Summary
When compared to Netflix, which seems to have more documentaries and docuseries than nearly any other streaming service, Hulu may not always receive the attention it deserves among those who are interested in documentaries. Despite the fact that a significant number of excellent documentaries have been removed from the streaming service this year, Hulu still has a rather impressive collection of documentaries of its own.
the finest documentaries
Paint It Black takes a look at the school shooting that occurred in Uvalde last month from the point of view of local media as well as one of the parents who lost a child through the tragedy. In addition, the documentary The Stones and Brian Jones examines the history of the band’s founder, who has been mostly forgotten. Additionally, the documentary Black Twitter: A People’s History and Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, and Icons provide unique oral histories. At this very moment, you can discover these projects and others among the top documentaries that are available on Hulu.
Also, while you are here, we would be negligent if we did not offer the Disney Bundle, which is a subscription service that costs just $14 a month and gives you access to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. That is practically the same price for two of the services, while the third service is effectively free of charge. Delightful. While we have compiled a list of the best documentaries available on Hulu, we have also compiled a list of the best documentaries available on Amazon Prime Video and the best documentaries available on Netflix.
The Stones and Brian Jones (2024)
It is common knowledge that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are the first two names that spring to mind when one thinks of the Rolling Stones. Only those who are really knowledgeable about the history of rock & roll would acknowledge the existence of Brian Jones, the one who established the band and was a part of it before Jagger and Richards ever joined. It was Jones who came up with the name of the Rolling Stones, which at first did not include the letter “g.”
The Stones and Brian Jones is a documentary that details Jones’ seven-year employment with the Rolling Stones, as well as his personal and professional difficulties with Jagger and Richards during the time that they were in charge of the band’s leadership. Jones’ struggle with drug troubles was also detailed, in addition to his last days with the band and his death shortly afterward. Jones’s life is eventually told in the film, and it helps to demonstrate why he deserves to be considered one of the rock legends.
Black Twitter: A People’s History (2024)
The social media behemoth Twitter has been taken over by Elon Musk, and since then, the platform has seen a significant transformation. Additionally, the freshly rebranded X is having a difficult time regaining the prominence it formerly had. The documentary titled “Black Twitter: A People’s History” on Hulu examines the black subculture that exists on Twitter and is responsible for the creation of a great number of memes and social media celebrities.
The miniseries also discusses the impact that Black Twitter played in the growth of Black Lives Matter and other social justice concerns that were pushed on social media over the course of the series. There was a time when the location served as a cultural landmark, but today nobody knows for sure how long X will be able to continue operating.
Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, and Icons (2024)
Throughout the 1980s and well into the 1990s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were two of the most prominent action performers in Hollywood. They soon became friends, and they even joined forces as two of the faces of Planet Hollywood. Their fierce competition finally gave way to camaraderie. The documentary Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons now has both Stallone and Schwarzenegger in front of the camera to talk about their past together. In addition, there are a few revelations that come as a surprise along the way.
Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (2023)
Joan Baez was the first person to acknowledge that she has been endowed with an outstanding singing voice, and she makes this admission in the very first sentence of her biography. However, Baez’s abilities are not confined to music; rather, she has used her celebrity and platform to advocate for a variety of issues in order to contribute to the creation of a better world. In the documentary film Joan Baez: I Am a Noise, Baez is now presenting her life narrative, which she has been doing for the last sixty years, which is the final chapter of her career.
On the recordings made in the current day, Baez discloses information about her personal life in a manner that she has not done so in the past. In addition, the documentary includes video of Baez that has not been made public before, as well as her therapy records and diaries, in order to provide a comprehensive depiction of the challenges she faced at various points in her life. The time has come for Baez to create her own finale according to her own terms.
The Space Race (2023)
Who was the first person of African descent to go to space? In the event that history had taken a different path, Ed Dwight, who was one of the subjects of The Space Race, may have been the one who died. The events shown in this documentary date back to 1961, when President John F. Kennedy was attempting to integrate NASA during the early stages of the Civil Rights movement. Dwight was presented with the opportunity to pursue a career as an astronaut, yet, as he expresses in his own words in this article, the resistance he encountered from inside NASA was significant.
Although Dwight’s hopes were crushed, Guion “Guy” Bluford made history by becoming the first African-American to go into space twenty years later. This video also delves into the life of Bluford as well as the narrative of Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, a Cuban cosmonaut who was the first man of African descent to go into space three years prior to Bluford’s own journey into space.
The Lady Bird Diaries (2023)
Despite the fact that Lady Bird Johnson passed away in 2007, Lyndon Johnson’s widow had her voice revived in the television series The Lady Bird Diaries. Through the use of 123 hours of audio diaries that she recorded, beginning with the killing of John F. Kennedy and continuing through her husband’s presidency, the documentary gives Lady Bird Johnson the opportunity to tell her own tale. Despite the fact that many of the events that take place in the novel took place decades ago, the multifaceted storytelling brings her to life in a manner that is extremely contemporary.
