I haven’t regretted watching many films in my life, but Dear Zachary wrecked me in a way that I can’t quite describe. Honestly, I wouldn’t even recommend watching it…
OMG I just watched this and am bawling my eyes out. How disgusting that these people and baby were failed time and time again. Andrew's parents are some of the strongest, most admirable people I have ever seen.
I know what you mean. I started crying just being reminded of it. The heartbreaking love, strength and nobility of Zachary's grandparents is the core of this film. It is disturbing and upsetting but its main impact is overwhelming sadness. I haven't seen another film like it.
Paradise Lost left me sitting in silence as the credits rolled. It affected me the most….until I saw Dear Zachary. I have never been so angry at a tv in my life.
I think Tickled is a really surprising and disturbing documentary, and thankfully those who are sensitive to more graphic content shouldn't have a problem watching it. Great list as always!
@@spookyastronauts oh I see it's called "The Tickle King." I can't remember if I've seen it yet but somewhere in my memory it rang a bell as a short follow up. I must find somewhere I can watch it!
Strongly agree! ""Tickled" had me soooo disturbed. The amount of harassment and abuse by the person/people in charge of the tickling competitions was unbelievable .
It is a very conflicting emotion. Simultaneously wanting very badly to watch most of these, but also... Not at all wanting to watch most of these. Thanks for putting this list together though. Powerful stuff.
I don't know if disturbing is the word, but one that really bummed me out is Audrie & Daisy (2016). The way that those girls (and their families) were treated by the communities they were in was hard to watch in itself, but most heart-wrenching thing is to read what happened after the documentary was made and the extent of what the Coleman family went through.
tell me why out of every recommendation on this list I decided to jump into Dear Zachary and have now been a sobbing mess for the last hour. I’ve been crying so hard my head is pounding. Jesus Christ. beautiful film, SO important, but GOD. I’m crying again.
Same…that tore me apart. It’s unfortunate that it takes something so horrible to happen to see the beauty in others…ugh…makes you feel that true love, in all it’s forms is something magical
"Goodnight, Sugar Babe" is easily one of the most f'd up docs you will ever see. Go in blind. Its heartbreaking and perplexing. If Gummo was a real life documentary this might be it.
Great list Emma! I binge watched American Nightmare docuseries on Netflix last night and I'm still devastated and angry. Very disturbing. Worth a watch.
I just finished it as well and it was infuriating! But the series was well done and the story was insane. Glad there was a resolution to the case that I could live with, although not ideal considering the what the victims went through.
Oddly enough I watched Dear Zachary last night for the first time. It was everything that's been said about it. Left me sad, mad confused and pissed at this being allowed to happen to an innocent child. The Grandfather's rage spoke to all of us and made it all the more tragic
Yeah...me too. Dear Zachary left me crying virtually throughout the entirety of the film...never experienced anything quite like it...I will never forget it...
Hello, Emma -- not sure if you're aware but The Act of Killing has a companion piece called The Look of Silence which came out a few years later. The topic is still the same, and it's still haunting.
I remember watching the Paradise Lost trilogy and I couldn't believe how unfair and sloppy all the investigation was. It's crazy. I haven't been able to find where to watch it again, it deserves a rewatch.
I have one better. I just suggested to Emma to check out the 5th season of Bob Ruff's "Truth and Justice" podcast. They spend over 50 hours examining and dissecting all the evidence, suspects, documents and eyewitness accounts of that night in Robin Hood Hills, including examining the whereabouts of both sets of boys (the murdered and the accused), and what lead up to the murders that night. It's really chilling.
Thanks for the list... am looking forward to watching several. The most disturbing doc that I have seen, although not true crime genre, is Grizzly Man.
Dear Zachary was absolutely jaw dropping. I was aghast at the end. Speechless! I also saw the "Aunt Diane" doc. when it first came out and I was confused and nauseous at the end. That's exactly what I remember. Iin the early 90's (yes, I'm old, Lol) I remember seeing Capturing the Friedman's which was an early disturbing documentary. Great list again Emmà!!!!!!
This list was great Emma. Although i don't comment as much as I should, I am a life long Horror and documentary fan and when I want an opinion that I respect more than almost any other horror reviewers out there you are my first choice. True story. I've followed you for a few years now and although a month late to this video, when I saw the title I was really excited to find out what the docs that topped your list would be and I knew the following would be near 1......so I saw these two documentaries probably close to (wow) i guess a decade ago but i saw them within 4 days of each other purely by circumstance......The first one I viewed of its kind was dear Zachary. It was the first soul sucking documentary I had ever seen or at least to me it was a step up from other gut wrenching offerings. Like I'm sure anybody who is reading this or saw that movie I was affected for days and that rarely happens to me anymore has become desensitized. The one I saw 4 days later was there something wrong with Aunt Diane which...... it was a bad week let's just say that haha....I have never loved/dreaded a genre of films more than the documentaries like those two and several others on your list. Thank you for the list. There are a couple on there that I haven't caught that I am going to now. Let me add this and I won't spoil it at all. The 'person' in Dear Zachary.........i never instantly despised another human being like I did in that story.......monster is woefully inadequate. I am a peaceable rarely ever angry person and at the end of Dear Zachary I was not only heart broken but furious. As always, you are the best my dear . Thanks for all you do
Some of my personal favs are Blackfish, Girl in the Picture, Capturing the Freidman's, and God Knows Where I Am. The last one is not very well known. I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about it anywhere. It was recommended to me on Hulu a few years ago. It's so beautiful and sad.
