What with House Of Cards, Stranger Things and Making A Murderer, to name just a few, Netflix have done an incredible job of transforming from an online video rental store into a creative powerhouse.
That looks set to continue with new documentary Icarus, which takes a harrowing look at the murky and sinister role of performance-enhancing drugs in the world of sports.
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Credit: Icarus/Netflix
Given Russia's recent apology over state-sponsored doping, the appearance of Bryan Fogel's new film on the streaming platform couldn't have been timed any more perfectly. But what you might think is just a factual look into the underside of the sports industry actually goes a lot deeper and darker - to the extent that Variety branded it as 'game-changing.'
Why? Because in the documentary, Fogel goes on a totally immersive adventure of Super Size Me-esque proportions. But instead of chomping down Big Macs like there's no tomorrow, he instead injects a whole bunch of drugs into his system in order to help him an upcoming bicycle race.
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Or that was the idea, anyway. What actually happened was a journey that even he wasn't prepared for, one which uncovered decades of institutional corruption, cheating and cover-ups.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. In the documentary, Fogel meets - by total chance - the Russian doctor who ends up blowing the whistle all that state-sponsored doping, which ultimately led to Russia's apology and Russian athletes returning their medals. It's thrilling stuff - even if you're not all that into sport, it's definitely worth watch. But don't just take our word for it - people all over Twitter having been singing its praises.
Brian Klaas, author of heavy-sounding book The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding & Abetting the Decline of Democracy, marvelled that while it's "about doping, but the real subtext exposes Putin's autocratic regime."
And Bill Browder, a business who was based in Moscow until Putin allegedly turned on him, said the film offers a "true understanding of Putin's criminal mind."
Even Scrubs actor/Garden State director Zach Braff got in on the action, saying the documentary "is very good. You might like it if you like good things." Which isn't the most eloquent review, but still.
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A number of Olympic-medal-winning athletes have also raved about the film.
If you're looking for a nail-biting thriller and are fed up with the usual Hollywood suspects, this might just be the film you've been waiting for. You'll probably never look at sports - or politics - in the same way again.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix/IcarusTopics: olympics, Netflix, Russia
