Five of 2022’s best documentaries so far

Alice Borretton 30 May 2022
Man stood in front of cameraman in the countryside

Documentaries are an entertaining source of information. Check out our recommendations for the best documentaries of 2022.

It may only be May, but there have already been a number of amazing documentaries released this year. From the man conning women on Tinder to space exploration, to the issues surrounding human consumption, there’s something for everyone. Here’s our round-up of five of the best documentaries released this year.

Return to Space

The first documentary on this list is Return To Space which discusses Elon Musk’s twenty-year-long effort to “resurrect America’s space travel ambitions”. The film looks at the Tesla billionaire’s desire to travel to space, giving insight into the engineers and astronauts working on the SpaceX mission, which culminated in the first crewed mission to space launched on US soil since 2011.

Seaspiracy

The next documentary on this list is Seaspiracy, which examines the global fishing industry and challenges the notion of sustainable fishing. It critiques a number of human-created problems for the ocean, including plastic pollution, ghost nets, and overfishing, setting out to prove how much damage we are doing to the oceans, and how our actions cause environmental destruction. It has been described as “a damning look at what we’ve done to the earth in pursuit of getting what we want”.

The Andy Warhol Diaries

Moving away from environmental issues, The Andy Warhol Diaries takes a look behind the scenes of the world-famous artist. It is based on the 1989 non-fiction book of the same name and chronicles the life of Warhol. The documentary traces his career as an artist, director, publisher and producer. There are interviews with the likes of the Warhol museum curators, contemporary artists, and the people close to him.

The Andy Warhol Diaries is narrated by Warhol’s voice through the use of AI, and the opening episode warns viewers not to take Warhol’s version of events at face value. 

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

This documentary seeks to uncover the negligence and corporate greed that led to two Boeing plane crashes within a five-month period. It features interviews with a variety of sources, including former employees, US congresspeople, aviation experts, journalists, and families of the victims. 

Downfall examines the history of the manufacturer and the decisions that led to the crashes. It unearths a culture of cost-cutting and concealment at Boeing. 

The Tinder Swindler

Lastly, and perhaps one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year so far is The Tinder Swindler. This documentary follows the story of Simon Leviev, a fraudster who posed as a billionaire on Tinder to trick women into sending him money. He claimed to be the heir to a diamond fortune, using the dating app to lure women and trick them into spending money that he could never repay. He would ‘prove’ his monetary status to these women by charming them with gifts and trips on private jets, using money stolen from other women to fund this lavish facade. This documentary is a must-watch.

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Alice Borretton 30 May 2022