I would definitely include the Japanese documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On. It's about a man who served in the Japanese army during World War II & had to do some nasty things while was in the service & how he goes after the system and the people he blames for making him do those things. The main protagonist's zeal & sense of righteousness makes him all the more frightening.
I just went down the rabbit hole of disturbing docus. I feel like one of those will be on there!! Edit after watching: they were! 😭 One that really affected me (and I'm sure you mentioned it in another vid and I just missed it) was Goodnight Sugar Babe. That was left me infuriated.
A documentary that lived with me for weeks was Tell Me Who I Am (2019). It's not gory, violent or soul-destroying but the essential question of what would be the "right" thing to do just wouldn't resolve.
Just finished watching Rewind. Had to stop watching midway through before I finished it the next day. Just a lot to take in, props to Sasha for doing this Documentary.
Great video Emma. I've been a documentary maven for years. For me the greatest documentary of all time is also quite disturbing, you may have seen it: Crumb. The biography of underground comix artist R. Crumb. By the time you are done watching this you become deeply grateful for your own family. This is a very disturbing, but psychologically wise, documentary about art. The film builds slowly but leaves you in a unique zone at the end disturbed, yet grateful for art.
Great list, Emma!!! May I recomend the Netflix british documentary "Tell me who I am", a really shocking recount on the fate of two brothers with a traumatic past only one of the can recall... Thanx!!!
Ava DuVernay's limited series When They See Us is an excellent depiction of the central park five case. it's pretty well acclaimed so im sure everyone here's aware of it but if you havent yet, definitely watch it.
I've spent 2 hours trying to find it!! Would you mind sharing the streaming platform and your country? My OCD brain is now obsessed with finding it to watch!
@@spookyastronauts OMG I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! I did watch till the end and I tried plex but it wasn't available yet lol... I've been looking for a new movie and you absolutely sold me on this!!
Thanks for the list, Emma. Always appreciate you sharing your Top 10 lists, regardless of genre. I remember seeing Paradise Lost when it was just a single film back in the late 1990's. I'm pretty sure I saw the second film, but not the third, so thanks for the tip.
Well poop, I kind of knew Dear Zachary would be on this list but just seeing any footage makes me sad and very angry. Time for a cocktail! Great list as always my friend!
Great list. I have seen several of these. Some of the most disturbing docs I have ever watched are Deliver Us From Evil (not the movie) it WILL ruin your weekend if you watch it on a Friday. Next film is ZOO the retelling of the story of “Mr Hands” based on eye witness accounts, text, audio, reenactments. The event and aftermath is incomprehensible and extremely shocking to your average person. Both are worth watching, but they are extreme and display some of the darkest corners of human behavior.
i havent watched all your documentary lists yet but i hope Beasts of No Nation is in one of them, as far as losing hope in humanity goes that one did it for me as much as the act of killing
Titicus Follies, Earthlings and Orozco The Embalmer are other documentaries that are extremely disturbing, with Orozco being the most extreme and tests one’s endurance lol. It’s messed up that these used to be on UA-cam!
I found Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence to be exceptional. The fact that so much of it is based on footage shot by the actuall perpertrator as things were happening got under my skin. And it was an fascinating and different perspective of what a sect can be. And on top of that the interviews with the sect member who was actually studying psychology while she was beeing lured in to the sect were a chilling reminder about how anyone can fall victim under the ”right” circumstances.
I think I have to credit Paradise Lost for launching me into my obsession with true crime. I’ve never seen Dear Zachary and I’m not sure I ever will. I’ve heard it’s almost unwatchable!
I am going to watch a few of these but I have to admit Zoo should be in this list! Zoo is disturbing in so many ways especially since it was based off one of the first videos to EVER go viral. I love your channel because you are the same type of disturbing creature I am…GO FREAKS! ZOO is gritty but a MUST WATCH!
The Paradise Lost trilogy is remarkable & The Metallica song Welcome Home ( Sanitarium ) will always be associated with it. The West Memphis three were very fortunate to receive unwavering support from some A list celebrities who kept their story & the injustice occurring to them in the national dialog.
