Louis Theroux's 7 best documentaries - from heroin epidemic to plastic surgery addiction
Louis Theroux has tackled some extremely taboo topics over the decades...
Here are seven of the best Louis Theroux documentaries
Louis Theroux recently dropped the documentary Inside the Manosphere, which is available to watch on Netflix.
(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)The reigning king of documentaries, Louis Theroux, has been getting the internet talking following the release of his latest film, Inside The Manosphere, which dropped on Netflix on Wednesday, March 11. The BAFTA-winning presenter's newest documentary tackles controversial male influencers on the fringe of the manosphere. Louis interviewed the likes of extreme streamers HSTikkyTokky and Myron Gaines as he exposed the business model of modern misogyny, which is being pushed out on social media and viewed by impressionable teenage boys.
"My view is always I'm not trying to embarrass them or trick them in any way," Louis, 55, told Netflix. "I am trying to tell the truth, and I will confront them appropriately. I'm not trying to pick a fight. I'm just trying to understand them, get my questions answered, and then challenge and push back on the parts that don't make sense to me or strike me as dangerous." If you want to watch another Louis Theroux documentary after Inside the Manosphere, here are my top seven recomendations...
7. Louis Theroux: Dark States Heroin Town (2017)
The film explores the devastating impact of the opioid and heroin epidemic in Huntington, West Virginia, where around one in four adults is addicted to opiates. It highlights how the widespread over-prescription of pharmaceutical painkillers initially led to mass dependency. When these prescriptions were eventually cut off, many residents turned to cheaper, more lethal illegal alternatives like street heroin and Fentanyl. It's tragic to watch as you feel for the addicts.
(Image: BBC)6. Louis Theroux: Savile (2016)
A rare retrospective, this film sees Louis return to his 2000 documentary When Louis Met Jimmy to grapple with how he was "hoodwinked" by the sexual predator. It is a difficult but essential watch that examines the guilt of a journalist and the testimonies of Jimmy Savile's victims.
(Image: BBC)5. Louis and the Nazis (2003)
One of his most dangerous assignments, this film sees a young Louis come face-to-face with Tom Metzger, once dubbed "the most dangerous racist in America". It is famous for a high-tension showdown where Theroux refuses to disclose his own background to neo-Nazis.
(Image: BBC)4. America's Most Dangerous Pets (2011)
In this documentary, Louis meets Joe Exotic, better known as The Tiger King from the popular Netflix series that dominated the streaming charts during the Coronavirus lockdown. Louis met with Joe many years before Netflix gained access to his tiger cages, as the British documentary maker released his special in 2011 after speaking with Joe and other owners of dangerous animals, such as chimpanzees. It's a difficult watch as you just feel so sorry for the animals - and it's extremely eye-opening.
(Image: BBC)