These Netflix documentaries dive deep into what’s going on in the world today. Some are funny, some disturbing, but they’re all fascinating.

We tend to turn to Netflix to watch movies or our favorite shows, but Netflix has so much more to offer. The streaming service is full of the best in documentaries, exploring every facet of human life. There’s something for everyone.

If you aren’t the sort of person who enjoys watching documentaries about moments in distant history, and you’re looking to avoid documentaries with droning narrators and awkward re-enactments, don’t worry! Netflix has plenty of amazing documentaries that are way better than that, and focus on things that have happened recently, or are happening now.

Whether it’s the lives of the Flat Earthers, the efforts girls are making to overcome menstruation taboo, or the catastrophe that was the Fyre Festival, these Netflix documentaries will inform you, give you great topics of conversation, and sometimes even make you laugh.

Fyre

One of the most famous Netflix documentaries of the year, Fyre took social media by storm only a couple of years after the actual Fyre Festival had been all over it. This documentary follows the creation of the festival’s concept, the organizational mess that birthed it, and the increasingly ridiculous situation the organizers found themselves in as the festival drew closer.

It’s shocking, devastating, and sometimes hilarious… and a great exploration of what social media and way too much money in the wrong hands has done to celebrity culture.

Because this all happened so recently, a lot of famous characters are involved, and there are a lot of social issues on display, which make for some great conversations. Fyre is the perfect documentary for a night with friends because it’s so absolutely unbelievable.

Behind the Curve

If you’re frustrated at the sudden abundance of Flat Earthers, and want a peek into their very confusing, very illogical world, Behind the Curve is the Netflix documentary for you. This film follows some of the major players in the Flat Earth community, revealing their motivations, their theories on the true shape of the Earth, and the incredible conspiracy theories they all have about each other.

It also follows the attempts of a group of self-proclaimed Flat Earther scientists and engineers, who are seeking to prove their theory through a series of experiments.

But Behind the Curve delves deeper than that. Instead of just ridiculing Flat Earthers, it exposes both the dangers of falling into conspiracy theories, and the dangers of dismissing these theorists too quickly. It questions: what is the role of science in a society? Are scientists responsible for disinformation in the wider community?

Hot Girls Wanted

This documentary is both depressing and fascinating, as it follows five young women pursuing their dreams of becoming actresses — through the porn industry in Florida. While at first, things seem to go great for them, the reality of the industry isn’t what they initially thought… but it’s hard to go back on a decision like that once it’s made.

Despite its probably-intentionally-titillating title, Hot Girls Wanted is not for the faint of heart. The actresses go through some terrible ordeals, including some unthinkable injuries, as a result of their work. And it’s hard to watch them being manipulated by an industry that only wants to use them.

Something this film does well is that it doesn’t seek to shame the women for being porn stars, but rather expose an industry that is still primarily run by men, for men, and that is set up to exploit. It’s an eye-opening viewing experience that will change the way you think about porn and the people behind it.

Betting on Zero

If you’ve ever heard of Herbalife, this documentary is going to blow your mind. Betting on Zero follows a series of different people trying to expose the global “nutrition and weight management company” Herbalife as a pyramid scheme.

But the documentary does much more than just showcase all the ways that Herbalife is tricking the people they persuade to sell their products. It also shows how pyramid schemes specifically target minority groups in order to take advantage of them, and how the higher-ups set up a network of people to protect themselves from taking any sort of responsibility for their scam.

If you’ve seen what Herbalife can do first-hand, or have always been confused about the company’s true purpose, this documentary doesn’t quite answer every question… but it does give you a glimpse of the insidious effect it’s been having on people around the globe.

Period. End of Sentence.

This Oscar-winning documentary is also on Netflix! The film follows a group of Indian women and girls who are fighting for empowerment in an area most people can’t even talk about: menstruation.

Through innovative means and education, these women are bringing pads to girls who had to give up their education and their freedom because of their periods, and are slowly beginning to overcome the taboo that has kept them oppressed, or even in danger.

Period. End of Sentence. is beautiful and inspiring to watch because it’s not only in India that this stigma exists: the instinct to keep periods hidden from the world is still in place even in the wealthiest societies, and we don’t always think about the psychological and physical toll this takes on women. This documentary is an empowering look at what women can achieve when they work together and support each other, and gives its audience tools to finally talk about what we’ve been taught to keep silent about.