There is no shortage of good documentaries but it’s hard finding the perfect one. Lucky for us, Stan has some incredible documentaries that will leave you wanting more.
But we’re not going to make you wait, here are the 9 best documentaries on Stan, according to us.
Best documentaries on Stan
In no particular order, here are the best documentaries on Stan, according to Gizmodo Australia.
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
It’s not every day you hear about a Hollywood starlet becoming a technology genius but that’s the story of Hedy Lamarr. The documentary delves deep into the little spoken about life of the Austrian actress who fled an oppressive marriage to become one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies in the 1940s.
But what many people don’t realise is that behind all her glamour and sex appeal is that Lamarr was an incredibly intelligent and inquisitive inventor who created a radio system that is now considered the basis of Bluetooth technology.
This documentary is definitely one of the best ones available on Stan and I can’t recommend it more. The entire documentary had me glued to my screen, Lamarr’s story is wild.
The Dissident
There’s nothing I love more than a gripping journalist documentary, especially when it incorporates international affairs and scandals. Lucky for us, Stan has got one of the best ones to stream.
The Dissident follows the story of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul. The documentary focuses on Khashoggi’s fiancée and global dissidents as they try to piece together the clues to a gruesome murder and hopefully expose an international cover-up.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon
This documentary is as wild as its title. It looks at the history of the iconic (and outrageous) American comedy publication and production company, National Lampoon. It covers pretty much everything from the magazine’s inception in the 1970s right up until 2010. It’s also got a bunch of pretty rare footage so you can feel like an insider when you’re watching.
Exit Through the Gift Shop
If you’re looking for a documentary that will blow your mind so often that you get confused as to what is actually real and what’s fiction then Exit Through the Gift Shop on Stan is just what you need. It should also come as no surprise that a documentary like this would be directed by none other than the elusive British graffiti street artist Banksy.
In the documentary, Banksy comes into contact with Thierry Guetta, a Los Angeles-based Frenchman art phenomenon who is dubbed “Mr. Brainwash,” who videotaped underground art escapades. Probably the most compelling part about this documentary is that, like most Banksy works, the line between fact and fiction is blurred as the very concept of art and the celebrity is deeply evaluated.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
There’s been a lot of Scientology documentaries over the past decade but Going Clear on Stan is one of the most interesting docos I’ve seen. A part of Scientology that intrigues people is the incredible secrecy of the organisation. That’s why when documentaries like this interview former members of the Church of Scientology, it immediately captures our attention. What gets revealed in the documentary is beyond what I could have ever imagined what goes on inside Scientology.
The Imposter
This documentary might be one of the most terrifying things I’ve seen in a long time. There’s something about true crime documentaries that both compel and horrify me and this one on Stan did just that. Seriously, I had chills the entire time I watched this. The Imposter focuses on the story of Frederic Bourdin, a con artist who tricked a family in Texas into believing he was a relative who disappeared years earlier.
Bart Layton has created a documentary that has been pieced together in such a clever way that feels like a fictional story. So much so that it doesn’t even feel like you’re watching a documentary anymore, which makes it scarier.
Memory: The Origins of Alien
It’s no secret how much we love Alien here at Gizmodo Australia, especially the iconic lead character Ellen Ripley.
This documentary is an in-depth adventure into the sci-fi classic Alien with the original minds behind the film. It’s always cool to see how movies are made but it’s even cooler to see how one of the (arguably) best movies comes to life. This documentary shocked me at how much I didn’t know about the film’s inspirations and how the movie came to be.
Midnight Oil: 1984
What’s better than listening to the incredible music of the iconic Aussie rock band Midnight Oil? Watching a documentary about the most important year in the bands history.
In 1984, Midnight Oil released Red Sails in the Sunset to then go on an intense tour around Australia performing their signature music that electrified the imagination of young Aussies. However, that same year Peter Garrett (lead singer) ran for a Senate seat for the Nuclear Disarmament Party. Obviously, there’s going to be tensions between making music and also running for a Senate seat.
This documentary does an incredible job at giving us an inside look into one of the most fascinating and well-known Aussie bands in history.
There you have it, 9 of the best documentaries on Stan, according to us.