3 perfect-score HBO Max documentaries to watch this weekend (July 31-August 2)
It’s the final weekend of July, and while we wait for the hot new lineup from HBO Max to arrive for August (with DC’s Lanterns and new docuseries Monsters of God on the way), the prestige service still has a few tricks up its sleeve for documentary lovers.
HBO Max‘s back catalog is formidable, and I’ve pulled a few perfect picks that are all 100% rated on Rotten Tomatoes—a Shark Week digestif about great white terror on Cape Cod, a nostalgic look at the surf rats of the 1990s, and an Emmy-nominated personal doc about a Hollywood icon.
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After the Bite
A biting dessert to follow Shark Week
As Shark Week winds down this weekend, consider this beautifully compiled and fascinating documentary a thinking-person’s chaser to all that thrilling shark action. After the Bite was released in 2023 as HBO’s contribution to that famous week, but it still holds up today. The film is framed around the death of 26-year-old boogie-boarder Arthur Medici who was killed by a great white off the coast of the Cape Cod town of Wellfleet in what was its first fatal shark attack in more than 80 years.
From there, After the Bite follows the effects it has on the tight-knit idyllic community as it examines what happened and what to do about it. Don’t expect any stalking, Jaws-like reenactments though. The film doesn’t sensationalize or make light of the situation, and instead takes a fly-on-the-wall approach as it sits in on heated town hall meetings, beach patrols keeping a keen watch on the shoreline, and shark-tagging expeditions. It also gets all the pertinent angles in interviews with key players, standouts being shark biologist Greg Skomal, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy researcher Megan Winton, and seal scientist Lisa Sette (the sharks flock to the area for this food source).
After the Bite has a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Momentum Generation
The radical crew that took over ’90s surfing
I could watch surfing movies, videos, and shows like HBO’s 100 Foot Wave all day, and I don’t live anywhere near the ocean. Some of my favorite surfers came out of the decade I grew up in, the ’90s, and this documentary hits it right on the head with its definitive account of how a scrappy gang of teenagers on Oahu’s North Shore—Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Kalani Robb, Ross Williams, and Benji Weatherley—dominated professional surfing in that glorious decade.
Quiz
Emmy- and Oscar-winning HBO documentaries
Trivia challenge
Think you know HBO’s most acclaimed docs? Name the film or series from the
clues alone.
DocumentariesTrue CrimeMusicCultureHBO
This Emmy-winning HBO docuseries followed a real estate heir suspected in multiple
deaths. Director Andrew Jarecki captured a bombshell on a hot mic when the subject muttered to
himself in a bathroom, apparently unaware he was still being recorded. Which documentary is this?
Correct! The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst became a
true-crime sensation when Robert Durst was caught on a hot mic appearing to say ‘I killed them all, of
course.’ The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2015.
Not quite — the answer is The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.
Director Andrew Jarecki’s bombshell final episode captured Robert Durst in an unguarded bathroom moment
that riveted the nation and led to his arrest. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or
Nonfiction Series in 2015.
This Emmy-winning HBO documentary, based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, exposed
the inner workings of a secretive religion through interviews with high-profile former members,
including a famous director who walked away after decades of involvement. What is this film?
Correct! Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief was directed
by Alex Gibney and based on Lawrence Wright’s book of the same name. It won multiple Emmy Awards and
featured interviews with former members including director Paul Haggis, offering a deeply critical look
at the Church of Scientology.
Not quite — the answer is Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of
Belief. Directed by Alex Gibney and based on Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting, the
film featured former high-ranking members speaking out. It swept the Emmys and remains one of HBO’s
most-watched documentaries ever.
This Emmy-winning HBO documentary series followed a fearless big-wave surfer’s
obsessive quest to conquer a legendary wave off the coast of Portugal, exploring both the thrill of
the sport and the physical and emotional toll it takes. What is this series?
Correct! 100 Foot Wave follows big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara and his
quest to ride record-breaking waves at Nazaré, Portugal. The HBO docuseries won the Emmy for Outstanding
Documentary or Nonfiction Series and captivated audiences with its stunning cinematography and emotional
depth.
Not quite — the answer is 100 Foot Wave. The series chronicles big-wave
surfer Garrett McNamara’s near-obsessive pursuit of the massive swells at Nazaré, Portugal. It won the
Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and was praised for its breathtaking footage and
personal storytelling.
This Emmy-winning HBO documentary examined a massive 1999 music festival that
descended into chaos, violence, and fire, asking how an event meant to celebrate peace and community
turned into something so destructive. Which film is this?
Correct! Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is an HBO documentary
directed by Garret Price that dissects the catastrophic 1999 Woodstock festival. It won the Emmy for
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and explored themes of toxic masculinity, corporate greed,
and the cultural mood of the late ’90s.
Not quite — the answer is Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage. Directed
by Garret Price, the film won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and dug into
why the festival — meant to recreate the spirit of the original 1969 Woodstock — ended in fires,
assaults, and widespread destruction.
