Worst2First: My Top Ten Documentary Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Documentary Films

I am a sucker for a good documentary.  Most people find them boring, but I find them fascinating, especially since they focus on true-life stories that I would've otherwise never heard of.  Hearing the stories of ordinary people who have done extraordinary things is inspiring, and hearing of plights in different countries move my heart and spur me to be a better person.

So here are my top ten documentary films, worst2first.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Super Size Me

Independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decided to tackle the obesity epidemic firsthand by eating nothing but McDonald's food for a month straight, chronicling the effects on his body and his mental well-being.  The result led to McDonald's dropping their Super Size menu as well as shedding a light on the increasing obesity problem in America, as well as earning the director an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.  The film is very direct and human, and you'll think twice before eating at the Golden Arches again.

#9

Life Itself

Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel were the most influential critics in cinematic history, and their legacy lives strong even today.  Being an aspiring film critic, I long to have even half the effect that Ebert did on cinema, but this documentary doesn't just focus on his reviews, but also his personal life and epic struggle against a deadly disease and how he impacted the famous and not-so-famous alike.  Most assuredly this is a two-thumbs-up movie.

#8

His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th

Horror is my favorite movie genre, and the "Friday the 13th" series is one of the best out there.  They're not all good - in fact, hardly any of them could be defined as "good" - but they have a way about them where I can't stop watching them over and over.  This documentary focuses on the legacy Jason Voorhees has left on cinema, with exclusive interviews with several cast members and every actor who's donned the hockey mask.  A true must-see for horror aficionados.

#7

Amy

 Amy Winehouse had a one-of-a-kind voice and a unique personality that seemed perfect for today's social media generation.  However, she also faced many, many demons in her life that were chronicled for the whole world to witness and mock, until her shocking, untimely death at age 27 (along with other musical greats Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison who also died at that age).  This Oscar-winning documentary is an unflinching look at the true cost of fame, and how it can destroy you if you're not strong enough to handle it.

#6

The Cove

Being an animal lover, a film like this both alarms and moves me.  In Japan, the practice of hunting dolphins is a very popular event, albeit one also shrouded in mystery and secrecy.  This Oscar-winning film exposes the unethical whaling practices and shines a light on this inhumane act.  It's not for the faint of heart, but it's a necessary evil to give voice to those who have no voice to give.

#5

Born Into Brothels

Documentary filmmaker Zana Briski took to the streets of Calcutta, India, and found eight young children whose mothers were prostitutes and helped change their lives for the better by introducing them to photography and using that as an outlet to get out of the slums and to not fall into the prostitution business themselves.  The film is moving, poignant, and tells a real story about a group of people that are very overlooked in society, and shows us to be compassionate and caring to everyone.

#4

Restrepo

Named after platoon medic PFC Juan Sebastian Restrepo, who was killed earlier in the campaign, "Restrepo" is a documentary that focuses on the Second Platoon, B. Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborn Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army in the Korangal Valley in Afghanistan.  American journalist Sebastian Junger and British photojournalist Tim Hetherington (who was killed in 2011 in Libya during the Libyan Civil War) spent a year with the platoon as they faced imminent danger and fierce fighting on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, and the result was a film that's very gritty and real, and also deeply emotional and powerful.

#3

Man On Wire

Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary, "Man On Wire" tells the incredible story of French tightrope walker Philippe Petit's six-year journey to achieve the impossible - tightrope walk across the World Trade Center towers.  The film tells this powerful story and shows us that we shouldn't be afraid to take risks and live life on the tightrope, because we can truly experience the most amazing things once we conquer our fears and do that which everyone else deemed impossible.  The film was also inspiration for Robert Zemeckis's 2015 film "The Walk" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit.

#2

March of the Penguins

The documentary film that most people know of, the Morgan Freeman-narrated "March of the Penguins" is an Oscar-winning visual achievement that led to the epic miniseries "Planet Earth" and showcases what happens to a group of emperor penguins during their mating season.  It showed the world another world they never knew existed, and proved that animals and humans aren't all that different in some respects, and serves as a powerful tale of love and life in the harshest of conditions.

#1

Waltz With Bashir

More than just a typical documentary, "Waltz With Bashir" blends the documentary style with stunning, cutting-edge animations that leaves a more lasting impact than just interviews with people who were there.  Filmmaker Ari Folman cannot recall events that happened during the 1982 Lebanon War, so he sets out to interview other men who were there during the conflict and tells their stories through animation.  It's truly a one-of-a-kind film that demands to be seen and leaves a lasting impression after it ends.