{"id":70356,"date":"2019-07-09T15:07:03","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T14:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flashpacknew.wpengine.com\/?p=70356"},"modified":"2023-03-23T12:31:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T12:31:04","slug":"netflix-documentaries-talk-strangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/solo\/travel\/netflix-documentaries-talk-strangers\/","title":{"rendered":"15 best documentaries on Netflix for conversation starters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Nervous about meeting new people? Aching for conversation starters? What if bingeing episodes of TV could line your repartee with come killer ice-breakers? Chris Mandle recommends the best documentaries on Netflix that will make you sound like a regular Einstein when you talk to strangers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Maybe you\u2019re 19 episodes into something \u2013 maybe you have imposed yourself upon your sofa cushions the way a wax seal is firmly, heavily pressed into a glob of hot wax \u2013 and you are beginning to feel a thick, electric guilt shooting down the back of your neck.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe the art of doing nothing, which you have perfected, which you have sharpened and finessed with a deftness usually reserved for Olympic sports, has begun to make you feel, umm, what\u2019s the word for when your brain is empty despite you filling it with endless amounts of anything and you\u2019ve forgotten how to function? Dumb.<\/p>\n<p>Well, what if, packed tightly within the algorithms working as aggressively and seamlessly as the parts of a chronograph, there were things you could watch that would plug any leaks in your head?<\/p>\n<p>Solo travel is an enriching thing, but meeting new people and starting a conversation in real life can be awkward \u2013 and close-up magic doesn&#8217;t impress <em>everyone<\/em> \u2013 so it\u2019s important you know how to break the ice. The following Netflix documentaries are both entertaining and will make you more interesting. This is 100% proven by science.<\/p>\n<h3>Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uZ0KNVU2fV0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is the millennial version of The Big Short, the 2016 explainer-as-entertainment movie that chronicled the 2007-2008 financial crisis via the mediums of handsome mortals Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale. But here, the actual story of one spectacularly lavish musical festival &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gq-magazine.co.uk\/article\/fyre-festival-instagram-bahamas-ja-rule-models\">the Fyre Festival<\/a> &#8211; that was too opulent to be true is told in all its glory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> Gay event producer Andy King was asked to \u2018settle\u2019 an outstanding $175k debt to a water company by performing oral sex. He almost went through with it.<\/p>\n<h3>Wild Wild Country<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wild Wild Country | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hBLS_OM6Puk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Who would join a cult? That\u2019s the kind of thing people say about cults, like they are ACME-grade booby traps you can spot a mile off. This multi-part documentary chronicles the parasitic nature of spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his militant operation that involved espionage, poisoning and subterfuge to get what he wanted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> The cult planned to use salmonella-riddled beavers, blended to a pulp, to infect the local water supply.<\/p>\n<h3>The Pixar Story<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pixar Story Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aU1fVeYzYlI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We know now that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=stWlELuabKI\">Pixar can trojan-horse extremely adult things into its animated films<\/a>, and this documentary will only further elevate your academic appreciation for the studio by showcasing the designers behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> The studio wouldn\u2019t have found its footing if not for entrepreneurial godfather Steve Jobs, who advised them in the early days.<\/p>\n<h3>Jiro Dreams of Sushi<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jiro Dreams of Sushi - Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I1UDS2kgqY8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>85-year-old Jiro has been making sushi for decades \u2013 unfussy, non-disruptive, elegant sushi. He claims he has never perfected it, in this minimalist examination of his work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> The food can be eaten so quickly it is minute-for-minute the most expensive restaurant in the world.<\/p>\n<h3>Get Me Roger Stone<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Get Me Roger Stone | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5IPyv4KgTAA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The US Election! Still hurts, doesn\u2019t it? Still feels like a mackerel bone in the throat. Before he was indicted as part of the Muller probe, Stone was known as a right-wing trickster, disruptive, hateful, and downright dirty.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> 66-year-old Stone has a tattoo of Richard Nixon\u2019s head between his shoulder-blades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Read more: <a class=\"LinkSuggestion__Link-sc-1mdih4x-2 jZPuuT\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.flashpack.com\/solo\/travel\/best-films-netflix-wanderlust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Netflix and thrill: 21 best films on Netflix to inspire wanderlust<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Icarus<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Icarus | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qXoRdSTrR-4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The idea was for director Bryan Fogel to try doping in order to report on it. Instead, he got sucked into a truly sinister scandal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> Whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov alleges even Vladimir Putin is in on the doping scandal.