I would always be forever gratefull for your recommendations, even tho we all end up traumatized forever ❤ love u emma, I wanted new documentaries to watch in my vacations 😽
In spanish language , I recommend you "Alucardos retrato de un vampiro", is about the lastdays of the mexican horror film maker Juan Lopez Moctezuma who directed films like : Alucardia, Blood Mary and many others. Also I recommend you "El hombre que vio demasiado" is about Enrique Metinides , he ws the best sensational journalism or yellow journalism photographer who existed in Mexico never before . Last one recommendation is "Los demonios de Edén" , docummentary about child trafficking in Cancun Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Recently I heard about The Crush documentary movie about South Korea incident on the halloween night when 159, mostly young people have died from the crowd crush. Might be too disturbing, but if someone have seen it, would you recommend?
Omg I know the incident… I’ve seen the footage but I don’t know if I could ever watch a doco on it. It was so tragic and scary. They now don’t celebrate Halloween in the city in South Korea or Japan. It’s so scary
I was honestly shocked you didn’t include “The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez”. It’s one of those that I wished I hadn’t heard what I heard as I watched it.
the only one ive seen of this list and its beyond utopia and i will say its fantastic super sad but also very eye opening everyone should watch it if they can
I started watching The Act of Killing but had to turn it off. I think I'll finish it eventually when I'm in the right frame of mind. I want to check out The Bridge as well.
Saw two or three of these. Harsh. Certainly puts you firmly back with your feet on the ground. Would you consider doing a list of docu's regarding the subject of the occult, satanic panic, witchcraft and more esoteric cults if you could find them?
Omg thank you for this! I’ve been wanting to scratch my documentary itch for a while but always feel overwhelmed with all the choices. This will be my watch list 😊
Hi Emma, long time watcher of your channel...after watching this top 10 ranking I sought out The Mole: Undercover in North Korea and watched it. I was curious what about it you found so incredibly disturbing as to its number 1 placement. I quite liked the documentary for sure but didn't find it disturbing in the least. Informative and always interesting? Sure. It felt like an espionage thriller. But disturbing? In my humble opinion, not in the slightest. Anyway, really enjoy your channel!
The comment about the "Paradise Lost" series "was not carefully constructed" is not completely accurate. It has came out that Joe Berlinger (the director of the series) did in fact contrive and manipulated some scenes, situation, and facts in the series. For example, in the first film, the scene with Todd Moore and John Mark Byers shooting pumpkins, also the scene where John Mark Byers is drunkenly hanging out at the scene of the crime describing all he believed happened to his murdered step-son and his friends--were instigated by the documentary crew. Now, I do believe this was a witch hunt, and I was initially persuaded by this documentary series. So much so I even gave and participated in some fundraising events to help in Damien's defense. But years later, I realize that the "Paradise Lost" documentaries were semi "constructed" truths. However, I am still convinced the three boys are innocent, but still felt manipulated by the way Berlinger told their story. If you want to hear the COMPLETE and UNBIASED story from both sides of the case that is carefully examining all evidence to find out what really happened to the boys that night, I would suggest listening to Bob Ruff's "Truth And Justice" podcast. They assemble and carefully dissect all the evidence, documentation, all suspects, and gather actual eye-witness accounts of the events that happened with the three murdered boys on the night of their death.... and they also follow all the documentation of the other three boys accused of their murder that night (along with other suspects). They painstakingly devoted season 5 of their podcast---over 50 hours (divided into two parts)-- to find out what happened prior to the murders, and who actually killed the young boys that night in Robin Hood Hills.
I knew Richard Ofshe, the expert on false confessions, who testifies in the first of the Paradise Lost documentaries. He actually hated the first documentary, because he thought the evidence that the West Memphis 3 were innocent was so slam dunk that he blamed the documentary makers for adding in ambiguity for suspense or artiness sake that didn't need to be there. The ambiguity about their innocence gets way less ambiguous in the 2nd and 3rd films.
Rewind is on UA-cam. The disturbing movies I'd like to add are Just Melvin Just Evil, Goodnight, Sugar Babe: The Killing of Vera Jo Reigle, Titicut Follies, Deadly Secrets: The Lost Children of Dozier, You Belong to Me: Sex, Race and Murder in the South.
The most disturbing thing I ever read about was the torture and murder of Junko Furuta. I don't think will ever be able to watch the movie about it. I came across it while scrolling through UA-cam looking for horror movie recommendations. I'm not even sure how this was suggested to me. It was just a short video by some UA-camr explaining what happened to her. I couldn't finish it. What happened to this poor girl is horrific. It has stuck with me ever since I came across it.
"CHILD OF RAGE : THE BETH THOMAS STORY" or "BORN TO RAGE l THE REAL BETH THOMAS STORY".......BOTH are devastating and I dare ANYONE to watch them all the way through.
I recommend the Life of Crime trilogy. It covers the life of three criminals and drug addicts from 1984-2020. Seriously insane. Deliver Us from Evil is also extremely disturbing and frustrating to watch.
