The best documentaries on Netflix right now

The myth of Icarus is about a man who flew too close to the sun, and his melted artificial wings sent him crashing back down to Earth. Icarus isn’t about that story, but it is about a similar obsession with being the best at all costs. Director and star Bryan Fogel begins the movie with modest ambitions as he befriends Grigory Rodchenkov, a Russian scientist and the head of his country’s anti-doping program.

Soon enough, Rodchenkov becomes the real story of the film as he blows the whistle on Russia’s attempts to get away with doping up its athletes. And it’s hard not to imagine the program continuing even beyond this movie.

Although Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief was made by HBO Films almost a decade ago, it hasn’t lost any of its power. This documentary offers a closer look at Scientology, the religion created by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard that appears to have transformed from a cult of personality to a worldwide organization.

The history of the group is explored here, but the most damning accounts come from former Scientologists including director Paul Haggis and Mark Rathbun, who used to have a high-ranking position in the church. When you head Haggis, Rathbun, and the rest of the former members speak about their experiences, you’ll never look at Scientology the same way again.

Whenever anyone claims that films can’t change the world, point to Blackfish. This exposé on Sea World’s handling of orcas in captivity helped bring about the end of whales being used as live performers in the theme parks. It also brought questions about the treatment of the orcas to the forefront in a way that animal rights activists hadn’t been able to do by themselves.

Blackfish also examines the case of Tilikum, an orca who killed three people during his decades of captivity. It paints a disturbing picture of the way this creature and his fellow orcas were treated, which may explain why he was so aggressive.

If you’ve ever tried to escape hearing Last Christmas during the holiday season, you probably know that it’s almost impossible to avoid being “Whamed.” The duo behind Wham! — George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley — met as youngsters and their story is finally told in Netflix’s documentary, Wham!.

Through the use of previously recorded interviews, both Michael and Ridgeley share their accounts of how they met and how they became pop sensations in the 1980s. It’s an intimate look at the friendship and the bond between the duo, and a reminder of why Wham! made such a huge impact.

Much like Anna Nicole Smith, Amanda Knox’s story exposes the dark side of fame. Knox never set out to be notable or famous, but she became infamous when she was accused and convicted of murdering her college roommate, Meredith Kercher, by the Italian courts until she was ultimately acquitted after spending four years in prison.

In the documentary that shares her name, Knox talks about her side of the story and how she lives with the stigma of being accused of a murder that took place nearly two decades ago. Whether you believe Knox or not, this will always be what she is remembered for. But within this film, Knox attempts to take control of her own narrative and she speaks out about being wrongly convicted of a heinous crime.

For a flavor of corporate-level corruption, the recent Netflix-original docuseries Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street tells the story of the titular financier, business tycoon and the infamously large-scale Ponzi scheme he executed.

A 4-episode series, The Monster of Wall Street uses never-before-seen footage and spotlights the many co-conspirators that Bernie Madoff used to orchestrate this colossal lie. It’s been reported that the scheme itself was worth around $64.8 billion, with the depositions, interviews, and revelations showcased making for a fascinating watch of a real-life financial thriller.