4 docs and shows that will make you feel like something *different*

I went over to my friends' place the other day and they told me not to watch Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond. So naturally, I did. And it was amazing, hilarious, heart-breaking and insightful. Jim Carrey's recent, very strange interview on E! has a bit of perspective after watching this film, which dives deep into the Canadian actor's psyche before, during and after he plays the iconic funnyman Andy Kaufman. 

Jim Carrey in Jim and Andy.

If you're looking to watch something quirky or different, here's what I've watched recently:

1. Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond, as I mentioned, is definitely a unique perspective. The documentary features footage taken by Andy Kaufman's girlfriend and shows how Carrey  stayed in character for the duration of the filming. Carrey portrayed the frustratingly rude and annoying Kaufman character named Tony Clifton, who drove the cast crazy. As the doc continues, I developed a sincere admiration for Carrey and his dedication to the role, no matter how annoying. The similarities between Carrey and Kaufman are indisputable and it was touching how connected Kaufman's family felt to Carrey. Definitely worth watching for Carrey's hilarious antics and impersonations.
2. The Good Place is a quirky comedy featuring Kristen Bell as a terrible person who believes she has been sent to heaven. It's in its second season, but I recently started watching it (and am now obviously caught up). If you're looking for a funny, quick show to binge, this is the one for you. The hilarious sitcom about morals explores how to live after death, in a setting that's basically a mix of what Tim Burton and Dr. Seuss's combined imaginations would look like. The sharp, witty writing and regular appearances from Ted Danson kept me coming back.
3.  Ingobernable is a Spanish-language thriller/drama about the fictional murder of the Mexican president. It stars Kate Del Castillo, who gained notoriety for tweeting about how she had more faith in drug lord El Chapo than the Mexican government. (A docu-series about her experiences meeting El Chapo and connecting him with American actor Sean Penn was recently released on Netflix.) Ingobernable follows the wife of the murdered president as she seeks answers and vengeance about what happened. It's an interesting twist on a political drama, and although it sometimes gets sucked into soap opera stereotypes like long pauses and close ups on crying faces, the acting and plot line was enough to keep me watching and wanting more. 
4. One of us is a heart-wrenching documentary that follows the lives of hasidic Jews after they leave their Brooklyn, N.Y. community. One woman, married at 19 who now has seven children, is fighting for custody of her children against an abusive father. Another faces a bad drug addiction after being shunned for asking questions about religion. The common theme of the doc is how the hasidic community defends and protects the abusers, while the victims are turned away and left to fend for themselves—and in most cases go to non-Jewish school for the first time and learn the rules of the secular world. The doc is unique in showing the shared experience of those who decided to leave behind life as a Hasidic Jew.

A still from One of Us.