20 Documentary Movies You Must See Before You Die

6. Don't Look Back (1967)

Bob Dylan is one of the most famous and influential people to have ever lived, and is often credited with birthing modern music as we know it. Love him or loathe him, it is futile to rally against 'ol Bob and is legacy. And given that it felt necessary to include a musical documentary on this list (as to cover all bases), there is no better than Don't Look Back.

Shot in 1965, Don't Look Back is an intimate portrait of the then twenty-something folk singer who was then well on his way to becoming a true icon and phenomenon.

The documentary follows the songwriter as a tours Britain, and - though it's supposed to be a factual work - there's a sense that Dylan is playing up his "persona" for the camera. This acknowledges a truth of the genre that audiences often hate to admit because it kills the illusion of reality; we don't like to think of a documentary being faked in any way, and yet it's delusional to believe that a person with a camera won't play up to it even a little bit.

You don't come away from Don't Look Back feeling particularly warm for Dylan; he comes across as moody and something of an assh*le. And yet the documentary itself feels groundbreaking; like it's capturing a genuinely important moment in time.