Documentary
‘Untold UK: Liverpool’s Miracle of Istanbul’ Is the Beautiful Game Writ Large
In 2005, Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League. This, alone, is a fairly robust achievement for an English club, but the fact that Liverpool entered...
‘Kylie’ And Its Shock Cancer Revelation Make Its Subject An Even Bigger Star
Over the years, many of us have become comfortable with the idea of streaming documentaries about beloved celebrities being ring-fenced puff pieces, usually intended to...
‘Untold UK: Jamie Vardy’ Review – A Premier League Icon Who’s Impossible to Pin Down
Leicester City winning the English Premier League in the 2015-16 season is one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of sports, a 5000/1...
‘The Crash’ Review – Netflix’s True Crime Documentary Shapes The Digital Trial of Mackenzie Shirilla
Patience is a virtue – one that is particularly necessary for the Netflix true crime documentary The Crash. The film follows the story of Mackenzie...
‘Untold: The Death & Life Of Lamar Odom’ Review – A Fascinating Study Of Addiction
At first blush, The Death & Life of Lamar Odom doesn’t seem like the typical Untold documentary. Sure, the life of former NBA star Lamar...
‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ Review – Tyra Banks Seems Pretty Monstrous
At what point is a show considered an overwhelming success? Is it ratings? Is it watercooler moments? Is it somehow managing to get silly portmanteaus...
‘Mo Gilligan: In the Moment’ Review – An Evolved Musical Special That’ll Be Difficult to Top
Mo Gilligan is a very good comedian. It’s worth reminding people of this out of the gate, since when a very specific act makes their...
‘Mike Epps: Delusional’ Review – A Full Career Retrospective On Fast-Forward
You know where you stand with a Mike Epps special. He has been around for long enough that you know what to expect, and he...
‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart’ Review – Smart’s Bravery Elevates A Standard Documentary
It’s always a big deal when children go missing – as well it should be – and an especially big deal, at least in terms...
Netflix’s Ghoulish ‘Skyscraper Live’ Sets A Worrying Precedent For Live Programming
Let’s be frank here: Anyone who tunes into Skyscraper Live is doing so for one reason and one reason only, which is to see if...
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 2 Review – A More Personal Follow-Up Makes Some Smart Choices
WWE: Unreal was a cynical marketing ploy when it debuted, and most people – wrestling fans most of all – didn’t especially care for it....
‘Elway’ Is A Refreshing Reminder That Sometimes You Don’t Need Controversy
I spent most of my time with Elway, Netflix’s definitive profile of Hall of Fame NFL quarterback John Elway, waiting for bad news. As an...
The True Story Behind Netflix’s ‘Murder in Monaco’ and Edmond Safra’s Death
Netflix’s Murder in Monaco is, in terms of its overall construction, a totally unremarkable documentary. But it’s telling a pretty remarkable story, which in the...
‘All the Empty Rooms’ Should Be Mandatory Viewing For Everyone
When I sat down to review All the Empty Rooms, it took me only a few seconds of the 35-minute runtime to realise it was...
‘The Stringer: The Man Who Took the Photo’ Review: Did Nick Ut Steal the Shot?
Even if you do not know the context, most of you have seen the famous Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War of the...
‘Missing: Dead or Alive?’ Season 2: A Dull Return Saved Only by Vicki Rains
There’s no doubt in my mind that being a Missing Persons Investigator must be one of the most—if not the most—anxiety-inducing jobs in law enforcement....
‘Sangre Del Toro’ Cracks A Wonderful Window Into the Mind Of An Icon
I wish I were as passionate about anything as Guillermo del Toro is about monsters. This stands to reason, I suppose, since del Toro is...
‘Being Eddie’ Is A Shameless, Extended Netflix PR Exercise That Undermines A Legend
Eddie Murphy is a legend, there’s no doubt about that. His contributions to entertainment through landmark stand-up comedy specials and mainstream movies undeniably changed the...
Netflix’s ‘Marines’ Is Preparing For War With A Recruitment Documentary
There’s a very specific tension to Netflix’s four-part docuseries Marines, and it’s the promise – not a suggestion, the outright guarantee – of war. Nobody’s...
‘Nightmares of Nature’ Season 2 Review – “Lost in the Jungle” Is A Big Step Up
I already liked Nightmares of Nature. It was a great idea – balancing the education of nature documentaries with the entertainment of a classically styled...