Washington, United States. A recent film released by Amazon featuring First Lady Melania Trump has drawn criticism, prompting renewed attention to other documentaries described as more worth viewers’ time.
Criticism of Amazon documentary featuring Melania Trump
The film centers on Melania Trump’s 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Critics have described it as a feature-length propaganda documentary and linked it to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Artists build a hidden living space inside a mall
Nineteen-year-old Michael Townsend, concerned about preserving old buildings in Rhode Island, joined friends in opposing gentrification after Providence Place, a mall, purchased land in their neighborhood and demolished homes to build it. During construction, Townsend and his group identified an unused area and later entered the completed mall to build a living space inside it. Eight artists lived there for four years before being discovered by mall security, and nearly two decades later they revisit the story using original footage and testimonies.
Kidnapped: The Elizabeth Smart Story (Netflix)
The documentary examines the case of Elizabeth Smart, featuring archival footage and interviews. Smart was abducted from her bedroom at knifepoint in front of her younger sister on June 5, 2002, and held at a secret location not far from her home, where she was sexually assaulted for nine months. After her rescue, she later became an advocate for victims of abuse, and the documentary also addresses what it describes as mishandling of the case by authorities.
Florida neighbor shooting and scrutiny of stand-your-ground laws
A documentary revisits the killing of a Black neighbor by Florida resident Susan Louise Lorincz in June 2023 after years of escalating conflict. Using body-camera footage and archival material provided by the family, it reconstructs a progression of paranoia fueled by racial tension and hate rhetoric that led to the death of a mother of four. The documentary also criticizes stand-your-ground laws and their use as justification in the killing of minorities.
Which of these documentaries are you most likely to watch?
