Tag: documentary

It’s highly profitable to be a dick on the Internet. “Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere” (2026)

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directed by Adrian Choa
© 2026 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

In the past, men were writing poems, serenading under the balcony, waiting for hours with flowers for their love interest… and now they call women “dishwashers” and feel offended about paying for a coffee on a date. Welcome to our reality. I mean, I get it, not everyone is a romantic type and times change, yadda yadda yadda. However, the idea of masculinity has evolved into something absurd and dangerous. We may have a laugh that those “alpha males” are ridiculous, but they have a huge power – the influence. Millions of boys follow such coaches and “experts” in order to learn how to be a real man. A real man? What’s the definition of that? Because if being a real man means being a rude asshole who disrespects everyone and has absolutely no reflection about his own actions, then yes, those influencers will surely teach you that. Louis Theroux, a journalist, decides to explore the world of those masculinity icons. We get to see a clash of two worlds, because Louis doesn’t seem to have much in common with his interviewees. What I saw in this documentary isn’t much surprising, because I’m a woman who’s been dealing with men her whole life. The fact they try to show dominance by being disrespectful towards women is quite common. Having high expectations about their partners/lovers, but absolutely none about themselves – also well-known. Focusing on their appearance and image instead of working on their personalities, emotional intelligence or competences – classic! All the men presented in this documentary represent this group and you can see how unaware they are of their actions. Not only women are affected by their toxicity, but also other men who struggle with their self-confidence. I guess the most iconic moment of the documentary is when the mother of one of those men is defending her son and claims that he would never say or do anything bad… and then her son says he would totally do that. The face of that woman is priceless. And I’m not even laughing at that – it’s in fact hurtful. A mother, blindly supporting her child, realising that her perfect boy is nothing like that. The documentary itself isn’t anything spectacular, but I’m glad this problem is analysed and shared widely. Maybe someone will take a moment and reflect on it. Either it’s a woman, a man, a boy, a mother or literally anyone.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I really like freedom. “Viva Verdi!” (2024)

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directed by Yvonne Russo
© 2024 La Monte Productions. All Rights Reserved.

This wasn’t my favourite documentary nominated to Oscars this year, but it’s definitely a story worth learning about. In Milan, Italy, there’s a house, where a true magic happens. Elderly musicians enjoy their last moments there, and by “enjoy” I mean living to the fullest in their own style. It’s not an ordinary retirement home. All the residents there keep on doing what they love the most, which is music. They play, they jam, they sing and they also mentor young musicians living together with them. Yes, two generations share the same space, connected by the passion to music. The house was built by Giuseppe Verdi, an opera composer in 1896 and it’s also known as Casa di Riposo per Musicisti (“rest home for musician”). I’d never heard of it until watching this documentary. The place seems phenomenal, considering the fact that it unites the artists, who can learn from each other and make an impact on the other generation. But there’s the sad part of the story as well. The house was actually built in order to give shelter to the elderly musicians who haven’t succeeded in professional life, at least when it comes to finances. They often don’t have enough savings to afford living on their own or in another retirement home. So Casa Verdi is their asylum, where they can peacefully spend time among people with similar values. I find it beautiful and inspiring. I wish there were more places like this one, where seniors stay active in their passion till the very end. The documentary itself wasn’t anyhow spectacular, but the story of Casa Verdi is, so make sure to see it.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I am the reaper of death. Now say my name! “The Alabama Solution” (2025)

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directed by Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman
© 2025 HBO. All Rights Reserved.

Is it okay to murder the murderer? Well… I won’t answer this question, but I invite you to another philosophy lesson on this blog, and all that because of “The Alabama Solution”. It’s a documentary that may really play with your mind and values. In 2019, the filmmakers, Andrew and Charlotte, visited one state prison to record some religious event taking place. As they were there, several prisoners approached them in secret to share that they’re being abused on a daily basis. Imagine, a person who committed a crime (even a murder) asks you for help because they’re in danger. What do you do? Andrew and Charlotte decide to investigate and, with the participation of the prisoners, they create this documentary to show the reality behind bars. What you will see is drastic and heart-breaking, but at the same time incredibly confusing. I believe no person should be allowed to torture or kill another one, without exceptions. However, it was difficult for me to sympathise with the prisoners, because they weren’t there without a reason. Once again, they should be punished for their crimes, but additional harming is definitely an example of power abuse. Unfortunately, I do imagine why people might ignore this problem – in the end, they would care about the criminals who had perhaps hurt their beloved ones. It is an extremely difficult topic and the documentary made me reflect on it for a long time. I wish it was a series, so we could dig deeper and try to create several answers to those complex questions. The film left me curious, but not fully informed, at least not as much as I’d like. Technically, it’s an average documentary, but the idea for it makes it outstanding. If you’re ready for such philosophical experience, I highly recommend it.

