Best Documentaries on Netflix to Make You Second Guess Everything Online
2022 has been a pivotal year for online streaming platforms. We have seen people questioning online streaming sites’ subscriptions, switching their subscription plans, sharing screens, switching to new platforms, and ditching the trusted old online platforms. These changes have somehow helped in broadening the entrainment genre’s horizon and breaking barriers for new talent.
On the contrary, this shift has proved to be a major setback for the pioneer of the online streaming site – Netflix. Formally known for quality content, endless content options, easy payment plans, and unbeatable original shows, Netflix is slowly becoming another lackluster option.
Most critics in the entertainment business believe that new online streaming sites are less expensive and easy to navigate but to catch up with Netflix, they still have a long way to go. To prove that Netflix originals are indeed unbeatable, we have assembled a list of documentaries available on Netflix that will offer you a completely different view of the life we live online.
While Netflix offers some of the best documentaries but we all know, nothing can bring the true essence of investigative or adventurous documentaries as well as the National Geographic or Discovery channels do. In case you cannot find anything to fit your taste on Netflix, you can always revert to Mediacom TV. Especially if you are of Hispanic descent, canales de Mediacom will help you decide which package to pick.
Within this write-up, our goal is to help you create a headspace where you can make informed and conscious decisions about your online life.
The Tinder Swindler
Directed by Felicity Morris, The Tinder Swindler is a 2022 Netflix documentary that highlights the flaws of the online dating world. This 1 hour and 54 minutes drawn-out documentary talk about the flashy profiles that we get envious of but they are just designed to catfish others. In this documentary, the main protagonist, Simon Leviev lures women by offering them expensive gifts and taking them on lavish trips only to scam them for money later.
The Tinder Swindler is an excellent disclaimer for people who believe in flashy and extravagant online presence and do not question the authenticity of anything. From fake news to fake people, the online presence of an individual can be misleading. So, you need to stay mindful when making decisions about your professional, private, and love life online.
Social Dilemma
Another masterpiece, the Social Dilemma (2020) is a documentary that was directed by Jeff Orlowski. This 94-minute-long documentary takes a deep dive into the making of echo chambers and how algorithms are designed to give tunnel vision by fortifying the notions and ideas that users already possess.
This exceptional documentary explores the algorithm designed to keep you engaged on social media by tapping into your behavior, interests, and emotions so you get into a conspiracy rabbit hole and stay there. This is the reason you will keep finding fake information that will further reinforce your ideas.
The Great Hack
If you are interested in Donald Trump’s “fake news” claims, this is a documentary that will prove him right. Directed by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, this 2 hours and 19 minutes documentary piece was released on Netflix in 2019. This digital art piece explores the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The great hack explains how manipulation of news and making fake news a part of daily life just to increase engagement was the goal of Facebook. From running fake ads to gatekeeping truth and creating viral election stories, this shocking documentary explains how in the world of technology there is no ultimate truth.
Operation Varsity Blues
From gatekeeping knowledge to getting into IVY league universities based on heritage quota, the exploitation in education is becoming worse with every passing day. This documentary investigates the fraudulent methods, loopholes, and back doors that are used by the famous and rich in the dirty business of education. This exceptional 1 hour and 43 minutes investigation piece was directed by Chris Smith and premiered in 2021.
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Another mind-boggling masterpiece by Chris Smith – this documentary premiered in 2019 and stretches up to 1h 37m. An exceptional example of smoke screen and digital manipulation, Fyre Festival was once the most sought before Fyre became the epitome of failure and ridicule.
Aimed to surpass the annual music heaven of Tomorrowland, this music festival was endorsed by some of the biggest names in the industry. The guests were promised to have a kick-ass weekend filled with music, alcohol, and star power. However, even when charged with hefty ticket and entry fees, the poor management turned the festival into a complete disaster. From offering cheap and expired food items to having soaked tents, this scam fest is known to be one of the worst festivals that is still remembered to this day.
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King
Amidst the hype of digital currencies, this 2022 chilling digital gem talks about one of the biggest crypto scams in history. This thrilling documentary investigates the 250-million-dollar scam planned by Gerry Cotton- the shy introvert who was known in the business world to be the next Bill Gates.
Directed by Luke Sewell, this 90 minutes digital piece takes the viewer into a roller coaster of emotions as it unravels the untimely death of the CEO who takes along the password of the crypto ledgers consisting of life-long investments of his customers and left them hanging in limbo.
Catfish
This 1 hour and 34 minutes long, bone-chilling, and a jaw-dropping documentary was directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. It follows the early days of social media when the main protagonist Nev Schulman, gets into a romantic relationship via Facebook. In a world of fabricated lies and too good to be true love, things soon get out of hand when the long-distance relationship turns into a heated toxic mess.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, Netflix and online streaming sites are not just limited to entertainment so you can unwind and enjoy. Most online streaming sites are making a conscious decision of satisfying the curiosity of people as well. Packed with astonishing and mind-bending information and fortified with extreme daily life thrillers, these documentaries will convince you to second-guess everything you will see online.