This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - September 6-September 12, 2024
The first full week of September is bringing slightly cooler temperatures and a couple of days for us to reflect on who and what came before. Grandparents’ Day is on Sunday, September 8, and while it’s not recognized as much as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, we can celebrate the occasion with documentaries (especially if, like me, all your grandparents are deceased). And Wednesday is the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, which is also observed as Patriot Day.
In honor of grandfathers, I recommend Alan Berliner’s Intimate Stranger, if you can find it (considering Berliner was just named recipient of one of Doc NYC’s Lifetime Achievement Awards this year, all of his work should be available). In honor of grandmothers, watch Martha Coolidge’s Old-Fashioned Woman, which just made its streaming debut on The Criterion Channel (as highlighted in last week’s newsletter). Each film is about the filmmaker’s own grandparent.
For 9/11, there are tons of documentaries worth watching to remember and honor the tragedy and the fallen that day and to explore the aftermath of the events. The biggest one is Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, which I revisited recently (in summation, “Fahrenheit 9/11 is no longer pressing, and that makes it a lot less essential yet also a lot easier to watch.”). That’s currently streaming on Peacock, Tubi, Kanopy, and Pluto TV. For underrated docs about September 11, I recommend 9/11, directed by the Naudet brothers and James Hanlon (it’s currently available to buy digitally), Jim Whitaker’s Rebirth, about the healing in the wake of 9/11 (it’s free on Tubi, Kanopy, and Pluto TV) and Danielle Gardner’s Out of the Clear Blue Sky, about an underrepresented part of the aftermath (it’s available to rent or buy on Apple TV).
Now, without further ado, here are this week’s highlights, listings, and coming attractions, including our Pick of the Week. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Look Into My Eyes (2024)
Did a documentary just make me believe in psychics? I wouldn’t go that far, but Lana Wilson’s Look Into My Eyes has certainly made me believe in the individuals who work as psychics. Some of them aren’t even sure they believe what they’re doing is paranormal or genuinely what it’s purported to be, but they all trust that what they’re doing is helping people. The documentary introduces a handful of psychics in New York City, showcases them practicing their trade, and digging into their lives to share what led them to this work.
A lot of them are otherwise artists, including a few attempting to make it as actors, and this was a side hustle to support that dream. Many have some trauma in their pasts. Some go to other psychics with their own questions. Wilson treats them all with respect and compassion while also being considerate to those who appear on screen engaging a psychic with inquiries about people who’ve died, pets who’ve gone missing, and even about their own identity. We’re in a new era of documentary when this sort of subject matter isn’t spotlighted with curious jest. Look Into My Eyes reminds me a lot of Wilson and Martha Shane’s After Tiller, which is about doctors who perform late-term abortions, and it also features patients, anonymously — very differently stigmatized persons but portrayed with similar humanity in these docs.
I’m not sure if the intent of Look Into My Eyes was simply to turn perceptions around and make viewers empathize with those they might not believe in, agree with, or even acknowledge, but that’s the only reason I might not admire it one hundred percent. It seems a bit calculated, and beyond that one major thing the film does, it offers few additional surprises or memorable moments. The characters might be too similar in terms of what makes them interesting. But none of that takes away from appreciating the experience and accepting the participants.
Look Into My Eyes opens theatrically on Friday, September 6.
Other Documentary Highlights
The Cowboy And The Queen (2023)
The better title for The Cowboy and the Queen would be “The Cowboy,” as it’s primarily about the former, horse trainer Monty Roberts. Yes, Queen Elizabeth II is involved in his story, and the film does feature some parallel first-person narration from her and her perspective on Roberts, but it’s not equal. Roberts is the main storyteller, talking of his life around horses, seeing the cruelty with their employment in Hollywood and his disapproval with the concept of “breaking” them, the humane methods he devised, the criticism he faced in his field, and, yes, his eventual friendship with the Queen, who helped popularize his benevolent taming techniques.
No matter my issue with the title, though, I loved The Cowboy and the Queen for Roberts’s story and storytelling. This film will likely remind viewers of the hit 2011 documentary Buck, but that was a lot more present in its focus, and Buck Brannaman is a bigger personality. The Cowboy and the Queen has a lot more historical context, which made me feel for the animals and Roberts’s evolution with them. It’s a bit relaxed, but Craig Richey’s beautiful score helps carry it along. There’s nothing necessarily powerful or essential about this film or its narrative, but Roberts and the documentary are something to be admired and cherished. The director, Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, previously made a little film I really enjoyed, but it wasn’t widely seen — The Other F Word, about punks who become fathers — and I wish greater exposure and success for The Cowboy and the Queen.
The Cowboy and the Queen opens theatrically on Friday, September 6.
