25 Best Netflix Documentaries 2019
Documentaries are increasingly fashionable! With increasing attention to the various environmental and social issues of humanity, this genre was once seen as exclusive to those who are 'intellectual'. Today this stereotype does not reflect reality.
Proof of this is Netflix itself, which features some of the best movies and series in the genre. Not yet explored this part of the catalog, but were interested in knowing some of these works?
So get your popcorn ready, straighten the sofa cushions and check out our full list of the best Netflix 2019 documentaries below!
Want an Instagram post idea about the movies and shows you're watching? So now check out this article teaching you how to share what you're seeing on Netflix through Instagram Stories!
1. Our Planet
Beginning with the list of the best Netflix 2019 documentaries, Our Planet is an eight-episode series that talks about humanity's relationship with our own planet. Each episode focuses on an environment such as forests, oceans and icy areas.
The series stands out for its stunning visuals and for showing how we ourselves are destroying our planet with actions that most of the time we don't even notice.
2. Absorbing the Taboo
Winner of the 2019 Oscar for Best Short Documentary, Absorbing the Taboo category tells the story of a group of women in rural India. The place has a very strong stigma regarding menstruation, to the point of causing segregation.
The documentary portrays the history of women in this rural community and a group of women who have developed a machine that can produce low-cost biodegradable tampons. The arrival of tampons made the product affordable, helping women achieve financial independence and improving a public health problem.
Most of the women shown in the documentary were required to use dirty tissues or even leaves to prevent the flow from spreading, causing infections.
3. Bandits on TV
The first Brazilian work among the best documentaries Netflix 2019. Bandits on TV is a documentary series that tells the story of Wallace Souza, founder of a police program in Manaus called Canal Livre.
Incredibly popular, the presenter became a politician in the state. The problem: the crimes shown on his show were designed by the host himself!
If you've seen the movie The Vulture, you need to watch Bandits on TV as soon as possible.
4. Malala
It's hard not to know at least a bit of Malala Youzafai's world-renowned history. Fighting for the right to study, the 14-year-old girl became a symbol of the struggle against oppression and the youngest to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
The documentary brings more depth to life before and after the bombing, showing more of her struggle for the right to education for women worldwide.
Looking for inspiration to make the world a little better? So Malala is a documentary you need to watch.
5. World War II in Color
Do you like history and want to understand a little more about WWII? World War II in Color can do it for you!
Through rare digitally-colored documents and images, the documentary portrays some of the strategies used in battle. The 13-episode series features some of the most important moments of the conflict, such as Hitler's decision to invade Russia and the US's entry into the war, triggered by the Japanese attack on the Pearl Harbor base.
6. Inside the Sternest Prisons in the World
We know that prisons house criminals and that conditions in Brazil are below ideal. Series like Jailers show a portion of this reality, but it is still a work of fiction.
Inside the Most Severe Prisons in the World is a documentary series that travels the globe and shows the conditions of the most dangerous prisons. Honduras, Ukraine, Colombia and Brazil itself are part of some of the episodes.
7. Hacked Privacy
Are you intimidated by how much technology giants have access to your personal data? Then watch Hacked Privacy. Launched in mid-2019 on Netflix, the series sheds light on how much your information is available on the net and how it can be used. One of the best Netflix 2019 documentaries for those who want to understand more about social networks.
On the other hand, here is our recommendation: Do not watch with the prospect of being scared, but rather to have complete knowledge about how much privacy is giving up when using a digital service. That is, use what you learn in the documentary to make informed decisions about your data.
8. Homecoming
If you have Beyoncé as an idol and haven't watched Homecoming yet, then you can prepare because you already have something to watch today. Unlike Malala, Homecoming doesn't bring so much detail about celebrity life.
The focus here is on the creative process and behind the scenes of her biggest show, which took place in 2018. You'll get all the details of how she produces, choreographs and interprets on her shows, knowing the working methods of one of the most important. Celebrities on the planet.
9. Winter on Fire
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary, Winter On Fire shows how student protests in Ukraine in 2013 culminated in an extremely violent response and its main consequence: 93 days of civil rights conflict in the country.
10. The Most Extraordinary Homes in the World
Do you like architecture and design and are looking for inspiration? Then you cannot miss the seasons of The Most Extraordinary Homes in the World. A lesson in thinking outside the box, each episode takes us somewhere in the world and an unconventional home.
In the first season, the presenters take us to projects in environments such as forest, mountain and coast. On Monday, we visited houses in countries like the United States, Spain and India, among others.
11. Tickling Giants
Nothing pisses off more figures of power than satire with your image. That's what makes Tickling Giants - which means "tickling giants" in the English language - so great.
The documentary shows the story of the surgeon turned Arab comedian Bassem Youssef. In the middle of the Arab spring, he turned his humor against power figures in a country known to be undemocratic. The answer: Countless threats of death or aggression from your supporters.
The documentary impresses with the level of violence of these threats and to remind them of the importance of preserving the right to satire and freedom of expression.
12. Dope
This documentary series raises questions about drug logistics, production and consumption in several countries, being one of the best Netflix 2019 documentaries on the subject. Important for understanding combat-related issues, Dope shows the perspective of those involved in this relationship: public security forces, consumers, and the criminals themselves.
