Quarantine Movie Documentaries To Watch

We’re all feeling ‘meh‘ lately and likely feeling extremely jaded with the recent extension of the Full Movement Control Order here in Malaysia. Since we can’t travel and are undeniably spending more time at home, boredom and the ‘work from home fever’ will give into the need for entertainment.

Though debating about the millions of movies currently streaming may seem naively trivial while so many are suffering, movies provide a respite, a window to the better days to come or a challenge that we have all commonly endured in the pandemic world.

It’s a microcosm of possibilities about the world that’s become elusive.

Besides just watching movies, I recently find myself become more drawn to movie documentaries. The documentaries I’m about to share with you are based on actual events around the world that happened in the recent 4 decades. These films are a collective of global political affairs, civil rights movements, war & conflict and scientific discoveries, all of which provides a better understanding of how each event has shaped the world as we know it.

10 Quarantine Movie Documentaries To Watch

OSLO | The Secret Meeting Between Israel & Palestine

I first came across this documentary when the open fire broke out between Hamas and Israel recently. While netizens were hot in keeping the Palestinian voices alive on social media, I looked for articles or documentaries about the two nation and their century-old conflict in an attempt to understand why has it been so difficult for them to make peace.

My search led me to ‘The Oslo Diaries’. A group of Palestinians and Israelis came together through unsanctioned peace talks in the 90s in a desperate attempt to stop the bloodshed. Meeting the Palestinians, for Israelis, were against the law and is considered a serious crime. The documentary was chronicled using excerpts of unpublished diaries, previously unseen footage, discreet re-creations and present-day interviews with key subjects, including on-camera conversations with former Israeli President Shimon Peres.

It’s an intimate insight at the nearly three-year process that resulted in what we know today as the ‘Oslo Accords’.

Runtime | 1h 37m

Streaming Date | 2017

Where To Watch? | HBO MAX, HBO NOW, Apple TV

SEEING ALLRED | Top Civil Rights Attorney, Gloria Allred And Her Rage

This one feels more vital than ever as a representative of all the complexities and contradictions of the current state of feminism in the world today. Gloria Allred is a top US civil rights attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, especially those involving the protection of women’s rights against powerful men.

The way she fights, besides suiting up in court is by using press conferences and television appearances. She’s represented clients in suits against adversaries like Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, R.Kelly (famously calls himself ‘The Pied Piper of R&B’), The Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Anthony Weiner just to name a few.

Throughout the movie, you can tell that she’s full of conviction with downright admirable composure in every combative situation but you can also see her rage, and can’t help but wonder where did it all come from. This is truly an eye-opener and a window to someone’s past and why they do what they do.

Runtime | 1h 36m

Streaming Date | 2018

Where To Watch? | Netflix

WEWORK | Not Everything Is As ‘Unicorn & Rainbows’ As It Seems

If someone seems like a hippie-messianic leader, painting your future in bright colours, do your due diligence by questioning and research his/her legitimacy.

This feature documentary examines the rise and fall of one of the biggest corporate flameouts and the venture capitalist bubbles in recent years. Released in Hulu on April 2021, the documentary follows the story of WeWork: The $47 Billion Unicorn and shining a light into the community-centric, people-first ideals with Adam Neumann and his frat boy house leadership.

I personally think it’s an eye-opener and if you are an investor or an employee, you’ll want to see this and rethink before you invest your money, time, energy and soul into an elusive dream.

Runtime | 1h 44m

Streaming Date | April 2021

Where To Watch? | Hulu

RED PENGUINS | The Team That Tried To Unite Russia And America

Ice hockey is at the epicentre of this movie but what got me glued is that this documentary is a tale of capitalism and opportunism that runs amok shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

One eccentric marketing whiz, Steven Warshaw, who at the time was tasked with transforming a joint-venture team, a composite of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the famed Red Army hockey team, into the greatest show in the new Russia.

Though the movie is wildly entertaining and filled with grainy films showing boozy tales of backroom deals, the movie serves as a primer to those who still struggle to understand Russia today. Post Soviet Union was a lawless era when oligarchs made their fortune and murders went unsolved, making it equally interesting to non-sports fan too.

It is also a fascinating tale of two clashing cultures that takes you deep into the stranger-than-fiction story with interviews of professional hockey back in the day. It will be equally interesting for the non-sports fan too.

Runtime | 1h 20m

Streaming Date | August 4 2020

Where To Watch? | Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV, BBC iPlayer.

SURVIVING R. KELLY | Maybe Don’t Believe You Can Fly?

‘I believe I can Fly’.

