The recent critical success of the documentary The Tinder Swindler demonstrates the extent to which there is still a great deal of public appetite for movies that shed light on fascinating people and phenomena. However, while this particular documentary might have achieved significant praise from critics, there are also a large number that continue to fly under the radar.

Thus, it’s especially significant that the users of Reddit have helpfully identified a number of obscure documentaries that are still well worth watching. Indeed, they often give viewers a renewed, and valuable, understanding of the world around them.

The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters (2007)

Not Available To Stream

Billy Mitchell stands next to a Donkey Kong machine in King of Kong

There’s no question that video games have long been a key part of American culture and that they remain so. Thus, it makes sense that there would be a number of great documentaries that examine this phenomenon, including The King of Kong, which focuses in particular on arcade gaming and those who aspire to attain high scores.

Artfully constructed and compellingly told, it shines a necessary light on the way that video games can come to take over the lives of those that play them. As DarkKnightCometh puts it: “I think most people would enjoy it, but especially if you're an old school video game fan.”

Birth Of The Living Dead (2013)

Stream On Prime Video

Poster for the documentary Birth Of The Living Dead.

George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is widely regarded as one of the best zombie movies ever made, and it has left quite a mark on the genre (and on horror as a whole). However, as fascinating and chilling as the movie is, Birth of the Living Dead is just as fascinating in that it allows the viewer to even more concretely appreciate Romero’s genius in crafting his masterpiece as well as its impact on the world of popular culture.

DrXenoZillaTrek is particularly effusive in their praise, writing that the movie is “Very well done with cool animation and great interviews with many involved and George Romero being as fun and charming and informative as one could be.”

Icarus (2017)

Stream On Netflix

A man wears an oxygen mask in Icarus

Though there have been many great sports documentaries, few have achieved quite the level of success of Icarus, which focuses on doping scandals, particularly those in Russia. Searing and insightful, the documentary unfolds in such a way that it is designed to appeal even to those who aren’t familiar with sports.

In fact, it is precisely the twist involving Russia’s involvement that allows it to stand above the rest. ymcameron loved this aspect of the movie, writing: “It has one of the craziest narrative twists I've seen in any movie, let alone a documentary.”

A Certain Kind Of Death (2003)

Stream On YouTube

Two workers wrapping up a body in A Certain Kind of Death

Death is one of the inescapable facts of life, and yet it is one that many people have difficulty coming to terms with. This is precisely what makes A Certain Kind of Death such a valuable documentary, in that it focuses on those who pass away with no one in their family left to take care of their remains.

It is, to be sure, a morbid sort of movie, but it is nevertheless a fascinating look at an aspect of death that most people never have to worry about. PugnaciousPangolin “found it captivating in a morbid and yet intimately moving way. Subtle, but very powerful.”

Kings Of Pastry (2009)

Stream On Prime Video

Jacquy Pfeiffer + Sébastien Canonne in Kings of Pastry Entry 4

For the most part, documentaries (and series) about baking and other aspects of good tend to be relaxing, a means by which people can experience a rich and textured world. Kings of Pastry, however, is something else, shining a piercing light on the world of competitive baking.

It soon becomes clear that beneath the elaborate confections there is quite a lot of feuding and heightened feelings. Gotthelowdown calls it “grueling, stressful and suspenseful.” As such, it is a useful corrective to the many more saccharine depictions of baking that are so frequently enjoyed by viewers.

The Elephant In The Living Room (2010)

Stream On YouTube

A lion peeking out of a trailer on a poster for Elephant in the Living Room

Animals and nature have sparked many notable documentaries, but it is often the case that these movies reveal the brutality of nature. However, The Elephant in the Living Room takes a rather different tack, focusing instead on people who keep various exotic animals as pets, often with tragic results.

It is a haunting documentary, and it serves as a valuable warning about the danger that wild animals pose to those who aren’t adequately trained to take care of them. MeatFreeSausage was particularly impacted by the opening scene, writing: “The opening scene of a man calling 911 to report his lions are on the loose on the highway has stayed with me ever since.”

Queen Of Versailles (2012)

Stream On The Roku Channel

Jackie Siegel on Below Deck

The wealthy have often proved to be a source of entertainment, as the plethora of series focusing on their exploits makes clear. At first glance, Queen of Versailles seems like it will be more of the same, but in fact, it ends up being something remarkable, as it follows the fortunes of an enormously wealthy family during the Great Recession.

Somehow, the documentary manages to make the viewer feel conflicted feelings for the subjects. KarensPA was particularly struck by its change of trajectory, writing, “I thought it was going to be about awful rich people in Florida…and that’s how it starts…but then goes in a very different direction.”

Feels Good Man (2020)

Stream On The Roku Channel

An artist drawing Pepe the Frog

Pepe the Frog has one of the most fascinating stories of a popular culture icon, having been appropriated by white supremacists from his origins as a humble cartoon character. The documentary focuses primarily on Pepe’s creator’s attempts to reclaim his art from those who misused it, as well as his frustrations and the limitations of such an effort.

BangEnergy300mg writes that it has “Great animation and story while also an interesting perspective on a specific part of culture.” As such, it is also a haunting rumination on the power of art to evade the intentions of its crater.

This Is The Last Dam Run Of Likker I’ll Ever Make (2002)

Not Available To Stream

Sutton with moonshine stills in the background

There are many things to enjoy about This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make, which focuses on the moonshiners of Eastern Kentucky. It is, in many ways, something like a time capsule, capturing a way of life that was rapidly disappearing. While it is often difficult to locate a copy of, it is still a documentary that is a rewarding viewing experience.

ZOOTV83 calls it a “fascinating look at the history and culture behind bootlegging in Appalachia centered around the story of one of the last true moonshiners, a man by the name of Popcorn Sutton.”

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)

Stream On Prime Video

A photo showing the streets of Dawson City

Some of the best documentaries are those that call attention to the process of their own creation. Dawson City is just such a movie, focusing as it does on the recovery of a clutch of old film discovered in the city of the title. It is mostly about the Klondike Gold Rush and its impact on the town, but it is also about the nature of time and its impact on this one place in Canada.

As MyUnclesALawyer says: “It's quite dreamlike and told thru a lot of still images and captions though so the presentation style isnt for everyone but I love it.”

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