Dec 26, 2014 7:00 AM

Gallery: We Pick the Year's 5 Most Intriguing Documentaries

courtesy Laura Poitras
01
Citizenfour
Most documentaries go back and piece together history after the fact. *Citizenfour* chronicles history as it happened. Director Laura Poitras was one of the handful of people NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden contacted to help him reveal the information he wanted the public to know, so she was there filming as the leaks happened.
Sony Pictures Classics
02
Jodorowsky's Dune
The worst part about this movie is that after you finish watching it, you’ll be *so angry* we never got to see Alejandro Jodorowsky’s vision of *Dune* come to life. Watch it and you won't get FOMO, just some hardcore SFPWMOOT: So Fracking Pissed We Missed Out On This.

PF Productions
03
Particle Fever
*Particle Fever* was one of the most heartwarming films of 2014. Which is strange, given its subject matter. It’s a documentary focused on the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and the two enormous research teams competing to be the first to find the Higgs boson (known as the "God Particle," to the subjects’ annoyance) and, hopefully, answer some fundamental questions about the universe.
Starz Digital Media
04
To Be Takei
Everyone loves George Takei and having a glimpse into his life as a gay rights activist and comics convention omni-presence in *To Be Takei* is just awesome. Seriously, tune in for the reminiscing about the *Star Trek* days and stay for the moments Takei spends at home with his husband, Brad.

FilmBuff, Participant Media
05
The Internet's Own Boy
When Aaron Swartz committed suicide in 2013 it was a huge loss for the internet activist community, and the world. Director Brian Knappenberger's documentary *The Internet's Own Boy* gets at the heart of just how big that loss is.

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AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

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Luke Larsen

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Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good

This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.

Christopher Null

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage