What do Robert J. Oppenheimer, David Bowie and Jessi Combs have in common? They’re all the subjects of documentaries now on Showmax.
MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen (Cobain: Montage of Heck) presents Moonage Daydream, a cinematic odyssey exploring the creative, spiritual, and musical journey of David Bowie.
The film is up for five 2023 Emmys, including Writing, Directing, and Editing, and has already won a Cinema Eye Honors Award for its visual design, a Writers Guild of America Award for its screenplay, and a Critics Choice Documentary Award for its editing. It has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Vogue hailing it as “Astounding. Among the best films about any artist I’ve ever seen.” The Guardian, TimeOut, and The Telegraph all gave it five stars.
Moonage Daydream features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Bowie’s collaborators, friends, and family, as well as Bowie himself. The film offers a unique and personal look at one of the most influential and innovative artists of all time.
The film begins with Bowie’s early days in London, when he was struggling to find his footing as an artist. We see him experimenting with different personas and sounds, eventually finding his true voice as Ziggy Stardust. The film then follows Bowie’s career as he rose to fame, and then later reinvented himself multiple times.
Moonage Daydream is a visually stunning film that uses innovative techniques to bring Bowie’s music and art to life. The film is also a deeply personal portrait of an artist who was constantly searching for new ways to express himself.
If you are a fan of David Bowie, or if you are interested in the creative process, then Moonage Daydream is a must-see film. It is a powerful and moving film that will stay with you long after you watch it.
THE FASTEST WOMAN ON EARTH
Filmed over seven years, The Fastest Woman on Earth is a documentary that chronicles the extraordinary life of professional racer and TV personality Jessi Combs. Known as the “Fastest Woman on Four Wheels,” Combs set the women’s land-speed record at over 700 km/h.
The film begins with Combs’ childhood, when she was already showing a passion for speed. She quickly became a star in the world of motorsports, competing in everything from drag racing to off-road racing. In 2013, she set her sights on breaking the land-speed record for women.
Approached by an all-male team of aviation enthusiasts to be the lead driver of a custom car built from a repurposed fighter jet, Combs’ dream of breaking land speed records was suddenly within reach. But the journey would be dangerous and demanding.
The film follows Combs as she trains for her record attempt, facing challenges both physical and emotional. She is determined to succeed, but she also knows that the risks are high. In 2019, she died in a crash while attempting to break the record again.
The Fastest Woman on Earth is a moving and inspiring story about a woman who refused to be limited by her gender or her circumstances. It is a story about the power of dreams, the importance of determination, and the cost of greatness.
The film is produced by two-time Oscar winner Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar Man, Man on Wire) and Oscar nominee Jonathan Chinn (Black Sheep, Tina, Whitney). Decider hails it as “superb storytelling… compelling, tragic, and fascinating.”
The film is a must-watch for anyone who is inspired by the human spirit. It is a story about a woman who achieved greatness, but also about the dangers of pushing oneself too far. It is a film that will stay with you long after you watch it.
TO END ALL WAR: OPPENHEIMER & THE ATOMIC BOMB
The feature documentary To End All War: Oppenheimer & The Atomic Bomb tells the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who led the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb.
The film is directed by Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Christopher Cassel (Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero, Rise of the Superbombs, Rome) and features interviews with the likes of filmmaker Christopher Nolan, science communicator Bill Nye, grandson Charles Oppenheimer, and Hiroshima survivor Hideko Tamura.
Oppenheimer was a brilliant and complex man who was driven by intellectual curiosity and patriotic duty to invent the bomb. However, he was also deeply troubled by the consequences of his actions. After the Trinity test in the New Mexico desert, he famously said, “I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The film explores Oppenheimer’s personal journey from brilliant scientist to reluctant creator of the atomic bomb. It also examines the moral and ethical implications of his work, and the legacy of the bomb in the 21st century.
To End All War is a powerful and thought-provoking film that is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the story of the atomic bomb and its impact on the world.