True stories resonate harder. If there's anything to be learned from the huge surge in true crime dramas, Netflix's increased documentary offerings and the amount of time we spend googling "the real story behind [insert latest film/TV obsession here]", it's that we've got a growing appetite for new stories about IRL people. So let's satisfy that hunger, shall we?
Some of the best of British television is down to the work of beloved documentary makers like Louis Theroux and David Attenborough. But let's not forget that BBC documentaries aren't just for cosy Sunday night viewing – they also live online among a host of crime, celebrity and nature programming.
We've narrowed down a selection of the best documentaries to stream online right now. Some are new and some you might be vaguely familiar with, but they're all up there as some of our most memorable. They've made us laugh, they've made us cry and they've made us question everything we thought we knew about humanity. Read on to find out which are worth watching.
Trevor McDonald and the Killer Nurse
The incomparable Trevor McDonald recently took on the story of Beverley Allitt, a nurse who killed multiple children in her care. For the first time in the 25 years since her arrest, Trevor plays the police interview tapes and tries to understand how, and why, the case was reported the way it was all that time ago.
City of Joy
This Netflix documentary introduces us to some incredible women with a devastating backstory. City of Joy is the name of a gated community in the Democratic Republic of Congo that was set up to help victims of the violence and sexual abuse that quickly became a weapon of war within the country. At City of Joy, the mantra is to turn pain into power; you'll get a peek at the incredible work done to help women re-empower and love themselves in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
20 Feet From Stardom
Backing singing – a springboard to superstardom or a trap beneath yet another glass ceiling? 20 Feet From Stardom tells the real stories of some of the incredibly talented women who have spent their lives performing backing vocals for some of the world's biggest stars.
I Am Not Your Negro
This moving film takes on the book that author James Baldwin wasn't able to finish before he died. It tells the painfully raw story of race in modern America through Baldwin's original words and Samuel L. Jackson's powerful narration. One of those ones that'll linger with you after you stop watching, for really good reason.
Twinsters
While we wait patiently for Sundance award-winning documentary Three Identical Strangers to land on a streaming service, allow us to point you in the direction of a similarly fascinating tale. Twinsters tells the wild and fascinating story of how a French fashion student stumbled across her identical twin on YouTube, and the truth behind why they were separated at birth.
Pistorius
Just when you think you know one widely reported story well, new information is brought to the table. That's precisely what Prime Video did with its four-part documentary about the disgraced Oscar Pistorius and the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. It's a re-examination of a case that drew years of international attention only to be quickly forgotten beneath the tide of the celebrity news cycle. There's interesting emphasis placed on South Africa, where it all took place, and the local female activists who were shaken by the entire proceeding.
Making A Murderer
The world is all too familiar with the names Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey by now. Three years ago their story, which revolves around the murder of Teresa Halbach, hit Netflix and to this day it remains probably one of the most fascinating cases to grip an international audience in recent history.
Louis Theroux's Behind Bars
It's almost impossible to pinpoint the best Louis Theroux moment in his expansive career but there are a few standouts. His Weird Weekend series is a favourite among many, while his more recent Dark States and Altered States series have (understandably) earned huge emotive responses from engrossed audiences. Behind Bars, an episode when Louis visits an American prison to understand the race segregation within, is a personal favourite. And when you're done with that, his back catalogue of films is also online for you to watch, too.
Life, Animated
Uplifting documentaries are hard to come by, but this one just might put a small smile on your face. Owen Suskind is a young man who was diagnosed with autism as a child and stopped speaking at the age of three. His life was turned around when he discovered the language of animated Disney films, though...
The September Issue
There's no quelling the fascination with the fashion world, and much more so Vogue 's infamous editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. If you've ever wondered how closely The Devil Wears Prada mirrors the real world, this documentary is probably as much of an insight as you're going to get.
Wild Wild Country
If you're inherently fascinated by the inner workings and motivations of cults, Wild Wild Country will have your head spinning. The documentary unpicks the fact and fiction behind the community of Rajneeshpuram, a fascinating slice of recent American history in which one of the world's biggest communes opened (seemingly out of nowhere) in the middle of Oregon state.
Dynasties
Where would documentary be without Sir David Attenborough, eh? His latest five-part series takes us right into the middle of five of the most extraordinary animals (first came the apes, next the penguins and episode three is all about a pride of lions) to better understand their fight for survival. A scene in the penguin episode where camera crew shovelled some steps in the snow to help struggling penguins get to safety sparked conversation about whether it's people's place to interfere in the natural order of things. Attenborough's consensus, though, was that he would have done the same thing.
Ugly Me: My Life With Body Dysmorphia
Shedding some light on the difficult but important topic of body dysmorphia, a condition that affects one in 50 people in the UK, a new BBC Three documentary caught our attention earlier this year. The documentary meets a broad range of people recovering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and offers an opportunity to hear their stories.
Amy
Yes, we know that another Amy Winehouse documentary is on the way but the impact of the last still echoes for many of the singer's dedicated fans. Amy is expectedly heartbreaking. It catalogues some of her iconic performances, intimate home videos and voicemail recordings, all the while offering a strained perception of just why her life unravelled so devastatingly.
Human Flow
Though the global refugee crisis may have been pushed to the back of many of our minds, it's a devastating reality that remains unbearable for too many people. Artist and activist Ai Weiwei's award-winning documentary attempts to give scale to the unimaginable while honing in on the personal stories of some of those in desperate search of safety and shelter.
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