documentary Archives - Page 3 of 16 - The Spool (Page 3) | The Spool

documentary Archives - Page 3 of 16 - The Spool (Page 3)

Tribeca 2022: Rudy! A Documusical can’t find a key for its odious subject

By: Peter Sobczynski

Jed Rothstein's mostly-conventional musical doc tries to lampoon the disgraced Trump lackey, but can't do either particularly well.

Tribeca 2022: Lynch/Oz takes the Yellow Brick Road to the Black Lodge

By: Peter Sobczynski

Alexandre O. Phillippe's latest essay film shows the links between the Hollywood classic and Hollywood's greatest weirdo.

Tribeca 2022: An Act of Worship is a striking look at life spent among intolerance

Nausheen Dadabhoy explores a wide array of Muslim-American experiences in this overstuffed, but impactful documentary.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Tribeca 2022: All Man: The International Male Story is a fun skim through the cheeky past

By: Ashley Lara

The documentary about the famous mail-order clothing magazine is an enjoyable, if not mostly surface-level excursion through men’s evolution in fashion and sexuality.

George Carlin’s American Dream is a bittersweet look at the comic legend

By: Gena Radcliffe

HBO presents a detailed, unexpectedly moving documentary on the life & times of George Carlin, comedian, wordsmith, & cynical optimist

Netflix’s new documentary delves into the sins of “Our Father”

By: Marshall Estes

Blumhouse explores real-life horror in this compelling and disturbing documentary.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off treats its subject as a bruised enigma

By: Gena Radcliffe

Various talking heads have more to say about the legendary skateboarder than he does in Sam Jones’ otherwise well-made documentary

Cow delivers a thoughtful but crushing look inside dairy farm

Andrea Arnold brings her strong eye and empathy skills to non-fiction with a raw but beautiful documentary about the life of a cow trapped in an industrialized dairy farm.

24 Beats per Second sees SXSW honor music through film

The festival's music documentary sidebar pays tribute to music legends ranging from Ronnie James Dio to Tanya Tucker.

2022’s SXSW documentary competition boasts a wealth of fine films

The festival's documentary selection includes features on everything from post-incarceration life to Pez-related crimes.

SXSW 2022: Diamond Hands isn’t rich with insight, but flush in entertainment

The GameStonks debacle is competently, but not distinctively, chronicled in this documentary

SXSW 2022: Still Working 9 to 5 has too much on its agenda

A successful behind the scenes look at the classic workplace comedy falls short as a sober documentary about the modern feminist movement

Bad Vegan whips up a complicated and nuanced dish

By: Marshall Estes

Netflix's latest docuseries goes beyond the headlines of Vegan Chef Sarma Melngailis’ arrest to show a more ambiguous picture.

The Andy Warhol Diaries reveals the personal side of the iconic artist

By: Gena Radcliffe

Ryan Murphy presents an unexpectedly poignant look at Andy Warhol behind the scenes.

Icahn: The Restless Billionaire is a pauper when it comes to providing insight

A documentary too in love with its central subject to say anything interesting

Truth in nonfiction: The documentaries of Sundance 2022

By: Scout Tafoya

A look back at the highs (and lows) of this year's Sundance documentary offerings.

Sundance 2022: Nothing Compares examines Sinead O’Connor’s legacy

Kathryn Ferguson presents the fiery singer as bruised and battered, but not unbowed.

Who We Are is an expansive yet intimate look at uniquely American horrors

This documentary is no easy watch, but it does prove to be a stirring and necessary one.

“When you’re good at something, time disappears”: Composer Uno Helmersson on Flee

The Swedish composer and instrumentalist talks about giving voice to things left unsaid in NEON's acclaimed animated documentary.

Writing With Fire thoughtfully spotlights the journalists of India’s only women-run newspaper

By: B.L. Panther

It's a compelling documentary that engages its subjects with the same care they bring to their own reporting.

Clerk. is a slight but charming look back at Kevin Smith’s career

This look at Smith’s filmmaking trajectory doesn’t delve deep, but it certainly isn’t a Cop Out either.

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