Athlete A (2020)

In 2016, the small local newspaper The Indianapolis Star ran a story about allegations of abuse within USA Gymnastics. Before long, reporters started fielding calls from former USA Gymnastics athletes reporting the team doctor, Larry Nassar, as being the chief perpetrator. The first woman to report him became known as Athlete A. Her real name was Maggie Nichols, and she’s one of the subjects of this devastating documentary.

Around 500 former athletes have since spoken out against Nassar, and the documentary reveals the shocking extent and orchestration of the cover up from USA Gymnastics officials. Authorities turned a blind eye for years, and, after speaking out, many of the women were threatened through cyberbullying and punished with invasive investigations into their sexual histories.

IndieWire says, “Through even-handed reporting and a series of emotional first-person accounts, Athlete A excavates one of modern sports’ most horrific abusers and systems.”

Want more eye-opening documentaries? Try these:

• The Scheme (2020)
• What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019)
• 204: Getting Away With Murder (2014)
• Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections (2020)