On Aug. 9, 2025, nature photographer Owen Reiser posted a video on his newly made YouTube channel; a two-hour documentary. It was made by him and his brother, Quinten Reiser. This out-of-nowhere documentary took the birdwatching community by storm.
“Listers: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching” is a documentary about two hippie brothers who knew nothing about birds (other than the humble chickadee), but in a haze of weed decided to take on the biggest birdwatching challenge: the Big Year. They bought a van and headed out on the road with just their phones and their parents’ birdwatching book to guide them, searching for as many bird species as they possibly could in a single year within the contiguous United States.
The documentary is filled with rude humor, stunning bird cinematography and overall rowdy chaos. What started as a joke became a new passion for the brothers, and led them to question the effects extreme birdwatching has on the people and birds around them.
No matter your interest in birds, this documentary is a must-see. For people that are only aware of the brown birds they see out the window, the Reiser brothers are on the ride with you, giving an outside view on birding fanatics. If you already are a fanatic, this documentary gives a new, interesting perspective on birding culture. From the moment the documentary starts, the Reiser brothers capture the audience’s interest with their hockey lingo, mullets and overall hippie style that you thought was left in the 70s.
For the brothers’ first documentary, it’s mindblowing. The high-quality, slow-mo clips of birds taking flight, the unexpected silly stop-motion and the thoughtfully strung-together story will all leave you in disbelief. It’s honestly something you’d think you would be watching in a theater.
Wait, why isn’t it in a theater? Or at least a streaming service?
Yes, top-notch streaming platforms Netflix, HBO and Amazon all tried to get their grubby fingers on this masterpiece. Despite the cash waving in front of their faces, the Reiser brothers refused. When they decided to post it on Youtube, they were in agreement about one thing; their film should be free. They even turned off all advertisements on the YouTube video, only humbly putting a link to their Venmo and where to buy their book that was written while filming.
The Reiser brothers told Audubon Magazine why they kept it free; they said they “like the idea that a homeless guy can walk into a library somewhere and watch it.” They didn’t enjoy the thought of half the money going to a billionaire who had no connection with nature, so they made it free. That care for their community is expressed many times throughout the film, which made it so heartfelt.
Despite not winning any awards because of its free status, I think many birders and non-birders can agree that this is the best documentary of 2025. If you want to laugh, see beautiful animal cinematography and more bodily fluids than would be comfortable, this movie is for you.
