Film-Forward

Documentary

Dear Mr. Brody

Keith Maitland’s freewheeling documentary centers on Michael Brody Jr., the 21-year-old heir to a margarine fortune who, in 1970, announced he was giving away $25 million.

Attica

Stanley Nelson’s documentary challenges audiences to stare into the abyss of another era and see ourselves reflected back.

Writing with Fire

The Academy Award–nominated documentary starts out as an underdog story, but by the end, it’s about a big dog that can hold its own in any fight.

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

Partly a compelling portrait of a young woman ahead of her time, the punk rock supernova who fronted the band X-Ray Spex.

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power | Sundance 2022

At its best, the film magnifies the nuts and bolts of filmmaking and how it perpetuates “positions of power,” as it’s described here.

Descendant | Sundance 2022

An expansive documentary on a community that traces its history to the last known slaving vessel in the United States.

The Princess | Sundance 2022

Princess Diana’s life in the often harsh public spotlight is depicted entirely through contemporaneous audio and video news footage in this biographical documentary.

Faya Dayi

Among the most potent documentary experiences of last year, Faya Dayi boasts incredible monochromatic cinematography, which lends everything a surreal, dreamlike quality.

The Velvet Queen

A calm and contemplative documentary that rewards spectators for what it initially promises.