Please recommend some light, gentle, funny documentaries

August 4, 2021 3:15 PM

My favorite part of documentaries is when likable or colorful characters recount a story about some wild or irreverent thing they did.

I am not into True Crime, but recently watched "This Is A Robbery" and loved things like the story of the elderly security guard who "liked the job but didn't need the job" and the mobster who made stuff up during his polygraph.

I would like more documentaries where scrappy people recount things like, "I told them there was no way Storm on the Sea of Galilee could have fit in that Rubbermaid."

Heists and schemes are okay, but I do NOT want to watch stuff about serial killers or terrible war battles or similarly violent topics.

I have Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Kanopy, and Prime.

posted by Snarl Furillo to Media & Arts (41 answers total)

I do not remember which service has Class Action Park on it but that might fit your needs to a T.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 3:21 PM on August 4, 2021 [7 favorites]

"The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters", from 2012, is about the battle of wills and personalities between the tremendously egotistical world champion of Donkey Kong, and the humble and unassuming schoolteacher who beat the champ's record in the arcade game.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:26 PM on August 4, 2021 [13 favorites]

Please watch “We are the Champions” on Netflix, if only for the first episode on the rolling-cheese-down-a-hill competition. I love everything about it, down to the music, graphic design, Rainn Wilson’s narration, the long shot of the hill.
posted by sageleaf at 3:31 PM on August 4, 2021 [12 favorites]

The Story of “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy is only 25 minutes and is on YouTube, but it is exceedingly charming and gentle.

I also remember enjoying Sour Grapes very much, about a wine scheme against rich people (so, a victimless ‘crime’). Very humorous and watchable.
posted by stellaluna at 3:31 PM on August 4, 2021 [6 favorites]

Man on Wire, as long as you’re OK with seeing the WTC twin towers in a film

Also, based on an amazing and hilarious (He-man) clip I saw on Twitter, The Toys that Made Us on Netflix

I’ve heard many good things about Catwalk (also Netflix) but I have not personally watched it
posted by O9scar at 3:34 PM on August 4, 2021 [3 favorites]

A couple episodes of Netflix’s documentary series 7 Days Out will be in this vein: the one about NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and the one about the Westminster dog show. I don’t know about the other episodes fitting the bill but they’re worth a try.

Also on Netflix is Dogs, which I adored. They were all amazing but you’d especially enjoy the one about competitive dog grooming. I think they have new episodes but I haven’t checked them out yet.

Seconding We Are the Champions. It’s awesome, especially the cheese rolling.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 3:42 PM on August 4, 2021 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: "Please watch “We are the Champions” on Netflix, if only for the first episode on the rolling-cheese-down-a-hill competition."

I just turned this one on, and the line "Isn't it nice to be a bit of a rebel, but a nice rebel?" is EXACTLY the vibe I am going for, thank you so much, more in this vein is very welcome!!!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 3:43 PM on August 4, 2021 [7 favorites]

Seconding The Toys that Made Us, much better than I thought it would be. It's surprisingly in-depth. The Movies that Made Us is pretty good as well. High Score and This is Pop are also similar, but not quite as good.

Some or Errol Morris's work might fit into this bucket. Gates of Heaven, along with Vernon, Florida, are basically the genesis of Christopher Guest style mockumentaries, except they've got real people (debatable whether the audience is laughing at or with them, I say with). Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control might be worth checking out as well.
posted by TurnKey at 4:05 PM on August 4, 2021 [6 favorites]

If you can put up with Herzog, Encounters at the End of the World fits your criteria. Also Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Perhaps Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (which also includes some references to ugly stuff, but told rather gently, as I recall.) Also, Atari: Game Over.

I recently enjoyed Tickled. It's about bad people scamming others, but rather light hearted.

I personally dislike Fast, Cheap & Out of Control and Trekkies, but people I respect disagree strongly and they might fit.

(Also, it's a parody of many documentaries rather than documentary, but Documentary Now! is really well crafted and a lot of fun.)
posted by eotvos at 4:15 PM on August 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Is art forgery okay as far as crime goes? If so, Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery and Made You Look: A True Story of Fake Art might work for you.

