15 Disturbing Documentaries

About: Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne documents his childhood friend, Andrew Bagby.Andrew Bagby,murdered. Bagby starred in many films Kuenne made growing up, so he had footage to introduce Bagby's only son, born after Bagby died, to his late father.

The Shocking Discovery: The audience learns Bagby was shot five times by his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Turner. While Kuenne made a film about his friend, he documented issues in Canada's legal system. Turner, pregnant with Bagby's child, fled the US for Canada after learning she was a main suspect. She gave birth to Zachary while waiting for extradition, and the family got custody after Turner was arrested. A letter from Turner convinced the judge she was not a threat, and he released her on bail. Turner then sued Bagby's parents for partial custody, which she won. Later, Zachary, only 13 months old, jumped into the Atlantic Ocean with Turner strapped to him. Both drowned.

Where They Are Now: Dear ZacharyZachary spawned a movement for bail reform in California. A law in Canada, named after Zachary, protects children of criminals during bail and custody trials. Kuenne also started the Dr. Andrew Bagby and Son Zachary Andrew Memorial Bursary charity.

About: When Robert BerchtoldRobert Berchtold moved into the Broberg neighborhood and instantly became friends with the family. Loving, charismatic, and smart, neighbors welcomed Berchtold; even 12-year-old Jan Broberg enjoyed his visits.

The Shocking Discovery:As the plot moves forward, the audience learns Berchtold began abusing the whole family. He tried Jan's mother, Mary Ann, pressured her father, Bob, into sexual acts for him, and slept in young Jan's bed. Berchtold eventually brainwashed the family. He abducted Jan—twice. He claimed Jan was humanity's only hope against an alien attack, and she had to carry his child before turning sixteen. They traveled to Mexico during Jan's first abduction on October 17, 1974. Berchtold could marry the then-12-year-old there. The Broberg family flew to Mexico to save Jan. Still, Jan believed Berchtold's lies and ran with him to Pasadena, California, two years later.

Where They Are Now: The FBI found Jan, and she returned to her family to heal from her difficult childhood. She became an actor, starring in the WB's EverwoodMary Ann wrote a book detailing the horrific events.Stolen Innocence:The Jan Broberg StoryThe book's release got Berchtold out of hiding. He showed up at a women's conference the Borberg women hosted in 2004. Berchtold claimed Bikers Against Child Abuse members were positioning themselves outside his home. He even allegedly ran over a biker in the parking lot. Berchtold faced charges for simple assault, criminal trespassing, and disorderly conduct. He took his own life before receiving a sentence.

What It's About: The Jan Broberg Story.Named for a Native American term for orca.Blackfish Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite wanted to film how humans react to big predators. She learned Tilikum, an orca kept at SeaWorld, killed trainer Dawn Brancheau. Cowperthwaite watched her boys visit the park. She saw Tilikum had been in two prior deaths and began investigating those incidents.

The Disturbing Revelation: The Disturbing Revelation:Instead of showing humans versus the wild, Cowperthwaite found a terrible story about Tilikum's life. Captured at two years old, Tilikum lived with female orcas at Sealand. The female killer whales bullied him and eventually killed a staff member. SeaWorld bought Tilikum to produce future orca entertainers. Former employees shared Tilikum's living conditions. He swam in a small pool for fish, got sunburned during the day, and faced mosquito and female orca attacks at night. Audiences learn the awful truth behind one of America's biggest theme park companies. The film shows the animal cruelty large, smart mammals face being held captive for human shows.

Where They Are Now: Where They Are Now:Tilikum stayed at SeaWorld Orlando until hisdeath in 2017death came from a lung infection.

What It's About:Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard is the mother and caregiver ofGypsy Rose, a little girl suffering from a cognitive disorder and many other illnesses and diseases.

The Disturbing Revelation: Viewers think they see a loving mother caring for her sick child. The dialogue then shows Gypsy Rose is healthy. Her mother abuses her by forcing medical treatments and procedures. These include putting her on a feeding tube, giving her anti-seizure drugs that ruined her teeth, and removing her saliva glands. Dee Dee lies to the public for sympathy, even shaving Gypsy Rose's head to look like she has cancer. After a failed escape, Gypsy Rose decides killing her mother is the only way to be free. Gypsy Rose does not commit the murder; she hires her secret boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to do it.

Where They Are Now: Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Nicholas Godejohn were both arrested for the murderof Dee Dee Blanchard in 2015. A court found Gypsy Rose guilty of second-degree murder and released her from prison on December 28, 2023. Godejohn faces first-degree murder charges and serves a life sentence without parole.

What It's About: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A woman drove a minivan down the wrong side of New York’s Taconic State Parkway. This caused a fatal crash that killed eight people in 2009. This group included her two-year-old daughter, three nieces, and three men in an SUV she hit head-on.