My rating: 6/10
S.

That was her safe place. “All the Empty Rooms” (2025)

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directed by Joshua Seftel
© 2025 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Such documentaries are needed and it’s needed to talk about them. This year, one of the Oscars nominee is “All the Empty Rooms” – a short documentary that reminds us about what’s left after the tragedy. Steve Hartman, a journalist, and Lou Bopp, a photographer, decide to make a common project together – they visit empty rooms. But not just any empty rooms – they belonged to the children and teenagers who were killed during school shooting. The problem of such events is very big in the USA and we often hear the horrible news about yet another tragedy involving youth. When a school shooting takes place, the world stops for a moment to think about the victims. Then, life goes on. Unfortunately, for many families it’s impossible to deal with the loss and they decide to leave the victims bedrooms untouched. As if the child left it in the morning and was about to come back. Some of them don’t even wash the clothes or bedsheet not to forget the smell of their beloved one. Steve and Lou make sure to approach each family with respect and they wish to pay tribute to their late child. With each room you feel even more overwhelmed by the intensity of emotions, especially since you see all those toys and colourful decorations indicating how young its owner was. To me, it was difficult to watch, but sometimes I need such films. The idea to describe a person by the photos of their room is creative and it’s inspiring how this project may influence the victims’ families. Because even though they had to remind themselves of the tragedy, you can see gratidute in their eyes. That someone else remembers about their child. Make sure to put your phone away and focus on this short, but important documentary. Wishing them a win!

My rating: 8/10
S.

Some things are not that obvious. “Undercover: Exposing the Far Right” (2024)

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directed by Havana Marking
© 2024 Marking Films. All Rights Reserved.

Generally, I stay away from politics, but this documentary caught my attention and I’d like to share it with you. Just to be clear, this film shows the dark sides of rightists, so if you’re one, perhaps you can skip it. Or quite the opposite – maybe after watching you will reflect on your choices. I’m not a rightist and I’ll be writing this post from my subjective perspective. You decide whether you want to keep reading or not. In the documentary you will learn about an anti-facist group called Hope Not Hate, who try to stop extremists from spreading hate and make sure communities live in peace and common respect. They decide to go undercover and expose the truth about far-right with the use of hidden cameras, microphones and by gaining the group’s trust. What you will see in this film isn’t much surprising, but surely it’s intense. I mean, we all know what those people do on our streets during protests or what they share on the Internet. But when you listen to the conversations they have between each other while nobody else is listening (except the hidden microphones of Hope Not Hate), you may actually have chills. Or you may be shocked how cunning they are. Because if you think the leaders of such groups aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. In fact, they know exactly what they’re doing, so any controversies or actions that seem unexpected are definitely well-planned. One moment made me reflect a lot – when I realised that far-righists promote absolutely ridiculous ideas, but it’s only to manipulate us. For example, let’s look at the topic of abortion. They will be stating that abortion should be illegal in all possible situations and anyone who’s done it should end up in jail. Then, leftists will be fighting for such extreme law not to be passed. There’s no way they could change the rightists mind and just make abortion available for every woman that needs it (without explaining herself), so it’s time for some compromise… And most probably the final decision will be that abortion is legal only in few cases and those who do it in secret will face serious consequences. Leftists are glad they stopped the implementation of the extreme idea, but… from the very beginning, the rightists wanted exactly that compromise. It’s their tactic – propose something absurd to make us think that the compromise is actually our victory. But is it really? That is why I believe far-rightists are way more dangerous than just rightists – because they are suprisingly more successful in forcing their values on the society. I recommend you to see this film, see a different perspective and reflect. Because I feel like the only weapon we have now is a decent reflection. My rating is lower because this documentary doesn’t stand out from others in its form and I believe the topic shouldn’t be the only criteria I consider here. But it’s still worth seeing.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I was looking in the mirror. “Stolen Children” (“Skradzione dzieci”, 2025)

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directed by Jowita Baraniecka & Martyna Wojciechowska
© 2025 HBO. All Rights Reserved.