Other docs:

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-qiang

The American Scream

Searching For Sugarman

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The King of Kong (arguably, low stakes but it has its villains)
posted by forbiddencabinet at 4:19 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

I am not sure where some of these movies are available but we watched documentaries a lot during COVID and some seem like they would fit

- The Punk Syndrome - about a group of men with some developmental disabilities who form a punk band and go on tour. Much better than you think it might be.
- Sea G*psies - ymmv on this one but a sort of lovely movie about a bunch of (mostly) young (mostly) men who have a weird romantic life on the open seas. Apparently the people in the movie became the topic of a reality show at a later date. The movie is better with some context.
- Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives - the guys who had the killer hip-hop show on WFMU, a lot of young rappers you might recognize
- Dali's Last Masterpiece - if you are curious about Dali, this talks about the Dali museum and has a lot of footage of the artist.
- Dealt - one of the best card mechanics in the world is also... blind?

None of these are strictly speaking heist types of things but they are gentle (definitely necessary for me), interesting and have some unlikely aspect to all of them.

Some or Errol Morris's work might fit

I really liked his documentary about photographer Elsa Dorfman, The B-Side. A very straightforward documentary but Dorfman was a very unlikely fancy photographer and I liked knowing how she got that way.
posted by jessamyn at 4:22 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

The Barkley Marathons - highly recommend going into this not knowing anything at all about the topic, it's one of those documentaries that unfolds in ever more wild layers. The key character is definitely likable and colorful, and there's no violence.
posted by mireille at 4:22 PM on August 4, 2021 [15 favorites]

Seconding The Barkley Marathons: the Race that Eats Its Young. I showed it to family members who have no interest in running or mountains or anything else and they were fully delighted.
posted by charmedimsure at 4:26 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

You might like The Final Member, a charming and at times surprisingly high-stakes documentary about the Icelandic Phallological Museum and its quest to secure a human penis for the collection. Definitely colorful/eccentric characters, and no wars or murders. It seems to have left Netflix but it's on Prime for free with one of those extra subscriptions that have been popping up like fungi... I generally do a trial so I can watch something and then cancel it afterwards. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by babelfish at 4:34 PM on August 4, 2021

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado might be a good fit for what you're looking for. Hail Satan? is surprising and full of interesting characters.
posted by carrienation at 4:36 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

My wife loves Shaggy, and we just watched the "It's Wasn't Me" documentary, and it was SO GOOD. Best 25 minutes we've spent in awhile, highly seconded.
posted by joycehealy at 5:01 PM on August 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

... and then she said "gee, now I want a documentary about Blue" and it straight manifested in my Youtube recs. Turns out there's 5 Vice short documentaries about songs. The Blue one was really good too.
posted by joycehealy at 5:13 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

I am massive behind on my podcasts, and just heard an interview about Abel Raises Cain, which is an affectionate look at Alan Abel, who was a professional hoaxter. Haven't seen it, but gets good reviews.
posted by DebetEsse at 5:34 PM on August 4, 2021

It has some moments of poignancy and sorrow, but American Movie is quite possibly the funniest movie I’ve ever seen.
posted by cakelite at 5:39 PM on August 4, 2021 [5 favorites]

I haven't seen it yet, but Pick of the Litter is about puppies being trained to be guide dogs.
posted by FencingGal at 6:11 PM on August 4, 2021 [3 favorites]

Have you seen Chicken People (about people who breed show chickens)? It's sweet and funny and I don't even think any of the chickens die.
posted by Jess the Mess at 6:21 PM on August 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

I read the "light, funny, gentle" headline and wasn't careful enough about the rest of your question - sorry.

You might like 3100: Run and Become. It's a bit like The Barkley Marathon (which I agree is wonderful) in that it's about a crazy race, but you don't really have to be interested in running to enjoy it. This movie is about a 3100-mile race that is around one city block in Queens, requiring running 59 miles a day around that block for at least 52 days. Lots of interesting people who run this race and some others who run seeking spiritual enlightenment.
posted by FencingGal at 6:22 PM on August 4, 2021

Seconding American Movie & Pick of the Litter.

While the subject matter seems a little gruesome, Finders Keepers may work for you. I remember it being very kind to all the people involved.

Not streaming on any of your services, but I will always recommend Twinsters.