The Disturbing Revelation: The documentary seems simple. However, the director chose family interviews. Family members show how this "super mom" had past childhood trauma and distanced herself from friends. This approach confuses the story by showing Diane Schuleras a victim in an act that seems senseless and reckless. The family rejects the coroner's report. The report stated Schuler had twice the legal alcohol limit and THC in her system during the crash. Instead, they offer other ideas, suggesting a stroke or another illness caused her erratic actions. The film's title is the last words Schuler's 8-year-old niece said to her mother on the phone: “There's something wrong with Aunt Diane.” The family’s failure to grasp the evidence creates a tragedy. Audiences see grief in real time.

Where They Are Now: Warren and Jackie Hance, the parents of Schuler's three deceased nieces, struggled with their daughters' deaths. Jackie admitted she wanted to end her own life. After support from family and friends, the couple chose to make new memories by having another child. They welcomed Kasey Roseto the world two years after the deadly crash.

What It's About: The story begins with Alex LewisA man suffered a three-month coma after a 1987 motorcycle accident. He has no memory of who he is or his past. He depends on his identical twin brother, Marcus, to fill in the gaps and re-teach him his childhood.

The Disturbing Revelation.Alex paints a happy picture of his childhood. Viewers first sense Marcus hides details. Instead of the family home, the twins sleep in a shed on the property. Alex does not question this. He has no memory of how a normal family acts. One day, he finds a shocking past picture: the two of them naked from the neck down, their heads cut off the frame. When Alex asks Marcus if they were abused, Marcus must tell his twin about their mother's sexual abuse. Director Ed Perkins caught the brothers confronting and reconciling their trauma on camera. Audiences witness both coming to terms with their upbringing.

Where They Are Now.Marcus and Alex both married and raised families. They rekindled their brotherly bond, forming a strong tie despite their past.

This film shows the story of 'Tell Me Who I Am' in the list '15 Disturbing Documentaries'.Director Werner Herzog introduces the film's main character.Timothy Treadwell.An amateur outdoorsman, Treadwell has a gift for interacting with Alaskan wildlife in the wilderness. Treadwell found his love for the outdoors after life setbacks, including a failed acting attempt and substance abuse. He says interacting with grizzly bears for 13 years saved his life. Treadwell filmed all his interactions; these scenes appear throughout the documentary.

The Disturbing Revelation.Treadwell's lack of experience with wild animals shows early. Clips show him treating a fox that stole his hat like a person, not wildlife. Treadwell's friends joke the amateur outdoorsman avoided wild bears because they were confused by his strange actions. The film shows Treadwell developing paranoia, worrying about poaching despite officials saying the threat was small. Also, the grizzlies Treadwell kept as friends cared more about him as food than a companion. Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, were mauled to death. Video footage shows moments before the attack, and an audio clip from their last moments alive Herzog hears and reacts to during production. Audiences see the director's horror and their own horror by hearing a man who loved bears meet a gruesome end.

Jesus Camp is listed among 15 Disturbing Documentaries.Reverend Becky Fischer runs the Kids on Fire School of Ministry in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. She teaches young boys and girls about Jesus, preparing them to become warriors for Christ. Using her Pentecostal background, Fischer creates an “Army of God.” Children wear camouflage, learn warrior dances, and prepare for war against liberal culture and “the enemy.”Fischer runs the Kids on Fire School of Ministry, a Christian center for children in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. She teaches young boys and girls about Jesus and prepares them to be warriors for Christ. Fischer uses her Pentecostal background to create an “Army of God.” Children wear camouflage, learn warrior dances, and prepare for war against liberal culture and “the enemy.”

The Disturbing Revelation:Fischer openly uses “indoctrinate” to describe what the camp does for Christian youth. This shows her tactics are extreme. Children at Kids on Fire also learned to shake violently when introduced to evil topics, such as abortion and Harry Potter, along with speaking in tongues and adopting the idea of being slain by the Holy Spirit.Harry Potter.The documentary shows children going ballistic over a cardboard cutout of then-President George W. Bush, crawling over each other to touch and pray over it. Another scene shows the Army of God using hammers to crush coffee mugs with the word “government” on them, apparently a major enemy. A field trip involved campers protesting abortion outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Fischer often bullied the children, calling them phonies and hypocrites for acting differently outside the ministry than they did under it. The film features New Life Church's Ted Haggard (before he was disgraced for buying drugs).purchasing drugschildren lose their minds in excitement over meeting the evangelical preacher.