Imagine one day you accidentally bump into a person that looks like you. As if you were looking in the mirror. At first it may seem funny, a great opportunity to take a selfie and share on social media saying “hey guys, I’ve found my twin!”. But what if that actually is your twin? Impossible? Well, fasten your seat belts and prepare for a ride. Today I’m recommending you a documentary about a horrible series of crimes (because I cannot call it differently) that happened for over 30 years in Georgia. Approximately from the 70s till 2005, stealing and selling children was very common there. How was it possible? Well, Georgian women were giving birth in hospitals and later told that, for example, the child died right after. In fact, the baby was alright – and it was already on the way to their new parents. It was a very well organised business and many different people were involved in it – from the hospital staff to drivers. If you think it’s a story about several children, let me share a heart-breaking numer: 100 000 – that’s how many children might have been stolen in Georgia. It was (and in some places still is) a popular way to earn money – women from post-Soviet countries were giving away children for money, but it was often a process of surrogacy. However, here, the Georgian mothers were lied to and treated in the most horrible way. This documentary tells you the whole story and also presents the victims of the shady business. For example, we get to know a woman who, after her mother’s death, finds out that she one of the illegally adopted children. Or we meet twin sisters who got separated at birth and accidentally found out about each other many years later. I cannot even imagine how those mothers and those children (the ones who know about their background) are dealing with such unfairness in life. A hospital should be one of the safest places you can end up in, where they want to help you. Instead, you get hurt even more. On the one hand, I love watching documentaries and learning about the world, but on the other… I get scared of the reality we’re living in… Still, I hope you’ll find time for this production. And I hope for a lot of strength for all the victims.

My rating: 7/10
S.

This is healthcare. Period. “The Devil Is Busy” (2024)

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directed by Geeta Gandbhir & Christalyn Hampton
© 2024 HBO Documentary Films. All Rights Reserved.

It’s 2025 and we still need to make films to share awareness about basic human rights. Oh well… but if that’s the case, then it’s great people make such productions. Today, I’d like to recommend you a short documentary about one of the most controversial issues nowadays. The person that we mostly follow here is Tracii, the head of security at one abortion clinic. We get to see the daily life of the staff from her perspective. And as you can imagine, it’s not easy. Such places are still not accepted by some groups, so you may not only see them protesting in front of clinics, but also use a variety of things to harm the employees and patients. That is why women have to be protected in order to go through the procedure. Before watching this documentary I was aware of the protests that happen nearby abortion clinics because I live in a country where such things take place as well. The protestants even use toxic substances against the staff or they break windows/doors. However, this short film actually opened my eyes on the level of fear, anxiety and pain that women go through. If a woman decides to have an abortion, she is already under a massive stress. You never know why she makes such decision and, let’s be honest, it’s none of your business, because, in the end, she’s the one who would have to raise this child. So imagine you’re in such situation, you dress up, go to the clinic and you see people willing to hurt you for even being there. It’s insane! Each person may have their own beliefs, but you have no right to traumatise others for making decisions about their own life. That is why I admire people like Tracii, who work everyday in such environment and still give so much support to their patients. They are those superheroes we don’t often hear about, so maybe it’s time to finally talk about them. You may start from this documentary. And I wish you such wonderful people on your path in case you need help.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Welcome to my life. “Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd” (2025)

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directed by Didier Charette
© 2025 Sphere Media. All Rights Reserved.

Do you remember what posters were hanging on your walls when you were a teenager? Or maybe you are a teenager now and you’ve decorated your room with pictures of your idols. When I was in high school, one of my favourite bands was surely Simple Plan. I remember watching “New York Minute” with Olsen twins, where one of them skips school to attend a Simple Plan concert. And that’s how I found out about them. Loved their energy and charisma from the very beginning. Even though they were musicians on a big stage, they still acted like those kiddos in the crowd. And I guess that’s why I felt so connected to them and their music. In this documentary, you may learn about their story, which was quite complex at the beginning. They really risked it all and did everything to become a well-known band. Not many people have that much courage… or insanity. Still, I’m more than happy they succeeded, because Simple Plan was and still is an important part of my life. You see, for some people his songs might be just random, easy-to-listen tunes that can play somewhere in the background. But then I was growing up, I needed someone to support me, tell me I’m not alone with my struggles. And even though I didn’t know them in person, I felt comforted by their music. While watching this documentary, I realised there were millions of teenagers like me who got influenced by Simple Plan. In some cases they literally saved people’s lives, which is something incredible to imagine. What if those Canadian kiddos hadn’t decided to play? Our generation really needed such musicians to go together with us in life. What’s more, I’m an adult now, but sometimes I still feel like that scared teenager, and I bet Simple Plan guys do too. And that’s beautiful we can share it and scream at loud for our mental health. Fun fact – when I was younger, I was sure I’d never see Simple Plan, because back then my country wasn’t the most popular destination for bands to visit. And then, 2024 comes and I’m in the crowd watching Pierre, Chuck, Jeff and Sébastien. Live. In my country. That night was a real dream come true and I was probably the most exicted person there. What’s even more important – I felt like at a local garage concert with friends, because the atmosphere was so warm. And I guess that’s Simple Plan’s biggest adventage – that they are still those kiddos from the basement and they don’t pretend anyone else. What I found interesting in this documentary was the topic of not feeling included in the music genre group. You see, they were too pop for punk, but also too punk for pop. In the end, they just followed their own path and accepted all possible labels, just to make the music they wanted to make. And I loved it. No matter if you’re a Simple Plan fan or not, I recommend you to see this documentary and learn their story.

