Ben Kenigsberg
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Stream These Three Great Documentaries
This month’s picks include a personal essay on tobacco, an experimental look at pieces of the Berlin Wall and a chronicle of a revolt in...
‘American Gadfly’ Review: A Candid Candidacy
This documentary goes behind the scenes of Mike Gravel’s oddball run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
‘Poupelle of Chimney Town’ Review: Seeking Refuse
In this anime feature, a lonely boy strikes up a friendship with a trash creature and searches for stars in a polluted sky.
‘The Velvet Queen’ Review: Searching for an Elusive Leopard
The documentary follows the photographer Vincent Munier and the writer Sylvain Tesson on a mission to catch a glimpse of a rare snow leopard in...
The 1947 ‘Nightmare Alley’: A Dark View of Class as Destiny
With Tyrone Power in the lead, the first adaptation had to find ways to tell a story of soul sickness that wouldn’t offend censors.
In Sean Baker's Films, Big Roles Go to Passers-by and Professionals Alike
Sean Baker prefers a cast with a mix of experience levels. That was never more true than on “Red Rocket,” where many of the performers...
‘Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss’ Review: Free Fall
This unfocused documentary looks at the career of the rapper Juice WRLD, who died of an accidental overdose in 2019.
‘Joy Womack: The White Swan’ Review: When Success Is a Stretch
This documentary chronicles an American ballet dancer’s efforts to become a star in Russia.
‘Last and First Men’ Review: Pondering Posterity
Tilda Swinton narrates the bleak future of humanity in the only feature directed by the Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson.
Three Great Documentaries to Stream
A look at standout nonfiction films, from classics to overlooked recent works, that will reward your time.