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Documentary fans are in for a treat watching any of these hidden gems

There’s nothing more satisfying than discovering a documentary that packs in the twists, turns and mic-drop moments.

While streaming giant Netflix has become synonymous with shock factor documentary films and series, there are plenty that exist beyond its library.

One Redditor recently asked people for their suggestions on little-known documentaries that “blew your socks off” which brought in over 2,000 responses. The resulting recommendations spanned nature, crime and the weird and wonderful, exposing a multitude of stories that may have otherwise flown under the radar.

My Octopus Teacher

One of the most-suggested titles was My Octopus Teacher. Released back in 2020, the feature-length documentary film follows diver Craig Foster and the surprising bond he formed with an octopus over the course of a year.

Fans of the film described it as “not your typical nature doc”, while another said they “don’t eat octopus because of this movie.” As per its official synopsis: “A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.”

The title actually won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature back in 2021, so you know it’s going to be good. You can currently stream it on Netflix.

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

Jackass star Johnny Knoxville is among the producers credited on this 2009 documentary about an infamous outlaw family living in West Virginia. The film’s director Julien Nitzberg spent an entire year with five generations of the White family in rural Appalachia.

The New York Times called it “compelling and complicated”, while one viewer dubbed it “one of the craziest docs to ever exist.” Another claimed: “Had a friend who grew up near that family. She said it is 100% accurate.”

While it isn’t readily available for streaming, the 10th Anniversary Edition can be rented or purchased via Prime Video. Alternatively, eager documentary fans can buy a physical copy.

Three Identical Strangers

A stranger-than-fiction tale, Three Identical Strangers, released in 2018, tells the incredible true story of how a set of triplets separated at birth somehow found each other again.

Bobby Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman’s unique story sees them catapulted to celebrity status on a global scale, but a horrifying discovery about their beginnings casts a dark shadow over their lives.

The BAFTA-nominated film has a run time of just over an hour and a half and is currently available to purchase via YouTube, Apple TV and Prime Video. Sadly it is not included in any streaming service subscriptions at the moment.

Class Action Park

Another 2020 release is Class Action Park, which chronicles an amusement park in New Jersey and the high number of injuries that occurred there. In total there were six recorded deaths at the attraction before it closed down in 1996.

Available to watch on HBO Max, the documentary features newly-unearthed recordings and documents, as well as interviews with people who visited it for themselves and lived to tell the tale.

Its synopsis reads: “To some, New Jersey’s infamous Action Park was the most spectacularly fun amusement park on Earth: A place where unruly 1980s teenagers were given free rein to go gonzo on strange contraptions that seemed to violate the laws of common sense (and perhaps physics). To others, it was an ill-conceived death trap. One thing is sure: It’s the type of place that will never exist again.”

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Currently available for free streaming via Plex, 2011 film Jiro Dreams of Sushi centres on 85-year-old Jiro Ono as he attempts to realise his life-long quest of making the most perfect piece of sushi.

He was the first sushi chef to earn three Michelin stars and considered the world’s best at what he does, but he is still not content that he has achieved perfection. Filmed at his world-famous Tokyo restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, the documentary also follows his son, Yoshikazu, as he struggles with the pressure of trying to follow in his father’s footsteps.

The documentary has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes rating of 99 per cent from critics and an equally solid 91 per cent from audiences. One viewer shared: “It’s about a sushi restaurant, but is really about one man’s absolute, laser focus on absolute 100.0000% perfection. Odd title, odd theme, but an incredible documentary.”

Some athletes struggled in the conditions.

England’s Morgan Lake did not clear the bar with any of her three efforts in the high jump.

Similarly, Scotland’s Steven Stone had attempts with his glasses on his face and the top of his head in the men’s T20 long jump but did not register a clean effort.

Northern Ireland’s Kate O’Connor said she was “gutted” with her throw of 12.85m in the heptathlon shot put.

“It just kept slipping out of my hands,” she said.

“When your chalk gets wet, it’s like you might as well have dish soap on your hands and I just probably spent too much time and effort trying to stay dry rather than doing the cues that I work on in training.

“I can’t blame anybody else apart from myself for not executing.”

But there were also a number of impressive performances given the conditions.

O’Connor responded by running a dominant 24.14 seconds in the 200m to reclaim top spot of the heptathlon competition. England’s Jade O’Dowda was only eighth quickest and slipped back to second, 49 points in arrears.

In the men’s 100m, Eseme’s winning time of 9.83 was a Commonwealth Games record, the third-fastest time this year and moved him third on the all-time list of African sprinters.

The hammer throw and the high jump were briefly paused but when the former did resume Canada’s Camryn Rogers produced another Games record – 74.91m.

Even Hunt, who was slow out of the blocks and off the pace for the first 60m, finished 0.01secs outside her lifetime best of 10.97 in the women’s 100m.

“I am just proud of myself for gritting it out and trusting my long legs,” she said.

“Ultimately, we all have to race in the same conditions. We are all on the start line together freezing.

“You just have to get out there and get it done.”

A smattering of hardy locals even stayed until the final anthem was sung as the clocked neared 11pm.

It was a night few will forget.

Eala played tennis as a youngster with her brother and grandfather, telling BBC TV she “still can’t keep up” with her older brother, even now.

She first rose to prominence in 2022, when she was on the cover of Vogue in her home country after becoming the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam title with her US Open triumph.

She rose to wider notice after her 2025 Miami Open breakthrough – which ironically began with another victory over Swiatek.

Aged 19 and ranked outside the top 100, Eala took out Grand Slam champions Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys to reach the semi-finals.

Since then, she has reached the world’s top 30, claimed two titles on the second-tier WTA 125 tournaments and finished runner-up at Eastbourne last year.

In the build-up to this year’s Wimbledon, she beat world number two Elena Rybakina and eighth-ranked Elina Svitolina in Berlin, and also teamed up with Venus Williams in doubles.

Her success has meant her popularity sky-rocketed. Queues snake around the Grand Slam grounds when she is scheduled on an outside court, while viewing parties are held for her matches back home.

That brings with it a pressure both good and bad. If Eala’s wins are celebrated as a point of national pride in the Philippines, then her losses are also felt deeply.

It was a situation that got on top of her at the Australian Open, where she was overwhelmed by the amount of people who simply queued to watch her practice.

“I try to be as authentic as I can. I believe in being genuine,” Eala said.

“Although I’m very grateful and very welcoming of all the support that I get, me, my team and my family are the ones who have been putting in the hours.

“We’re the ones who are here at the courts 12 hours in a row. We’re the ones who wake up early, who come back home late.

“I think that work ethic is really what keeps me grounded.”