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documentaries

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on documentaries:

Apple’s Prehistoric Planet docuseries replaces dinosaurs with saber-toothed tigers [Now streaming!]

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Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age Season 1: saber-toothed tiger
A saber-toothed tiger in Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, now on Apple TV.
Photo: Apple TV+

Liven up your Thanksgiving week with woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. The next chapter in the Apple TV award-winning natural history series Prehistoric Planet leaves dinosaurs behind in favor of megafauna that lived during the last ice age, when glaciers covered much of the Earth’s surface.

The streaming service premiered Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age on Wednesday.

Stream unlimited documentaries for one low price — forever!

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Food for your brain: Curiosity Stream, a documentary streaming channel, is now only $180.
Learn every time you stream with a discount subscription to Curiosity Stream.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If the ever-growing library of excellent documentaries on Apple TV+ leaves you wanting more, consider a discounted lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream. Home to some of the best documentaries streaming online, the service offers a fun and educational alternative to the usual Netflix noise.

Plus, unlike other streaming services, you can lock in forever access to Curiosity Stream for just $159.97 (regularly $399.99). For that one low price, you’ll gain a lifetime of original and entertaining documentaries.

Deaf President Now!: New Apple TV+ documentary marks historic civil rights protest

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Deaf President Now! documentary on Apple TV+
"The Gaullaudet four" featured in "Deaf President Now!" are Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus and Greg Hlibok.
Photo: Apple Original Films

Apple Original Films unveiled plans Tuesday to air a groundbreaking documentary chronicling one of America’s lesser-known but pivotal civil rights actions. Deaf President Now! will tell the story of transformative 1988 protests at Gallaudet University. Students successfully demanded the appointment of the school’s first Deaf president. It proved to be a pivotal moment in Deaf advocacy and helped pave the way for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Afghan women take it to the Taliban in Bread and Roses [Apple TV+ trailer]

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Bread & Roses documentary trailer
Under Taliban rule, women in Kabul can't even go outside without a chaperone, much less get an education.
Photo: Apple

When the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021, it stripped women of their right even to go outside without a chaperone. So when a woman surreptitiously taping herself says “the situation is dire” in the Bread & Roses documentary trailer, which Apple TV+ dropped Thursday, it seems like an understatement. A heavily armed force stripped even their most basic rights.

The Apple Original Films documentary film, which follows three women fighting to reclaim their lives, premieres November 22 on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.

Go behind the scenes of struggle to become K-Pop Idols [Now on Apple TV+]

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K-pop Idols on Apple TV+
K-Pop Idols docuseries streams globally on Apple TV+.
Image: Apple TV+

An Apple TV+ documentary brings a whole lot of gritty reality to dreams of becoming a Korean pop star. K-Pop Idols features interviews with young singers that reveal the enormous amount of effort needed to make their performances look effortless.

The trailer for the series includes one of its young stars saying, “I thought being a K-pop idol was going to be all great and beautiful, but that’s not the reality.”

UPDATE: The new docuseries premiered on Apple TV+ on Friday. All six episodes are ready to stream now.

Cowboy Cartel: FBI stalks money-laundering killers in horse racing [Updated – now streaming]

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cowboy cartel trailer on apple tv
A Mexican cartel infiltrated big-time American horse racing? Wow.
Photo: Apple TV+

A rookie FBI agent uncovers a massive money-laundering operation in American horse racing led by Mexico’s deadly Zetas cartel, according to a trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for the documentary series Cowboy Cartel. Watch it below.

The fascinating story, featuring first-time interviews with key players, looks like a tough but satisfying ride. The series debuts on Apple TV+ on August 2.

Update: As of Friday, you can watch this documentary and see how Mexican cartel Los Zetas infiltrated American horse racing and what a rookie FBI agent tried to do about it. Reviews so far seem a bit mixed. The story itself is compelling, but the story-telling may be a little forced in its use of re-enactments, for example (according to The New York Times). But other sources, like The Daily Beast, compare it favorably to the Netflix drama Narcos, and not just as a wanna-be version.

Omnivore looks like a feast for the eyes [Apple TV+ trailer]

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How did that tasty food wind up on your plate? Watch Omnivore to find out.
Image: Apple TV+

Upcoming Apple TV+ docuseries Omnivore looks like a visually stunning deep dive into key ingredients that feed the world. The globe-hopping trailer takes us on a whirlwind tour of farmland, fisheries and more. It’s a tasty tease for a show that delivers an international perspective on humanity’s common denominator: food.

Each episode of the show, which arrives July 19 on Apple TV+, focuses on a single ingredient — salt, pork, bananas, etc. — and explores the long path it takes to wind up on hungry diners’ plates.

Apple TV+ brings huge Hollywood scam to the screen

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A still from Apple TV+ miniseries
Journalist Scott Johnson investigates the "Con Queen" for The Hollywood Reporter.
Photo: Apple TV+

An upcoming three-part Apple TV+ documentary series entitled Hollywood Con Queen explores the story of an international con artist impersonating some of Hollywood’s most powerful women. The streaming service provided a “first look” image, above, plus details about the miniseries Monday.