This Emmy-winning two-part HBO documentary, directed by Alex Gibney, investigated
how pharmaceutical companies and regulators allegedly fueled an addiction crisis affecting millions
of Americans, scrutinizing both corporate malfeasance and government failure. What is it called?
Correct! The Crime of the Century is a two-part HBO documentary directed
by Alex Gibney that examines the opioid epidemic in the United States. It focuses on how pharmaceutical
companies, particularly those producing OxyContin, allegedly misled doctors and regulators, contributing
to hundreds of thousands of deaths. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Not quite — the answer is The Crime of the Century. Directed by Alex
Gibney, this two-part HBO film investigates the opioid crisis by examining the roles of Big Pharma and
the DEA. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and remains one of the most
damning indictments of the pharmaceutical industry ever put to film.
This Emmy-winning HBO documentary was a deeply personal two-part tribute to a
beloved comedian and television creator, weaving together interviews, archival footage, and journal
entries to explore his philosophy, creative process, and spiritual life. Who is the subject of this
film?
Correct! The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling is a two-part documentary
directed by Judd Apatow, who was a close friend of Shandling’s. It won the Emmy for Outstanding
Documentary or Nonfiction Special and offers an intimate look at the creator of The Larry Sanders Show
through his journals, home movies, and heartfelt interviews.
Not quite — the answer is Garry Shandling, subject of The Zen Diaries of
Garry Shandling. Directed by his friend Judd Apatow, the Emmy-winning two-parter used Shandling’s
personal journals to explore the inner life of one of comedy’s most introspective and influential
figures, creator of The Larry Sanders Show.
This Emmy-winning HBO documentary sparked enormous controversy upon its release,
with two men sharing detailed accounts of alleged abuse by one of the most famous entertainers in
history. The subject’s estate strongly disputed the claims. What is this documentary?
Correct! Leaving Neverland focuses on Wade Robson and James Safechuck,
who alleged that Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children. Directed by Dan Reed, the four-hour
HBO documentary won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and ignited a fierce
global debate about belief, celebrity, and abuse.
Not quite — the answer is Leaving Neverland. Directed by Dan Reed, the
documentary gave Wade Robson and James Safechuck a platform to detail their allegations against Michael
Jackson. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and remains one of the most
debated documentaries of the past decade.
This acclaimed HBO documentary, directed by Spike Lee, is a four-part, four-hour
examination of a catastrophic 2005 natural disaster and its devastating aftermath, giving voice to
the residents of a major American city who felt abandoned by their government. What is this film?
Correct! When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts was directed by
Spike Lee and chronicled the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in New Orleans. It won
the Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and is widely regarded as one of the greatest American
documentaries ever made, honoring the resilience of the city’s residents.
Not quite — the answer is When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.
Spike Lee’s monumental four-part HBO film documented the human toll of Hurricane Katrina and the
systemic failures that compounded the tragedy. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and
stands as a powerful testament to the people of New Orleans.
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From brother filmmakers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars), 2018’s Momentum Generation tells the story of this iconic crew of surf-obsessed young men who formed a family bond while crashing at the legendary beach house that was owned by Weatherley’s mom while they honed their craft and pushed each other to greatness surfing Pipeline.
But it’s not all perfect barrels and endless sets, the documentary also dives deep into the rivalries between the best friends, the effects that fame had on them, and, most devastatingly, how the drowning death of their collective mentor, Todd Chesser, in 1997, would splinter their idyllic family. The 103-minute doc uses some spectacularly grainy archival footage and emotional present-day interviews with Slater, Machado, and Weatherley among them, to tell this incredible story that surf fans will love.
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My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
The Law & Order: SVU star reclaims the mother she never knew
My top pick this week is one that I put off watching for a while, but was nudged to delve into after it was nominated for Outstanding Documentary for this year’s Emmys, which will be handed out in September. You might know her as hard-nosed detective Olivia Benson from the 27 seasons she’s spent on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but Mariska Hargitay has another major claim to fame that predates any of her acting work—she’s the daughter of 1950s Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, who tragically died in a notorious 1967 car crash when Mariska was only three.
In her directorial debut, My Mom Jayne is a touching journey as Hargitay, for the first time in her life, attempts to learn about and get close to the woman and mother behind the platinum blondeshell image that loomed so large over the world. Hargitay digs deep, sifting through boxes of materials from her mother’s life—letters, home movies, photos, archival footage of Mansfield from her TV appearances—to scrap-book together a picture of a woman she never knew.
Helping to fill in many of the blanks are Hargitay’s siblings—Jayne Marie Mansfield, Mickey Hargitay Jr., Zoltán Hargitay, and Tony Cimber—and even her mother’s longtime press secretary Raymond Strait, who all sit for revealing on-camera interviews. But there’s another bombshell in My Mom Jayne, as Hargitay also meets her real biological father, Nelson Sardelli, a secret that was kept from her until she was 25.
The calm before August storm
The good thing about HBO Max is that they’ve been at it so long that even when there’s nothing new on, there’s always something good you can dig up, and this week’s documentaries prove that with these perfect-score movies.
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2 or 4
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