CONSTANTINOS PSILLIDES on the subject matter that really should be brough to our screens

If there’s one thing we can give Netflix credit for it’s turbocharging the documentary genre, pivoting it away from grand-scale, big-budget production that focused on nature exclusively to ones that are independent, lower-cost, and deal with little-known stories or an in-depth behind-the-scenes view of famous ones. This week’s release Depp Vs Heard takes a thorough look at the trial that shook Hollywood, with Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp on one side and Aquaman’s Amber Heard on the other.

Here at the Cyprus Mail we always strive to stay ahead of the curve. So here are five future documentary ideas for Netflix!

Blindsided

The Blind Side movie came out in 2009 and reminded everyone why the ‘white saviour’ trope should be abandoned and never be used again in any entertainment medium. The film tells the true(?) story of Michael Oher, an impoverished, abandoned student who gets adopted by a suburban white family and given a chance to shine as an American football player. Believe me when I say that this movie aged like uncorked wine left out in the sun. It’s cringey, downright offensive, and embarrassing for everyone involved, with the possible exception of Sandra Bullock who played the no-nonsense surrogate mamma bear and won an Oscar for it.

In a shocking turn of events (well, not so shocking) it turns out that the true story part of the film was made-up and actual events were over-exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Oher, the subject of the film, was never in such a dire situation as it was portrayed and was merely a victim of circumstance and he was a well-known football player before he met the family.

Recently, Oher took the family to court, accusing them of taking advantage of him for financial gain and making deals for him behind his back. The family rejects the accusations saying that Oher received his fair share of the money both from movie rights and sports deals. Drama, true crime, broken familial bonds, court proceedings, this future documentary has everything! Just start following the main players until this is resolved and you get a docu-series well worth the binging!

Pier Pressure: How wealthy elites end up at the bottom of the ocean

With a news story such as the OceanGate submersible, you bet some documentaries will follow. On June 18 a submersible operated by a company offering exclusive tours to the Titanic wreck went missing, triggering a massive rescue attempt for its five occupants: the pilot and company CEO Stockton Rush, businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, businessman Hamish Harding and explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Five days later debris was found, indicating that the submersible imploded due to high pressure, killing everyone on board instantly.

This story writes itself: from the dodgy tech bro who ignored all safety precautions and attacked anyone who dared to imply that his game-controlled submersible isn’t the safest thing ever, to the affluent tourists who trusted him with their lives despite ample public evidence showing that his contraption was about as safe as a hastily put together carny ride at a 3rd rate festival. Interviews with officials warning about the submersible and its cavalier owners, victims’ social media content and a CEO brought low by his own hubris. This is begging to be made into a documentary!

Landlocked: How the rich left us homeless

Rapidly rising cost of living and a landowner class hawking all available housing properties, driving prices to a point where building a home is quickly becoming an unachievable dream for the middle class. Well, what’s left of it.

The 1% hoarding all the wealth, condemning the rest of us to a life of fighting for scraps and young couples struggling to make their dream of owning a home a reality while greedy landowners jack the prices sky high? Just on rage alone this documentary could be an instant success.

The Trump Card

From the White House to possibly a jail cell, the fall of Donald Trump is nothing short of spectacular. And judging by the latest indictments handed by the court, he is about to land in prison and stay there for a while. A documentary detailing the trials and the effect they have on the people is just what the doctor ordered for a weekend binge! Oh, and for added effect, have Hilary Clinton narrate it. Just for the giggles.

Put(in) his place

With the Ukraine war dragging into another year, a military coup by hired mercenaries avoided at the very last moment, international sanctions crippling the country’s elite who are desperately looking for a change in leadership and his political opponents creeping closer, Russia’s strongman president is not long for the highest office in the land. Now would be a great time to laser focus on the man, for a documentary that will chronicle his meteoric rise and his inevitable fall.