A&E
Looking for a creative way to procrastinate? Try streaming Netflix documentaries!
By Matt Burner ’17
February 11, 2016
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With college students’ busy schedules, free time is one of the most cherished luxuries. Whether it is on a homework-free Tuesday night or low-key Sunday afternoon, breaks from the college grind are always welcomed. One of students’ favorite diversions is watching one of the many popular video-streaming websites such as Netflix and Hulu. Covering a wide swath of genres, these services are often able to entertain the pickiest of viewers. One of Netflix’s most comprehensive categories is “Documentary,” where one can view many incredibly high quality films. Following are a few particularly worth watching.
Best of Enemies: Released in 2015, Best of Enemies is a captivating glimpse into the televised debates between Gore Vidal and William Buckley during the 1968 Republican and Democratic conventions. The film tells the story of how ABC News, at the time a struggling news organization, generated the idea of pitting two controversial and highly intelligent rivals against each other in a series of debates. As the film progresses, one not only sees how the debates changed the course of American political television coverage but also the ego and mindset of the two men the film profiles. The climax of the film shows one of the most controversial live events to occur on television at the time and the subsequent effect it had on everyone involved.
In this time of political hot-takes and media partisanship, Best of Enemies is a refreshing and at times humorous look at a recent period of American political culture. The film advances quickly and at the end, leaves the viewer both better informed and almost longing for past political climates.
Cartel Land: Another film released in 2015, Cartel Land is one of five films nominated for best documentary feature at this year’s Academy Awards. Filmed on both sides of the border during the ongoing Mexican Drug War, Cartel Land is an unflinching look at two vigilante groups and their personal fight with the drug cartels.
On the Mexican side of the border, the documentary follows the Autodefensas group and their leader, José Mireles. Operating out of Michoacán, the Autodefensas strive to liberate towns living under the brutal and terrifying oppression of the Knight Templar Cartel. As the film progresses, questions regarding the loyalty of some Autodefensas members and the interests of the local government arise.
On the American side, the film provides a glimpse into the lives and thoughts of members of Arizona Border Recon, focusing especially on leader Tim Foley. Foley leads the group on a mission to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S.
Possessing a story as intense and riveting as any fictional thriller, Cartel Land moves at a frantic pace. The director expertly crafts a clear illustration of both group’s ideologies, which allows the viewer to make their own judgment on each group and the War on Drugs itself.
Virunga: One of the most impactful of all documentaries on Netflix, Virunga tells the tale of the rangers who work tirelessly in the Congo’s Virunga National Park to protect the highly endangered mountain gorillas. While filming started with the aim of chronicling the battle between the rangers and local poachers, the film quickly shifts to a much more geopolitical context once a global oil exploration company and Congan rebels become involved.
While Virunga doesn’t paint a cheerful picture, it relates an important and underreported struggle. The film questions Western countries’ relationship to both the Congo’s economy and natural environment and where some interests actually lie. While the film becomes somewhat convoluted, it manages to maintain focus on its important initial theme of the rangers and their relationship with the gorillas.
These three are particularly good, but Netflix has many other high-quality documentaries worth viewing.