The best documentaries on HBO Max right now

HBO not only has some of the best fiction content among all the platforms but also in the documentary genre. Here is our selection of the ten best HBO documentaries.

House of Hammer (2022)

This documentary series offers a portrait of the unexpected and hidden private life of actor Armie Hammer, who is very popular worldwide due to his roles in films such as "Call Me by Your Name", "Death on the Nile", or "The Lone Ranger." With exclusive access and shocking revelations, 'The House of Hammer' takes viewers inside the dark power games of one of America's most prominent families.

The Hammer's meteoric rise to fame came crashing down when their victims came forward with disturbing stories of bondage, cannibalistic fantasies, and physical marks that soon turned into accusations of rape and abuse by Armie. Featuring previously unpublished interviews with the actor's aunt, Casey Hammer, and several victims of Armie's alleged abuse, the docuseries brings to light the dark secrets of the entire family, ranging from allegations of violence and abuse to political manipulation and financial fraud.

Duration: 3 episodes of 5 minutes

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News (2020)

This documentary examines the growing problem of the fake news phenomenon in the age of social media in the United States and the impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on citizens. "After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News" begins with the so-called Pizzagate, the shocking case of a popular pizzeria that allegedly concealed a pedophile circle. A terrifying story... and absolutely false. A tale that almost ended the lives of its owners. Based on this event, the documentary explains how many of these scams are created, their political or economic motivation, and the importance of technology in spreading them. The documentary talks about fake news and disinformation, but above all, it talks about post-truth, the terrain so favorable for scams, defamation, and conspiracies to take root.

Duration: 95 minutes

I Am Alfred Hitchcock (2021)

It is undeniable that Hitchcock's films are known all over the planet; it is enough to say "Psycho" to know who we are talking about. But who was the man behind the camera? "I am Alfred Hitchcock" is a documentary that introduces us to the genius of suspense like never before. His controlling personality, the complex (and fascinating) relationships with his family and his muses; his work as a director, producer, and screenwriter are the aspects that we will discover in this movie. Through interviews and exclusive archive material, we will learn about Hitchcock's influences and how this eccentric Brit broke the rules to become a film legend. An indispensable biography of a director whose legacy continues to cast a long shadow decades after his death.

Duration: 87 minutes

The Crime of the Century (2021)

The addiction to drugs used for chronic pain generates an atrocious dependency in many countries. "The Crime of the Century" immerses us into the opioid crisis, an event derived from the excessive use of painkillers in American society. Over-medication and lack of regulation by the North American health system and pharmaceutical companies have been directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in recent decades as a result of overdoses caused by oxycodone.

With the help of whistleblowers, insiders, recently leaked documents, exclusive interviews and access to investigations, and input from professional experts such as doctors, journalists, former and current government agents, lawyers and pharmaceutical sales representatives, as well as revealing testimony from victims of opioid addiction, "The Crime of the Century" shows that drug companies are, in fact, responsible for creating the very crisis from which they profit, with billions of dollars ... and hundreds of thousands of lives.

Duration: 231 minutes

Transhood (2020)

Shot over five years in Kansas City, "Transhood" is the inspiring story of four young people and their families as they discover what it's like to grow up transgender in the US. The documentary offers a long-term view of the unique journey of four transgender youths (aged 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) as they redefine the concept of "gender" and share their experiences of how expressing their true selves has impacted their families and American society. Poignant and thought-provoking, the film explores how these families struggle and stumble in parenting and how these children are challenged and transformed as they discover the complexity of their identities.

Duration: 96 minutes

Showbiz Kids (2020)

"Showbiz Kids" is a documentary about children in the entertainment industry, the personal and professional toll that fame brings, and all the problems it can cause growing up. The film's director and writer, Alex Winter, who began working as an actor on Broadway as a child when he was just 10 years old, aims to offer an honest look at a complex industry and how it affects the development of those who grow up in the Hollywood spotlight. Throughout the film, which features behind-the-scenes segments and previously unreleased audition footage, "Showbiz Kids" offers viewers a glimpse into what life on set is like for these young professionals, the challenges they face navigating the waters of the industry at such a young age, and the long-term effect the public eye has on their self-esteem and feelings of isolation.

Duration: 94 minutes

Wig (2019)

"Wig" is a documentary about the iconic drag queen Lady Bunny and her glamorous festival known as "Wigstock", a clever play on the name of the legendary Woodstock and the word "wig." The production, directed by Chris Moukarbel, an Emmy-nominated director and creator of "Banksy Does New York", shows through archival footage the origins and influence of this iconic festival on the contemporary drag movement. Created in 1984 in New York at the peak of the AIDS epidemic, Wigstock was a celebration that marked the end of every summer for more than twenty years. In 2018, Lady Bunny reissued the event, connecting its legendary queens with the new generation of performers in one of the largest drag performances ever staged in the world.

Duration: 90 minutes

Fake Famous (2021)

What is the true meaning of fame in the digital age? "Fake Famous" follows three young people from Los Angeles in their attempt to become famous "influencers", a social experiment that tends to prove that Instagram lives are more artificial than you might think. To achieve this, journalist Nick Bilton chose three anonymous characters to see if they could become social network stars by playing the game proposed by the system (buying lots of fake followers, armies of bots, etc.). However, these "fake influencers" will soon discover that the price of this atypical, absorbing, and increasingly established lifestyle among certain profiles has none of the glamour it exhibits.

Duration: 87 minutes

Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020)

Filed as an accident, the death of megastar Natalie Wood occurred when she fell off the yacht on which she was spending an evening with her husband, Robert Wagner, and the co-star of her latest film, "Project Brainstorm," Christopher Walken, who was rumored to be in the midst of an affair with Wood, something that was never fully proven. All indications are that in the midst of an escalating, quarrelsome, alcohol-fueled hostility between Wagner and Walken, Wood fell overboard and died. At the time, no one noticed the actress's disappearance until her body was found on a shore. Rumors of murder in the wake of this unusual death soon surfaced, and the truth could never be clarified. The centerpiece of the documentary is an interview by Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner with her father, Robert Wagner, the late star's husband, in which the actor explains his version of events and shows his grief at what happened that fateful night on Catalina Island off Los Angeles. This was one of the first times that the actor spoke so frankly about the subject, and his testimony is full of emotion and self-reproach. If you like police investigations, this documentary is for you.

Duration: 100 minutes

Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

This incredible documentary explores the 2015 murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, masterminded by her teenage daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard (or Gypsy), a sick young woman. "Mommy Dead and Dearest" depicts the circumstances that led Gypsy to stab her mother fourteen times. Gypsy was a victim of Dee Dee's Munchausen syndrome, a mental pathology, and a form of child abuse in which a child's caregiver, often the mother, invents false symptoms or provokes real symptoms to make it appear that the child is ill. Gypsy Rose Blanchard confessed to being involved in the murder of her parent because of manipulation and abuse committed against her from early childhood.

Duration: 79 minutes