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Reality is often more disturbing than fiction... Join us as we explore documentaries that became even more unsettling after their release! From criminal confessions captured on camera to groundbreaking exposés that changed laws, these films revealed truths that continue to haunt us years later. Which documentary left you most disturbed?
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00:00I don't worship the devil or anything like that.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most disturbing documentaries that became even more unsettling
00:10after their release.
00:11And that's the man, and she waved her finger right toward Randall Adams. She's the one that got him convicted.
00:18Number 10, The Jinx.
00:20In 2015, everyone was talking about this HBO documentary series.
00:24I've said nothing to nobody about anything, so people out there have gotten very used to the fact they can
00:31say anything you want, because I'm never going to give an interview, so it's never going to be disputed.
00:36The Jinx, The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, unpacks the strange case of the real estate inheritor who was
00:42suspected of murdering three people, including his own wife, Kathy Durst.
00:46Director Andrew Jarecki, who also made a fictional film inspired by Durst called All Good Things, managed to get the
00:51notorious recluse to open up.
00:53Did you have anything to do with the disappearance of your wife?
00:56No. I don't know where she is. I don't know what happened to her. I don't know how it happened
01:02to her. I had nothing to do with what happened to her.
01:07This was Durst's downfall, as audio captured him confessing to the crimes.
01:11Kill them all, of course.
01:14The day before the last episode aired, he was arrested for the death of a friend, Susan Berman, and was
01:20later found guilty.
01:21Number 9, Gimme Shelter.
01:23As one of the most famous music documentaries of all time, this film has a disturbing story behind it.
01:281970's Gimme Shelter follows the Rolling Stones as they wrap up their 1969 tour.
01:33We need a doctor under the left-hand scaffold as soon as possible, please.
01:38The doc takes a distressing turn when it reaches the Altamont Free concert.
01:42Taking place in Northern California, the band played to a crowd of roughly 300,000, with Hell's Angels acting as
01:48security.
01:48Come on now! That means everybody just cool out!
01:54Eventually, things took a violent turn when an audience member, Meredith Hunter, was fatally stabbed by a member of the
01:59Angels, Alan Pissarro.
02:01The camera captures the entire scene, making it one of the most unsettling moments ever captured on film.
02:06Hey people! Hey people! Come on, let's be cool!
02:10Number 8. Blackfish.
02:13This eye-opening doc prompted big changes for animal rights.
02:16Blackfish is a heartbreaking examination of orca captivity.
02:19I think that in 50 years, we'll look back and go, my god, what a barbaric time.
02:24The film focuses mainly on Tilikum, a whale who was captured and forced to perform at SeaWorld Orlando, where he
02:30was involved in the death of three people.
02:32In the newspaper articles, the cause of death was that she drowned accidentally, but, you know, she was pulled under
02:40by the whale.
02:40The unmasking of his brutal confinement and other orcas is infuriating, which struck a nerve with many.
02:45After the release of Blackfish, theme parks like SeaWorld and Busch Gardens saw a major dip in profit and attendance,
02:52forcing the former to end their participation in the captivity and breeding of orcas.
02:56It's time to stop the shows. It's time to stop forcing the animals to perform in basically a circus environment.
03:03Number 7. Catfish.
03:04When the original trailer dropped for this doc, it looked like a horror movie.
03:08A cautionary tale of internet romance gone wrong, Catfish opened our eyes to a worldwide web of lies.
03:14Hey, Megan?
03:16Hey, it's Niamh.
03:17Hi, how are you?
03:19Your voice is not at all what I expected.
03:21The film centers on Niamh Shulman, a New York photographer who was in an online relationship with a woman named
03:26Megan, or so he thought.
03:28I can't believe you guys came. I'm so sorry.
03:31By today's standards, catfishing is common.
03:34However, in 2010, the fraudulent act was just getting started.
03:37The success of the doc resulted in a spin-off reality show co-hosted by Shulman, proving that the doc
03:42was just the tip of the iceberg.
03:44Angela doesn't look like Angela, Vince doesn't look like Vince, and there's a painting in process.
03:51Number 6. The Invisible War.
03:54So the minute a female shows up at my work, she's immediately pounced on.
03:58Before the hashtag MeToo movement, this documentary was exposing a long-standing issue.
04:03Focusing on stories of assault within the American military, the Invisible War zeroes in on how many of these cases
04:08are mishandled.
04:09When we went to one of the higher-ups at Chain of Command, they were all like his drinking buddy,
04:16and they told me just because I didn't like somebody, they weren't going to switch me away from this guy.
04:21In fact, the doc was so startling that it created change before it was even released.
04:26Politicians began lobbying for policy changes and putting forward orders to protect and support survivors.
04:32What makes The Invisible War even more troubling upon reflection is that it was the beginning of many more stories
04:37to come.
04:37You can't ask women to serve and then say, oh, by the way, if you get in one of these
04:42horrendous situations, we won't be there to back you up.