Crumb (1994)
One of the big breakout documentaries of the ‘90s, Terry Zwigoff’s Crumb turns 30 on Tuesday, September 10, which is the anniversary of its Toronto Film Festival premiere. The film went on to win many accolades, including Best Documentary at the 1st Critics Choice Awards. We recognized it a while back for featuring one of the most memorable documentary characters of all time. As we wrote then, “Movies like Crumb wouldn’t exist if their subjects weren’t so wild and wonderful. But also Robert Crumb might not have become famous enough in real life to wind up warranting a doc if he wasn’t such a huge personality in the first place.”
Yet it’s worth noting, as we also did then, that Crumb was not just a look at an eccentric artist in its portrait of iconic underground cartoonist R. Crumb. Like the subjects in our Pick of the Week above, Crumb is not just someone to gawk at — nor are his family members on display. Sure, unlike Look Into My Eyes, there is (or was) some of that in its appeal, but Crumb is a lot more sensitive at a time when it could have been sensational, as Zwigoff peers deeper into the background and psychology of his artist friend to help viewers understand him. Yes, he’s a bit of a cartoonish personality, but he comes off as anything but two-dimensional.
Crumb is currently streaming for free on Tubi.
The Disappearance Of Shere Hite (2023)
Allow me to quote a previous newsletter highlight of The Disappearance of Shere Hite: “I watched this film during Sundance last year and fell in love with Shere Hite and her story, as told via director Nicole Newnham (Crip Camp), co-writer/editor Eileen Meyer, and narrator Dakota Johnson. Hite’s work focusing on female sexuality was groundbreaking yet is barely known about by younger generations today. The film needs to be seen regardless of whether it’s an introduction to the subject for you or not.”
The Disappearance of Shere Hite begins streaming on Hulu on Tuesday, September 10.
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023) & The Grab (2022)
Two more previous newsletter highlights are again worthy of showcasing this week. The biographical film Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, about the titular poet and activist, was the Pick of the Week in our inaugural This Week in Documentary newsletter. As I wrote then: “Whether you’re familiar with Nikki Giovanni or not, this documentary will warm your soul,” and “The best thing about Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is how it presents Giovanni’s poetry.” Now it’s hitting DVD, courtesy of Kino Lorber, with extra scenes included.
I highlighted The Grab in the newsletter two months ago and called it “the kind of documentary that’s so overwhelming in scope that it may render its audience numb.” I also wrote, “Is it daunting? Yes. But it’s incredibly necessary. The best thing that The Grab does is not report on the issue at hand but follow the journalists doing the actual investigation and research.” What’s it about? Oh, only how giant corporations and a few major governments are aiming to take over the world’s food and water markets. The Grab DVD doesn’t seem to include any bonus features, but it doesn’t need any. Again, you’ll be too numb, and the film includes all the information you need.
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and The Grab will be released on DVD on Tuesday, September 10.
Holding Back The Tide (2023)
Emily Packer might not be on the level of Theo Anthony, but her latest feature, Holding Back the Tide, is another multi-layered documentary that uses a lot of metaphor and other artsy elements to deliver one of the most unique documentaries I’ve seen this year. On its surface, the film is about New York oysters and the issues facing their continued culinary significance — from pollution to over-farming. It’s also an often-sexually poetic history lesson that acknowledges the pioneering Black oystermen, the reputation of oysters being aphrodisiacs, and the queer identity of oysters as protandric hermaphrodites that transition from male to female over time. At times it feels like an overly ambitious art project, but overall it’s also a revelation.
Holding Back the Tide opens theatrically on Friday, September 6.
Ofra Bikel’s Frontline Documentaries
Thanks to last week’s Monday Memo newsletter from Doc NYC, sadly, I learned of the death of Ofra Bikel on August 11. She was a producer, writer, and director for Frontline for more than 40 years. I think she only really ever worked on that show and offshoots, though she did receive a producer credit on the Dwayne Johnson movie Snitch, which was based on one of her episodes. She was born in Tel Aviv in 1929, decades before the establishment of the State of Israel, and it’s fitting that one of her most interesting Frontline episodes controversially looked at the nation in the wake of the Six-Day War as expansion of settlements into Palestinian territories.
That documentary, titled Israel: The Price of Victory, is not officially available to stream but can be found online pretty easily. The same goes for her first episode, 1983’s The Russians Are Here, which looks at the Russian immigrant communities of Brooklyn and Philadelphia and what they like and dislike about America compared to the Soviet Union. It’s a fascinating illustration of the phrase “the grass is always greener.” Bikel was nominated for five News & Documentary Emmys, winning for the episodes Burden of Innocence and An Ordinary Crime, both of which are about the wrongfully imprisoned. Her most famous three episodes, under the banner Innocence Lost, covered a sexual abuse case at a daycare over six years.