Where They Are Now:Children who attended the camp call Fischer a sadistStill, the reverend and many Christian viewers found no fault with her methods for teaching the youth at her camp. Five years after the film aired,She published. Jesus Camp, My Story: A Biographical Review of the Oscar Nominated Movie Jesus Camp.she praised the film for helping her reach more people. Public anger ended the camp, but Fischer used the same teaching ideas under a new name.Kids in Ministry International..

What It's About:Curious about the lives ofprofessional clowns.Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki plans to talk to top children's entertainment pros in the New York City area. He interviews David Friedman, who showed great skill in his craft even without traditional clown makeup.

The Disturbing Revelation:Jarecki asks Friedman what started his industry career. Friedman uncomfortably shares his troubled childhood before suggesting Jarecki contact Friedman's mother about his father and older brother's past actions. Jarecki agrees. He then learns Arnold and Jesse Friedman, David's father and brother, faced charges in the late 1980s for molesting boys in their basement where the older Friedman taught computers. The Friedmans found child pornography and shared stories from the children. However, no proof surfaced that the Friedmans committed sexual crimes. Arnold Friedman admitted he was attracted to young boys, but no semen or blood linked him or his son to the crime scene. Arnold's wife, Elaine, never entered the basement and supported her husband and son's claim of innocence. Jarecki uses home videos from David to show the story, revealing painful moments of a young boy's life ruined by his father and older brother's alleged acts.

Where They Are Now:Jesse Friedman.plead guilty to pedophilia but claim innocence. He served 13 years in prison before being released as a Level 3 sex offender in 2001. Despite graphic, detailed accounts from alleged victims, some boys have sincerecanted.Their testimonies against Jesse. Arnold committed suicide in prison in 1995.

What It's About:This documentary focuses on thesex film industry., interviewing real actors near Miami, Florida. Viewers immediately engage with the sexy title and the promise of an inside look at adult films.

The Disturbing Revelation:The documentary shifts dark. It shows older teen girls who do not love the work but wanted quick money from the adult film industry. Thousands of 18-to-20-year-old women join the industry yearly. Many get praised for looking '12.' Some women apply thinking it is modeling or acting. They learn the reality after hiring. Work involves kinks like facial abuse and non-consensual sex between older men and young girls. The job often feels demeaning, predatory, and sometimes causes physical pain. Young women quitting risk future jobs; production companies often refuse to hire them back. California hosts mainstream acting, but adult film companies moved to Florida because local laws skip condom requirements in scenes.

Where They Are Now: One heartbreaking part of this film is that these girls' identities, even with stage names, can easily be found. with a simple Google search.A simple Google search shows that because the industry targets women just finished with high school seeking cash, they often fail to grasp that their work stays online forever; nothing ever truly vanishes.

What It's About: In 2004, director Eric Steele and his team set up cameras on the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to capture the landmark for a whole year.The film captures the landmark from San Francisco for a full year.

The Disturbing Revelation: Over 365 days, cameras recorded more than two dozen suicides and several other attempts. Steele includes all these in the film, showing a mental health crisis and giving viewers personal stories from the loved ones left behind. While the documentary shows the bridge's beauty in Northern California, it also shows the harsh fact that more people end their lives on the Golden Gate Bridge than anywhere else globally.Golden Gate BridgeIt stands out above anywhere else on Earth.

Where They Are Now: According to Celia Kupersmith, CEO and general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District in 2006, suicide attempts on the Golden Gate Bridge increased right after the documentary aired. Kupersmith stated this was not only due to the film but a common event when the bridge gets press coverage.After the documentary's release, suicide attempts on the Golden Gate Bridge rose. Kupersmith saw this as a common event whenever the bridge gets press coverage, not just the film.

The documentary begins with a Staten Island urban legend featuring “The documentary opens with a Staten Island urban legend involving "CropseyCropsey is a fictitious yet believable figure in local urban lore. Legend says Cropsey is an escaped mental hospital patient living in the tunnel system under the old Willowbrook State School. Some people say he has a hook for a hand; others claim he carries an ax. Still, others think he is not a man but a ghoul haunting and terrorizing the town at night. Every version of the scary story ends the same: the mysterious man stalks the streets at night and kidnaps local children.

The Disturbing Revelation:Viewers soon see that the story might be good campfire material. But the real disappearances of several children with mental illnesses after Willowbrook State School closed are real. When Jennifer Schweiger, a 12-year-old with Down syndrome, was found in a shallow grave, former school custodian Andre Rand was suspected of the abduction. The jury could not prove Rand killed the girl, but they charged him with abduction. While serving his time, Rand also faced charges for taking another missing child, Holly Ann Hughes. After the school closed, many young patients and some workers had nowhere to go and stayed in the abandoned building. Rand was thought to be one of the squatters in the tunnel system under the school's foundation. Other children who vanished while Rand was around, hiding in Staten Island forests, include 5-year-old Alice Pereira, who disappeared in July 1972; 7-year-old Holly Ann Hughes, who vanished in July 1981; and 10-year-old Tiahease Jackson, who disappeared in August 1983.

