In the past few months, Netflix released “Tiger King” and “The Last Dance,” which became such cultural phenomena that they inspired “Saturday Night Live” parodies.
(If you somehow missed them, “Tiger King” follows Joe Exotic, the now-incarcerated Oklahoma roadside attraction owner; “The Last Dance” focuses on Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls.)
Of late, other Netflix docs such as the Michelle Obama-centric “Becoming” and the star-studded “Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics” have also earned spots in Netflix’s new ranking of the most popular shows and movies on the service.
Netflix pushed these splashy projects hard, so you’d be forgiven for missing the numerous other stellar documentaries the service has debuted in recent weeks. I’ve compiled a list of five excellent docs you may have missed on Netflix in 2020 so far.
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Premise: A lesbian couple hides their love for nearly seven decades. The couple met in 1947 at a hockey rink in Canada. One of the women got a job playing baseball in Chicago, and they both moved to that city. They cohabited, telling parents it was to save on rent.
The two kept their relationship a secret from their families until 2009. The two women are the director’s great aunts.
Ryan Murphy produced the movie, along with Blumhouse Productions.
Setting: Canada and Chicago, spanning decades
Debut date: April 29
Runtime: 1 hour, 21 minutes
Premise: Artists Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon team up in the early 1990s and become fixtures in the Los Angeles hip-hop scene. Cartoon tattooed artists, while Oriol photographed and filmed them. The duo partnered with artists such as Eminem, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent, providing tattoos and photography.
Their story exemplifies the rise of Chicano street art culture in the city.
Oriol also directed the movie.
Setting: Los Angeles, with the subject matter focusing on the 1980s and 1990s
Debut date: April 10
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Premise: A straight couple with kids owned Circus of Books, a prominent gay porn store and cruising spot throughout the 1980s in Los Angeles. The two tried to keep their day jobs secret from their kids and religious community.
As the AIDS epidemic took hold of the country, the owners provided support for the gay community.
Rachel Mason, the daughter of the owners, wrote and directed the documentary.
Setting: Los Angeles, focusing on the 1980s
Debut date: April 22
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Premise: Argentine racer Juan Manuel Fangio was one of the early Formula One racers and the sport’s first dominant competitor.
Fangio won 24 out of 42 races and five championships throughout the 1950s. He’s arguably the best Formula One driver of all time.
The documentary focuses on Fangio but also tells the story of the sport’s early days.
Setting: Global races in the 1950s and the aftermath of Juan Manuel Fangio’s success
Debut date: March 20
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Premise: Camp Jened was a summer camp in the Catskills of New York that catered to young people with disabilities. This documentary focuses on the 1970s, when the community helped lead the disability rights movement.
Both campers and counselors became involved in the movement that ultimately led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions produced the movie.
Setting: 1970s summer camp in New York and elsewhere in the country
Debut date: March 25
Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes