Those of you who enjoy unusual subjects and different perspectives will surely find our list of 15 best Vice documentaries on YouTube quite pleasing.
You have to admire the people behind Vice. They have created one huge media machine that has its fingers in almost everything. The company deals in film production, book publishing, and even has a music label. Maybe the most notable part of the company remains Vice Magazine that is still available in the physical form. Vice is known to deal with topics other media doesn’t give much attention to or doesn’t cover it the right way. Also, the topics are usually aimed toward a younger population and presented by a younger generation of journalists and writers.
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Now, I know that there are many people who don’t like the style of Vice, and I don’t blame them. Let’s take articles featured on Vice’s website, for example. They can be sometimes unprofessional, unnecessary controversial, and unserious to be considered as a solid source of information or even a pleasant read. I understand how an article titled “I Made an ‘Exact’ Replica of My Dick from the Comfort of My Own Home” can be appealing to someone, but that sounds just to click bait to me. On the other hand, Vice News and their Vice documentaries are something refreshing. Documentaries made by Vice will surely keep your attention. They may not be as long as full feature documentaries you are accustomed to, but it doesn’t make them any less valuable. The subjects of the documentaries are always done objectively, the research is thorough and the approach is professional. If you ask me, those are the things that make a good documentary. For those of you still determined to watch a documentary that has a longer running time, why don’t try out with some from our list of the 11 Best Science Documentaries on Youtube.
To get our list of 15 best Vice documentaries on YouTube, we visited Vice YouTube channels including the main channel, Vice News, Vice Sports and others. We browsed through the channels and ranked the documentaries based on their views. Enjoy.
15. Underground Bare Knuckle Boxing in the UK
We open our list with some bare fist fighting. Vice reporter Clive Martin did a story about an underground bare-knuckle boxing in the UK that is more similar to Fight Club than anyone could imagine. People from different backgrounds and statuses are exactly the same in the arena. It’s a man-to-man fight where the last standing one is the winner. The documentary explores the motives of these people and tries to learn where their will to fight comes from.
14. Donkey Sex: The Most Bizarre Tradition
Brace yourselves for the next one on our list of best Vice documentaries on YouTube. There are many traditions in the world that can come surprising to some people but are part of the life for other. Part of The VICE Guide to Sex, this documentary explores one of the most bizarre traditions you will ever come across. Let’s just say that boys on the north coast of Colombia will rather have their first sexual relationship with a donkey than with a woman. We said enough, and you can check the rest in the documentary.
13. Interview with a Cannibal
If you thought the Donkey Sex documentary is bizarre, wait until you hear about this one. Vice did a documentary about Issei Sagawa, who in 1981 murdered a young woman and then eaten her flesh. After he was arrested, the police found parts of the woman’s body in his fridge. You would think that this man was sentenced to death or ended up in prison for life in the best case. Well after five years in prison and various mental facilities he walked out free due to various law loopholes. If you have a weak stomach, think twice before you watch this one.
12. The Real Walter White
Breaking Bad is often mentioned in the context of best TV shows ever. It was a story about Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with cancer who decided to cook methamphetamine and became a drug lord in order to pay for his treatment and secure his family’s future. It turns out that there is a real life Walter White who also had an impressive meth empire. This documentary tells the story of his rise and fall. If you loved Breaking Bad, you will fancy this documentary as well.
11. Saudi Arabian Women Unveiled
The first part of the documentary that ranked 11th on our list of best Vice documentaries on YouTube focuses on photographer Ziyah Gafic and his projects that he has done through the years, mainly connected with violence against Muslims. The second part of the documentary focuses on Gafic’s work in Saudi Arabia where he interviewed and photographed successful and educated women who wear niqab and abaya. Although many think that women in Saudi Arabia are oppressed, these women have a different view.
10. The KKK vs. the Crips vs. Memphis City Council
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate Army general and maybe one of the most recognizable racists in the history of the United States known to be one of the early members of KKK (Ku Klux Klan). In spite of this reputation, Forrest still received a statue and had a park named after him in Memphis. The documentary tells the story about the events that took place after Memphis City Council decided to rename this and two other parks named after Confederate leaders. One part of the documentary follows the KKK members who want to organize the rally to protest against the change. The other part of the documentary revolves around the attempt of one young man to unify gangs of Memphis in order to “welcome” the guests.