Fire of Love (2022)
It is arguable that Katia and Maurice Krafft, two French volcanologists, loved each other, but it is also arguable that they loved volcanoes just as much. In 1991, they were both murdered by an eruption on Mount Unzen in Japan, which they had traveled to because of their love for one another. Miranda July tells their narrative, which is shown via breathtaking film from the previous generation. There was a nomination for the film at the Academy Awards under the category of Best Documentary Feature.
The League (2023)
As a result of the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, the legacy of the Negro League is one that is still being recounted today, maybe more painfully than it has ever been before. Some of the greatest players in the history of baseball, notably Satchel Paige, competed in the minor leagues, which were an alternative to the major leagues. In spite of the fact that Jackie Robinson’s courageous entrance to the Dodgers altered the course of history and society for all time, the history of the Negro League has been often forgotten; nevertheless, this documentary will ensure that audiences never forget it again.
Not Going Quietly (2021)
Ady Barkan has become a well-known advocate for health care reform all over the globe, despite the fact that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a catastrophic condition. Barkan’s motivational narrative is chronicled in Not Going Quietly, which demonstrates that even though amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may slow down very strong individuals, it can never prevent them from accomplishing their objectives.
The Jewel Thief (2023)
The Jewel Thief is an original production by Hulu that provides a first-person narrative of Gerald Blanchard, a man who moved from committing little larceny to committing considerably more complicated heists. He did this while both frustrating and impressing the law enforcement authorities who attempted to bring him down. Those who really experienced the events are the ones who tell the narrative, which is a typical police pursuit scenario.
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show (2017)
Despite the fact that The Dana Carvey Show was only shown for seven episodes, its influence is still being felt decades after it was canceled. Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk, Robert Carlock, and Greg Daniels are some of the former members of the writing crew for the sketch comedy series. Louis C.K. served as the lead writer for the series. Every single one of those comedians has gone on to make an indelible mark not just on comedy television but also on other mediums. The documentary examines the growth and decline of the series as well as the ways in which it continues to be successful years later.
Hold Your Fire (2021)
It is important to note that Hold Your Fire has a message that is relevant in this time of increased scrutiny about police killings. A well-known hostage incident that occurred in New York City fifty years ago is the subject of inquiry in the documentary. In order to put a stop to what turned out to be a crisis that lasted for three days, the New York Police Department (NYPD) decided to adopt crisis negotiation strategies instead, which will permanently change the way that occurrences of this kind are handled moving forward. Despite the fact that the episode resulted in the death of one police officer, all of the hostages were freed without incident. Despite the fact that it is impossible to establish a straight relationship to every policing event that occurs in the United States of America today, it is an interesting study to compare the strategies that the police used in the past with those that they use now.
Three Minutes: A Lengthening (2021)
It is ironic because Three Minutes is longer than three minutes, yet it is shorter than a standard documentary. In spite of this, the film strikes a powerful and deadly blow. Helena Bonham Carter provides narration as viewers are shown a home movie that depicts a Jewish village in Poland in the year 1938. This is before the Holocaust ravaged Nasielsk and the greater Jewish population in Europe. The home film is barely three minutes long, but it is edited and played out in a manner that draws attention to the lives that were being lived by members of the Jewish community who were sadly cut short. At this time, when anti-Semitism is becoming more prominent in the United States, the unusual film from more than eight decades ago seems like it was shot at the right moment.
Look At Me: XXXTentacion (2022)
When he was just 20 years old, rapper XXXTentacion was murdered in the course of a heist. Even though he only lived for a short period of time, the rapper became well-known for his popular tracks, including Sad, which is a more gloomy and introspective look at a hip-hop artist. Additionally, he became well-known for a number of heinous deeds, such as the fact that he reportedly assaulted his pregnant girlfriend while he was awaiting trial on felony counts of aggravated abuse and home invasion at the time of his death.
In the documentary, XXXTentacion’s short period of fame is examined in a straightforward manner, regardless of whether it was for the better or for the worse. Despite the fact that the movie has a redeeming storyline, it is constantly balanced by the reality that the artist did some horrific things throughout his life, and that will always be an unavoidable component of a legacy that is still ringing in the hip-hop industry.
GameStop: Rise of the Players (2022)
It would seem that the great majority of consumers have forgotten about GameStop, but investors have not forgotten about it. The stock of GameStop has increased by more than 2,500% as a result of the short squeeze that they just applied to the company.
A momentous period on Wall Street is documented in the documentary GameStop: Rise of the Players, which tells the story of the squeeze from the point of view of people who were engaged. The documentary portrays the investors as heroes for the majority of its running length, which does not provide a complete view of the situation. In spite of this, it is always amusing to watch people attempt to compete with businesses that are owned by billionaires.
Print It Black (2024)
In spite of the fact that it has a name with one of the most well-known songs by the Rolling Stones, Paint It Black has nothing to do with one of the most legendary bands in the United Kingdom. As an alternative, the focus of this documentary focuses on the aftermath of the school shooting that occurred in 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The incident resulted in the death of Kimberly Rubio’s daughter, Lexi, who was a reporter for the local newspaper. During the time when the local media is attempting to come to terms with the huge tragedy, Rubio has emerged as a champion for gun control. Meanwhile, the families of the other victims are searching for answers and responsibility.
