Documentaries are thriving in the age of streaming, as supply meets the endless demand for deep dives into new worlds. From a two-part look at the multi-decade career of iconic comedian Steve Martin, to harrowing films like 20 Days in Mariupol, this year is shaping up to be a great one for a diverse set of investigations.
Read on for W’s best documentaries of 2024 (so far).
Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion
Release date: TBD on HBO, later streaming on Max
With its “one size fits all” tagline, Brandy Melville has become both a beloved shopping destination for teenage girls and primed for controversy. Those who watched White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch won’t be surprised to learn that one of that 2000s-era’s successors in the teen space has its own murky practices, from its participation in the global fast fashion industry to the allegedly toxic culture it fosters behind its shiny exterior. Brandy Hellville captures it all.
Will & Harper
Release date: TBD on Netflix
When Will Ferrell’s close friend, former Saturday Night Live head writer Harper Steele, comes out as a trans woman, the pair set out together for a two-week cross-country road trip from New York to Los Angeles, stopping in dive bars, Walmart parking lots and national parks along the way. The ensuing film is filled with deep conversations and lots of laughter—during the trip, they also talk to their famous friends, including Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Seth Meyers. The Sundance premiere of the film received multiple standing ovations, resonating with audiences as a testament to the unique journey of self-discovery and connection that lifelong friendship provides.
High & Low: John Galliano
Release date: April 26 on Mubi
High & Low charts John Galliano’s rise to the highest of heights as he became one of the most influential fashion designers of his time, to his staggering fall from grace after a series of his anti-Semitic and racist rants went viral in 2011. The doc takes into account Galliano’s upbringing in Spain and England, his difficult relationship with his father and his entry into celebrity society as he became a designer to the stars—and the usual struggles that come with the trappings of fame, like excessive partying and the extreme pressure of the international fashion schedule. With interviews from Galliano himself, along with well-known figures from the fashion world (including Naomi Campbell, Anna Wintour, and Robin Givhan), High & Low asks viewers to decide for themselves whether the designer is worthy of redemption, and why genius so often seems to beget trouble.
Kim’s Video
Release date: April 5 in theaters
Kim’s Video is many things, including, in the first section, a look at the history of the famous New York movie rental store, which opened in 1987 and expanded to five Manhattan locations (with the most well-known being on St. Mark’s Place) before eventually closing in 2007 (its extensive archive of VHS tapes and DVDs was sent to be tended to in Sicily). A nostalgic tribute to the store’s singular influence on downtown New York culture and cinema nerds everywhere, the documentary then takes on a more thriller vibe, playing with genre as it goes on a wild goose chase to find the aforementioned archives in Italy and to dig deeper into the enterprising, young South Korean immigrant who started the operation in the first place, Youngman Kim.
Girls State
Release date: April 5 on Apple TV+
In a climate of extreme political polarization, it’s difficult to have genuine conversations. Girls State, however, follows 500 teenage girls from across the battleground state of Missouri as they gather for a week-long experiment in democracy, where they build a government from the ground up, campaign for office, and form a Supreme Court to weigh on the divisive issues of the day. Rather than being the subject of discussions and policies, the girls have the chance to decide their own future, at least in theory, while making friends along the way.
The Synanon Fix
Release date: April 1 on Max
Given the public’s fascination with cults, it’s no surprise that Synanon, the California treatment center that grew from a respected rehabilitation program in the late 1950s into an abusive communal living experimental, is getting the documentary treatment. The Synanon Fix (from the filmmakers who created the enlightening Downfall: The Case Against Boeing) is told mainly through first-person accounts of former Synanon members, and traces the organization’s history from a groundbreaking therapeutic community to one plagued with criticisms of child abuse, assault and attempted murder. It also takes a hard look at its charismatic and controversial founder, Charles “Chuck” Dederich.
STEVE! (martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces
Release date: March 29 on Apple TV+
Beloved as he is, Steve Martin is an enigmatic figure in entertainment, and A24 and Tremolo Production’s STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces aims to peel back the curtain on the comedian and actor’s life and personality. The first part, “Then,” chronicles Martin’s early success in standup, which he walked away from at the age of 35, while “Now” focuses on the 78-year-old’s current enjoyment of the fruits of his labor, all the while tracing his personal and artistic transformation.