My rating: 7/10
S.

To see someone at a human level. “Speak.” (2025)

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directed by Jennifer Tiexiera & Guy Mossman
© 2025 Vox Pop Films. All Rights Reserved.

In order to balance the atmosphere on this blog, I’ve decided to write about a very uplifting documentary that I watched with pure pleasure. Recently, I shared about a film that covers the topic of social ignorance, but today, I want to show you that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In this documentary, we follow several young people who prepare for speech and debate competitions, and their main goal is the national tournament, where only absolute best speakers are welcome to compete. The pressure is high, but all the participants have unlimited motivation. On the one hand, they want to prove themselves that they are inspiring speakers, who can really catch your attention and share their perspective in the best way possible. On the other hand, each of those students chooses a huge topic to cover. There are speeches about LGBTQ+ rights, world wars and conflicts, racism, xenophobia, death, mental health etc. They are not talking about their hobbies or favourite colours, my dear. Those amazing young speakers go onto that stage to shake you and your mind. This documentary is not only full of positive vibes and hope for the future generations, but also quite emotional. I was cheering for all the participants as if they were my own children. And as an adult, I’m truly moved how intelligent, caring and determined those students are. Perhaps if we gave them the power instead of all those lazy authorities who only take money for very limited job done, our world would look much better. Also, I believe such tournaments should be popularised and organised in each school. Because that would encourage students to use their voice and share their thoughts, but also train them to be better public speakers. And as we know, public speaking is important in numerous jobs in the future, so the more you practise, the more comfortable you feel in such situations. Really, there’s nothing more I can add – just watch this documentary and get inspired. They speak, you listen. That’s it. And don’t feel discouraged by my rating – it’s simply because I’d expect a better structure and less chaotic way of telling those stories. But those youngsters are worth meeting, believe me.

My rating: 6/10
S.

For my pretty mom. “Writing Hawa” (2024)

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directed by Najiba Noori
© 2024 Tag Film. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re in need of some women empowerment, here’s a beautiful story you should learn. The documentary was directed by Najiba Noori, an Afghan journalist and filmmaker, who decided to present the reality of Afghan women by telling the story of her own mother, Hawa. She had an arranged marriage when she was only 13 years old. Her husband is 30 years older than her, so imagine how difficult it must have been for such a young girl to play the role of a wife. Now, as Hawa is already a grandmother, she decides to put herself first and wants to learn how to read and write. You see, women there are not supposed to be educated, so lots of them are illiterate. In order to change that, Hawa asks her family to help her and with their support she’s finally learning to read and write. Unfortunately, in 2021 the US soldiers are told to leave Afghanistan, which leads to the Taliban taking over. And as you can imagine, whatever had got improved until then, had to change immediately. Women’s independence is non-existent in such circumstances. The director of the documentary doesn’t only show the reality of women in Afghanistan, but she also made the film to thank her mother for everything she’s done. Despite all the difficulties, pain, barriers – she managed to raise her children and make sure their future was better than her own. Indeed, Najiba is now a free and educated woman with a decent job and lots of perspectives. Yet, she cannot accept the fact that her mother still has to go through such hell. This film is both incredibly beautiful and horribly painful. Beautiful, because Najiba makes sure to praise Hawa for who she is, which all good parents deserve for sure. However, it’s painful, because after over 40 years nothing much has changed in the life of Afghan women. They are still considered objects that men manipulate with. They should be obedient wives, ready to give birth to many children (especially sons), and never disrespect their husbands. Even if they maltreat them, even if they hurt them, even if they rape them – a “good” woman should stay silent. As you know, I’m highly sensitive to such subjects and I cannot understand how in 2025 we still allow anyone to be treated this way. The documentary is hard to watch, but generally I’m thankful for it, because it shows the incredible power of women that should be reminded more and more often. Take some time to meet Hawa and learn her story.

My rating: 7/10
S.