A few docs that I think should be definitely in any disturbing doc list. "The Video Diaries Of Ricardo Lopez", incredibly sad and disturbing. The official doc ends before the inevitable conclusion, but a quick google search will fill in the gap, but that's not recommended for most people. Once you HEAR how it all ends, that's a sound you'll never forget. "We Have Ways Of Making You Talk" documents various torture methods used in conflicts. Who knew the French could be so mean ?! "I Think We're Alone Now" - Belinda Carlisle stalkers. Very strange. Very disturbing. Honestly, "The Bridge" just annoyed me. I have zero issues with people wanting to check out, but to do it so publicly, to traumatize the people that may witness what you do, is so narcissistic and selfish it beggars belief. If you want top yourself, be my guest, but don't involve other people. Buy a ticket, go to Alaska, go give a Grizzly a hug. Or take a road trip out to the bush, find an inland taipan and try wearing it as a scarf. They'll punch your ticket to the next life in very short order.
One of my favorite documentaries is Shadow of truth, about the brutal murd*r of Tair Rada. Is a bit biased, but so good. Sadly you can't find it anywhere now.
I'd put Rodney Ascher's documentary about sleep paralysis, The Nightmare, at the top of my list, with an honorable mention for Cropsey. That said, I don't think I've ever sat with a more uncomfortable audience than the theater full of people I saw The Act of Killing with...
What’s all the fuss about Dear Zachary? Tried watching it twice, got bored and quit twice. Now all these comments are making me try for a third. I’m desensitized. Gotta be something hardcore to thrill me. I’m bored, about to get even more bored I’m sure
![The Darkest Lost Media [Vol. 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KZbzIf_C6Y4/mqdefault.jpg)
I haven’t regretted watching many films in my life, but Dear Zachary wrecked me in a way that I can’t quite describe. Honestly, I wouldn’t even recommend watching it…
OMG I just watched this and am bawling my eyes out. How disgusting that these people and baby were failed time and time again. Andrew's parents are some of the strongest, most admirable people I have ever seen.
I know what you mean. I started crying just being reminded of it. The heartbreaking love, strength and nobility of Zachary's grandparents is the core of this film. It is disturbing and upsetting but its main impact is overwhelming sadness. I haven't seen another film like it.
It stayed with me for a while after watching, I kept thinking about it a lot, it's so heart breaking.
I needed therapy.
Paradise Lost left me sitting in silence as the credits rolled. It affected me the most….until I saw Dear Zachary. I have never been so angry at a tv in my life.
I think Tickled is a really surprising and disturbing documentary, and thankfully those who are sensitive to more graphic content shouldn't have a problem watching it. Great list as always!
Tickled is really good indeed
Oh and the Writer/Director David Farrier has a new one that's finally on Netflix Mister Organ is it's great
He also had a follow up to this one, king something? Very talented filmmaker
@@spookyastronauts oh I see it's called "The Tickle King." I can't remember if I've seen it yet but somewhere in my memory it rang a bell as a short follow up. I must find somewhere I can watch it!
Strongly agree! ""Tickled" had me soooo disturbed. The amount of harassment and abuse by the person/people in charge of the tickling competitions was unbelievable .
It is a very conflicting emotion. Simultaneously wanting very badly to watch most of these, but also... Not at all wanting to watch most of these. Thanks for putting this list together though. Powerful stuff.
I don't know if disturbing is the word, but one that really bummed me out is Audrie & Daisy (2016). The way that those girls (and their families) were treated by the communities they were in was hard to watch in itself, but most heart-wrenching thing is to read what happened after the documentary was made and the extent of what the Coleman family went through.
Yeah that one is insane :(
I was very disturbed by it tbh, disturbed and heartbroken
What happened to Daisy Coleman and her family after the documentary haunts me. The fact that her rapist is alive and walking around pisses me off.
tell me why out of every recommendation on this list I decided to jump into Dear Zachary and have now been a sobbing mess for the last hour. I’ve been crying so hard my head is pounding. Jesus Christ.
beautiful film, SO important, but GOD. I’m crying again.
Same…that tore me apart. It’s unfortunate that it takes something so horrible to happen to see the beauty in others…ugh…makes you feel that true love, in all it’s forms is something magical
"Goodnight, Sugar Babe" is easily one of the most f'd up docs you will ever see. Go in blind. Its heartbreaking and perplexing. If Gummo was a real life documentary this might be it.
Ya... with all the "chuckies"?? Really disturbing
Just Melvin Just Evil was incredibly messed up
Great list Emma! I binge watched American Nightmare docuseries on Netflix last night and I'm still devastated and angry. Very disturbing. Worth a watch.
I just finished it as well and it was infuriating! But the series was well done and the story was insane. Glad there was a resolution to the case that I could live with, although not ideal considering the what the victims went through.
