Do you like watching documentaries and diving into the world of facts, analyses, and revealed truth? The genre of the documentary is usually not for very large audiences, since people tend to watch more thrilling movies. However, this doesn’t mean that there are no documentary films that make you hold your breath, especially ones about serial killers, criminal stories, etc.

In this article, we want to cover the variety this genre can offer to the viewers. During the last years, when video streaming services started booming, so did the docu movies and series about different topics. There are hundreds of great titles on Netflix, and here is a full list of those if you want some help to make a choice.

Let’s get into the topic and read some good stuff about interesting documentaries that you may find relevant to your interests and worth watching during the weekend. We separated those titles that are maybe not much popular, but it’s worth giving them a try.

All In: The Poker Movie

Released in 2009,  Douglas Tirola’s movie is a story about the rise of popularity of one of the most mysterious games – poker. It’s not just a game, but a phenomenon that has been able to impact societies and even pop culture. Indeed, many people today play online poker for real money at a gambling website, or they gather with their closest ones to have a fun time. In all cases, poker proved to be an influential game, and this documentary sheds light on many aspects of that phenomenon.

The movie is capturing the poker boom in the early 2000s, amid the growth of online poker and the success of poker tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker, being televised for large audiences. Despite the fact that in recent years it has become more inclusive for players worldwide, still, there is no consensus about the nature of the game, meaning if the success depends on players’ skills or if it’s just a matter of luck. The movie tries to find the right answer.

“All In: The Poker Movie” provides an overview of the history and evolution of poker, its impact on popular culture, and its influence on the lives of both professional players and game enthusiasts. But one very interesting aspect of the movie is the storyline of discussing poker as a way for many people to achieve their American dream. So, what’s it behind this charming game, and how the online platforms could give a second life to poker?

Break Point

You know the renowned Netflix docu-series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”. When it first arrived at the streaming giant’s movie catalog, Esquire commented that it is “changing the fortunes of a single sport forever, and giving new meaning to the phrase “car crash TV”. But we promised not to talk about very famous documentaries, didn’t we? Correct, but the success of this series pushed Netflix to implement similar ideas regarding other individual sports. And they thought of… Tennis.

Truth be told, it’s not as good as “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”, and it’s definitely far from being as popular as the latter one, but still, if you are a fan of big tennis games, and want to see some behind the scenes shots, then you will like the series. Unfortunately, it doesn’t cover much about idols, like Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic, and mostly concentrates on the new generation. But today’s young generation is tomorrow’s idol, so let that idea guide you throughout the series.

Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues

And here is another, completely different documentary from a completely different area. Apple TV+ released this in 2022, and honestly, this is a great movie to watch for not one or two but several reasons.

First of all, you will watch pieces of video material from the legendary artist’s live concerts and interviews, that are captivating. Second, the great choice of music accompanies the movie, which sometimes makes you feel goosebumps on your skin. And third, of course, is the general storyline itself, telling about the hard life Armstrong had as an African-American, and his courage to talk about those difficulties in his songs. By the way, one of those songs is called “Black and Blues”, and this is how Armstrong was describing himself.

So, this documentary may be less popular than Apple’s other series about Billie Eilish, “The Life’s a Little Blurry”, because it’s interesting for the audience appreciating Jazz and the particular era Armstrong lived and worked in, but it’s a great choice to broaden the views about some different issues.

While documentaries may not always attract the same large audiences as thrilling fictional films, they hold immense value in their ability to inform, educate, and inspire. So, the next time you look for engaging content, consider turning to the world of documentaries, where there is always something to discover and learn