10 Best Fun, Guilty Pleasure Documentaries, According To Reddit

Most documentaries are serious affairs, existing to teach or inform viewers about important events in history. However, in more recent memory, there are several documentaries that take this idea and throw it out the window. The popularity of Tiger King on Netflix proves that a guilty pleasure documentary is often what people want to see.

However, while Tiger King has its fans, there are many other documentaries considered guilty pleasures that fans are loving, many streaming right now. Reddit users have plenty of options for anyone looking for a new guilty pleasure documentary to pass the time.

Beanie Mania (2021) – Streaming On HBO Max

Released in 2011, Beanie Mania is a documentary that details the entire Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s. Created in 1993, the small plush toys became huge collectors’ items and an internet craze in the infancy of the World Wide Web.

Redditor nappyman wrote that he “recently watched Beanie Mania” and wanted to see more guilty pleasure documentaries of this type. He described it as similar to other “fun documentaries” watched to help pass the time.

Class Action Park (2020) – Streaming On HBO Max

Class Action Park is an HBO Max documentary that focuses on the New Jersey amusement park called Action Park. The amusement park was very popular with locals but had a very poor safety record, considered by many to be a park with no rules.

Redditor nappyman also noted this documentary as a great guilty pleasure documentary. He wrote that it was an example of “something light-hearted” to watch at home right now.

The Toys That Made Us (2017) – Stream On Netflix

Netflix has plenty of options for documentaries for all sorts of fans. Whether they want true crime, historical, or great guilty pleasure documentaries, the streaming giant has something for everyone. It also has a pair of great documentaries allowing people to relive their childhoods.

On Reddit, Groundbreaking_Pea61 wrote, “The toys that made us on Netflix” was his pick for a fun, guilty pleasure documentary. This looks back at the toys that defined an entire generation and The Toys That Made Us is a great doc to watch along with its sister production, The Movies That Made Us.

LuLaRich (2021) – Stream On Amazon Prime

LuLaRoe was a major clothing line that was started in 2012 by founders DeAnne Brady and her husband, Mark Stidham. She then used the internet to build her company to monstrous levels by bringing in people to help sell for her. What resulted was class-action lawsuits alleging LuLaRoe was a pyramid scheme.

LuLaRich is a rewatchable Amazon Prime Video documentary chronicling the rise and legal problems of LuLaRoe. On Reddit, thebabycatcher wrote that “Lula Rich on Amazon was nutty” and nappyman21 agreed, writing, “this was fantastic.”

WeWork (2021) – Stream On Hulu

Streaming on Hulu, the documentary WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn premiered in 2021 and focuses on the real estate company, WeWork. The movie follows founder Adam Neumann, the man who founded the company before he was forced out after a failed IPO.

Redditor Go-KARRT wrote that he recommended this movie, as well as the two Fyre Festival documentaries as “a trilogy of viewing young dudes who think they’re the smartest people alive, only to have their lies crush them.”

Wordplay (2006) – Stream To Rent On Apple TV

Apple TV has a documentary about one of the most popular guilty pleasure games in history — the crossword puzzle. The documentary is called Wordplay and focuses first on the creation of crossword puzzles and then on the 2006 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

Redditor HoselRockit wrote that he recommended Wordplay to anyone looking for a guilty pleasure documentary and described it as “very light and entertaining.”

McMillions (2020) – Stream On HBO Max

The HBO docuseries McMillions was released in 2020, telling the story of the scam perpetrated by one man to send out winning game pieces to people and split all the winnings in the annual Monopoly contest at Mcdonald’s. The documentary received five Emmy nominations.

Redditor S3simulation wrote that “McMillions on HBO was an entertaining true crime story that doesn’t get too dark,” fitting his definition of a guilty pleasure documentary recommendation.

White Boy (2017) – Stream On Netflix

Not all true crime documentaries are dark and heavy. Tiger King is an example of this, showing how ridiculous those involved in crimes can be. Another example is the Netflix documentary White Boy.

One Reddit user recommended it under a different name, writing, “White Boy Rick and Cocaine Island” as his ideas for guilty pleasure documentaries. There is a movie called White Boy Rick, but that is a biopic starring Matthew McConaughey and Brian Tyree Henry. The actual documentary is just called White Boy and follows the true crime story of the man known as White Boy Rick and his time as a supposed FBI informant and drug kingpin.

The Curse Of Von Dutch (2021) – Stream On Hulu

Von Dutch is a fashion brand named after Kenny Howard, also known as Von Dutch, the artist responsible for the Kustom Kulture movement. In 2021, a documentary arrived called The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For, which chronicles the rise and fall of the brand.

Tranquil-animals recommended the documentary as a guilty pleasure watch. They wrote, “The Curse of Von Dutch … is right in this zone. I love these digestible documentaries.”

Listening To Kenny G (2021) – Stream On HBO Max

Kenny G is the biggest name in the history of jazz saxophonists. He has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and is one of the best-selling musical artists in history. In 2021, HBO Max released Listening to Kenny G, which focused on his popularity despite critics mostly dismissing him.

On Reddit, HalloweenBlues recommended the documentary as a guilty pleasure. They wrote, “The Kenny G documentary on HBO Max is great. I believe it’s in the music box series. Also, the one on Woodstock 99 is worth a watch.”

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