Oddly enough I watched Dear Zachary last night for the first time. It was everything that's been said about it. Left me sad, mad confused and pissed at this being allowed to happen to an innocent child. The Grandfather's rage spoke to all of us and made it all the more tragic
Yeah...me too. Dear Zachary left me crying virtually throughout the entirety of the film...never experienced anything quite like it...I will never forget it...
I love documentaries so much. Dear Zachary was literally life changing. It will never leave me...
But i loved all of these!
Hello, Emma -- not sure if you're aware but The Act of Killing has a companion piece called The Look of Silence which came out a few years later. The topic is still the same, and it's still haunting.
Thank you so much I'm always on the lookout for amazingly disturbing documentaries
I remember watching the Paradise Lost trilogy and I couldn't believe how unfair and sloppy all the investigation was. It's crazy. I haven't been able to find where to watch it again, it deserves a rewatch.
Hulu. Sometimes it's on Max
I have one better. I just suggested to Emma to check out the 5th season of Bob Ruff's "Truth and Justice" podcast. They spend over 50 hours examining and dissecting all the evidence, suspects, documents and eyewitness accounts of that night in Robin Hood Hills, including examining the whereabouts of both sets of boys (the murdered and the accused), and what lead up to the murders that night. It's really chilling.
I cried watching Dear Zachary from start to finish. Extremely sad story
You're the best as usual! Dear Zachary is the best (in a sad way)! I watched it more than once and it always breaks me.
Thanks for the list... am looking forward to watching several. The most disturbing doc that I have seen, although not true crime genre, is Grizzly Man.
I watched it recently I didn’t find it disturbing but sad
Just Melvin, Just Evil is another documentary that will haunt you forever.
Red Rooms was so chilling. Thanks for the recommendation!
Dear Zachary was absolutely jaw dropping. I was aghast at the end. Speechless! I also saw the "Aunt Diane" doc. when it first came out and I was confused and nauseous at the end. That's exactly what I remember. Iin the early 90's (yes, I'm old, Lol) I remember seeing Capturing the Friedman's which was an early disturbing documentary. Great list again Emmà!!!!!!
I just watched Rewind. I'm speechless over this family!!
This list was great Emma. Although i don't comment as much as I should, I am a life long Horror and documentary fan and when I want an opinion that I respect more than almost any other horror reviewers out there you are my first choice. True story. I've followed you for a few years now and although a month late to this video, when I saw the title I was really excited to find out what the docs that topped your list would be and I knew the following would be near 1......so I saw these two documentaries probably close to (wow) i guess a decade ago but i saw them within 4 days of each other purely by circumstance......The first one I viewed of its kind was dear Zachary. It was the first soul sucking documentary I had ever seen or at least to me it was a step up from other gut wrenching offerings. Like I'm sure anybody who is reading this or saw that movie I was affected for days and that rarely happens to me anymore has become desensitized. The one I saw 4 days later was there something wrong with Aunt Diane which...... it was a bad week let's just say that haha....I have never loved/dreaded a genre of films more than the documentaries like those two and several others on your list. Thank you for the list. There are a couple on there that I haven't caught that I am going to now. Let me add this and I won't spoil it at all. The 'person' in Dear Zachary.........i never instantly despised another human being like I did in that story.......monster is woefully inadequate. I am a peaceable rarely ever angry person and at the end of Dear Zachary I was not only heart broken but furious. As always, you are the best my dear . Thanks for all you do
Blackfish, Our Father, and Phoenix Rising really upset me. Thanks for the recs. I’ll be checking some of them out for sure.
Omg I talked about phoenix rising after I watched it on here… people were so mad I got a mob after me. People don’t want to hear it .
Some of my personal favs are Blackfish, Girl in the Picture, Capturing the Freidman's, and God Knows Where I Am. The last one is not very well known. I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about it anywhere. It was recommended to me on Hulu a few years ago. It's so beautiful and sad.
I don’t think I’ve heard of the last one! Thanks!
I would definitely include the Japanese documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On. It's about a man who served in the Japanese army during World War II & had to do some nasty things while was in the service & how he goes after the system and the people he blames for making him do those things. The main protagonist's zeal & sense of righteousness makes him all the more frightening.
Great film. I think it's available on the Criterion Channel.
I was wondering if and when you were gonna do Dear Zachary! It was definitely one of the hardest ones I've ever seen.
SpookyAstronauts actually made a similar video years ago which mentioned it and is the reason i originally watched it.
I just went down the rabbit hole of disturbing docus. I feel like one of those will be on there!!
Edit after watching: they were! 😭
One that really affected me (and I'm sure you mentioned it in another vid and I just missed it) was Goodnight Sugar Babe. That was left me infuriated.
A documentary that lived with me for weeks was Tell Me Who I Am (2019). It's not gory, violent or soul-destroying but the essential question of what would be the "right" thing to do just wouldn't resolve.
