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Anything by Louis Theroux
What timing, this came out yesterday: Louis Theroux’s 20 best documentaries: from Savile and Scientology to prisons and painkillers
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/10/louis-theroux-20-best-documentaries
An Honest Liar - It’s about the life of James Randi a magician how dedicated his life to exposing psychics, faith healers, and the like.
The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young - It’s about the notoriously difficult, 100-mile race in held annually in Tennessee. Less than 1% of the people who start the race finish it.
I love The Barkley Marathons! I rewatch it at least once a year.
Scam City
Because it’s soooo bad
Not that much into documentaries but one that has stuck with me for a long time is Love is Potatoes
Mats Steen, a Norwegian man born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, becomes increasingly unable to participate in everyday activities. As a result, he spends most of his time playing video games, particularly World of Warcraft. His parents worry that he will miss out on life, unaware of what he does in the game.
It’s a tearjerker and ultimately beautiful story of the Internet and friendship.
Hubris vs the Arctic a really could watch.
- Titicut Follies
- Man on Wire
- Cave of Forgotten Dreams
- Letter From Siberia
- Atomic Cafe
- Manufacturing Consent
Off the top of my head… “IMAX: Hubble 3D” (2010)
It’s about the Hubble space telescope and NASA’s mission to repair it. It’s only 40 minutes, but what they managed to cover in that time was astounding. It was also the first movie I ever saw in IMAX, so I guess it had an impact on me.
I’ll add a few.
American Movie (1999) - An amateur filmmaker has spent years trying to finish his magnum opus. It’s a hilarious and endearing portrait of a distracted visionary. The most Milwaukee movie you’ll ever see.
Gates of Heaven (1978) - Errol Morris’s first feature about a small town’s relationship with a pet cemetery. It’s under 90 minutes and full of characters.
Into the Abyss (2011) - Werner Herzog explores a triple homicide in Texas and its two perpetrators - one sentenced to life, the other sentenced to death. Conversations with everyone involved in the execution process - the killers, the victim’s families, investigators, the chaplain, and the executioner.
The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley (2019) - Alex Gibney’s story about Theranos, who scammed investors out of billions of dollars for a medical device that didn’t exist.
Roxy: The Movie (2015) - A 1973 concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. I know almost nothing about Zappa and his music, but it’s a marvel to watch everyone’s musicianship.
The Summit (2012) - 11 climbers on K2 die within about 24 hours. A mix of interviews with survivors and very well-produced dramatizations.
Tim’s Vermeer (2013) - A software engineer tries to recreate the famously mysterious painting techniques of Johannes Vermeer. A movie about technology, tinkering, and obsession.
