My husband and I shamelessly enjoy watching TV. There are no screen time limits in our house because, honestly, if film is one of your great joys in life, why put limits on it? Now, you won’t find us watching reality TV or the latest ABC comedy series because we don’t pay for cable. We cut the cord the day we moved into our house almost six years ago and never looked back. Instead, we share streaming services with our family which currently include Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. In the past, we’ve also paid for Hulu, but found that their offerings weren’t as appealing to us as the others, so we nixed it. Oh, and then there’s YouTube, which is incredibly life-enhancing to have on your television.
So, what do we watch? While, I’m partial to drama and sci-fi, my husband is incredible at finding fascinating documentaries. In fact, I’m pretty sure that fully one-third of the useful information in my head, I have learned from the documentaries that we watch together.
Here is a rundown of my favorite documentaries that we have watched this month.
THE KEEPERS
If you like a good crime show, the Netflix Original Series The Keepers has all the hallmarks. Starting with the cold case murder of a young nun in Baltimore in 1969 and its suspected link to a priest accused of abuse, leading into theories of corruption and cover-up at the highest level. The story is like something you would see boiled down into a 40-minute Law & Order: SVU episode, except it is laid out in a comfortable seven-part series (oh, and it really happened).
IN DEFENSE OF FOOD
A documentary film based on food journalist Michael Pollan’s book of the same name, In Defense of Food explores Pollan’s theories on food and healthy eating, which can be summed up as “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” In this film, Pollan hits on the multitude of conflicting claims about nutrition in our culture and aims to provide clarity through his years of research and exploration.
Regardless of whether you subscribe to his particular brand of nutrition, Pollan is an inspirational and thought-provoking character. The film was originally done by PBS and is currently available to stream on Netflix.
GET ME ROGER STONE
If you are intrigued by political figures, or just love pop culture crazies, you will want to catch the Netflix Original, Get Me Roger Stone, which details the career of one of the most notorious political operatives of our time. Roger Stone, a man who thrives on controversy, has been a political insider for decades and helped bring about Trump’s unlikely rise to the presidency.
ABSTRACT: THE ART OF DESIGN
If you are in the mood to be inspired, the Netflix Original Series, Abstract: The Art of Design, will do just that. Each episode follows an incredibly talented artist from the most socially relevant forms of art including Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Stage Design, Architecture, Automotive Design, and even Shoe Design (featuring the mastermind behind some of Nike’s greatest kicks). The stories showcase forward-thinking gurus who have carved a path to the top within their industry, and as a result, infused mainstream culture with their outside-of-the-box designs.
THE ART OF LISTENING
If you are interested in music of any kind, you might just be sucked in to this fascinating documentary which explores the journey music takes from the construction of instruments to the composition, recording, and preservation of the sound. The story is presented through a series of interviews with several remarkable artists (many of whom work behind the scenes) sharing the philosophy of their craft.
The Art of Listening is available to stream in its entirety on youtube.
