The Outsider

The Outsider has built a real following among viewers who want documentaries that actually inform. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 6 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Rigorous in a way documentary storytelling does not always commit to. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Outsider earns its spot. The Outsider resists the urge to oversimplify a subject that deserves better. Nicholas Jarecki follows director James Toback on the 12-day shoot of his thriller, When Will I Be Loved -- a movie made without a script or distribution deal. Woody Allen and Robert Downey Jr. Lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2005. What elevates The Outsider above most documentary work is a refusal to settle for the easy version of the story. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want their entertainment to leave them with something, The Outsider delivers on both counts. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Woody Allen's involvement signals a level of access and cooperation that is hard to secure. The kind of documentary that makes you feel informed rather than manipulated.