The right documentary can wow you, entertain you, and even make you question what you thought you knew—about your own brain, the simmering planet beneath your feet, or weirdo musical geniuses wearing flower pots on their heads.
Netflix has a documentary and docuseries lineup that’s full of this kind of stuff, and much more, but sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Well, just leave that to me. If you’re in the mood to learn, this weekend I’ve picked a few cool docs that’ll do that without you even knowing it.
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How to Change Your Mind
If you consider yourself a, shall we say, chaser of altered mental states, then How to Change Your Mind might just blow your mind. This four-part Netflix docusereis about the world of psychedelics comes from the mind of author and UC Berkeley professor Michael Pollan, and is based on his enlightening bestselling book of the same name.
Pollan guides viewers through the psychadelic renaissance, with each episode focusing on a different substance—LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline. Pollan helps to demystify and destigmatize these substances by taking a look at their historical and cultural uses throughout the world, and how, in the modern age, we’re learning that they can be powerful tools for treating people with ailments like depression, PTSD, addiction, and anxiety.
Pollen’s approach is clinical and intelligent, and the stories from real people who have found relief from these new treatments are emotional and compelling. Pollan and How to Change Your Mind have received critical praise for the docs bold, informative stance, and the film has held a steady 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating since its release in 2022.
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Into the Inferno
Volcanoes are fascinating, beautiful, and terrifying natural wonders, aren’t they? But as we are shown and told (with one of the best accents of any filmmaker, ever) by enigmatic documentarian Verner Herzog in his stunning doc, Into the Inferno, the myths, beliefs, politics, and the people who live around volcanoes may be more fascinating.
Don’t worry, though, this 1 hour and 47 minute science and nature film is full of the good stuff, too—beautiful, searing, glowing orange lava flows, exploding mountains, and breathtaking landscapes. “It’s a fire that wants to burst forth. And it could not care less about what we are doing up here,” Herzog narrates, as he and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer explore active volcanoes in Vanuatu, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Iceland, and even North Korea.
Into the Inferno has garnered huge critical acclaim for its stunning cinematography and Herzog’s uniquely brilliant and quirky narration. The 2016 doc currently has a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 92% and is certified fresh.
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Verner Herzog explores some of the world’s most dangerous active volcanoes.
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Devo
Are you ready to whip it? Whip it good? If you’re interested in biographical music docs, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the iconic new wave band, Devo is going to fascinate and entertain you. They may look and sound weird, but Devo was one of the smartest, most creative bands to emerge from the late ’70s, and this new 94-minute doc by filmmaker Chris Smith (American Movie, Fyre) perfectly captures their career.
Ohio art-school pals Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Gerald Casale were all about the idea that humanity was going backwards—devolving, if you will. What started out as a joke, it was this concept of de-evolution (Devo) that would become the driving force behind the aesthetic, music, and message of the band, and would permeate their entire career.
Using some astonishing archival footage, clips from the band’s early experimental films, and insightful interviews with members, Devo is a highly watchable timeline of the band as they go from MTV-era incendiaries to purveyors of some of the catchiest synth-pop songs of all time, including Whip It, Jocko Homo, and their quirky reinterpretation of The Rolling Stone’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
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Yes, $8/month
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Two or four
The story of one of new wave’s most iconic bands.
Big blockbusters popcorn movies are great, and Netflix has them in spades. But with truth often being way stranger and more entertaining than fiction, sometimes a great documentary or docuseries is the only way to fly. Hopefully these selections will grant you the enlightenment you’ve been looking for. Check out some of my other Netflix documentary weekend binge articles for more inspiration, too.
- Subscription with ads
-
Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
-
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
