The Modern Actor

View Original

5 New Documentaries Every Actor Needs To Watch

Where to stream the 5 new documentaries every actor needs to watch for latest most inspiring, relatable, and captivating content

By: Eddie Ramos | January 10, 2022 9:55 AM

See this social icon list in the original post

Here Are The 5 Documentaries

Can’t Decide What Movie To Watch? Meet Eddie Your Favorite AI ActorBot

Photo: Amazon Studios

1. Val directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo

A look into the daily routine and life of actor Val Kilmer. Star of Top Gun, Batman Forever, The Doors, and the 90’s thriller, Heat with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. Val has shot footage of himself and other actors of his time, documenting his time as a young actor and process as an actor on and off screen. Now battling throat cancer— the documentary is narrated by Kilmer as he talks about his time as a rising star, his hopes, dreams and his regrets.

Val is streaming on Prime

Photo: Netflix Studos

2. Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It directed by Mariem Perez Riera

A glimpse into the incredible life and 70-year career of singer, actress, and dancer Rita Moreno. The Netflix documentary gives a complete overview of a young Puerto Rican actress’s journey coming up not only in Hollywood but in America in the 1950s. Rita is well-known for her roles in films such as West Side Story, Singing In The Rain, The King and I. The film explores Rita’s expansive career on the stage and in front of the camera that has earned her the title of the first Hispanic American to be honored with an #EGOT.

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It is streaming on Netflix.

Photo: Disney+

3. The Beatles: Get Back directed by Peter Jackson

An eight-hour behind the scenes peek from legendary director Peter Jackson, into the intimate rehearsal process of The Beatles. The 3-part documentary reveals the creative development between the band members as they prepare for their famous rooftop concert. This documentary was by far my favorite on the list, because of the unedited footage, seemingly unintended to be seen by the public. You get a real sense of what it means for an artist to go through creative growth right before your very eyes.

The Beatles: Get Back is streaming on Disney+

Photo: Hulu Studios

4. Ailey directed by Jamila Wignot

This documentary leads the audience down the path of choreographer Alvin Ailey’s life. From a young man in Texas to the stage in Los Angeles, and eventually how he created the legendary dance studio that still bears his name. He trained with some of the biggest names in modern dance: Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Anna Sokolow, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman. His milestones were often challenged by his private nature likely surrounding homosexuality, as well as the obvious hurdles of a black man in a predominately white dance world. The story reminds us to celebrate our differences.

Ailey is streaming on Hulu

Photo: Showtime

5. The Real Charlie Chaplin directed by James Spinney and Peter Middleton

The Charlie Chaplin documentary is a telling story into the mystery that was Chaplin’s life and work. It doesn’t pull punches into the way Chaplin obsessed over every detail of his work. An obsessive artist, the documentary suggests that he staged his comedies in a compulsive way. Funningly enough, Chaplin wasn’t impressed with the films he saw at the nickleodeon and thought movies were just a fad that wouldn’t last. The irony isn’t lost on Chaplin, who became one of the most distinguished movie stars of his time.

The Real Charlie Chaplin is streaming on Hulu