Social & Political Documentary backdrop

Social & Political Documentary movies

System-focused documentaries about power, institutions, incentives, conflict, and real-world consequences.

What the Health

1. What the Health

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.2
20171h 37min

Overview

Filmmaker Kip Andersen uncovers the secret to preventing and even reversing chronic diseases, and he investigates why the nation's leading health organizations doesn't want people to know about it.

Themes

Industry influence on health, Food industry conspiracy claims, Trust in health institutions, Diet and disease risk, Corporate connections to medicine

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

I Am Not Your Negro

2. I Am Not Your Negro

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.9
20171h 33min

Overview

Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.

Themes

Racial inequality, Economic exploitation, White supremacy, National identity and accountability, Civil rights struggle, Media representation

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Red Pill

3. The Red Pill

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
8.0
20161h 58min

Overview

When a feminist filmmaker sets out to document the mysterious and polarizing world of the Men’s Rights Movement, she begins to question her own beliefs. Chronicling Cassie Jaye’s journey exploring an alternate perspective on gender equality, power and privilege.

Themes

Gender roles, Identity politics, Power and privilege, Gender equality debates, Freedom of expression, Men's health disparities

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

13th

4. 13th

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
8.2
20161h 40min

Overview

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Themes

Disenfranchisement legacy, Corporate-influence on policy, Civil rights impact, Racialized sentencing, Police brutality patterns, Private-prison incentives

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Zero Days

5. Zero Days

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.7
20161h 56min

Overview

Alex Gibney explores the phenomenon of Stuxnet, a self-replicating computer virus discovered in 2010 by international IT experts. Evidently commissioned by the US and Israeli governments, this malware was designed to specifically sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the complex computer worm ended up not only infecting its intended target but also spreading uncontrollably.

Themes

Secrecy vs transparency, State sponsored cyber operation, Investigation under uncertainty, Governance of cyber tools, Collateral disruption risk, Lifecycle of malware

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

My Scientology Movie

6. My Scientology Movie

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
6.6
20161h 39min

Overview

After being denied access to the Church of Scientology's headquarters, documentarian Louis Theroux teams up with ex-Scientology official Marty Rathbun to stage re-enactments of alleged abuses within the organization. Theroux soon discovers that the church is watching his every move.

Themes

Manipulation of belief, Power dynamics and control, Investigative journalism ethics, Surveillance and intimidation, Authenticity under reconstruction, Authority vs resistance

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

7. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
7.0
20161h 39min

Overview

Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.

Themes

Computer history shaping norms, Internet as social engine, Machine presence and human contact, Media ecology and attention, Tech-led social friction

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Fire at Sea

8. Fire at Sea

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
6.7
20161h 54min

Overview

Capturing life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a frontline in the European migrant crisis.

Themes

Memory of wartime ships, Humanitarian aid dynamics, Migration crisis frontline, Radio as lifeline, Resilience through families, Refugees and rescue

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Where to Invade Next

9. Where to Invade Next

Documentary Comedy Social & Political Documentary Satire
7.5
20152h 1min

Overview

To understand firsthand what the United States of America can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully “invades” some to see what they have to offer.

Themes

Economic inequality mitigation, Womens rights leadership, Education access debt-free, Welfare states expansion, Drug policy reform, Labor rights co-determination

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

10. Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Documentary Social & Political Documentary
8.3
20151h 38min

Overview

Over 93 days in Ukraine, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution and full-fledged civil rights movement.

Themes

Grassroots political mobilization, State violence against protesters, Mass street occupations, Desire for european alignment, Legitimacy crisis, Election-driven political transition

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.