Television series
Allen v. Farrow
Allen v. Farrow is a four-part HBO documentary examining the 1992 abuse allegations against Woody Allen and the subsequent custody battle with Mia Farrow. It's a meticulous, archive-heavy investigation that lets testimony and evidence speak for itself, avoiding sensationalism while documenting one of cinema's most destructive personal scandals. For anyone interested in how institutions protect the powerful.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you want a patient, document-driven look at how a public scandal was assembled from competing accounts, and you can sit with contested testimony without being handed a verdict.
Skip it if you need distance from the subject, since it dwells on an alleged abuse of a young child and the bitter family fallout that followed, and that is a heavy thing to carry.
What it asks of you: Four episodes, about an hour in all, moving steadily through archive footage, interviews and court material, and wanting your full attention rather than background company.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The World for the Two of Us2022
A documentary about the friendship between director Max Ophüls and his subject, exploring complicated relationships and the ethics of who gets to tell whose story. Thoughtful and structurally inventive in ways that might deepen how you think about Allen v. Farrow.
But Quieter and more formally experimental than a conventional doc. Requires patience with ambiguity rather than seeking resolution.
Surviving R. Kelly2019
Another HBO investigation into abuse allegations against a powerful figure, structured to center survivors' voices and testimony. If Allen v. Farrow engaged you, this has the same investigative rigor applied to a music industry context.
But Deeply harrowing material about sexual predation. Not a lighter watch, and deliberately difficult in places.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley2019
An Errol Morris documentary about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos—a story of deception, institutional failure, and how charisma can substitute for truth. Similar in its unflinching examination of how powerful people evade accountability.
But No sympathetic figure to anchor to. It's a procedural about how the con worked rather than a personal story.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Allen v. Farrow
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
An Open Secret2014
Both examine how power, wealth, and proximity shield abusers from consequences. Both ask uncomfortable questions about complicity and what we choose to believe.
A documentary about child sexual abuse in the Hollywood system—not focused on one case but on patterns, enablers, and institutional indifference. It exists in the same landscape as Allen v. Farrow but asks broader questions about how an entire industry protects perpetrators.
But Distressing material about children. Less polished than Allen v. Farrow and harder to watch; some find the presentation sensationalistic. Limited theatrical release means it's less accessible.
More like this (8)
Tickled2016
Starts as absurdist comedy about competitive tickling and spirals into something darker: an investigation of obsession, internet manipulation, and hidden power dynamics. Genuinely surprising and unsettling.
But Tonal whiplash from funny to disturbing. Some may find it exploitative of its subject rather than illuminating.
The Staircase2022
A 13-episode HBO true-crime series following a murder trial and its aftermath over decades. Immensely detailed, with access to principals and archives that show how legal systems and public opinion shift over time.
But Long and deliberately paced. The central question never fully resolves, which some viewers find frustrating rather than realistic.
Senna2010
Asif Kapadia's documentary about the racing driver Ayrton Senna uses purely archival footage and contemporaneous audio to construct a narrative about genius, competition, and mortality. Masterclass in visual storytelling.
But Assumes some interest in Formula One. The non-sports elements (rivalry, legacy) matter more than the racing itself.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann2019
A four-part Netflix series investigating the 2007 disappearance of a child in Portugal. Methodical examination of how media, police, and theories shape the story around an unsolved case.
But Often frustrating because the central mystery remains unresolved. Some find that responsibility-dodging rather than honest.
Cobain: Montage of Heck2015
Brett Morgen's documentary about the Nirvana frontman uses animation, archival footage, and personal materials to explore fame, addiction, and a life lived in public. Visually inventive approach to biographical documentary.
But Ultimately tragic and sometimes grim. The spectacle of formal technique occasionally overshadows reflection on the subject's suffering.
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief2015
Alex Gibney investigates Scientology's practices and impact. Like Allen v. Farrow, it's a systematic examination of institutional power, denial, and the cost of institutional loyalty to individuals caught inside.
But Some major figures refuse to participate, leaving gaps. Occasionally repeats itself to hammer points home.
The Act2019
Both investigate abuse happening in plain sight within a family, and how institutional failure (courts, doctors, public) allows it to continue. Both examine what people choose to see and refuse to acknowledge.
A limited series dramatizing the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother's Munchausen syndrome by proxy. It's a character study of dependency, deception, and abuse disguised as care—told through performance rather than documentary reconstruction.
But A fictionalized account means dramatic license over documentary fact. Some viewers find dramatizing real abuse exploitative. Tonal shifts between dark comedy and tragedy can feel uneven.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst2015
Like Allen v. Farrow, it shows how wealth and legal resources allow powerful people to evade accountability. Both use archives, testimony, and investigation to reconstruct events the subjects want buried. Both ask: what do we actually know?
A six-part HBO limited series following journalist Andrew Jarecki's investigation into a wealthy man suspected of multiple murders. It's structured as investigative unraveling rather than settled judgment—we watch the reporter discover, doubt, and piece together a case in real time.
But The subject is charismatic in deeply unsettling ways, and the doc sometimes plays into that. Later revelations muddied some conclusions, leaving some threads unresolved. Requires tolerance for ambiguity about guilt.
Recommended by
Leaving Neverland: The Aftermath, Surviving R. Kelly, Untouchable, At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator