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Your Cheat Sheet to Peacock’s First-Ever Virtual ‘DocFest’
Don't miss these six new films and docuseries.
Jetting off to a faraway destination with an Aperol spritz in hand is one way to enjoy a film festival, but it’s certainly not the only way. For those who’d prefer something a bit more low-key — perhaps, not to leave the comfort of your air-conditioned bedroom — there’s some good news: Peacock has launched its first-ever DocFest. The six-week virtual festival kicked off September 14 and will run through October 9, with a new documentary (ranging from feature-length films to multi-part series) dropping each Wednesday.
Below, we’ve put together a cheat sheet for your next six weeks of heady, gripping, and culturally important deep-dives on the platform. Don’t hesitate to give each an eight-minute standing ovation from your bedroom after streaming.
September 14: Hell of a Cruise
When passengers and crew members boarded the luxury Diamond Princess cruise ship in January of 2020, they had no idea that the deadly novel coronavirus boarded the ship with them, turning the floating paradise into their worst nightmare. With access to hours of never-before-seen self-shot footage from passengers, this premium two-hour feature documentary explores what went wrong and why only one week later other cruise ships were sent out to sea — where the same nightmare occurred again.
Stream Hell of a Cruise on Peacock
September 21: Shadowland
Inspired by reporting from The Atlantic, award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger sends documentary teams across America to embed with subjects who have rejected mainstream narratives, including the shocking real-time stories of a beloved rural Pennsylvania pizza shop owner facing 20 years in prison for her role in the January 6th riots, an antivaxxer pushing a dangerous fake cure for COVID-19, and a mother divorcing her husband because she fears his beliefs put their children’s lives in danger. From this intimate viewpoint, Shadowland, a deeply immersive six-part docuseries, reveals how conspiracy theories have moved from the margins to the mainstream, exploring how people come to their beliefs, and what makes these theories so alluring. The series is a shocking wakeup call about the dangerous influence of conspiracy thinking on the functioning of our democracy, as families, friends, and the nation are increasingly being torn apart.
September 28: Sex, Lies and The College Cult
Sex, Lies and The College Cult is the shocking and unnerving true story of how a father and professional conman, Lawrence Ray, brainwashed students of Sarah Lawrence College into an abusive sex cult that upended their lives, and the lives of their families. The documentary chronicles decade-long abuse, extortion, sex trafficking and forced labor told in some of the victims' own words. Through dark and personal footage, a portrait of the world inside this group is revealed — all rooted in manipulation and dark secrets.
Stream Sex, Lies and The College Cult on Peacock
October 5: Prince Andrew: Banished
Prince Andrew: Banished unpacks the tumultuous story of how Prince Andrew, Duke of York — formerly regarded as the attractive, beloved son of Queen Elizabeth II and decorated naval officer — whose antics throughout his career as a Royal brought scandal and disgrace to the 1200-year legacy of the British Royal Family. Through new interviews with palace insiders, journalists, members of Andrew’s social circle, and the legal team that brought the allegations to light, the documentary takes a deep dive into the world of privilege, jealousy, desire, and greed that pushed Andrew; first, into the orbit of notorious sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and then into a sordid sex trafficking scandal that threatened to bring down the House of Windsor.
Stream Prince Andrew: Banished on Peacock
October 12: I Love You, You Hate Me
I Love You, You Hate Me is a limited series chronicling the rise and fall of Barney the Dinosaur's furious backlash — and what it says about the human need to hate. From Barney-bashing to frat parties to homicidal video games, something in American society broke into a million pieces, and it's never been put together again... or is this just who we were all along?
October 19: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, which is based on the bestselling biography by Jeanne Theoharis and executive produced by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, expands the record on Rosa Parks’ overlooked accomplishments and the importance of her drive and fight to overcome racial injustices and rampant inequalities. In short, what we are taught in school about Rosa Parks is far from the full story of who she truly was.
Directors Yoruba Richen and Johanna Hamilton expertly weave together interviews from academics and activists such as Bryan Stevenson, Patrisse Cullors and Ericka Huggins, along with personal stories from her family, and remarkable footage of Mrs. Parks herself, to illuminate her decades-worth of extensive organizing, strategizing, and activism in the pursuit of Black liberation. Lisa Gay Hamilton lends her talent in the documentary as the voice of Mrs. Rosa Parks.