04:45Number 5. The Thin Blue Line.
04:47Well, what do you think about whether or not he's innocent?
04:51I'm sure he is.
04:52Sometimes, film is an act of justice.
04:55In 1988, filmmaker Errol Morris made the documentary The Thin Blue Line.
04:59The film jumps between interviews and reenactments surrounding the murder of a Texan police officer, Robert Wood.
05:05At the time, a man named Randall Dale Adams was facing the death penalty for the crime.
05:09I get up, I go to work on Saturday, you know, why did I meet this kid? I don't know.
05:14Why did I run out of gas at that time? I don't know. But it happened.
05:19However, thanks to the observations and evidence shown in the doc, the wrongfully accused Adams is released before his death
05:24sentence.
05:25It's a race against time that results in a pulse-pounding exploration into the American legal system.
05:30You have a DA.
05:33Today, he doesn't talk about when they convict you or how they convict you.
05:40He's talking about how he's going to kill you.
05:43Number 4. Paradise Lost Trilogy.
05:45This three-part documentary spins decades covering the disturbing case of West Memphis 3.
05:50Damien Echols told the church's youth minister he had a pact with the devil and he was going to hell.
05:56Between 1996 and 2011, the Paradise Lost Trilogy detailed a chilling case of three teenagers who were convicted of committing
06:04the horrific deaths of three young boys in Arkansas.
06:06To me, this place as I stand is like hell on earth.
06:11The trilogy explores holes and corruption within the case that eventually led to their release.
06:16Even famous names like Johnny Depp provided donations to assist with the legal efforts.
06:20It is a powerful collection of documentaries that unfolds in ways one could never anticipate.
06:25But to me, the state's acceptance of an outward plea in which they maintain their innocence and releasing them is
06:32evidence of the state's recognition of their innocence.
06:36Number 3. The Cove.
06:37A shocking investigation into the practice of dolphin hunting in Japan, this film is stomach-turning.
06:43Directed by Louis Tsaihoyas, The Cove is a difficult watch.
06:46It's funny driving into Taiji. It's kind of like the Twilight Zone.
06:51It's so bizarre because if you didn't know what's going on over here, you would think this is a town
06:56that loves dolphins and whales.
06:57The movie argues that over 20,000 dolphins are captured, sold, or slaughtered in Japan each year.
07:03It is a jaw-dropping fact made even more unsettling by the brutal footage that Tsaihoyas captured.
07:08When the film was released in 2009, it faced criticism for some of its film practices and its framing of
07:14Japan.
07:14The fishermen here who do this tell you, this is our tradition. This is our culture.
07:19You don't understand us. You eat cows while we eat dolphins.
07:23Well, the truth is, that's the big lie.
07:27How can it be their culture, their tradition, if the Japanese people don't even know about it?
07:32Unfortunately, this muddles its neutrality as a documentary.
07:35Nonetheless, it is a harrowing tale of a dangerous practice, harming one of the ocean's most precious beings.
07:41Today, they would kill me. They could.
07:43And I'm not exaggerating. If these fishermen could catch me and kill me, they would.
07:49Number 2. Titiquette Follies
07:51Despite being banned for several years, Titiquette Follies was a groundbreaking documentary.
07:55Chronicling the ongoings of Massachusetts Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane,
08:00the 1967 film shed light on a serious issue in healthcare.
08:03I need help, but I don't know where I can get it.
08:06I can get it here, I guess.
08:08Documenting the ill treatment of the institution's patients, the film is a challenging viewing experience,
08:13so much so that the state halted its release.
08:16And how did you feel about that you commit such a crime?
08:21I didn't feel good about it.
08:23Even so, it eventually became available for medical and legal professionals.
08:27It wasn't until 24 years later that a superior court judge allowed the public to access it.
08:32Knowing more about mental illness today, Titiquette Follies hits harder than ever,
08:36making the story even more infuriating.
08:38Day by day, I am getting worse because of the circumstances and because of the situation.
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08:59Number 1. Jesus Camp
09:01In 2006, this documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, prompting controversies and outrage.
09:07In Jesus Camp, a crew observes the concerning practices at a Christian summer camp.
09:12We hold the keys.
09:14We can change the world.
09:17Boys and girls can change the world?
09:20Absolutely.
09:21Following the Kids on Fire School of Ministry,
09:24it's seen by many as a damning portrayal of allegedly abusive practices at camps.
09:28You know exactly what you need to repent of.
09:30Name it.
09:31Name it out loud.
09:33After its premiere, the camp closed due to a huge backlash.
09:36However, perhaps the most chilling fact of all is that even though the camp is closed,
09:40the camp's leader, Becky Fisher, continues to practice under a new ministry.
09:44How could I enjoy heaven
09:47with the knowledge that I never told people that meant so much to me
09:51about Jesus?
09:54Which of these docs disturbed you the most?
09:56Let us know in the comments.
10:00hasta en el video.
10:01Bye.
10:01Bye.
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