Let’s take a look at the best medical documentaries on Hulu, shall we?
Did you know that average life expectancy in the world now stands at more than 71 years? This may not surprise you unless you also know that 60 years ago the life expectancy was just below 50 years and at the beginning of the 20th century, it was around 30 years. Pretty impressive isn’t it?
There are lots of reasons for this, but the most important one is our advancements in the field of medicine. The biggest breakthroughs happened in the early 20th century, when antibiotics were discovered and vaccinations started to be regularly given. In the last 50 years, medicine has become more focused on managing the conditions of some diseases instead of hopelessly trying to figure out how to beat them completely. Does this mean progress in medicine has slowed down? Not at all. If you take a look at the advancements in the past decade, you will realize that each year there is another major breakthrough in treating a certain disease.
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Unfortunately, documentary makers don’t like to talk much about these advancements or breakthroughs in the world of medicine. Their focus tends to be on controversial issues, including those that surround the field of medicine, like how bad healthcare system or how high the drug prices are. Of course, there are also some exceptions, but not as many as you might think.
In order to form the list of the best medical documentaries on Hulu, we browsed through Something to Stream‘s list of documentaries you can stream on Hulu. Although the selection wasn’t ideal, we managed to find a respectable number of those that are related to medicine in some way. We then ranked them according to their IMDb rating and formed our list. Let’s take a look.
If you are also interested in other topics, we recommend also checking out our list of the 37 Best Documentaries on Hulu Right Now.
11. Off Label
IMDb rating: 5.2
The documentary talks about the widespread use of pharmaceutical drugs in the United States and how this is becoming a serious issue. The focus of the documentary is on eight people who are excessively using medications and the effect they are having on their lives.
10. A NORML Life
IMDb rating: 6.7
There is no doubt that marijuana has a certain medical significance. This documentary tries to explore that significance further, investigating the role of marijuana in medicine through interviews with doctors and patients.
9. Of Two Minds
IMDb rating: 6.8
People don’t talk enough about bipolar disorder and often disregard the fact that this disease affects more people now than ever. Of Two Minds tries to change that by exploring the lives of three people who are living with bipolar disorder. The documentary gives insight into their lives and they struggles they face each day.
8. The Anonymous People
IMDb rating: 6.9
According to this documentary, more than 23 million people in the United States are recovering from various addictions, including alcohol and drugs. It investigates how addiction and addicts are perceived in general and how they need all the help they can get.
7. Trinidad
IMDb rating: 7.1
The small town of Trinidad, located in Colorado, is looking to become the “sex change capital” of the United States. This documentary follows Dr. Marci Bowers, a surgeon from the town who had sex change surgery herself, as well two of her patients, giving viewers insight into the process of transition.
6. The Last One
IMDb rating: 7.3
This documentary focuses on the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the significance it had in turning attention to the AIDS epidemic. The Last One also explores the disease itself and the ongoing battle against it.
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5. How To Survive A Plague
IMDb rating: 7.6
This is another AIDS-related documentary on our list of the best medical documentaries on Hulu. The documentary talks about the early years of AIDS, when it first started becoming more widespread. It focuses on the AIDS activists who struggled to find a way to fight the disease, since the government and medical care system refused to take the issue as seriously as they should have.
4. Memory For Max, Claire, Ida and Company
IMDb rating: 7.7
This documentary ranks 4th in our list of best medical documentaries on Hulu. It follows the stories of several people living in one of Toronto’s nursing homes as they cope with loneliness, sickness, and everyday struggles. It also explores their relationships with the medical staff.
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3. Sicko
IMDb rating: 8.0
Healthcare is one of the most serious and debated topics in the United States. You would expect that is the case in other countries, but Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko will show you that it isn’t so. In the documentary that ranks third in our list of best medical documentaries on Hulu, he compares the profit-based healthcare system in the United States to non-profit ones in the United Kingdom, Cuba, France, and Canada. It should be noted that this movie came out before Obamacare was implemented.
2. Alive Inside
IMDb rating: 8.2
This documentary explores the interesting premise that personalized music can help fight memory loss. Dan Cohen, a social worker, tries to prove this through his organization called Music & Memory. The documentary mainly focuses on Alzheimer patients and shows the positive effects that this music therapy has on them.
1. Dying at Grace
IMDb rating: 8.4
The final entry on our list of the best medical documentaries on Hulu talks about death in a specific way. It follows five people with terminal illnesses who agreed to share their last days with the filmmakers. The documentary explores their relationship with their loved ones and the medical staff treating them. We have to warn you that this will not be an easy watch.
