfarlane does a remarkable job of telling the story of the model whose life came to be heavily scrutinised by the media. As it becomes apparent, none of us ever came to understand who Anna Nicole Smith really was. Through never-before-seen footage, the documentary explores Smith’s meteoric rise and fall and the devastating impact of celebrity culture. 

Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now

We know him for his music and songwriting, but this documentary gives fans a glimpse into the intimate life of Lewis Capaldi and his struggles with mental health. Directed by Joe Pearlman, the documentary explores both Capaldi’s music and personal life, and his incredible rise to fame. 

Pamela: A Love Story

She’s not just an actress, she’s a cultural icon. And yet, for all her ambition, activism and hard work, the media proved all too invasive in Pamela Anderson’s personal life – something we saw yet again with the Hulu series, Pam and Tommy. Now, Anderson is telling her story in her own words, with this documentary exploring the harsh realities of fame, tabloid scandals and the enduring nature of trauma. 

Sr.

A beautiful homage to late filmmaker and father of Robert Downey Jr., Sr explores the career of the director through the eyes of his son. It’s personal, profoundly moving, and offers incredible access while still touching on the more difficult realities and struggles that make a life well-lived. 

Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich

Directed by Maiken Baird and Lisa Bryant and featuring interviews with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, this documentary reveals the truth behind the unconscionable crimes committed by Ghislaine Maxwell. Acting as Epstein’s confidante and co-conspirator, the documentary uses archive footage to explore the nature of power dynamics and Maxwell’s involvement in trafficking young women. 

Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story

This documentary shines a spotlight on the sport of skateboarding and the journey of Leo Baker as he takes on the elites. Though skateboarding is slowly entering the mainstream and will soon be included in the Olympics, the documentary provides a fascinating look into the competitive nature of skate culture and the incredible skills of those at its centre. Baker offers a raw look at how he forged his way to the top and made skating an inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community. 

White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch

It was everywhere in the ‘90s and ’00s – chances are, you owned a shirt or hoodie emblazoned with the logo: Abercrombie and Fitch. But as this documentary reveals, the brand may have been touting campaigns and an “all-American” image, but they enacted discriminatory hiring and exclusionary marketing that became one of the more controversial moments in the fashion industry. 

Capturing The Killer Nurse

A harrowing true story about Charlie Cullen, a registered nurse at Somerset Medical Centre in New Jersey who became one of history’s most prolific serial killers with a body count potentially numbering in the hundreds across multiple medical facilities. If you enjoyed The Good Nurse, this documentary provides greater insight into Cullen’s spree of murders. 

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

Directed by Rachel Dretzin, this documentary provides an insight into the secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and their self-professed prophet, Warren Jeffs. Told in four parts, the series features archival footage and personal stories from some of the women and men who escaped the oppressive cult. 

Our Father

The incredible story of how Jacoba Ballard – conceived via donor sperm – did an at-home DNA test to discovery he had seven half-siblings. It was a discovery that would lead to one of the biggest scandals in fertility medicine, as the group set out to learn more about their family tree only to find their parents’ fertility doctor had been inseminating his patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge or consent. 

Return To Space

Oscar-winning directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue) turn their attention skywards as they capture the incredible story of SpaceX and Elon Musk’s two-decade effort to resurrect America’s space travel ambitions. The documentary follows the journey of the first crewed mission launched from US soil since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. 

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