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Best Documentary Movies On A Sunday Afternoon From The 80S And 90S That Changed Cinema Forever

Every documentary film here was chosen with a slow Sunday afternoon in mind. These aren't algorithmically ranked, they were chosen because they actually work for this.

The best documentary movies on a sunday afternoon from the 80s and 90s that changed cinema forever. Includes Baraka, Paris Is Burning, Koyaanisqatsi and more...

A Sunday film should do one thing above all else: justify the afternoon. Not exciting enough to feel like you should be doing something else. Just right.

The 80s and 90s remain a goldmine. Films that were commercially dismissed on release and now considered essential.

The best documentaries don't just inform - they change how you see something you thought you already understood.

Baraka movie poster
1
1992 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision-an odyssey through landscape and time-that attempts to capture the essence of life.

Paris Is Burning movie poster
2
1991 · ★★★★☆ 8.0/10

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women - including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

Koyaanisqatsi movie poster
3
1983 · ★★★½☆ 7.9/10

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

Some films don't just tell stories - they change what stories can be. These are the ones that shifted what came after them.

The best documentaries don't resolve neatly. They give you something to carry. These do that.

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