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I found 5 inspiring documentaries on Netflix and Prime Video that prove watching TV can actually be good for you
It can often feel like we’re playing catch up with self care these days, but with it being Wellness Week over here at TechRadar, we’ve picked out a handful of documentaries that’ll give you plenty of tips for living a healthier, more mindful lifestyle.
With subjects raging from what we eat to living longer, these stories follow everyone from celebrities to regular folks searching for a better way of living. Whether you’re looking for ways to destress, tips to eating well or just searching for some inspiration, stick with us, as we outline our pick of game-changing documentaries that you can stream across some of the best streaming services.
Super Size Me (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Age rating: PG-13
Director: Matt Spurlock
Where to watch: Prime Video (US, UK, AU)
Super Size Me is a documentary very much in the Michael Moore mold, following Morgan Spurlock as he takes on the fast food giants.
Looking to challenge the industry’s corporate influence and expose their encouragement of unhealthy eating, Spurlock set himself a challenge: consume only food from McDonald's for 30-days and document the effects on his physical and mental health.
While it’s fair to say that the film’s findings have dated in their relevancy in the years since its release – for one, McDonald’s discontinued their infamous Super Size range shortly after the doc’s release – it still serves as an insightful cautionary tale of consuming too much of the sort of fast/processed food so many of us turn to in the busy modern world.
A sequel, Holy Chicken!, arrived in 2017, which saw Spurlock explore the ways in which the fast food industry has incorporated ‘healthy’ offerings in the wake of the original film.
Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Age rating: TV-MA
Director: Joe Pearlman
Where to watch: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
Intended as your average ‘behind the music’ documentary, How I’m Feeling Now ends up being a raw and powerful exploration of battling poor mental health and struggling with the weight of expectation.
It’s not an uncommon sensation in the modern world to find yourself putting your own needs last while trying to accommodate the expectations of those around you, but when those expectations are that you follow up a smash hit album and head out on the tour and chat show circuit to promote it, the levels of stress and self doubt are multiplied tenfold.
Through the documentary, we see Capaldi grappling with various issues that eventually lead to a diagnosis of Tourette's. That the artist is able to create and deliver a piece of work as masterful as Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent despite his struggles is hugely inspirational, but the story doesn’t end when the credits roll.
Shortly after the documentary was released in April 2023, Capaldi struggled to get through his Glastonbury set, visibly battling his Tourette’s on stage. After two years away from the spotlight, Capaldi made an emphatic return to the very same stage this year, proving to all of those struggling with similar problems, that these battles can be won.
Resurface (2017)
![Resurface | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l8W1yvrPA-U/maxresdefault.jpg)
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Age rating: TV-MA
Director: Joshua Izenberg and Wynn Padula
Where to watch: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
Resurface may only run for just under 30-minutes, but this film about veterans finding solace in surfing packs a hugely inspiring punch.
After battling years of night terrors, depression and seizures, Iraq war veteran Bobby Lane found himself on the verge of taking his only life. However, after meeting big wave surfer Van Curaza, Lane began to find solace in the ocean, and specifically, surfing.
While the documentary spends much of its short runtime focusing on the physical and emotional trauma of ex-service personnel and the lack of support for it, the core theme of Resurface is the healing power of the ocean.
Via Curaza’s Operation Surf initiative, the film introduces us to various ex-soliders – some having suffered life changing injuries – all of whom have been rejuvenated by surfing, proving it to be a sport that transcends physical boundaries and is able to bring joy and solace to even the most challenging lives. Press play on Resurface, and you’ll be buying a wetsuit half an hour later.
Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Age rating: PG-13
Director: Chris Smith
Stream: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
You may well have heard of Bryan Johnson, the wealthy entrepreneur popping up on news feeds everywhere with his efforts to extend his life beyond natural limits – who could have missed that quote from The Guardian: "[I'm] winning gold in the Olympics for health (if there were such a thing)."
Don’t Die charts the various methods and experimental medical treatments Johnson is taking on in pursuit of his hefty ambition. The film also delves into the psyche of the tech millionaire, looking at the personal struggles that have driven him to such extremes, with the ultimate goal of becoming, and staying, 18 again – from a biological standpoint at least.
Although if you’re concerned that the film may just be Johnson propaganda – some of his methods have struck quite the online debate – it’s reassuring to know that the documentary comes from director Chris Smith, the man behind Fyre, which documented the disastrous Fyre Festival, and lockdown sensation Tiger King, both of which offered a ‘warts and all’ portrayal of their controversial subjects.
And the same is true here, with Smith unafraid to challenge Johnson – in fact the filmmaker was drawn to the project because of the headlines around the mogul’s crusade. And while Johnson’s methods aren’t necessarily something we can all do ourselves (unless you have a spare $2 million a year to dedicate to personal wellness), it’s inspiring to hear some of his reasoning and the documentary has some interesting perspectives on our fears around mortality and growing older.
What the Health (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Age rating: PG-13
Director: Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn
Stream: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
In a similar vein to Super Size Me, What the Health tackles the information delivered to us by health organizations around what we eat and whether we can trust the advice we’re given.
From the filmmakers behind Cowspiracy, the film dives into the supposed collusion between the meat, dairy and pharmaceutical industries that keep all churning a profit at the expense of our health. Of course, for every argument put forward in the film, there’s a counter argument not shown, but the documentary still makes for an interesting look at the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
Some assertions in the film, such as eggs being as bad for your cholesterol as cigarettes, are easy to dismiss as nonsense, but it does make one question the quantity of consumption of these types of foods. But some of the discoveries made, such as a number of processed food companies sponsoring the American Diabetes Association and therefore having potential influence over the advice given, are eye opening in terms of what to trust when seeking information on eating well.
What the Health then, is perhaps a film that should be taken with a pinch of salt, but there’s still a lot of important information in the documentary that can help us eat better and more sustainably, and be more cautious with who we trust when it comes to advice on living well.
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