Icarus

Bryan Fogel strikes documentary gold in his Oscar winning Icarus for Netflix. 

What starts out as an experiment to show how easy it is to take performance enhancing substances in a cycling competition without getting caught turns into something else entirely when he gets assistance from the director of Russia's anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov. 

The whole documentary is turned on its head when a report is released by WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) detailing Rodchenkov's involvement in a staggering Russian state sponsored doping programme that causes him to flee Russia (with the help of Fogel) and eventually leads to his whistleblowing testimony that alleges the scandal has been going on for years across a whole range of sports.

The film has it's flaws, the dramatic change in direction unbalancing it's overall shape and sense of purpose, but is fascinating and very watchable throughout.