20 Documentary Movies You Must See Before You Die
A slice of "real life." Supposedly.
Everybody loves a good documentary.
Documentaries widen your knowledge and teach you about amazing things you might never have stumbled upon in any other way; they scale the heights and explore the lows so that you don't have to. They expose secrets, highlight injustices and capture candid moment that the world might never have seen. As a filmmaking genre, the documentary arguably has more power to shock, amaze and change than any other in existence.
The mistake perhaps, is to believe that "documentary" equates to truth; the format is, after all, subject to just as many lies and deceptions as fiction films are. But whilst some might see the potentially dishonest nature of the genre to be a flaw, you could certainly consider it to be one of the documentary's greatest strengths; its ability to combine truth with art to create something more - something that resonates and maybe even changes the world.
There are thousands and thousands of documentaries out there, which makes creating a list of 20 "essential" films something of an exercise in futility. That said, there are certain documentaries that have had a noticeable impact on the world, the medium of film and everything in-between; 20 choice cuts that everyone should really see before they die...
20. Cartel Land (2015)
Everybody knows that there is a huge problem in Mexico with drugs, but Cartel Land - released last year to critical acclaim and an Academy Award contender at this year's Oscar ceremony - shows audiences a side to the war that they might not have know to exist.
That's to say, Matthew Heineman's gorgeously cinematic documentary hones in on vigilante groups on both sides of the border who have taken it upon themselves to fight back against the cartel. The result is a film that doesn't necessarily give any answers or solutions, but puts viewers right in the middle of the action (including a few gun fights) as they're permitted to tag along with two groups out to protect their countries at any cost.
By far the most interesting aspect of the movie concerns one Dr. José Mireles, a Mexican physician turned vigilante leader who leads the controversial "Autodefensas" group. The film leaves you to make up your own mind as to whether he's a hero... or something else.