Must-watch Netflix documentaries for science lovers

By Auden Koetters, Copy Editor

When scrolling through Netflix, it is easy to lose oneself in the endless abyss of tiny rectangles. Being faced with such multitudinous options, one can spend more time searching for the right movie than actually watching it. Despite the common perception of documentaries being banausic and dreary films, top Netflix science documentaries exuberate with unmatched passion as they captivate their viewers. These underdogs of Netflix unequivocally upstage the ever-popular dramas, and are deserving of their chance in the spotlight.  

“Into the Inferno”

The 2017 News and Documentary Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary does not fall short of its nomination. From Indonesia to Ethiopia to North Korea, Werner Herzog’s documentary, “Into the Inferno”, enchants its viewers as it explores one of nature's most violent wonders: volcanos. The stunning cinematography of the film is only matched by the mellifluous opera to which it is set. In a feat of excellence, “Into the Inferno” does not simply resign to the monotony of volcanology, but rather steps into the “dancing place of the spirits” as it chases the magical side of the inferno.  

“Night on Earth”

Whether it be strange noises hailing from a neighboring room or enigmatic shadows dancing across a wall, the blanket of darkness spread over our world by the fall of the sun unleashes multifarious demons. The Netflix Original documentary series, “Night on Earth”, utilizes new technologies to pull back the curtain on this alien world of night. In a stunning collision of color and sound, the enrapturing series transports viewers from their living room couches through Peruvian deserts and over jungle canopies. Over the course of this mystical journey, novel animals reveal their idiosyncratic tendencies as they paint a sensational picture of their arcane world. 

“Cowspiracy” 

“Cowspiracy” is more than simply a documentary. It is a rousing exposé more jarring than Cowperthwaite’s “Blackfish” and more inspiring than Knight’s “DamNation”. Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn’s lurid film forces viewers to acknowledge the grim future of our world, while simultaneously unmasking the scandalous truth behind climate change organizations and government sustainability sectors. “Cowspiracy” debunks the popular sentiment that fossil fuel combustion is the primary cause of global warming, and instead points a finger toward animal agriculture. 

“Cooked” 

Alex Gibney’s “Cooked” revitalises the mundane act of cooking in a stunning Netflix Documentary Series. The docu-series is based upon the book “Cooked” by award winning author Micheal Pollan, who also stars in the show. Through the series’s pulchritudinous cinematography, the science behind the evolution of cooking is told through the lens of earth, air, water and fire. By integrating the four elements into his documentary, Gibney is able to examine the primal human instinct of cooking and tell the story of the past, present and future.