(Sadly, Next Goal Wins doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere because that's 100% what you want.)
posted by edencosmic at 6:24 PM on August 4, 2021

I found The Mole Agent (El Agento Topo) sweet, poignant, and often funny. There's a certain amount of dramatically heavy context around how societies treat their elderly, but it's handled gently.
posted by jackbishop at 7:13 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

I rather enjoyed Square Grouper, a tale about 1970s Florida weed smugglers and more.
posted by toxic at 7:54 PM on August 4, 2021

This is a perfect fit for what you describe: Hands on a Hard Body.
posted by perhapses at 8:33 PM on August 4, 2021 [4 favorites]

Watch Tim's Vermeer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94pCNUu6qFY
posted by GiveUpNed at 8:39 PM on August 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh please, please watch Anvil: the Story of Anvil. It is *exactly* what you're describing.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:31 PM on August 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

Two older ones, which may be hard to find streaming but would absolutely suit.

1. He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' is about the dance classes the late Jacques D'Amboise offered to school kids in New York City. His classes always culminated in a big end-of-year recital, and the film covers the kids prepping for that recital, and the surprise involvement of a bunch of NYC cops D'Amboise has enlisted to do a number for the show. (Side note - this element very likely inspired the Judge Reinhold comedy Off Beat.)

2. Rock The Boat, a 1998 documentary about a crew of HIV+ men who enter the Trans-Pacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii. There's some moments of drama (a hurricane comes up mid-race) and sometimes they lean into the "triumph of the human spirit" angle a little hard, but there are enough moments with a light touch that I think it would work.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:46 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

You want to watch Crip Camp on Netflix. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but it has likable and colorful characters doing what I thought were wild things. It is about a summer camp for teen/young adults with disabilities in the early 70s, but not like a camp you would imagine (untrained counselors, smoking weed, minimal safety rules). It ultimately led to some campers doing great things for disability rights. It's a great one.
posted by maxg94 at 6:28 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

I also love this category and can recommend Screwball, a delightfully bonkers documentary about doping in professional baseball. I don't know much about baseball and knew nothing about the documentary going into it and was absolutely mesmerized. There's a great cast of (real!) characters, some truly interesting directorial choices, and south Florida. Give it a chance even if sports are not your thing.
posted by SeedStitch at 6:59 AM on August 5, 2021

There's a documentary series called Losers on Netflix. The title makes it sound bad but each episode focuses on someone who could be considered a sports "loser" but who succeeds in unexpected ways. One of the athletes highlighted is figure skater Surya Bonaly. It was heartbreaking in some ways but ultimately uplifting.

Nthing Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which was lovely.
posted by ceejaytee at 10:03 AM on August 5, 2021

VInwiki Car Stories on Youtube: it's ALL about colorful car-related characters describing extraordinary things that either happened to them or done by them. And they are generally under 20 minutes.
posted by kschang at 12:48 PM on August 5, 2021

"Deli Man" from 2015, about the rise and fall of the American Delicatessen, and which eventually finds its focus in Ziggy Gruber, a sweet guy running a Houston Deli and you'll be rooting for his success by the end.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:57 PM on August 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

I don't know if it counts as wild or irreverent, but A Man Named Pearl is one of my favorite documentaries about people challenging what's acceptable.
posted by Lexica at 4:35 PM on August 5, 2021

If you're ok with swearing, I really enjoyed Winnebago Man. It's about a man who goes viral (pre-internet) in a series of profanity-heavy video outtakes, and the impact it had on him then and many years later. He's definitely a colorful character.
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 6:29 PM on August 5, 2021

OMG, scrappy people abound in The Battered Bastards of Baseball! It's a fun, interesting, tale of an unaffiliated minor-league baseball team in Portland, Oregon. It's about rejecting the norms of society and doing what you want, and having fun with it.
posted by hydra77 at 10:34 AM on August 6, 2021

Catwalk, on Netflix. It's a silly offbeat documentary following two champion cats (in Canada) and their quirky owners through a year or so on the cat show circuit. It pokes fun at the various cat people, but in a gentle and loving way, and the characters are really interesting, in a "normal people" kind of way. There's a trailer on YouTube.
posted by bluesky78987 at 12:29 PM on August 6, 2021

Tim's Vermeer sorta fits, but the viewer witnesses the actual irreverent thing instead of it being recounted. Sadly it appears to only be available to rent/buy, but I definitely recommend it.

Edit: after refreshing a stale page, I see it's already been recommended. Whoops!
posted by hankscorpio83 at 9:27 PM on August 6, 2021

I LOVED The Parking Lot Movie for exactly this reason.

Seems to available to rent on Prime.
posted by athirstforsalt at 6:23 AM on August 7, 2021

It’s on HBO so may not fit the bill but McMillions was a lot of fun to watch.
posted by sciencemandan at 8:08 AM on August 21, 2021