Users on Reddit are discussing the most unsettling documentaries they’ve ever seen, and many are pointing to The Bridge as one of the worst.
Netflix is no stranger to controversial projects. They’ve made headlines for some controversial offerings in the past, including films like Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde or the children’s dance crew film Cuties.
But netizens say 2006’s The Bridge may have gone too far. The film was removed from Netflix after a 2015 complaint by the New Zealand Film and Video Labeling Body, which declared the documentary’s content “objectionable.”
The IFC Films documentary is about individuals who committed suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. It was brought up by user StellaZaFella in a Reddit thread discussing examples of “incredibly morally reprehensible” documentaries.
“Most of the film is interviews with the loved ones of people who died and one person who jumped and survived,” StellaZaFella explains. “It feels voyeuristic and wrong to have filmed those moments and to show them, especially since it’s not possible for the subject to have given consent.”
“They never show someone actually hitting the water, they cut away before that happens, but they still capture the last moments of these people’s lives.”
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The method director Eric Steel used to document the film is where the issue lies. Steel placed cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge to capture people attempting suicide, but no one was informed the cameras were there. This means those who succeeded in their attempts were not able to consent to being used in the film.
The Bridge drew the ire of many when it was released for both its handling of individuals who had died and its sensationalist approach. The president of California’s Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network told the LA Times, “This is like a newspaper carrying a front-page photo of someone blowing his head off; it’s irresponsible, exploitative, voyeuristic, ghastly and immoral.”
Despite the controversy, the film remains well-received. It has a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 72% Audience Score. Critics are fairly divided, with most agreeing the film has some ethical issues regarding consent from those who died, but is nonetheless a powerful documentary that shines a light on a public health issue.
The Bridge is still not available on Netflix as of this writing, but it is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
If you’re looking for something that is on Netflix, check out our guides for Arcane Season 2 and Heartstopper Season 3. And be sure to keep up to date with the new movies and TV shows streaming this month.
