The Staircase
Summary
The truth is definitely stranger than fiction in these fifteen documentaries with literal - lifespan plot twists . From catching a killer ’s confession inThe Jinxto unraveling the dark underbelly of tickling competition inTickled , documentaries prompt audience that the most electrifying minute in cinema can come from other people ’s material lives . Sometimes the most jaw - dropping tantrum are not in the recent blockbuster but in someone ’s decade - old story being document for the first metre . Viewers searching to be sweep out by someone else ’s life and surprised by how events unfold should watch these fifteen documentaries .
Documentaries have the potent ability to observe life , capture moments in time , and tell a narration as it spread out . There are numberless engrossing polish , crimes , and account occur around the man , and the joyousness of determine docudrama is meditative of the motley of living itself . From two boy playing basketball inHoop Dreamsto questioning if a husband in truth kill his married woman inThe Staircase , documentaries have a alone capacity to rent audience because their stories are true . Here are fifteen documentaries that have shocked , unbalanced , or uplifted viewers based on their real - life plot twists .
15The Jinx
The Jinxdocuments conversations with material - estate developer Robert Durst , a millionaire who was charged with the murder of his x - wife , a neighbor , and author Susan Berman . The Jinxreenacts Durst ’s interpretation of events and motion his change story while he ’s facing test for the slaying of Berman . In the finale , Durst asks to practice the restroom during an interview where he unwittingly confesses to all three murder while still deliver his mic on him . The recorded confession was used as grounds in his trial , and Durst basically sealed his own prison sentence .
14Icarus
13Abducted in Plain Sight
nobble in Plain Sightdepicts the true - offense narrative of the Brobergs , a naive , church - going kinfolk whose daughter Jan Broberg gets kidnapped by their neighbour . After five weeks , Jan returns and call that nothing malicious fall out to her . The troubling fact of the kidnapping and the crime syndicate ’s credulousness reach scandalous and frustrating stature when Jan is kidnap for a second time by the same neighbor .
12Three Identical Strangers
Edward Galland , David Kellman , and Robert Shafran have never meet , but they look exactly alike . Three indistinguishable Strangersfollows superposable triplets branch at birth who hit upon each other and share their personality similarity . While the documentary begin as a angelic story , the three chum come across their separation was triggered by a scientific experimentation that tested the limits of nature vs. nurture . The triplets were advisedly separated to try if they would still partake personality trait if they produce up in three dissimilar socioeconomic menage . Three superposable Strangerscovers where the triplet are now , but what starts as a feel - good chronicle becomes a grim admonitory narration of science give out too far .
11The Overnighters
The Overnightersdocuments a North Dakota Oil boom and the influx of migrants who come to Williston to seek work and the American Dream . Filmmaker Jesse Moss ab initio travel to Williston to get wind these prole ’ account but became more intrigued by a local subgenus Pastor who in person housed more than 1,000 migrants . The pastor , Jay Reinke , rifle to imposing and foolhardy lengths to protect these men and faces increase scrutiny by his small town , which puts his family in risk . The Overnighters ’ culmination shows Reinke making a watery-eyed confession to his wife after the local newsworthiness discovers Reinke was have an social occasion with a man .
10The Imposter
The Imposterunravels the mouth - dropping true news report of a Texas family who believes they found their teen son after four years of him being missing . The particular part of the discovery is that their supposed boy was found in Europe , appear physically different , and now has an accent . The Barclays insist that this person is their Word and accept him back into their San Antonio plate , but by and by find out that this homo is a sequent impostor who adapts the identity of 100 of masses , some fictional and others miss .
9Dear Zachary
Dear Zacharymay have the most heartrending endto a documentary film in late storage . Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne produced , directed , shot , edited , and mark the documentary that details the dying of his cheeseparing friend , Andrew Bagby . Bagby was murdered by his partner , Shirley Turner , who was also pregnant with Bagby ’s child . Dear Zacharyexplores the flaws in Canada ’s legal scheme as Andrew ’s parents press for custody of their grandchild from the fair sex who murdered their son . The documentary takes one final tragic turn as Shirley is released from prison house and gain custody of the child .
8Tickled
Tickledstarts as a quirky documentary showcasing the world of competitory tickling . Viewers may reckon Tickled is the story of a funny summercater , but the film takes a dark number as it focuses on Jane O’Brien Media . The mystical media caller buys video of new men getting tickled and threatens to pressure the men with these picture if they do n’t proceed to make more . Tickledgets stranger and more scandalous as it detail that Jane O’Brien Media does n’t really exist and is , instead , the creation of one flush man , David D’Amato . After the documentary film was released , D’Amato confronted the filmmakers at a public covering ofTickledand accused them of lying .
7Weiner
Weineris a documentary intended to cover shamed political leader Anthony Weiner ’s career comeback , butWeinertakes a crook when another sex scandal breaks during filming of the documentary . Weinerprovides perceptivity into political campaigning and draw a politician ’s self - destructive and conceited behavior unlike any documentary . The infotainment ’s approach into Anthony Weiner ’s personal spirit becomes a cataclysm that ’s hard to look aside from as Weiner ’s second scandal eventually ensue in his arrest .
6Hoop Dreams
Released in 1994,Hoop Dreamsdeveloped as a documentary about hoops finish in the inner city but became a harrowing story about two male child ’ dreams of playing professional basketball . film director Steve James ’ 30 - moment sports short morph into a 3 - hr drama that followed teenager William Gates and Arthur Agee through gamey school . Unlike other documentaries known for dark and shocking twists , the surprise inHoop Dreamsare uplifting and can inspire anyone who has felt like an underdog .
