We’ve gathered some of our favorite character-driven documentaries focusing on humans who are charismatic, peculiar, disheartened, and just downright terrifying.

Image Via: Some Kind Of Heaven

Have you ever heard that quote from Mark Twain about life being stranger than fiction? I’ll bet documentarians would agree. Since it’s been a while since our last film list, we decided to put together an offbeat list of documentaries with some of the most memorable character studies we’ve ever seen, some heartwrenching and others extremely bizarre. If you’re a non-fiction junkie or a connoisseur of character, these critically acclaimed docs should definitely be on your list to watch.

5 Character-Driven Documentaries You Need to Watch

1. Some Kind Of Heaven

2. Crumb

3. The Act of Killing

4. Grey Gardens

5. Voyeur

1. Some Kind of Heaven

Video: Official Trailer for Some Kind of Heaven

Some Kind Of Heaven is the directorial debut of Florida-native filmmaker Lance Oppenheim. This stunning documentary is set in and around the massive retirement community called The Villages in Florida. While this neighborhood is designed to be a “happy retirement,” providing a carefree, entertaining social world for all of its 55 and older residents, the documentary offers a deeper look at some of its inhabitants. Oppenheim has this incredible ability to capture the human condition on film. He’s a master at creating poignant character studies, and nothing about it feels forced.

Another one of my favorites of his that you can see for free is the short documentary, picked up by The New York Times Op-Docs, The Happiest Guy in the World. I’ll include it below:

Video: The Happiest Guy in the World

2. Crumb

Crumb is an intimate look at the life, family, and artwork of the controversial American cartoonist Robert Crumb. Famous for a handful of works, such as Keep on Truckin and the 1968 album cover Cheap Thrills, he produced thousands of others that were popular in the underground comic scene. The documentary is such a strange and fascinating look into artistic expression and art therapy, as his work is closely tied to his experiences growing up, sexual fantasies, and thoughts about life and society. Though much of his work is misogynistic and exploitative, there’s a strange can’t-look-away captivation to his brutal honesty and explanation of it all.

Video: 1994 Trailer for Crumb

 3. The Act of Killing

This critically acclaimed award-winning documentary follows Anwar and his associates as they are “challenged” to recreate the mass murders that they committed in the Indonesian death squads of the 1960s. These horrific deaths were carried out against alleged communists for the government. Brace yourself, The Act of Killing is not for the faint-hearted. It’s been described as a “terrifying masterpiece,” “chilling,” and “audacious.”

One of the executive producers of the film, Wener Herzog, stated in an interview with Vice that once Oppenheimer showed him 8 minutes of excerpts from his film that he immediately knew that he’d never seen anything as “powerful, as frightening, and as surreal as what was on the screen.”

Video: The Act of Killing Official Trailer

4. Grey Gardens

Originally released in 1975, this famous cult classic dives into the home and daily lives of two relatives of Jackie Kenney Onassis. The two women, mother and daughter, are recluses who rarely leave their distinctly overgrown estate in Long Island, New York. Throughout the film, each reminisces on old times, life, and love in their own idiosyncratic way, making them some of the most beloved women in cinema.

Many people are familiar with the Documentary Now episode based on this documentary, and while Bill Hader does a great Little Eddie, you must watch the original.

Video: Trailer for Grey Gardens

5. Voyeur

If you enjoy unusual characters, then this is a must-see for you. This documentary digs into the story of Gerald Foos, a voyeur who spent nearly two decades secretly spying on the guests who stayed at his motel in Aurora, CO. While that’s a fascinating story on its own, what’s even more interesting is that he tattled on himself to the master journalist, Gay Talese, asking him to write about his “accomplishments” of sorts. That’s what really makes this film so strange; the doc follows Talese as well, as he communicates with Foos and conducts his research in real-time. It’s a wild ride.

(Also, no more motels for me…)

Video: Official Trailer for Voyeur

What are your favorite character-driven docs?

Let us know below!

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