Netflix’s strategy has been particularly aggressive. They realized that subscribers who watch a documentary about The Movies That Made Us are likely to then stream the actual movie featured in the doc. It’s a closed-loop ecosystem of intellectual property.

Today, streaming services need volume. They need content that doesn't require expensive CGI or A-list actors. A documentary costs a fraction of a scripted series, but drives massive engagement.

The documentary rips the rope down.

Have you watched an entertainment industry documentary that changed your perspective on a film or artist? Share your recommendations in the comments below.

In the golden age of streaming, we are drowning in content. Yet, paradoxically, our hunger to understand how that content is made has never been greater. We no longer just want the movie; we want the "making of" the movie. We don't just want the album; we want the courtroom drama behind the royalty check.