If you’ve sung this song in karaoke sessions, church choirs, weddings and birthday events, then this is one you might want to watch. I’ve always known that R. Kelly has been in and out of federal trials due to sexual exploitation, but what I didn’t know is that most of these trials were due to sexual exploitation of a CHILD, bribery, kidnapping, forced labour and enticement.

While this is a documentary series rather than a movie documentary, I felt it deserves to be on this list because of its harrowing insight and the extent of R.Kelly’s sexual exploitation allegations, rumours of paedophilia and predatory behaviour toward women.

The series reveals young women emerging from the shadows and banding together detailing harrowing personal encounters with the singer throughout his music career. His sexual abuse allegations went on for nearly three decades; it was so long that with so many women coming out they had to split the documentary series into seasons.

If you’ve seen, Seeing Allred, then this can be a follow up watch.

Streaming Date | 2019

Where To Watch? | Netflix

THE RED ARMY | A Sports Doc For Those Who Don’t Give A D*** About Sports

Behold, here’s another documentary by filmmaker Gabe Polsky. Also, another follow up documentary to the ‘Red Penguin’ or vice versa. Whichever one you watch first, both films will surely revolve around Russia, the US and ice hockey and it has everything to do with him being an American son of Russian immigrants.

Now if you are not a sports fan, perhaps espionage and how the cold war plays out on the ice rink might be of interest. This film is most stirring when it examines the painful inner struggles of these professional hockey athletes who had to leave behind a country and government that took heavy tolls on their lives, and who could never abandon their innate sense of nationalistic pride.

While it has hard Russian politics as the main subject, it’s also often funny when you hear the stories that Fetisov shares in this film.

Streaming Date | 2016

Where To Watch? | Apple TV, Vudu, Prime Video

WINTER ON FIRE | Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom

The 2014 Ukraine Revolution that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych received harrowing on-ground coverage from various locations in Kyiv. Coordinated by film director Afineevsky and a large team of cameraman and women (28 of whom are credited), corals an impressive amount of actual rose-tinted video footage showing the difficult and at times frighteningly violent scenes for over three months.

If anything, this is a modern-day example of oppression from the very government that the people have voted for and trusted to run the country. Although the docu resulted in a compelling narrative, it more or less sticks to one viewpoint. The people of Ukraine was disappointed and furious with Yanukovych when he went behind their backs to forge a closer alliance with Putin’s Russia.

And of course all hells break lose in 2014.

Runtime | 1h 42m

Streaming Date | April 2017

Where to Watch? | Netflix

HUMAN NATURE | Are We Playing God Or Are We Saving Lives? Who Draws The Ethical Line?

I recall browsing through Netflix many times and ‘Human Nature’ almost always seem to be at the top of my must-watch carousel. Admittedly, I’ve always thought the cover was never appealing enough to hook me in until I had nothing interesting to watch one weekend.

You know what they say, ‘never judge a book by its cover’.

Turns out that this is by far one of my favourites and an interesting find. This is honestly a gripping mix of science and heart. The focus of this film is on one; CRISPR – a genome engineering discovery that could potentially cure any disease in the world that has ever existed. It is one of the most vital scientific discovery of the 21st century and could prove to be worse than a nuclear bomb.

The film also takes you through interviews with key industry beneficiaries that have different perspective and input about the impact that CRISPR has on the human race and the human evolution. It will leave you questioning your moral compass if you ever find the need to turn to CRISPR.

It certainly got me questioning mine.

Runtime | 1h 47m

Streaming Date | March 2020

Where To Watch? | Netflix

THE RUSSIAN FIVE | Part Sports Drama, Part KGB Thriller

Ok so this is produced by a different film director; Joshua Riehl and NOT Gabe Polsky. And yes, this is another documentary where sports clashes with politics and case in point, you guessed it! It’s about hockey, Russia and a National Hockey League (NHL) team, Detroit Red Wings.

This time, it’s about the five Russian hockey stars (Fetisov included) in the 80s who defected from the Soviet Union to America to join Detroit Red Wings and led the team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships.

So if you’re a sports fan who appreciates clean, crisp, smart and finesse team play, this might strike your fancy.

Runtime | 1h 42m

Streaming Date | 2019

Where To Watch? | Apple TV, Prime Video

BREXIT: THE MOVIE | The EU In Question

Don’t mistake this with the other Brexit movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch; Brexit: The Uncivil War. While that movie tells the Brexit story from Dominic Cumming’s intention to convince the British voters to leave the European Union, Brexit: The Movie explores the formation, makeup of the EU and the lack of transparency and accountability in the operations of the European Union.

The film also travels to Switzerland a country that has steadfastly refused to be a part of the EU, to understand and find answers. What the filmakers discover is a country with growing wealth and decreasing unemployment with high-quality of life.

Runtime | 71 minutes