10 Eye Opening Documentaries & The Effects They Had In Real Life

Some of the most well-produced documentaries are truly eye-opening, shedding light on an important topic, criminal case, political situation, influential person – the list goes on.

Some of the best ones have actually sparked real change. They have caused criminal cases to be re-opened, made businesses change practices, sparked conversation, and even convinced people to believe unsavory things. Here are 10 eye-opening documentaries and the effects they had in real life.

10 Super Size Me

While McDonald’s says it was only a coincidence that it removed the Super Size option from the menu at all locations just a month-and-a-half after the release of this documentary, many believe that Morgan Spurlock’s film, which called out the way it promoted unhealthy habits, had something to do with it.

Not only that, but shortly after Spurlock filmed himself while eating only McDonald’s for an entire month to see the effects, the restaurant chain started to offer healthier options and added nutritional information to its packaging. Coincidence? Possibly. But the prevailing sentiment is that Spurlock had something to do with it.

9 Blackfish

This 2013 documentary came to light again when Tiger King‘s Carole Baskin said she was led to believe that the Netflix docuseries would be similar to Blackfish and have the same impact on the mistreatment of tigers and other big cats as that one did on captive orcas.

Indeed, Blackfish shed a negative spotlight on SeaWorld and its treatment of captive orcas. As a result, the venue saw a drop in revenue and attendance, and business partnerships and bookings disappeared. They eventually ended the orca breeding program and modified all performances so whales no longer had to vamp for the audiences.

8 The Thin Blue Line

This documentary actually helped exonerate an innocent man. After Errol Morris used his film to show all of the evidence that suggested Randall Adams was framed for the murder of a police officer, as well as facts like many witnesses lied under oath, the case was reopened.

It was publicity and outcry from the film that prompted law enforcement to take a second look. After further investigation, it was discovered that Adams was indeed innocent, and he was released – ironically just a few days before he was about to be sentenced to death by lethal injection.

7 Bowling for Columbine

Aside from shedding light on gun reform, Michael Moore’s controversial documentary really turned heads with its graphic discussions and portrayals of the after-effects of school gun violence and mass shootings.

In one of the most emotional scenes, however, Moore takes two victims of the Columbine shooting to a local Kmart to ask for a refund on the bullets that now remain lodged in their bodies. Not long after, Kmart stopped selling handgun ammunition.

6 Titicut Follies

This jarring documentary from 1967 about the mistreatment of criminally insane patients at the Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts was so revealing that it was actually banned.

But it became apparent that giving up patients’ rights to privacy might have been for the greater good. Frederick Wiseman’s unsettling film led to many psychiatric hospitals either closing or reforming.

5 The Invisible War

Before this Kirby Dick documentary that looked at how rape cases are handled in the U.S. military came out, the Secretary of Defense at the time, Leon Panetta, confirmed that the policy would be changing.

After the documentary actually came out, a general featured in the film was replaced and politicians lobbied for more change. Eventually, the “change the culture” program around rape allegations in the military was launched.

4 An Inconvenient Truth

While many still debate global warming and its impact on our futures, there’s no denying that Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning documentary from 2006 shed light on the topic and opened peoples’ eyes to scientific views on the subject, or at least to talk more about it.

If anything, the documentary raised public awareness, sparked worldwide conversation and made people think twice about their habits and things like how much they drive, plastics they use, and electricity wastage. The documentary has become standard viewing in many schools as well.

3 Triumph of the Will

Unlike the other documentaries on this list that, for the most part, sparked positive change, this 1935 film influenced the opposite. Widely considered to be one of the most successful propaganda films ever, it starred Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spewing their hate and was considered a powerful psychological weapon.

Released during World War II, it proves as an eye-opening reminder that documentaries can influence change and sentiment not only for good but for bad, too.

2 The Hunting Ground

One of the more recent documentaries on this list, this film was inspired by The Invisible War and looked at the topic of a culture of silence as well, but this time around college campuses and women being sexually assaulted there without repercussions for the alleged abusers.

The film got people talking about college admissions and their failures to protect their students and respond to allegations fairly and hastily. It also forced colleges and universities to take a more serious look at the issue.

1 Deliver Us From Evil

Considered to be one of the most notorious pedophiles in the Catholic church, Father Oliver O’Grady was the subject of Amy Berg’s documentary film from 2006. Berg managed to convince the former Irish priest to participate in the movie after he was jailed and deported.

But the biggest effect the film had, aside from showing the dark side of the Catholic church, was providing a platform for some of O’Grady’s victims to speak out about what happened to them and hopefully gave other victims of sexual abuse the courage to do the same.

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