Yes! I’ve seen that one.
Me too, i will never forget that story and the two brothers. I don't even have words to describe how it broke me, i cried so much.
Just finished watching Rewind. Had to stop watching midway through before I finished it the next day. Just a lot to take in, props to Sasha for doing this Documentary.
Great video Emma. I've been a documentary maven for years. For me the greatest documentary of all time is also quite disturbing, you may have seen it: Crumb. The biography of underground comix artist R. Crumb. By the time you are done watching this you become deeply grateful for your own family. This is a very disturbing, but psychologically wise, documentary about art. The film builds slowly but leaves you in a unique zone at the end disturbed, yet grateful for art.
I was going to suggest this as well. The portrait of the whole family and the legacy of mental illness is terribly sad.
Great list, Emma!!! May I recomend the Netflix british documentary "Tell me who I am", a really shocking recount on the fate of two brothers with a traumatic past only one of the can recall... Thanx!!!
Ava DuVernay's limited series When They See Us is an excellent depiction of the central park five case. it's pretty well acclaimed so im sure everyone here's aware of it but if you havent yet, definitely watch it.
i watched red rooms last night because of your video and it's so interesting and unique, i loved it, thanks for the rec!
I've spent 2 hours trying to find it!! Would you mind sharing the streaming platform and your country? My OCD brain is now obsessed with finding it to watch!
Man I've been trying to find it to watch
I said at the end of the video it’s coming to plex in some countries this week
@@spookyastronauts OMG I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! I did watch till the end and I tried plex but it wasn't available yet lol... I've been looking for a new movie and you absolutely sold me on this!!
Thanks for the list, Emma. Always appreciate you sharing your Top 10 lists, regardless of genre. I remember seeing Paradise Lost when it was just a single film back in the late 1990's. I'm pretty sure I saw the second film, but not the third, so thanks for the tip.
Omg the reason it’s so scary is because so many people change their mind. People who want them to die… flip. It’s so wild
Thank You for the List and Video 😀
Well poop, I kind of knew Dear Zachary would be on this list but just seeing any footage makes me sad and very angry. Time for a cocktail! Great list as always my friend!
Thank you Emma! Enjoy your weekend 💖
Great list. I have seen several of these. Some of the most disturbing docs I have ever watched are Deliver Us From Evil (not the movie) it WILL ruin your weekend if you watch it on a Friday. Next film is ZOO the retelling of the story of “Mr Hands” based on eye witness accounts, text, audio, reenactments. The event and aftermath is incomprehensible and extremely shocking to your average person. Both are worth watching, but they are extreme and display some of the darkest corners of human behavior.
Zoo is the only one I've ever turned off. I just couldn't.
I would like to add *The Wolfpack* from 2015. Brothers who were kept in an apartment in NYD by their father
As a big true crime fan who mostly watches UA-cam content, this is fantastic. Thanks Emma!
Dear Zachary is horrible. I couldn’t stop crying and I was sad for weeeeeks after. I’m still sad about
i havent watched all your documentary lists yet but i hope Beasts of No Nation is in one of them, as far as losing hope in humanity goes that one did it for me as much as the act of killing
Titicus Follies, Earthlings and Orozco The Embalmer are other documentaries that are extremely disturbing, with Orozco being the most extreme and tests one’s endurance lol. It’s messed up that these used to be on UA-cam!
Well… I had to do the subtitles check for the “Dying Rooms”… that one I won’t forget.
I found Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence to be exceptional.
The fact that so much of it is based on footage shot by the actuall perpertrator as things were happening got under my skin. And it was an fascinating and different perspective of what a sect can be. And on top of that the interviews with the sect member who was actually studying psychology while she was beeing lured in to the sect were a chilling reminder about how anyone can fall victim under the ”right” circumstances.
A great list! Thank you!
I think I have to credit Paradise Lost for launching me into my obsession with true crime. I’ve never seen Dear Zachary and I’m not sure I ever will. I’ve heard it’s almost unwatchable!
It’s very watchable but it has a very intense twist, it’s really well made
I am going to watch a few of these but I have to admit Zoo should be in this list! Zoo is disturbing in so many ways especially since it was based off one of the first videos to EVER go viral. I love your channel because you are the same type of disturbing creature I am…GO FREAKS! ZOO is gritty but a MUST WATCH!
The Paradise Lost trilogy is remarkable & The Metallica song Welcome Home ( Sanitarium ) will always be associated with it. The West Memphis three were very fortunate to receive unwavering support from some A list celebrities who kept their story & the injustice occurring to them in the national dialog.
I loved this series!
And The Call of Ktulu as the ending credits roll and you realize 3 innocent kids are in prison for life right now.