9. The Cannibal Warlords of Liberia
Just when you thought that we finished with cannibalism on our list of 15 best Vice documentaries on YouTube. This documentary will introduce you to the African country of Liberia, which is recovering from a civil war that lasted 14 years. Although the war seems like over, the consequences are still visible in poverty, hostility, and fear among the people of Liberia.
8. 3D Printed Guns
We all talk about the technology advancement, but do we even realize how big that advancement is? This documentary may open your eyes. When 3D printers first showed up, they took the world by the storm, but no one knew their full abilities. Cody Wilson is one of those who got quite close. He was the first person who managed to 3D print fully functioning semi-automatic rifle. This, of course, caused major problems since the American legal system wasn’t prepared for this. In the documentary, you’ll be able to hear Cody’s story about his fight to keep 3D printed weapons legal and free for everyone and see how the process of 3D weapon printing looks like.
7. The Islamic State
You may have heard different things about the Islamic State (ISIS), some of them true and others not. It depends on what media you are following. One thing is for sure, they are not a minor threat anymore. This documentary, next on our list of best Vice documentaries on YouTube, is your chance to see firsthand the way this terroristic group functions. Vice News reporter Medyan Dairieh is one of the few people who gained full access to the group and had the chance to document it.
6. Krokodil: Russia’s Deadliest Drug
New drugs are not something out of the ordinary in these times when there are people who want to get “high” and people who want to make some money. But rarely has a drug been as dangerous as Krokodil (Russian for Crocodile). This new drug is especially popular in Russia, mostly because it’s so cheap. However, there is a larger price to be paid if the drug is consumed regularly. The side effects are disastrous since the drug makes consumer’s skin rotten. This documentary will give you a better insight into the world of people who consume this drug. Let’s see what’s next on our list of best Vice documentaries on YouTube.
5. Real Life Ukrainian Barbie
People often look to celebrities or fictional characters and base their looks and behaviors on them. This isn’t such a big deal unless it goes to the extreme. This documentary tells the story of extreme. Valeria Lukyanova gained an enormous amount of attention when the pictures of her hit the internet showing her incredible similarity to a Barbie doll. Most people thought that she underwent major plastic surgery procedures in order to make her body like that, and she crossed the line of sane. In this documentary, Valeria talks about her newfound fame and reveals whether she is natural or not.
4. Suicide Forest in Japan
The Aokigahara Forest located in Japan represents country’s most popular suicide location. It is believed that the reason for the popularity of this location is a 1960 novel titled Kuroi Jukai (Black Sea of Trees) from author Seichō Matsumoto, which features a scene of two lovers committing a suicide there. According to statistics, 50 to 200 people each year take their own life in the forest. To find out more about this place, check out this documentary.
3. UK’s Scariest Debt Collector
This documentary that is next on our list of best Vice documentaries on YouTube will get you familiar with Shaun Smith, a former enforcer who earned his pay by working for crime families and fighting rival gangs. After spending 5 years in prison, he is ready for a new career, this time in debt collecting. The documentary gives an insight into his new career and shows his working routine that is everything but usual.
2. The Giants of Iceland
Iceland is a small island, covered in ice with a population of just over 300,000. And yet, they somehow kicked out England from the Euro. Iceland is also famous for having one of the strongest men in the world through history. This documentary introduces some of them and shows their dedication and determination to continue the legacy of famous Iceland’s strongmen. There is a special treat here for fans of The Game of Thrones as well. Hint: The Mountain.
1. World’s Scariest Drug
We will close our list of 15 best Vice documentaries on YouTube with another drug related documentary. This one takes us to Colombia where a new drug found its way into the market. The drug is known as Scopolamine and “The Devil’s Breath,” and is so powerful that the person who abuses it loses the ability to use free will. If you don’t think this is a good reason for Scopolamine to be considered world’s scariest drug, the first-hand testimonies featured in the documentary will surely make you change your opinion.