Carol Doda Topless at the Condor
Release date: March 22 in theaters
This new documentary tells the story of Carol Doda, a young San Francisco cocktail waitress who upended social norms against the backdrop of the 1964 Republican Convention with her topless act atop a white baby grand piano at a North Beach nightclub—challenging conventions, celebrating the beginning of the sexual revolution and becoming one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. The doc is both a look at Doda’s life and legacy, as well as a tour of the boisterous, vibrant world of North Beach, San Francisco at that time.
20 Days in Mariupol
Release date: Available now on Prime Video
At a time when journalists around the world face increasing threats and barriers to producing their work, 20 Days in Mariupol highlights the importance—and danger—of reporting from combat zones. The Academy Award-winning Frontline documentary follows an AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine; as the only international reporters remaining in the city, they are left to capture the devastation around them at immense personal cost.
Four Daughters
Release date: Available now on Netflix and Prime Video
The Oscar-nominated Four Daughters tells the true story of Tunisia native Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters after the eldest two were radicalized as teenagers, leaving their home to fight alongside the Islamic State in Libya. Hamrouni drew international attention in 2016 when she criticized the Tunisian government for not stopping her daughters from leaving, and for preventing her from going to find them in Libya. Four Daughters is a mix of documentary and fiction, bringing in actors to play the two missing daughters to reconstruct the family’s story.
God Save Texas
Release date: Available now on Max
God Save Texas is told in trilogy form, with each of three episodes highlighting a different issue currently facing the state of Texas. Three different award-winning filmmakers (and Texan natives), Richard Linklater, Alex Stapleton, and Iliana Sosa, return to their hometowns, telling the history of each city and connecting the themes to the broader story of America today. The border, the prison industrial complex and the oil industry are all investigated, as each city depicted—Hunstville, El Paso and Houston—is used to examine the past, present and future of the Lone Star State.
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
Release date: Available now on Prime Video
An accomplished, global multihyphenate superstar, Jennifer Lopez still had one project she wanted to complete in her career: independently producing a new album and an original film to explore her “twenty-year journey to self-love.” Theresulting documentary is a highly personal look at Lopez’s process of recording her latest album, This Is Me…Now, bringing viewers into the most intimate parts of her life through interviews with her inner circle and candid moments at home, with her family, friends, and of course, Ben Affleck.
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero
Release date: Available now on Max
Lil Nas X hit the ground running this year with Long Live Montero, which follows the Grammy award-winning rapper, singer and songwriter as he prepares for his first-ever headlining U.S. tour. For anyone curious about the artist behind the controversy and the memes—it’s also a highly personal look at the pressures of creating a tour.
Frida
Release date: Available now on Prime Video
Frida, from first-time director Carla Gutiérrez was a hit with critics and audiences when it premiered at Sundance this year, and for good reason. While Frida Kahlo is best known for her iconic paintings and especially self-portraits, the artist was also a prolific writer, documenting her life in diaries, letters and essays. Frida is narrated completely in Kahlo’s own words, drawing from these sources (and interviews she gave) to showcase her work while providing an intimate glimpse into her thoughts, feelings and romantic life.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Release date: Available now on Max
Investigation Discovery’s four-part documentary series, Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV dives deep into the “golden era” of iconic late 1990s and early 2000s Nickelodeon shows, uncovering the deeply toxic and abusive environments that flourished behind the scenes. Shows like All That, The Amanda Show, Zoey 101 and Drake and Josh are examined as actors, writers, directors and parents from that time are interviewed about bad behavior they witnessed or experienced, ranging from mildly uncomfortable to illegal. It’s a very sad watch, with former Nick star Drake Bell sharing for the first time his experience of being abused by convicted sex offender Brian Peck—and another entry into the canon of series that expose the darkness behind seemingly very successful industries.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
Release date: Available now on Hulu
Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast
Hulu
Ever since news of Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told dropped on social media, those who attended the iconic Atlanta spring break party in the ’80s and ’90s have been bracing themselves for previously unseen footage of the wild times of hookups and legendary parties that made the titular event famous—and ultimately led to its downfall. Yet Freaknik, executive produced by Luke Campbell, Jermaine Dupri and 21 Savage, is a celebratory, nostalgic look at the Freaknik’s origins, with a focus on how it brought attention to Atlanta and American Black culture and why its infamous legacy still resonates today.
This post was originally published on W Magazine