Top List, Emma! Thank you! Great work!!! 👺👺👺
I would always be forever gratefull for your recommendations, even tho we all end up traumatized forever ❤ love u emma, I wanted new documentaries to watch in my vacations 😽
Your videos are amazing omg
Jesus Camp imo is one of the most disturbing documentaries I’ve ever seen
Yeah it’s very unsettling
Great list! There is also "Just Melvin, Just Evil "Interview with an Evil Child (case of Beth Thomas)" that are pretty jarring.
Yes! I’ve seen both. Very chilling
In spanish language , I recommend you "Alucardos retrato de un vampiro", is about the lastdays of the mexican horror film maker Juan Lopez Moctezuma who directed films like : Alucardia, Blood Mary and many others. Also I recommend you "El hombre que vio demasiado" is about Enrique Metinides , he ws the best sensational journalism or yellow journalism photographer who existed in Mexico never before . Last one recommendation is "Los demonios de Edén" , docummentary about child trafficking in Cancun Quintana Roo, Mexico.
"The Keepers" is pretty brutal
Great review 😊
Recently I heard about The Crush documentary movie about South Korea incident on the halloween night when 159, mostly young people have died from the crowd crush. Might be too disturbing, but if someone have seen it, would you recommend?
😊😊
Omg I know the incident… I’ve seen the footage but I don’t know if I could ever watch a doco on it. It was so tragic and scary. They now don’t celebrate Halloween in the city in South Korea or Japan. It’s so scary
The timing! I'm with bed rest, so this comes at the best moment. Although I won't be calling them my 'feel good' movies...
I just watched Rewind and cried the entire time
Bowling for Columbine missed? Or am I crazy? Either way, love your content :)
No, it's not on the video. At that time stamp she talks about There's something wrong with Aunt Diane.
Honest mistake 😊
Oh whoops I actually had it in here but I removed it. Thanks I’ll edit that
I was honestly shocked you didn’t include “The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez”. It’s one of those that I wished I hadn’t heard what I heard as I watched it.
It’s a series not one documentary.
the only one ive seen of this list and its beyond utopia and i will say its fantastic super sad but also very eye opening everyone should watch it if they can
Solid list, Emma!!❤
I've seen many docs but this was the one that
I could not unsee or forget easily"
Bruce Lee and the Outlaw" 2018
I started watching The Act of Killing but had to turn it off. I think I'll finish it eventually when I'm in the right frame of mind. I want to check out The Bridge as well.
You mentioned it in a similar video years ago but Just Melvin, Just Evil broke me when I first watched it.
Yeah that one is rough!
I would put “The Cove” “Blackfish” and “Taxi Ride to the Dark Side” on this list too.
Does anyone know how I can watch The Mole??
It’s online you have to dig a little though. It’s well worth the search.
I never hear anyone talk about it but: The Dying Rooms.
It changed my life. I have never got it out of my head.
Saw two or three of these. Harsh. Certainly puts you firmly back with your feet on the ground. Would you consider doing a list of docu's regarding the subject of the occult, satanic panic, witchcraft and more esoteric cults if you could find them?
Omg thank you for this! I’ve been wanting to scratch my documentary itch for a while but always feel overwhelmed with all the choices. This will be my watch list 😊
Hi Emma, long time watcher of your channel...after watching this top 10 ranking I sought out The Mole: Undercover in North Korea and watched it. I was curious what about it you found so incredibly disturbing as to its number 1 placement. I quite liked the documentary for sure but didn't find it disturbing in the least. Informative and always interesting? Sure. It felt like an espionage thriller. But disturbing? In my humble opinion, not in the slightest. Anyway, really enjoy your channel!
Land of Death is pure genius
Horrible, volume-adjusting violence. You will gleam with subtle hysteria from beginning to end
If you want a real head trip of a docu check out Just Melvin Just Evil.
I’ve seen it!
The comment about the "Paradise Lost" series "was not carefully constructed" is not completely accurate. It has came out that Joe Berlinger (the director of the series) did in fact contrive and manipulated some scenes, situation, and facts in the series. For example, in the first film, the scene with Todd Moore and John Mark Byers shooting pumpkins, also the scene where John Mark Byers is drunkenly hanging out at the scene of the crime describing all he believed happened to his murdered step-son and his friends--were instigated by the documentary crew.
Now, I do believe this was a witch hunt, and I was initially persuaded by this documentary series. So much so I even gave and participated in some fundraising events to help in Damien's defense. But years later, I realize that the "Paradise Lost" documentaries were semi "constructed" truths. However, I am still convinced the three boys are innocent, but still felt manipulated by the way Berlinger told their story.
If you want to hear the COMPLETE and UNBIASED story from both sides of the case that is carefully examining all evidence to find out what really happened to the boys that night, I would suggest listening to Bob Ruff's "Truth And Justice" podcast. They assemble and carefully dissect all the evidence, documentation, all suspects, and gather actual eye-witness accounts of the events that happened with the three murdered boys on the night of their death.... and they also follow all the documentation of the other three boys accused of their murder that night (along with other suspects). They painstakingly devoted season 5 of their podcast---over 50 hours (divided into two parts)-- to find out what happened prior to the murders, and who actually killed the young boys that night in Robin Hood Hills.
