Film
Me and the Cult Leader, an Unlikely Story of Forgiveness
Atsushi Sakahara, the survivor of a terrorist incident, films his journey with the spokesman for the group that committed the attack.
Documentary
Film
A John Lewis Documentary Probes Tensions Between National and State Power
For any American even mildly ignorant of the rich, complex legacy of Civil Rights within our decidedly disunited country, Dawn Porter's John Lewis: Good Trouble should be mandatory viewing.
Film
Werner Herzog Follows a Company That Rents Actors to Play Your Family and Friends
Family Romance, LLC uses a Japanese rental family service to blur the line between reality and fiction.
Film
This Independence Day, Stream Films That Offer More Critical Takes on “Liberty and Justice for All”
I’m not saying that this is what you should do instead of watching Hamilton on Disney+, but I’m not not saying it either.
Film
An Essential Watchlist of Groundbreaking Black Documentaries
These films illustrate both the undeniable threat of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy and the incomparable strength of Blackness.
Opinion
We Need Documentarians of Color to Tell Their Own Stories
BIPOC filmmakers have been demanding visibility, equity, and access in documentary for years. Amid historic protests for Black lives, this need is even more pressing.
Film
Surveying Transgender History in Film and Television
The documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, now streaming on Netflix, focuses too much on representation, to the detriment of other aspects of the trans experience in cinema.
Film
Snapshots of Gay Culture and History in Pornography
Elizabeth Purchell’s collage film Ask Any Buddy stitches together 100 adult films from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, illuminating aspects of everyday life amid the sex.
Film
Looking Back at Philadelphia’s Notoriously Racist Mayor Frank Rizzo
Recent protests have finally ousted longstanding local monuments to Rizzo. The 1978 documentary Amateur Night at City Hall draws out a history of resistance to his brand of white authoritarianism.
Film
What Actually Happened When Trump Staged a Bible Photo Op
The Washington Post has created a video timeline of the police attack on protesters in Washington, D.C. on June 1.
Film
How Hilma af Klint Was Written Out of History
The new documentary Beyond the Visible is more of a detective story than a straightforward biography, investigating the erasure of an important figure in abstract art.
Film
The Shortcomings of Netflix's Documentary House Style
The streaming giant is increasingly relying on explainer-type series like Explained and History 101, but their supposed objectivity masks worrying biases.