The holidays are a upon us and that can only means we’ll all be spending a lot of time at home watching Netflix. And sure, you could use this valuable Netflix time to re-watch every episode of Friends or veg out to Great British Bake Show (understandable), but you could also *drumroll please* learn some shit. Crazy, I know, but in addition to being an archive of all your guiltiest pleasures, Netflix is also home to a bunch of amazing documentaries that will help anyone who included “get woke” on their list of resolutions.
Here are 10 docs to add into your queue that will make you go from “the drunk one” to “the one who won’t shut the fuck up about this documentary she just saw” ASAP.
For The Vegan Environmentalist: Cowspiracy
Sure, you know eating meat is mean to the animals, but did you know that, like you with a hangover, it also requires an insane amount of water? Like, more water than we currently have. And unlike you, the Earth can’t send a fuckboy out to bring it Gatorade. This doc explores all the environmental effects of your obsession with chicken parms, *and* takes time to shade most environmental groups for ignoring this issue.
For The Business Betch: Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
Like Katherine Heigel, Enron used to be like, a huge fucking deal, but now it barely exists. This doc explores how the fucked up finance bros of Enron low-key screwed over everyone, and casually kicked off the the financial crisis.
For The The Legit Activist: How To Survive A Plague
This documentary is about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s so — spoiler alert — it’s fairly depressing. That said, it focuses on the efforts of activist groups like ACT UP and TAG, and how they used peaceful protest to try and get Reagan to GAF about AIDS. It’s actually p. inspiring.
For The Religious Scholar: Jesus Camp
This documentary about an evangelical summer camp will confirm everything you ever thought about evangelical summer camp – it’s fucking bonkers. Yes, there is speaking in tongues. Yes, there is an insane rant about Harry Potter. And yes, they do pray over a powerpoint. Get ready to say “omg” and then get kind of nervous you just took the Lord’s name in vain.
For The Person Who Just Watched Jesus Camp And Wants To Get Even More Fucked Up: One Of Us
If you’re on a religious extremism kick (weird choice for the holidays but okay), One of Us is Netflix’s new documentary about three Hasidic Jews who attempt to leave their ultra orthodox community. It…doesn’t…go…great…
For The Person Who Can’t Handle Any More Depressing Shit: Meet The Patels
If you need to laugh for the first time ever in 2017, Meet The Patels is for you. This doc follows Ravi Patel (Master of None) as he tries to save his love life by letting his family play matchmaker for him. If you’ve ever wondered how dating is done in other cultures, this doc is for you.
For The True Crime Fanatic: The Death And Life Of Marsha P. Johnson
This doc looks into the mysterious death of Marsha P. Johnson, an LGBTQ activist who was a major player in the Stonewall riot. Her death was ruled a suicide, but as any true crime fan can tell you, “ruled a suicide” is usually code for “100% did not commit suicide.” This doc has a little bit of everything — LGBTQ history, never-before-seen footage, and a juicy unsolved murder to keep you focused on anything but your Aunt Diane’s divorce this holiday season.
For The Social Justice Warrior: 13th
This Academy Award winning documentary by Ava DuVernay about racial inequality in the justice system is like, a must watch for any self-respecting liberal snowflake. Be warned, you won’t walk away from this one feeling great about America, but you haven’t felt great about America for a while now so it’s NBD.
For The Conspiracy Theorist With Time On Their Hands: Wormwood
Full disclosure: I haven’t finished Wormwood yet. That’s because it’s not just *one* documentary, it’s a whole series focused on the CIA’s use of experimental LSD during the Cold War. If you’re the type of person who has spent more than a few nights googling government cover-ups, this documentary will literally be your life for six whole episodes.
For The Political Junkie: Get Me Roger Stone
If you’ve spent every second since the 2016 election thinking, “HOW THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN” let me introduce you to Roger Stone, aka, the Republican devil. Between his literal tattoo of Richard Nixon, and the fact that he told Donald Trump to run for president in the ‘80s, this doc will at least provide you with a new person to blame all of America’s problems on.
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