Im going to watch number 1
I knew Richard Ofshe, the expert on false confessions, who testifies in the first of the Paradise Lost documentaries. He actually hated the first documentary, because he thought the evidence that the West Memphis 3 were innocent was so slam dunk that he blamed the documentary makers for adding in ambiguity for suspense or artiness sake that didn't need to be there. The ambiguity about their innocence gets way less ambiguous in the 2nd and 3rd films.
Thanks for the list, love a good documentary with dark subject matter! I'll definitely be checking these out.
I recognize fear and hunger music anywhere
"Dreams of a Life" HAUNTED me.
Rewind is on UA-cam. The disturbing movies I'd like to add are Just Melvin Just Evil, Goodnight, Sugar Babe: The Killing of Vera Jo Reigle, Titicut Follies, Deadly Secrets: The Lost Children of Dozier, You Belong to Me: Sex, Race and Murder in the South.
You never seized to amaze me how knowledgeable you have in films
The most disturbing thing I ever read about was the torture and murder of Junko Furuta. I don't think will ever be able to watch the movie about it. I came across it while scrolling through UA-cam looking for horror movie recommendations. I'm not even sure how this was suggested to me. It was just a short video by some UA-camr explaining what happened to her. I couldn't finish it. What happened to this poor girl is horrific. It has stuck with me ever since I came across it.
The Cove is amazingly depressing, if you're into that kind of thing. Lol
"CHILD OF RAGE : THE BETH THOMAS STORY" or "BORN TO RAGE l THE REAL BETH THOMAS STORY".......BOTH are devastating and I dare ANYONE to watch them all the way through.
I recommend the Life of Crime trilogy. It covers the life of three criminals and drug addicts from 1984-2020. Seriously insane. Deliver Us from Evil is also extremely disturbing and frustrating to watch.
ooo thanks, I don't think I've heard of this first one.
A few docs that I think should be definitely in any disturbing doc list. "The Video Diaries Of Ricardo Lopez", incredibly sad and disturbing. The official doc ends before the inevitable conclusion, but a quick google search will fill in the gap, but that's not recommended for most people. Once you HEAR how it all ends, that's a sound you'll never forget. "We Have Ways Of Making You Talk" documents various torture methods used in conflicts. Who knew the French could be so mean ?! "I Think We're Alone Now" - Belinda Carlisle stalkers. Very strange. Very disturbing. Honestly, "The Bridge" just annoyed me. I have zero issues with people wanting to check out, but to do it so publicly, to traumatize the people that may witness what you do, is so narcissistic and selfish it beggars belief. If you want top yourself, be my guest, but don't involve other people. Buy a ticket, go to Alaska, go give a Grizzly a hug. Or take a road trip out to the bush, find an inland taipan and try wearing it as a scarf. They'll punch your ticket to the next life in very short order.
I definitely recommend The Cove (2009) if you haven't seen it. You don't seem to have it logged on Letterboxd at least. It gets pretty gruesome
I have seen it! I watched it before I had letterboxd. So sad!
Don’t know, but “The imposter”, “Girl in the picture”, “Thin blue line”
and “Night Stalker” really messed me
Up!
Imposter is one of my favourite documentaries of all time !
I watched it alone and went to work and left my wife watching it alone. She sent me so many messagens in my phone… “why?” “WTF”? “OMG”! Hahah😂
I was looking forward to beyond utopia for over a year but when I watched it I was so disappointed I think my hopes were too high
💯I had like 3 anxiety attacks and will probably stay with me for a very long time. I do not really recommend watching this. It is too much.
here to recommend love has won to anyone that hasn't seen it yet
I didn’t include it because it’s a doco series not feature but it’s worth a watch for sure!
Well done, interesting films
Ty
One of my favorite documentaries is Shadow of truth, about the brutal murd*r of Tair Rada. Is a bit biased, but so good. Sadly you can't find it anywhere now.
I remember watching this when it came out!
I'd put Rodney Ascher's documentary about sleep paralysis, The Nightmare, at the top of my list, with an honorable mention for Cropsey. That said, I don't think I've ever sat with a more uncomfortable audience than the theater full of people I saw The Act of Killing with...
I did a review on the nightmare very scary stuff
I think The Bridge might be on UA-cam
What’s all the fuss about Dear Zachary? Tried watching it twice, got bored and quit twice. Now all these comments are making me try for a third. I’m desensitized. Gotta be something hardcore to thrill me. I’m bored, about to get even more bored I’m sure
You have to get to the end
@@upmysIeeves I’ll just skip to the end then. Thx