In an obit written by Frontline creator David Fanning for the series’ website, Bikel is referred to as “one of the most prolific and consequential” producers for the show in its history. While her documentaries are not easily accessible, I suggest you look through her episode credits on IMDb and Googling them to find those old gems of hers. Some are a bit dated, but that is part of their charm and part of the Frontline history she was a huge part of.
Documentary Release Calendar 9/6/24 - 9/12/24
Friday, September 6, 2024
ABBA Forever: The Winner Takes it All (2019) - A feature documentary about the Swedish pop group ABBA. (Ovid)
A-ha: The Movie (2021) - A feature documentary about the band best known for the song “Take On Me.” (Ovid)
Art Dealers (2023) - A documentary about the band Low Cut Connie. (In Theaters)
¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor! (2024) - A documentary about a beloved Mexican restaurant. (In Theaters)
The Cowboy and the Queen (2023) - A documentary about the friendship between horse trainer Monty Roberts and Queen Elizabeth II. (In Theaters)
Facing the Falls (2024) - A documentary following disability rights activist Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan through the Grand Canyon. (In Theaters)
Holding Back the Tide (2023) - A poetic documentary about New York oysters. (In Theaters)
Look Into My Eyes (2024) - A feature documentary directed by Lana Wilson (Miss Americana) about New York psychics. (In Theaters)
Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln (2024) - A feature documentary about Abraham Lincoln’s private life and alleged homosexual relations. (In Theaters)
MGM Parade Show #19 (1956) - This installment of the Hollywood-focused docuseries showcases the MGM films Ransom! and Ziegfeld Follies. (TCM)
Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory (2023) - A documentary about a man who starts a prosthetic nipple business after his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer. (In Theaters)
The Mother of All Lies (2023) - A feature documentary about a Moroccan woman reflecting on the Bread Riots of 1981. (In Theaters)
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (2024) - A docuseries about married Mormon women who are swingers. (Hulu)
Vigilantes Inc.: America's New Vote Suppression Hitmen (2024) - A feature documentary about Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s ties to racist voter suppression. (In Theaters)
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Attacked in the Woods (2024) - A documentary special about an alleged kidnapping and attempted murder in the woods of Oregon. (Investigation Discovery)
From Russia with Lev (2024) - A documentary directed by Billy Corden (Cocaine Cowboys) about businessman Lev Parnas and the Trump-Ukraine scandal. (In Theaters)
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins Season 3, Episode 4: “Body in the Bayou” - The latest episode of this crime docuseries focuses on a young woman who goes missing in Texas and is found murdered in Louisiana. (Oxygen True Crime)
The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 3, Episode 4: “A Mother Murdered” - The Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries continues with a mother of twins found stabbed to death in their home. (Oxygen True Crime)
Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos (2024) - A feature documentary about the creation of The Sopranos. (Max)
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Animal Genius (2024) - A nature docuseries about the smartest survival strategies among animals. (National Geographic)
Chimp Crazy Episode 4: “Fantasy Island” - The final part of a four-part docuseries from the makers of Tiger King about an animal broker known as the “Dolly Parton of chimps.” This episode wraps up the story of Tonia and Tonka. (Max)
National Parks: USA (2024) - A five-part docuseries about America’s national parks. (National Geographic)
Snapped: Behind Bars Season 2, Episode 2: “Crystal Mangum” - The latest episode of this crime series is about a woman who killed her boyfriend. (Oxygen True Crime)
The Wonderland Massacre & the Secret History of Hollywood (2024) - A docuseries about the Laurel Canyon Murders of 1981, which allegedly involved porn star John Holmes and nightclub owner Eddie Nash. (MGM+)
Monday, September 9, 2024
Cabin in the Woods Season 1, Episode 1 - A new docuseries about crimes that happen in remote cabins. (Investigation Discovery)
Name Me Lawand (2022) - A feature documentary about a young refugee navigating his new home in England. Presented as an episode of POV. (PBS)
The Real Murders on Elm Street (2024) - A six-part docuseries about murders occurring on Elm Street locations in small towns across America. (Investigation Discovery)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Borderland: The Line Within (2024) - A feature documentary focused on the issue of immigration in America. (In Theaters)
The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2022) - A feature documentary about the titular sex educator and feminist who is surprisingly not well-known today. (Hulu)
Eric Clapton: Standing at the Crossroads (2021) - A biographical documentary about rock guitar legend Eric Clapton. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Evolution of the Black Quarterback (2024) - A docuseries about the history of Black quarterbacks hosted by former NFL player Michael Vick. (Prime Video)
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023) - Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s Sundance Grand Jury Award winner and Spirit Award nominee about poet Nikki Giovanni. (DVD)
The Grab (2022) - A feature documentary directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) about a global conspiracy to control the world’s food and water supply. (DVD)
