The Must-Watch Doc That Pulled Off The Rare Oscar-And-Emmy Double Win

As a non-American, Ezra Edelman's nearly eight-hour documentary, "O.J.: Made in America," released as a five-part miniseries on ABC and ESPN back in 2016, was the most fascinating and educational entertainment I've ever seen about the US and American culture in general. Nothing comes close. It's a masterpiece through and through, whether you ask critics or viewers, and it's hardly a surprise that it won dozens of awards, including the Oscar for Best Documentary and two Emmys (out of six nominations) in 2017.

Frankly, when I watched it about five years ago, I thought it was the kind of painstaking, multi-layered, and strikingly authentic documentary that should be part of the curriculum, not just in America, but pretty much everywhere in the world. Through the rise and fall of a Black man who's been famously loved and hated, the doc successfully portrays the fundamentals of American culture, including class, race, media, privilege, violence, and the often incomprehensible justice system under which the most well-known country in the world operates.

It's an impeccably balanced and thoroughly observed depiction that shows every side and every opinion without tearing its subject completely down or putting him on a pedestal. O.J.'s successes and accomplishments get their due as much as his missteps, crimes, and violent external and internal transformations. The documentary makes you understand (and even sympathize with) how he achieved the overwhelming love and adoration from the public over decades, as well as the loathing, hatred, and disgrace that stained him as a person until his death — and even beyond.

I was six years old, living in a tiny European country, when the verdict of The Trial of the Century was announced in 1995. Naturally, it took me about a decade to catch up and begin to understand the significance of the case, which will also vary for every person depending on their age, nationality, etc. But at some point, everybody learns about Simpson's criminal trial in one way or another. And whether you're young and clueless about it or old enough to remember where you were when he was acquitted, "O.J. Simpson: Made in America" will fill you in on the smallest of details that matter greatly to have a full picture of what happened, and how. That includes providing context about racial inequalities, police violence, the L.A. riots, sports fandom, and the evolution of celebrity (especially regarding Black athletes, not only O.J.).

Edelman brilliantly constructed his doc as a mix between biopic, investigative journalism, and entertainment. It might focus on the life and career of one man, but it tells so much more in so many ways about the victims and others caught up in this whirlwind, and the everyday people who became obsessed with a crime scandal that sent a wave through the entire world. Of course, O.J.'s story was far from finished in 2016, but the most important events and the impact he had on the culture are beautifully condensed in this documentary. I could go on and on about it for hours, but if you have the slightest inclination to learn more about Simpson and his case, you should really just watch the doc that's currently streaming on Netflix. I guarantee you, it will pull you in instantly; it's simply that spectacular.