Several documentaries have significantly influenced social policy. *The Thin Blue Line* (1988) led to the exoneration of Randall Adams, prompting legal reforms. *Titicut Follies* (1967) exposed mental health facility abuses, spurring hospital closures and reforms. *An Inconvenient Truth* (2006) raised climate change awareness, influencing global environmental policies. *Blackfish* (2013) ended SeaWorld’s orca breeding program after public outcry. *The Invisible War* (2012) drove U.S. military sexual assault policy changes, including the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. These films sparked public discourse and tangible policy shifts.[](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79947/10-documentaries-actually-changed-things)[](https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/change-the-world-5-documentaries-that-made-a-difference-for-better-or-worse/)[](https://www.blog.thefilmfund.co/the-powerful-impact-of-famous-documentary-films-on-society/)