Gallery: We Pick the Year's 5 Most Intriguing Documentaries

  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Edward Snowden and Man
    courtesy Laura Poitras
    01

    Citizenfour

    Most documentaries go back and piece together history after the fact. *Citizenfour* chronicles history as it happened. Director Laura Poitras was one of the handful of people NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden contacted to help him reveal the information he wanted the public to know, so she was there filming as the leaks happened.
  • Image may contain Human Person and Art
    Sony Pictures Classics
    02

    Jodorowsky's Dune

    The worst part about this movie is that after you finish watching it, you’ll be *so angry* we never got to see Alejandro Jodorowsky’s vision of *Dune* come to life. Watch it and you won't get FOMO, just some hardcore SFPWMOOT: So Fracking Pissed We Missed Out On This.
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Bob Steele and Helmet
    PF Productions
    03

    Particle Fever

    *Particle Fever* was one of the most heartwarming films of 2014. Which is strange, given its subject matter. It’s a documentary focused on the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and the two enormous research teams competing to be the first to find the Higgs boson (known as the "God Particle," to the subjects’ annoyance) and, hopefully, answer some fundamental questions about the universe.
  • Image may contain Human Person and Shelf
    Starz Digital Media
    04

    To Be Takei

    Everyone loves George Takei and having a glimpse into his life as a gay rights activist and comics convention omni-presence in *To Be Takei* is just awesome. Seriously, tune in for the reminiscing about the *Star Trek* days and stay for the moments Takei spends at home with his husband, Brad.
  • Image may contain Furniture Human Person Indoors Bookcase Room Library Book and Shelf
    FilmBuff, Participant Media
    05

    The Internet's Own Boy

    When Aaron Swartz committed suicide in 2013 it was a huge loss for the internet activist community, and the world. Director Brian Knappenberger's documentary *The Internet's Own Boy* gets at the heart of just how big that loss is.
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US Special Forces Soldier Arrested for Polymarket Bets on Maduro Raid
The master sergeant allegedly used classified intel to profit on the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, marking the first US arrest for insider trading on a prediction market.
Kate Knibbs
Newly Deciphered Sabotage Malware May Have Targeted Iran’s Nuclear Program—and Predates Stuxnet
Researchers have finally cracked Fast16, mysterious code capable of silently tampering with calculation and simulation software. It was created in 2005—and likely deployed by the US or an ally.
Andy Greenberg
Rednote Draws a Line Between China and the World
As the platform expands abroad, it’s taking steps to separate Chinese users from the international audiences it once brought together.
Zeyi Yang
Apple’s Next Chapter, SpaceX and Cursor Strike a Deal, and Palantir’s Controversial Manifesto
In this week’s episode of Uncanny Valley, we talk about Tim Cook’s legacy as CEO at Apple and what his long-rumored departure means for the future of one of the world's biggest companies.
Brian Barrett
At 'AI Coachella,' Stanford Students Line Up to Learn From Silicon Valley Royalty
CS 153 has gone viral on the Palo Alto campus—and on X. Not everyone is happy about it.
Maxwell Zeff
Palantir Employees Are Starting to Wonder if They're the Bad Guys
Interviews with current and former Palantir employees, along with internal Slack messages obtained by WIRED, suggest a workforce in turmoil.
Makena Kelly
This Is the Only Office Lamp That Does Double Duty on My Nightstand
Portable lamps are rarely, if ever, as powerful, precise, and multipurpose as the Lume Cube Edge Light Go.
Matthew Korfhage
These New Smart Glasses From Ex-OnePlus Engineers Have a Hidden Cost
The Kickstarter-funded glasses from L'Atitude 52°N have AI features bundled for one year, but the company doesn't know yet how much it will charge for access after that.
Boone Ashworth
The Best Pool-Cleaning Robots for a Truly Automated Summer
Send the pool guy packing. One of these robotic buddies can maintain your water quality instead.
Christopher Null
The Best Fitbit Models for Every Lifestyle
The fitness trackers I'd recommend to beginners, athletes, and kids.
Boutayna Chokrane
Robot Vacuums That Don't Suck (Unless It's Dirt)
Tired of vacuuming? Hand the reins to a robot vacuum.
Nena Farrell
They Made D4vd a Star. Now They Want Him Convicted of Murder
A legion of young fans propelled the singer D4vd to viral fame. Now that he’s been charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, they say the clues were in their Discord all along.
Jennifer Swann