Where They Are Now:Hauntingly, no proof ever showed Rand was guilty. Some guess he became an easy target to calm the Schweiger family, and the real "Cropsey" still roams the area, waiting for his next victim. Serving two 25-year-to-life sentences, Randremains in prison.

What It's About:Michel, a failed actor in California, starts a spiritual movement about healing and self-fulfillment. He recruits members through yoga and meditation classes. Members first liked his teaching on enlightenment, which focused on growing spiritually by mastering the self. Members soon saw they needed Michel to join the movement, which became known as Buddhafield.Members paid $50 weekly for 'cleansings'. Michel treated his body like a temple, so all attendees avoided alcohol, drugs, and caffeine. They worked up to three hours daily to maintain their perfect physiques. Former member Will Allen documented these events with actual film footage.

The Disturbing Revelation:Buddhafield seemed harmless at first, despite its physical and mental strain, until cult signs appeared. As Michel gained followers, he cut off his members from friends and family. Members loyal to his teachings received no rewards; Michel made them his slaves, demanding daily massages and cooking for him. Members avoided sex, but Allen showed sexual promiscuity existed among Michel's followers. Allen also suspected Michel groomed young men because members could not get HIV tests. Michel insisted others remain celibate to keep himself and his male concubines free of STDs.

Michel forced members to get plastic surgery so he could picture himself with changed features before operating. When the Cult Awareness Network investigated the group, Michel ran from Los Angeles, starting the cult again in Austin, Texas. There, he continued sexually abusing followers while acting like a Christ-like figure demanding worship.

Where They Are Now: He went to Hawaii as "Andreas." There, he reportedly charged $100 for "cleansing" sessions and renamed himself Reyji, which means "God King." Former group members lost all money after leaving the cult. After spending years with Michel and using money from odd jobs for rent and required therapy, some had under $50 and no skills for jobs elsewhere.When sexual assault allegations hit Michel, he...fled again - this time to Hawaii under the name “Andreas.” There, he reportedly charged $100 per “cleansing” session and changed his name again to Reyji, meaning: “God King.” While he remains active, former group members were left penniless upon exiting the cult. After devoting a portion of their lives to Michel and spending the money they earned through menial jobs on rent and the cult's required therapy sessions, some had less than $50 to their names and no real marketable skills for obtaining employment elsewhere.

What It's About:Searching for a story, New Zealand news anchor David Farrier found a video. The video showed a man strapped down, being forcibly tickled by multiple men. Farrier sought to understand the world of "competitive endurance tickling," Farrier and co-director Dylan Reeve contacted Jane O'Brien Media, the company marketing the video, for an interview.

The Disturbing Revelation:Jane O'Brien Media sent Farrier multiple emails with homophobic attacks instead of a simple yes or no. The company first stated, “Association with a homosexual journalist is not something that [we] will embrace. We desperately do not want a homosexual participant base applying for this project.” After weeks of threatening emails, Jane O'Brien Media flew representatives from LA to New Zealand to bully the project directors. Then, the duo uncovered a weird, creepy story of blackmail and coercion among participants via 'tickle cells' across the US. Many actors in the videos admitted Jane O'Brien Media, along with Terri Tickle, posted the content online without their consent. Later, the film shows David D'Amato, a high school principal with a shady past, behind the criminal acts. Farrier and Reeve then confronted D'Amato face-to-face, despite warnings from family and former employees to stay away.

Where They Are Now: David D'Amato died.He died suddenly and mysteriously on March 13, 2017. David D'Amato was 55 years old.

What It's About: An expert climbing team set out to find the remains of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a 22-year-old climber who might have proof he reached the summit first in 1924. Irvine was last seen near the mountain peak with George Mallory, whose body was found in 1999. Because Irvine carried a camera on their trip, historians and climbers think they could change history with a major find.

The Disturbing Revelation:When the climbers told the indigenous guides they would leave the main trail to explore Everest's more dangerous north side, they acted on their own. They kept going, leaving any feeling of safety from a more experienced crew behind as they hiked to where Mallory's body was found years earlier. Since Mallory had a rope tied around his waist, experts think the rope snapped or Irvine cut himself free from his partner in their final moments alive. After intense, near-disastrous events, the crew never found Irvine's body or the camera that could prove they and Mallory reached the top.

Where They Are Now: Irvine's body is still missing, but unsubstantiated claims have surfaced that a body He was found and partially buried in 1975. by Tibetan climber Pan Duo might have been Irvine.