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Smith created the three-part series. It’s based on investigative journalism by Scott Johnson in The Hollywood Reporter. You can watch Hollywood Con Queen on Apple TV+ starting May 8.

Out Friday, Apple TV+ documentary chronicles Steve Martin’s wild and crazy career [Updated]

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The two-part documentary includes never-before-seen footage of the comedy legend.
Photo: Apple TV+

Steve Martin is a comedy legend going way, way back, as the trailer for a new documentary called STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces shows, below. The Apple TV+ documentary, debuting Friday, is chock-full of admiring celebs talking about the famous comedian, plus clips from his wild and crazy standup years in the 1970s.

UPDATE: The two-part documentary — and the two parts are quite distinct, like two different documentaries — premieres Friday, March 29, on Apple TV+. One part chronicles Martin’s meteoric rise to fame decades ago and the other part nestles into his happy and fulfilled life now. Reviews so far seem quite positive, though the two parts don’t provide a complete, linear account of all the legend’s accomplishments.

New documentary trailer: Meet the men who inspired Masters of the Air

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The Bloody Hundredth documentary on Apple TV+
Here's your chance to meet some of the real people who inspired "Masters of the Air."
Photo: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ dropped a trailer Wednesday for a companion documentary film to hit World World II drama series Masters of the Air. The  documentary, The Bloody Hundredth, tells the stories of the airmen in a particularly hard-hit B17 bomber group through some of the survivors themselves as well as series filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

“Watch The Bloody Hundredth and get an in-depth look at the real stories of the brave Airmen that inspired Masters of the Air,” the streaming service said. “Streaming March 15th on Apple TV+.”

The Dynasty documentary tackles the many victories and controversies of New England Patriots

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'The Dynasty: New England Patriots' sports documentary hits Apple TV+ February 16.
The Dynasty: New England Patriots sports documentary hits Apple TV+ February 16.
Photo: Apple TV+

Football fans can look forward to the February premiere of The Dynasty: New England Patriots, an Apple TV+ sports documentary that interviews Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and many others about the team’s six Super Bowl wins between 2001 and 2019 — and the team’s many scandals.

The trailer for the upcoming documentary dropped Tuesday. Watch it now.

Fallen New England Patriots won’t go away in The Dynasty trailer

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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick
A smile on Bill Belichick's face is a rarity, but he can almost manage it immediately after a Super Bowl victory.
Photo: Apple TV+

Everybody loves a winner — except when they don’t. The NFL’s New England Patriots saw so much success over two decades, with six Super Bowl wins, they gained a lot of fans as well as haters.

But even if you despise the Pats, who are having another post-dynasty bad year, you might want to consider watching the upcoming 10-part documentary series The Dynasty: New England Patriots. The teaser trailer Apple TV+ dropped last week takes a decidedly defeated tone after the opening scenes wallow in the thrill of victory.

The series, which promises “unprecedented access” to the team, debuts February 16 on Apple TV+. If it sparks riots in Boston, we’ll know it touched a nerve.

‘Definitive’ new John Lennon murder doc on Apple TV+ reveals ‘shocking’ details

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Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Mark David Chapman confessed to murdering John Lennon.
Photo: New York State Department of Corrections

A new documentary claiming to be the “definitive” look at the murder of John Lennon — the former Beatle and enduring cultural icon — is coming to Apple TV+. Unfortunately, though, the streaming service hasn’t yet said when the exhaustively researched, three-part series will arrive.

But we do know the narrator of John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial. It’s Emmy Award-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, the streaming service said.

Soccer star Lionel Messi conquers America in new documentary trailer

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International soccer legend Lionel Messi is now a fixture with MLS club Inter Miami CF.
International soccer legend Lionel Messi is now a fixture with MLS club Inter Miami CF.
Photo: Apple

World soccer phenom Lionel Messi conquered the world. And now he’s come for the United States, according to a new documentary teaser trailer Apple TV+ dropped Monday for Messi Meets America.

The six-part series, which debuts October 11, is all about Messi’s first season with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF.

The Enfield Poltergeist trailer: You won’t know whether to laugh or scream

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The Enfield Poltergeist debuts October 27 on Apple TV+.
Image: Apple

The story of “the most famous poltergeist haunting in history” came my way first in the form of a trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for The Enfield Poltergeist documentary series. I hadn’t heard of the case it covers.

The trailer delivers a chill or two, but it’s kind of over-the-top with the spooky narration. The four-part documentary series debuts October 27.

You know you want to watch this trailer for The Super Models

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From left, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington became icons of fashion and culture in the 1980s.
From left, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington became icons of fashion and culture in the 1980s.
Photo: Apple

The four women who sparked the term “supermodel” in the 1980s — Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington — were a close-knit sisterhood and “the original influencers,” according to the new trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for the upcoming documentary series The Super Models.

The four-part series, which promises never-before-seen commentary from fashion and pop culture luminaries, walks the runway September 20.