The documentary goes around the world, showing how these operations work in countries like Mexico, the Netherlands and the United States, among others.
13. Wild Wild Country
It's hard not to have heard about world-famous guru Osho Rajneesh. Indian, he heads to the United States and founds a city with his followers in the desert in Oregon.
Things start to go wrong when the inhabitants of the clandestine city clash with the residents who were already there. The event turned into a kind of civil war, which overthrew the governor of the small state, neighboring California. Wild Wild Country tells how the city came about, how it came about and how it ended.
14. Dogs Only
Whether you want a break from civil wars, drug wars or any kind of war, Dogs Only is a documentary that will caress your heart. Especially if you can't get rid of your pet.
Just Dogs is a series of exciting stories lived by small animals and their owners. The series shows the importance of coexistence between human and owner, as well as the impact that one has on the other's life.
15. The 13th Amendment
Returning to the impactful documentaries, The 13th Amendment shows how the American judiciary and prison system has a bias against the country's most incarcerated black population. Its name makes reference to the 13th amendment in the country's Constitution, which abolished slavery.
The 13th Amendment is an important documentary for understanding how much of the structure of our society is still racist and why it must be fought.
16. Explaining
Do you feel confused or even a little old when you come across terms like K-Pop or astrology, among many others? The Explaining shows you in 20 minutes!
Aimed at clarifying and debating contemporary themes, the documentary series is one of the most comprehensive, covering subjects ranging from music, sexuality and nutrition, among others.
Ideal for lunch time - especially if you work at home - as it entertains while teaching, more lightly than some of the works cited here. Easily one of the best documentaries on Netflix 2019.
17. The Keepers
Ideal for thrill-seekers and thrillers, The Keepers is a documentary series that promises to keep your eyes glazed on the screen. The documentary follows the unsolved murder of nun Cathy Cesnik.
No security agency or government has been able to clarify the crime, but the documentary's director goes beyond the issues dealt with in the process, suggesting that the case involved sexual abuse and an intimate relationship between church and state.
18. Talking to a serial killer: Ted Bundy
Released shortly before the arrival of the movie starring Zac Efron, Talking to a Serial Killer: Ted Bundy talks about the real life of the famous serial killer.
Unlike the film, which features a dramatization of life and affairs, the documentary brings Ted Bundy's own perspective on his crimes. The documentary features a timeline, tracing the criminal's history even before he committed the murders.
Documentary is a way of understanding how the mind of a criminal of this scale works. He also brings criticism of the American judiciary and how it has disrupted the case.
19. Icarus
From the United States to Russia, Icarus is a story that shows how far the government of the country was going to win medals. Greed has led to one of the biggest doping cases in the history of world sport, as shown by documentary presenters, an American filmmaker and a Russian scientist.
20. One Strange Rock
For those who want to learn more about our little planet, One Strange Rock can be an interesting proposition among the best Netflix 2019 documentaries. Narrated by none other than Will Smith, the program brings the perspective of several astronauts who have had the opportunity to see the our planet from outside it.
The documentary features amazing images of our planet, taken in about 45 countries. You will see different species of animals, geographical formations and all kinds of weirdness we can find on Earth.
21. Earth
Like One Strange Rock, Earth shows our planet, but from an environmental perspective and our destructive behavior toward it.
The documentary brings dazzling visuals about the diverse environments we have on our planet. A movie to make us understand that lack of compassion for Earth's endangered species can still condemn our survival.
22. Age-Marking Toys
Escaping a little from the seriousness of most documentaries, Epoch-making Toys will surely invoke a delicious nostalgia. The documentary series tells the story of the main fevers in the toy industry, with curiosities about terms and production and sales tactics for children of the time.
Did you know that Commandos in Action were called action figures so as not to look like parents were buying dolls for their sons? And that the design of He-Man and Transformers were created solely for the purpose of selling toys? This is the kind of thing you will learn in Toys That Made Time!
23. Fyre Festival: Caribbean Fiasco
One of the biggest parties in the world. Luxury, beautiful people and celebrities. This would be the Fyre Festival, one of the hottest and most expensive music festivals in the world. Driven by social media, the festival was a big scam.
The first payers arrived at the scene and… nothing but a few trailers were available. No stage, no DJ, no expensive drinks and ostentation.
How did this happen?
That's what Fyre Festival: Caribbean Fiasco explains!
24. Take Your Pills
Along with the food and oil industry, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most criticized in the world. No wonder, since she is accused of “inventing the disease to sell the cure”.
The documentary Take your Pills seeks to show this dependence relationship we have on products to maintain our efficiency. She denounces how our high-performance, competitive society turns these productivity-enhancing pills into alienation and dependence, while the pharmaceutical giants make billions.
25. Abstract: the Art of Design
Unlike most of the best Netflix 2019 documentaries, Abstract: the Art of Design brings no denunciations related to the environment or runs through the lives of icons or celebrities. The documentary talks about contemporary art and design.
Throughout the episodes, she shows us the different branches of this art, interviewing experts and showing their creative processes. Ideal for a better understanding of the craft for the layman or to present new perspectives on how professionals can use their tools.
What are the best Netflix 2019 documentaries?
Now that you have considerably increased your list with our suggestions, it is your turn to give your opinion: which of these is the best streaming service documentary? Comment with us!
