Sly: 8 engaging celebrity documentaries that you can stream right now

These documentaries throw light on influential figures in popular culture, allowing audiences a candid peek into the lives of their idols

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Celebrity documentaries often help audiences acquire a unique perspective into the lives of influential figures. It helps fans get a closer and candid look into the lives of their larger-than-life idols and also offers a peek into their personality without the veil of celebrity. The recently released Sly is one such documentary directed by Thom Zimmy that offers a fresh perspective on Sylvester Stallone. It explores his journey from an underdog with a challenging childhood to being considered as Hollywood royalty. This tale of perseverance and dedication had been largely overlooked, given Stallone's iconic status as a masculine figure in popular media with credit going to his onscreen turns. This unfiltered account sheds light on how cinema served as an escape from the harsh realities of his early life and introduces us to the man behind the star. If you enjoyed watching Sly, we’re sure you will love these 8 celebrity documentaries that you can stream right now to gain new insights into influential figures.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story - Amazon Prime Video

This 2017 American documentary film directed by Alexandra Dean dives deep into the life of Hedy Lamarr, a classic Hollywood heroine whose gorgeous good looks often caused the larger population to be oblivious to her intellect, as she co-created the technology of frequency hopping with George Antheil. The film chronicles her life from her youth as the daughter of assimilated Austrian Jews through her rise to fame, the Nazi onslaught and her departure for the US, six marriages and tumultuous relationships with influential figures such as Louis B. Mayer, Max Jacobson, and filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille. The docu also follows her acting career, her landmark invention, her career decline, and finally her death at the age of 85 in 2000 after being a recluse for years.

Beckham - Netflix

One of the recent and more controversial entries on this list is Beckham, an intimate look into the life of legendary English footballer David Beckham. The docu traces his meteoric rise in the global football landscape and how it changed his life forever. Directed by Fisher Stevens, who is an Academy Award winner for his 2009 documentary The Cove, the series sheds light on the landmark events in Beckham's life — from his history-making goal in 1996 that put him on the fast-track to fame and his struggles with depression owing to harassment and death threats that he endured following the 1998 World Cup.

The Last Dance - Netflix

Surely the most compelling sports docu, The Last Dance is an Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Documentary Series and chronicles the rise of basketball superstar Michael Jordan. The non-fiction account focuses on the 1997-98 NBA Season as it happened to be his final season with the Chicago Bulls. Co-produced by ESPN Films and Netflix, the mini series has been directed by Jason Hehir and features never-before-seen footage cobbled together by a film crew which had unrestricted access to the Chicago Bulls. The docu is packed with unfiltered interviews from iconic NBA personalities including Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, and Jordan himself.

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story - Amazon Prime Video

Drawing from more than 17,000 hours of footage and over 2,600 scrapbooks from Hugh Hefner’s own personal archives, American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story is a docu series that combines archival footage, interviews and cinematic reenactments to narrate the tale of Playboy magazine’s charismatic founder Hugh Hefner and his impact on popular culture and history. Beginning in post-war America and running through the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 and the next six decades of Hefner’s life and career, the series chronicles the methods with which he built his empire, how Hefner became both a social justice advocate and a target of the conservative movement in America, battling with the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover while transforming into a civil rights advocate.

Arnold - Netflix

Arnold is a three-part documentary series that attempts to unpack Arnold Schwarzenegger's multi-faceted life and career — from being one of the greatest bodybuilding champions in history to a beloved Hollywood action hero, and his ambitious eight-year tenure as a governor of California amidst scandals and marital strife. Directed by Lesley Chilcott, the series features in-depth interviews from Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny DeVito, James Cameron and Arnold himself.

Pamela, a Love Story - Netflix

Chronicling the life and career of model and actress Pamela Anderson, Pamela, a Love Story looks back on Anderson’s early life and childhood, her debut modelling gig for Playboy magazine and her rise to stardom by featuring on Baywatch, the TV show that cemented the pop zeitgeist as a sex symbol. Directed by Ryan White, the film also dives deep into her turbulent marriage to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Miss Americana - Netflix

Described as a raw and emotionally-revealing look at pop icon Taylor Swift’s life, Miss Americana follows Swift through a metamorphic phase in her career as she wraps up 2018's Reputation Stadium Tour and begins working on her next album – Lover. The docu chronicling several years of her life through a biographical compilation of interviews, flashbacks, in-studio footage, raw home videos, and concert videos. Directed by Lana Wilson, the film focuses on sensitive subjects that Swift has often avoided in interviews, such as her battle with body dysmorphia and eating disorder, her mother’s cancer diagnosis, the toxic Internet culture and media scrutiny that plagues her. The docu also delves into the ramifications of some of her more controversial decisions such as going public with her political views, including her allyship with the LGBTQ+ community. This documentary premiered on the opening night of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Well that's all we got for this episode, until the next one it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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Written by Sidharth A R

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