Chiefsaholic documentary unsettles our understanding of a superfan gone wild

The rhetoric insistently presses upon us to read the images in a certain fashion. Historical documentaries in this mode deliver an unproblematic and “objective” account and interpretation of past events. Modern lightweight digital video cameras and computer-based editing have greatly aided documentary makers, as has the dramatic drop in equipment prices.

Ethnographic film

The love for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood lives on in the hearts and minds of those who grew up learning life lessons from its cardigan-clad host. This archival footage documentary centers on the life of Fred Rogers and the guiding sense of decency that he infused into the beloved children’s program. Won’t You Be My Neighbor smartly demonstrates Rogers’ empathetic approach while also depicting his fight to keep his show on the airwaves. As EW’s critic puts it, the documentary is “a security blanket for our troubled times,” and a reminder of the inherent value of kindness in a world that needs it now more than ever. Martin Scorsese blurs the line between fiction and reality in this glimpse into Bob Dylan’s eponymous 1975 tour. The director blends archival footage with modern interviews from those who were in the singer’s circle, including Joan Baez and Sam Shepard, as well as from fictional characters, played by the likes of Sharon Stone and Michael Murphy.

Documentary Films

• As EW’s critic writes, “Like most good storytelling, it takes care to make the political personal.” —K.J.
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor smartly demonstrates Rogers’ empathetic approach while also depicting his fight to keep his show on the airwaves.
• In 1860, 52 years after the prohibition of the Atlantic slave trade, the last known illegal shipment of enslaved Africans arrived on US soil; the ship, the Clotilda, was destroyed.
• As Tavel gets the device working again, we’re treated to a bevy of cameos from artists ranging from Gotye to Fred Armisen trying it out, building to a beautiful montage as a whole generation of artists discover and re-discover this novel new way to make music.

Some examples are explicitly educational, while others serve as observational works; docufiction movies notably include aspects of dramatic storytelling that are clearly fictional. Documentaries are informative at times, and certain types are often used within schools as a resource to teach various principles. Documentary filmmakers have a responsibility to be truthful to their vision of the world without intentionally misrepresenting a topic. The team behind The Tinder Swindler (which is also LivingWithoutMoney.org worth checking out on Netflix!) returned in 2024 with American Nightmare, a look into what was, at first, dubbed the ‘real-life Gone Girl’ case.

Research into information gathering, as a behavior, and the sharing of knowledge, as a concept, has noted how documentary movies were preceded by the notable practice of documentary photography. This has involved the use of singular photographs to detail the complex attributes of historical events and continues to a certain degree to this day, with an example being the conflict-related photography achieved by popular figures such as Mathew Brady during the American Civil War. Documentary movies evolved from the creation of singular images in order to convey particular types of information in depth, using film as a medium. Performers stand in for the two eldest siblings, and Tunisian and Egyptian actress Hend Sabry plays Olfa, but interviews with the real-life Olfa and her two youngest daughters are also heavily featured.

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (

If NFL superfans are only celebrities when when they dress up for a game, if people don’t recognize them in real life and if people don’t even know their real names, then what is their fame? Whether in a wolf mask or another costume, superfans in this movie aren’t who they pretend to be. To counter this weight, the program delivers upbeat and goofy moments as well.

Taylor opens up about her struggles with feuds and fame, her issues with disordered eating, her political frustrations, and ultimately, the responsibility she feels towards her fans, her music, and her legacy. A film for Swifties, music lovers, and anyone interested in learning more about one of the most successful artists working today, Miss Americana will, as EW’s reviewer writes, make “you wish you’d seen more of this Taylor a long time ago.” —I.G. While the footage often speaks for itself, the value of this documentary comes from real-life actors and artists discussing how those cultural depictions shaped not only the societal perception of trans people but also how they view themselves.

People who follow Babudar online can’t cope with his guilt, despite the evidence. Much like the device itself, “Resynator” hardly feels revolutionary among its contemporaries, but there’s enough charm and heart beneath it to make it stand out from a crowded field. The personal doc can often feel stifling and self-congratulatory; Tavel makes it feel personal and disarming, an earnest and sincere attempt to understand herself through the father she never got to know, and the big, plastic box of wires that might bring him closer, even if just a little bit. A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings.