The streaming service that started out as primetime television's surrogate has since established itself as a premier hub for a diverse array of content, including a strong collection of documentaries. Hulu's catalog of documentaries has only grown, both in quality and quantity, with great works such as Fyre Fraud, covering the events of the catastrophic Fyre Festival,
Documentaries continue to be one of the most effective ways for the medium of film to explore and illuminate real-world topics of interest both big and small, ranging from the critical and damning, to the uplifting and inspirational. The relevance of Hulu's roster of films demands viewership as soon as possible.
Framing Britney Spears
Part of the New York Times Presents series, journalists, lawyers, and those close to Britney Spears look back at her publicly perceived rise and fall that led to her conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears. The documentary serves as a significant reframing of modern celebrity by reexamining its origins and how Spears was affected by it.
It also manages to hold a magnifying glass to the faults and contradictions of the conservatorship system, as well as the rampant misogyny still found in media coverage today.
Collective
Oscar-nominated this year for not only Best Documentary but also Best International Feature (representing Romania) Collective documents the many revelations that come after the tragic 2015 Colectiv club fire that led to a change in the Romanian government.
The filmmakers follow the journalists of Gazeta Sporturilor on the ground as they collect and uncover evidence of widespread corruption, scrutinizing themselves just as much as the institutions they're investigating. Exploring themes of accountability and justice, director Alexander Nanau doesn't forget to show the direct consequences of the tragedy either, in both survivor and mourner alike.
The Mole Agent
Also up for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards, The Mole Agent follows an elderly Chilean man as he's tasked with infiltrating a nursing home to uncover potential corruption and abuse. The film cleverly adheres to the tropes of classic noir and spy thrillers (ala James Bond and The Maltese Falcon) while the filmmakers hide in plain sight, popping up numerous times in the documentary.
Along with the light and comedic tone, heavier themes of ageism, mortality, and the role of an older person in society (as well as how they're viewed and treated by said society) mesh to impacting effect.
Minding The Gap
Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary back in 2019, Minding The Gap finds filmmaker Bing Liu tracking the lives of his two long-time friends, Zach and Keire, as they navigate the challenges of transitioning into adulthood, intertwining his own story as well. The revelations that come from this journey have the three young men looking back at their upbringings, particularly their relationships with their fathers.
Through this deeply personal exploration, Liu pulls out themes of masculinity that reveal broader ideas of identity, cycles of abuse, and growing apart.
Totally Under Control
As relevant a documentary as any, Totally Under Control chronicles the rise of COVID-19 and how the American government responded, as well as the many experts who saw it coming, why they weren't heard, and how many fail-safes failed.
With the utilization of a timeline and side-by-side comparisons with the responses of countries like South Korea and China, the filmmakers put notable events in chronological context, painting a full picture of a global pandemic the world is still in the midst of.
I Am Greta
I Am Greta profiles Greta Thunberg from her start (at just 15) alone by the entrance of the Swedish Parliament to her fateful voyage across the Atlantic to speak at the UN, becoming the face of the global climate justice movement along the way. Filmmaker Nathan Grossman gives an intimate look as Greta (under the worried and watchful eye of her father) tries to reach the leaders of the world while battling with her frustration and disillusionment at their inaction.
Though balanced with personal and quiet moments of levity, Greta ensures that the existential threat of climate change is always center stage.
I Am Not Your Negro
Largely told through the words of James Baldwin (from the text of his unfinished novel, Remember This House) and the iconic voice of Samuel L. Jackson, I Am Not Your Negro recounts the overarching story of Black people in America, with Baldwin referencing moments from his life, in addition to the lives of others including Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Baldwin also gives voice to his own views and arguments through the use of numerous archive television interviews and lectures. Baldwin's exquisite words give context to present-day race relations and the deeply ingrained issues America still needs to reckon with.
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week
Coming from the other side of the pond to step into the American dialogue of the '60s, legendary filmmaker Ron Howard uses archive footage and interviews (both past and present) to recount The Beatles' first journey to the United States in 1964, an incredibly pivotal time in the country's history.
Including previously unseen material and active participation from surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the film documents the rise of one of the most influential bands of all time and their effect on American and international culture during a time of great upheaval and shifting views.
Apollo 11
Wrapping up the '60s (literally in '69), Apollo 11 chronicles its namesake mission from an extensive amount of angles, including all over the grounds the day of the launch, the legendary command center in Houston, and the moon itself.
Assembled using the countless hours of NASA-archived audio and footage, with plenty to spare, filmmaker Todd Douglas Miller and his team put together an in-depth film that lets the audience experience even the little moments in between that are typically brushed over, giving a fuller picture to one of the most significant events in modern human history.
Three Identical Strangers
A story full of twists and turns that are hard to fathom, Three Identical Strangers follows the remarkable discovery by Bobby Shafran, Eddy Galland, and David Kellman, that not only are they brothers but identical triplets. The mystery of how and why such a wild occurrence could even be possible opens the documentary up to themes of time lost, ethical responsibility, psychology, and the age-long debate of nature vs. nurture.
With active participation from the families and journalists who broke the stories, filmmakers Tim Wardle and Grace Hughes-Hallett uncover a truth that ripples well beyond them all.