HBO Max continues to shine in the realm of documentaries, with this year’s lineup already featuring impressive titles, notably Monsters of God, which delves into the illegal reptile trade and holds a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
This week, HBO Max unveiled several captivating new releases, including two exciting new seasons. One series promises to send shivers down your spine by examining the minds of disturbed individuals, while the other presents astonishing feats of engineering. My top recommendation for the weekend is a gripping narrative about a 2018 assassination attempt on a Russian double agent in Britain. Let’s dive in!
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Signs of a Psychopath (Season 11)
Cold confessions, manic mood swings, and unpredictable killers
If you start watching Signs of a Psychopath, you’ll quickly become engrossed. This chilling true-crime series from Investigation Discovery, now in its 11th season celebrating its 100th episode, reveals unsettling insights directly from the killers. The first-hand accounts they share can be deeply unnerving.
Season 11 consists of eight cases, following the show’s established format of utilizing interrogation footage and engaging dialogues with notorious killers as well as the detectives who handled their cases. Additionally, historical footage and reports provide a broader context. Intriguingly, psychological analysis from experts, including forensic psychologist N.G. Berrill, highlights key traits such as lack of remorse, flat emotional responses, arrogance, and dramatic shifts from denial to confession during questioning.
The season kicks off with the episode titled “I Guess I’m a Maniac,” focusing on a long-unsolved murder case in Florida, where the psychopathic perpetrator surprising admitted to the crime.
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Building Giants (Season 5)
10 episodes exploring colossal structures and their constructions
For enthusiasts of detailed documentaries similar to How It’s Made or Extreme Engineering, Building Giants is a must-watch. This series provides an intimate look at the construction of some of the world’s most remarkable mega structures, making it eye candy for engineers and documentary lovers alike.
Originally airing on the Science Channel since 2018, the fifth season premiered weekly from June 10 to August 12 and is now available on HBO Max as a binge-worthy package of ten episodes. Each episode showcases an incredibly large structure, such as an enormous cruise ship, a floating stadium in Liverpool, a railway tunnel in the Alps, a massive dam in Colorado, and a skyscraper in Athens—each built to withstand natural disasters.
The breathtaking footage captures scenes that are rarely seen from the ground or during various stages of development. Viewers will also hear firsthand from engineers and construction crews who share their hurdles, dangers, and near misses throughout the projects.
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The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door
Revisiting Britain’s shocking nerve-agent attack
My top weekend choice is The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door, a feature-length documentary that delivers a poignant account of the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury, England. This film, directed by Dan Vernon, chronicles how Russian agents used a deadly nerve agent in an assassination attempt against former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.
The gripping narrative follows the swift actions taken by HAZMAT-clad officials responding to the crisis, while British intelligence sought those responsible for the attack. The documentary also outlines Prime Minister Theresa May’s strategy for addressing this act on British soil.
Vernon’s storytelling maintains a fast pace, interspersing interviews with impactful figures like Theresa May and former MI6 heads, alongside investigative journalists whose insights led to identifying the Russian operatives behind the poisoning.
Psychos, engineers, and MI6
This weekend’s selection of documentaries reinforces the notion that real-life stories can be far more astounding than fictional tales. If you’re on the lookout for more riveting documentaries, stay tuned as we continue to highlight noteworthy titles from platforms like Netflix and Paramount+.