<\/p>\n<h3>13th<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"13TH | official trailer (2016) Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K6IXQbXPO3I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The titular amendment to the constitution abolished slavery. Ava Duverney examines its legacy, and the ongoing mass incarceration of African Americans in the United States.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> The US contains 5% of the world\u2019s population \u2013 but 25% of its prisoners.<\/p>\n<h3>Knock Down The House<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Knock Down The House | Official Trailer | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_wGZc8ZjFY4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Are you sending a pattern? US political docs are helping us make sense of the world. In this one: behind-the-scenes on the campaigns of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin\u2014 all without political experience or corporate money.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> AOC\u2019s opponent Joe Crowley, a politician since 1999, was so sure of his success he sent a proxy to debate her. Then lost.<\/p>\n<h3>Casting JonBenet<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Casting JonBenet | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-KMEOaMCJss?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>6-year-old child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsay\u2019s murder in 1996 is still unresolved. This documentary visits the town still haunted by what happened.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> One popular theory surrounding the case claims the town\u2019s Father Christmas was behind the murder.<\/p>\n<h3>The First Monday in May<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Watch the First Monday in May Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MRFCVG85X_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Met Gala is the Superbowl of haute couture and this behind-the-scenes peek at the glamourous (and not so glamorous) will give you a newfound appreciation for the event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann helped plan the event.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Read more: <a class=\"LinkSuggestion__Link-sc-1mdih4x-2 jZPuuT\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.flashpack.com\/solo\/relationships\/breaking-the-ice-tips-how-to-conquer-your-anxieties-when-meeting-new-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Everything you need to know about breaking the ice when you meet new people<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Blackfish<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blackfish Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Documentary Movie HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fLOeH-Oq_1Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>You know this one; it\u2019s about killer whales and Seaworld. Harry Styles even watched it! But it will make you regret ever paying to watch a giant wet mammal thrash about in the water.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> One trainer, crushed between two six-ton orcas, was only held together by his wetsuit.<\/p>\n<h3>Amy<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Amy | Official Trailer HD | A24\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_2yCIwmNuLE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Even if you followed Amy Winehouse\u2019s spectacular rise and gut-wrenching fall from grace, this documentary will change how you look at the media\u2019s role in the careers of young creatives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> Winehouse\u2019s father Mitch appears in the film with his own camera crew &#8211; he was filming a rival documentary.<\/p>\n<h3>I Called Him Morgan<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I Called Him Morgan | Trailer | New Release\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yxLByThNvWU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The story of Lee Morgan, an important if not household level name in jazz, is appropriately wild, dizzying and glib in places.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> Despite being killed at 32, Morgan recorded over 25 albums.<\/p>\n<h3>Free Solo<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Free Solo - Trailer | National Geographic\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/urRVZ4SW7WU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Not only does this climbing film achieve staggering heights \u2013 taking place at the 1000ft run on El Cap in Yosemite National Park \u2013 it asks fascinating questions about the ethics of documenting something so life-threatening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killed ice breaker:<\/strong> Subject Alex Honnold only began free solo climbing because he was too shy to ask other people to belay him.<\/p>\n<h3>Pumping Iron<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pumping Iron - Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e1vprTwGQ4M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Chronicling 28-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger\u2019s plans to compete in the 1975 Mr Universe competition, the documentary offers a fascinating look in the way male body ideals have shifted in the intervening decades.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Killer ice breaker:<\/strong> the film got a huge PR surge when Jackie Kennedy attended a press lunch \u2013 purely as a favour to a friend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nervous about meeting new people? Aching for conversation starters? What if bingeing episodes of TV&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9029,9035],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70356\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.flashpack.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}