Icarus

A game-changer.

Throughout his career, cyclist Lance Armstrong passed over 250 drug tests with flying colors. As we now know, that status does not mean that he didn't dope. Director and cyclist Bryan Fogel decided to game the system the same way, and capture it in an undercover documentary.

Early into his documentary, Fogel meets an unlikely comrade in his search — Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the Russian anti-doping program, who helps him use performance-enhancing drugs without getting caught.

As you may know from the news, Rodchenkov designed a doping system that gave the Russian Olympians a hidden advantage. The story, that began as an investigation into doping cyclists, jumps off course into a story of international conspiracy that includes a whistleblower who points a finger towards Vladimir Putin, who ordered and oversaw Rodchenkov's program.

When one of the whistleblower's colleagues dies suspiciously, the documentary picks up speed as a thriller. And it is thrilling. We don't find out why the participants agreed to be captured on film, but the audience is there for the ride.

As the story unfolds, Fogel wisely shifts the focus away from himself and this original quest to let viewers glimpse into the world of the oversized, true-life character Rodchenkov. It's dope; Icarus was nominated this week for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.

In a nutshell: From start to a big finish, Icarus is an illuminating documentary about international athletics.

Award potential: Already nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Icarus faces tough competition with Faces Places and the Last Men in Aleppo. 

However, Icarus could win. While nominations are made by just the documentary brandh, every Academy member (including actors) votes on the Oscar. Being easily accessible on Netflix helps it get seen and discussed by others. That's not cheating, right?

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.