Winter is nearly here, and what could be a better anecdote to the cold, dreary days of winter than a little historical study? Here are three of our favorite historical documentaries on Netflix for you to feast your brain on this November.
They Shall Not Grow Old
Just from the title, you have a pretty good sense of the tone of this documentary. Happy fun times this is not. This film focuses on the soldiers of WWI through their own voices, exclusively using archived footage, with no reenactments or narration. It’s just the raw, unfiltered voices and actions of the soldiers themselves.
And it works. They Shall Not Grow Old broke box-office documentary records and has received critical acclaim for its unflinching look at the horrors of WWI. It’s not an uplifting documentary – but if it was, it would be a lie. Just be glad that you can turn this documentary off if it’s too much for you. The soldiers couldn’t.
Crip Camp
The story opens in 1971 at a summer camp for disabled children and teens called Camp Jened. In a society where they’re so often stigmatized, this camp provided a temporary haven where they could experience the youth culture of the ’60s and ’70s in all its glory. But, as its youth grew, Camp Jened became a nexus for the nascent disability rights movement.
This film has the unquestioned stamp of authority – it’s a story told by someone who was there. Co-director, writer, and producer James LeBrecht was himself a camper, and Crip Camp takes you through the journey of a camper-turned-activist in the way only authenticity can. This is one documentary you’ll be glad you watched.
13th
We all know the story of the Civil War, right? Justice and righteousness prevailed, and slavery was abolished in the United States forever, right?
Well, not quite. Forced labor – slavery – is still perfectly legal as punishment for a crime. Now, on the surface, this might seem perfectly reasonable. But the unpleasant truth of the matter is that Black Americans are incarcerated at disproportionate rates and face unduly long sentences – and it’s the large corporations that profit off of their unjust punishments. Black slavery is still alive – or rather, undead – in the United States, 160 years after its supposed extinction.
13th is an unflinching look at how we got here. It goes into how Reconstruction failed, how the Jim Crow laws were put into place, and how the War on Drugs was less about removing harmful substances from America’s communities and more about targeting Black individuals for incarceration – over substances no more harmful than a glass of wine. It will make you squirm and broaden your mind all in one fell swoop.
Each of these historical documentaries is streaming now on Netflix.