Icons Unearthed: Fast & Furious (2023) - The third season of Icons Unearthed, which covers the Fast & Furious movie franchise over six episodes. (Blu-ray)
Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father (2024) - A documentary following actor and comedian Jack Whitehall spending time with his father ahead of becoming a father himself. (Netflix)
Lost in the Shuffle (2024) - A documentary about magic tricks involving playing cards. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory (2023) - A documentary about a man who starts a prosthetic nipple business after his wife is diagnosed with breast cancer. (DVD and VOD)
The Money Game (2024) - A docuseries about college athletes taking advantage of new rules allowing them to profit from their sports. (Prime Video)
Ms. Murder (2024) - A true-crime documentary about three women whose lives are upended due to questionable deaths. (Tubi)
National Parks: USA (2024) - A five-part docuseries about America’s national parks. (Hulu)
On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Ancients (2024) - The latest On the Trail documentary continues the search for Sasquatch while also looking back at the director’s family history. (DVD, Blu-ray, and Amazon VOD)
Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) - A stand-up comedy concert film starring Richard Pryor, newly restored in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Sorry/Not Sorry (2024) - A feature documentary about the rise and fall of comedian Louis C.K. (DVD)
#Untruth: The Psychology of Trumpism (2024) - A feature documentary from the makers of Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump that similarly analyzes the psychology of Trump’s fanbase and others working with and for him. (DVD)
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (2010) - A feature documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (Ovid)
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
The First Year (1972) - A feature documentary, recently restored in 2K, directed by Patricio Guzmán (The Battle of Chile) about the first 12 months following the election of the socialist Chilean president Salvador Allende. (Ovid)
How (Not) To Get Rid of a Body Episode 2: “Sin City Secret” - A docuseries about killers who attempted to dispose of the bodies of their victims. This episode focuses on the murder of a woman in Las Vegas. (Investigation Discovery)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 8, Episode 3: “Blitzed at the Border” - The latest episode of this crime docuseries follows stories of fentanyl trafficking and a potential bomb threat. (National Geographic)
Zurita, You Will See Not to See (2018) - A feature documentary about poet Raúl Zurita. (Ovid)
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Ángel Di María: Breaking Down the Wall (2024) - A docuseries about the titular Argentinian soccer player. (Netflix)
Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter (2024) - A docuseries about the disappearance of a girl put up for adoption. (Netflix)
Israelism (2023) - A feature documentary about young Israelis acknowledging their nation’s treatment of Palestinians. (Ovid)
Lost Treasures of Rome Season 2, Episode 5: “Rome’s Desert Cities” - The latest episode of this archaeology docuseries involves hidden ruins in Jordan, Italy, and Petra. (National Geographic and Hulu)
My Gaza Online (2020) - A short documentary by Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly, who communicates with people in Gaza from his home in Norway. (Ovid)
The Tailor of Sin City (2024) - A true-crime docuseries about a tailor with a drug and fashion empire in Las Vegas. (Sundance TV)
Usher: Rendezvous in Paris (2024) - A concert film starring Usher as he performs in the French capital. (In Theaters)
Sneak Peak At What’s Coming Soon
9/13 - In Vogue: The 1990s - A docuseries about fashion in the 1990s according to Vogue editors. (Hulu)
9/17 - Child Star - A feature documentary about former child stars. (Hulu)
9/17 - Stopping the Steal - A feature documentary about former Trump Administration staffers and other Republicans who helped thwart the president’s plan to overturn the 2020 election. (HBO and Max)
9/17 - World’s Most Notorious Killers - A five-part docuseries about serial killers from around the globe. (Peacock)
9/24 - Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal - A true-crime docuseries involving paranormal activity. (Hulu)
9/27 - Will & Harper - A feature documentary following Will Ferrell and former Saturday Night Live writer Harper Steele, who has just come out as transgender, on a road trip across America. (Netflix)
10/2 - Food and Country - A feature documentary starring food writer Ruth Reichl about America’s broken food system. (In Theaters)
10/5 - Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid - A feature documentary about political consultant James Carville, most famous for his work on the 1992 Bill Clinton presidential campaign. (CNN)
10/11 - The Last of the Sea Women - A feature documentary about free divers on a Korean island who forge the sea for food without oxygen. (Apple TV+)
10/11 - Piece by Piece - A feature documentary directed by Morgan Neville about Pharrell Williams — made with Lego bricks. Listen to the new single by Pharell written for the film here. (In Theaters)
10/25 - Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band - A feature documentary peeking behind the scenes of the titular group’s 2023-2024 tour. (Hulu and Disney+)
12/13 - Elton John: Never Too Late - A feature documentary directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish about the titular music icon and his final concert. (Disney+)
Looks like a lot of interesting docs out this month. Can’t wait to watch several of them! Thanks for the info, reviews, and recommendations!! 👍👍👍