Netflix, one of the world’s largest video streaming services, has produced over 75 original documentaries in the last few years alone. “Making a Murderer”, “Blackfish”, and “Icarus” are just some of the names of the documentaries and docuseries which have piqued the interest of millions globally. The infamous Fyre Festival has now been turned into two documentaries done by Netflix and Hulu. Netflix’s “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” caught the eyes of many, becoming a controversial hit in days. But what has sparked this viewer surge in documentaries?
One could argue that documentary filmmakers are simply just getting better at their craft. The artwork itself has become too good for society to ignore. Or perhaps there is this now urgent need to tell real-world stories, choosing to broadcast the truth rather than to showcase the impossible. Or maybe watching documentaries falls in with the natural course of society’s movie watching tendencies. As society’s values are constantly changing, so do our movie preferences. More and more blockbuster hits are based on real-life events; movie hits such as “Hidden Figures”, “The King’s Speech”, and “The Imitation Game”, were all based on true stories. Perhaps there’s a drive for realism in film, a desire to connect with the characters more readily.
As all of these are certainly valid, I, however, believe that the new hype around documentaries has to do with the constant societal pressure to be “smart.” In our current day and age, there is this pressure to never waste time and to be continually learning something. To always be “switched on” and engaged with the world. But it doesn’t stop there. Not only do we need to be smart, but we need to be smarter than everyone else too. There is this sense that we are perpetually competing with each other to prove to others that we are better, cooler, and more educated. Today, where the media industry is such an integral part of the way we live our lives, documentaries and docuseries have become the perfect stepping stone for many to gain that academic edge.
With documentaries, viewers feel they are diving into the world of fact. As documentaries are based on facts and real-life events, viewers don’t feel as though they are simply wasting their time on another mindless TV series. For many, documentaries are easy and effective to keep up with the world. One may watch an hour and a half special on WWII and feel accomplished. They may feel as though they have learned something and applied themselves to the world. Beyond that, documentaries can spark controversy and by watching them, you too get to be a part of that larger conversation.
Let’s take the “Ted Bundy Tapes” for example. Released only a month ago, the show has already caught the media by storm. Days after its release, newspapers such as the Washington Post and the Independent began commenting on the issues they saw regarding how the serial killer was represented in the series. Fox News even claimed that the tapes “glorified” Bundy. By watching documentaries such as these, you get to follow along and understand the news from around the world. Perhaps you’ll even participate with your own comments and opinions, again, adding on to that desire to be perceived as “smart.”
Documentaries simply give us a mainstream way to gain the information we desire. Before the entertainment industry became such an essential part of our daily lives, you would have to go to the library or the Internet and search, on your own, for the same expertise. But with documentaries, all of that information is wrapped up within the click of a button. Documentaries allow us to learn without all the hard work. Let’s face it, it is simply easier to watch a movie than to read a book.