The 11 best documentaries on Apple TV+

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Apple TV+ best documentaries collage, with photos from six Apple TV+ documentaries.
From music to nature to history, Apple TV+ documentaries offer something for everyone.
Photos: Apple TV+

TV+ Review The best Apple TV+ documentaries bring something extra to the nonfiction party. From historical subjects to oddball artistic projects, the streaming service’s finest docs deliver interesting insights in compelling ways (even politically irresponsible).

Here’s a look at the best Apple TV+ documentaries — both series and films — so far.

Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn documentary tells amazing story of the millionaire fugitive

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‘Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn’ documentary tells amazing story of the millionaire fugitive
Find out how the former CEO of Nissan ended of fleeing Japan hidden in a box.
Image: Apple TV+

After the chairman of Nissan was arrested for a variety of financial crimes, he fled custody with the aid of a former Green Beret — and was smuggled out in a box. He’s still a fugitive today. These amazing events are the subject of Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn, a documentary series premiering on Apple TV+ in August.

A trailer for the four-part docuseries debuted Tuesday, offering a glimpse at the bizarre story.

From spy to bestselling scribe: Life of John le Carré comes to Apple TV+

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John le Carré, aka David Cornwell, is the subject of “The Pigeon Tunnel.” It premieres October 20 on Apple TV+.
John le Carré, aka David Cornwell, is the subject of Errol Morris' documentary The Pigeon Tunnel. It premieres October 20 on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple

Apple TV+ made a hit with the fictional remedial British spies of the series Slow Horses, and now it’s adding a documentary about the real former British spy-turned-author who essentially defined the spy thriller genre: John le Carré.

That famous name is not his real one, of course. It’s David Cornwell. And now his two sons are teaming up with legendary documentary filmmaker Errol Morris on the story of the author’s life, The Pigeon Tunnel, a title shared with his memoir. The film debuts October 20.

Stephen Curry: Underrated traces his transformation from scrub to superstar [Apple TV+ review] ★★★☆☆

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Stephen Curry in ★★★☆☆
The undisputed master of the three-pointer gets his due new documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ Review New Apple TV+ sports doc Stephen Curry: Underrated follows the Golden State Warriors star and his quest to bring his team back after a bad season.

The film documents the various rises and falls of the player with the three-pointer record and the slim build, showing us who Curry is off the court as well as on. It’s a very conventional but likable look at the kind of talent that doesn’t come along every day.

The Super Models docuseries about ’90s fashion icons hits Apple TV+ in September

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‘The Supermodels’ documentary series is headed for Apple TV+.
Many people can still name all four of women who’ll be the stars of The Supermodels.
Photo: Apple

A documentary series looking back at the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington premieres on Apple TV+ in September. The Super Models will explore how these four disrupted the ’90s fashion scene.

In addition to announcing the premiere date, Apple’s video streaming service also released a brief teaser trailer Monday.

3 Reasons to Watch: Stellar Apple TV+ music miniseries Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson

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Episode 6. Mark Ronson in “Watch the Sound With Mark Ronson,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
The mysteries of modern music production unfold in Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson.
Photo: Apple TV+

In this installment of 3 Reasons to Watch, we rewind back to Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, a 2021 miniseries about the ins and outs of modern music production and recording.

With superproducer Mark Ronson (who’s worked with stars like Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga) as our host, we see the ways in which sound can be manipulated — and the ways in which it is already miraculous. Here’s why you should give this must-see Apple TV+ music miniseries a spin.

Prehistoric Planet is the best dinosaur doc in a generation [Apple TV+ review] ★★★★★

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Triceratops in Prehistoric Planet season two★★★★★
Triceratops fights are a highlight of Prehistoric Planet season two.
Photo: Apple TV+

Season two of Prehistoric Planet will fill the heart of any dinosaur-obsessed child with joy. And adults should watch, too — especially anyone who still thinks dinos are slow-moving, stupid creatures that are just waiting around to go extinct.

These new episodes, which Apple TV+ doled out this week, combine cutting-edge CGI with the latest in paleontology. The result is a series that’s stunningly beautiful, exciting to watch and as scientifically accurate as possible.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie will inspire and entertain you [Apple TV+ review] ★★★

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Michael J. Fox in ★★★
Still stands strong as a stirring portrait of actor Michael J. Fox.
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewNew Apple TV+ documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie tells the story of the charismatic actor’s life, his complicated relationship with stardom, and the degenerative disease that hit him at an early age.

Directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, He Named Me Malala), it’s a fleet, funny, tragic and humane portrait of a man desperate to get everything out of his head while he still can.

Get up close to nature’s behemoths in new docuseries Big Beasts [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★☆☆

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Elephants in “Big Beasts,” premiering Friday, April 21 on Apple TV+.★★★☆☆
What docuseries about gigantic animals could leave out elephants?
Photo: Apple TV+

TV+ ReviewA few years after the impressive Tiny World, Apple TV+ delivers its antithesis — Big Beasts, a nature documentary series that serves up a look at the largest creatures on earth.

Narrated by Tom Hiddleston, this playful and awed series is aimed at children ready to be sucked into the drama of the natural world (or a slightly older audience doing laundry). It’s ideal afternoon viewing for both demographics.