Shocked by Seaspiracy on Netflix? Watch these nine eye-opening documentaries next

There’s one documentary that has got everyone talking in the last week: Seaspiracy. The film shares some shocking truths about the corruption, lies and scandal in the fishing industry, as well as lifting the lid on claims of slavery and murder within the practice. After watching, you might be interested in knowing that Netflix has a catalogue of other shows, like Seaspiracy, which will also give you a shocking realisation about the world we live in.

From more documentaries about plastics and the effects humans are having on marine life, to revelations about our social media habits and other every day things we do, without realising the consequences.

Here are some more shows on Netflix like Seaspiracy, that will open your eyes to issues happening in the world right now.

Blackfish

If you ask people what the first hard-hitting documentary they watched on Netflix was, or the reason they first got a Netflix subscription, a lot will say Blackfish. This documentary literally did change an entire culture. It’s a crucial look at the life of a captive killer whale called Tilikum, who spent most of his life performing at SeaWorld Orlando and caused the deaths of several people while in captivity.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

If you’re wondering why Cowspiracy has a name a bit like Seaspiracy, it’s because the shows have the same co-creators. In this documentary, you learn how factory farming is ruining the planet’s natural resources, and why this crisis has been largely ignored by major environmental groups.

The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma is a documentary all about the evolution of social media and how it basically controls all of our lives now. It’s one of those Black Mirror style docs that will make you never want to look at a screen ever again. Interviewees include the guy who literally invented the Facebook “like” button, some of the early team at Instagram and the tech experts behind some of the biggest algorithms in the social media world.

The Game Changers

The Game Changers is a documentary which aims to change the way people eat and live, by interviewing people who have gone vegan. It makes a lot of claims about the benefits of following a plant-based diet and features interviews with experts and athletes about their diets. After it was released in 2018, people said it “changed their life” and that they were turning vegan.

Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral is an hour-and-a-half documentary film, following divers, scientists and photographers as they travel all over the world to document the disappearance of the planet’s coral reefs. By the end of this you’ll struggle not to see coral reefs as a thing of beauty, which we don’t do enough to protect.

A Plastic Ocean

In A Plastic Ocean, journalist Craig Leeson and diver Tanya Streeter come together with a team of scientists and researchers as they travel all over the world to explore the fragile state of our oceans. The Netflix synopsis for the documentary reads: “When he discovers the world’s oceans brimming with plastic waste, a documentary filmmaker investigates the pollution’s environmental impacts.”

What The Health

What The Health is a follow-up to the documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. The film examines the link between diet and disease, and the billions at stake in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and food industries. After it was released, the documentary was dragged and called a conspiracy and misleading. But, it definitely got people talking and it hasn’t stopped people watching it – even if they do so with a pinch of a salt, no pun intended.

The Ivory Game

This 2016 documentary is produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. The heartbreaking film uncovers the plight of African elephants, brought to the brink of extinction by ivory trafficking. The film goes undercover in this twisted and dark world which is killing elephants.

Mission Blue

Mission Blue is an hour-and-a-half documentary film which looks at the life and work of oceanographer, marine biologist, and environmentalist Sylvia Earle. The synopsis reads: “Our world is 70 per cent sea, but our waters are in deep trouble. Meet the woman who lives to save Earth’s dying oceans.”

Seaspiracy is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, quizzes, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Who is Ali Tabrizi? The 27-year-old filmmaker behind Seaspiracy on Netflix

• Netflix doc ‘Seaspiracy’ reveals dark secrets and corruption in the fishing industry

• Ranked: The best true crime documentaries on Netflix, according to Rotten Tomatoes