Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb’ On Netflix, A Documentary That Takes Us On A Historic Journey To Ancient Egypt

Netflix may have documentary genres like true crime cornered, but now they’re expanding their reach to include the oft-overlooked exploration of archaeology and topics like Ancient Egypt. Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, now streaming on Netflix, takes us on a journey to the Bubasteion Necropolis in Saqqara, Egypt, where a 4,400 year old tomb has just been unearthed. This fascinating documentary proves that Netflix should charge full speed ahead with more of the same. 

SECRETS OF THE SAQQARA TOMB: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: It’s difficult to imagine a world where there are still pieces of history left untouched, and increasingly rarer these days for new discoveries to be made. In Saqqara, Egypt, a team of researchers, Egyptologists, archaeologists, historians, diggers, and more unearth something truly miraculous, and that’s where Secrets of the Saqqara tomb begins. The unearthing of the Saqqara Tomb in Egypt is truly monumental; this 4,400 year old tomb is completely preserved and so expansive it causes those working at the site to nearly faint of joy. There are sculptures, paintings, and, yes, some good old fashioned mummies. It’s the archaeological jackpot, a groundbreaking revelation that seems to fully delight every individual interviewed in the film.

Over the course of Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb‘s 2 hours, we’re granted a lot of historical context that helps these massive discoveries carry even more emotional weight. The importance of the afterlife and preparing for death in Ancient Egypt is discussed, as well as the mummification process and the significance of the hieroglyphics translated throughout the tomb. We learn it belonged to a high-ranking priest from the Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt named Wahtye. They joke he seemed to be something of an egoist, involved in many activities and obsessed with entering the afterlife with all the wealth and status he had while living his natural life. These people are able to gather massive amounts of information based on the hieroglyphics alone, and once they start getting further into the art that adorns the walls and other areas of the tomb, the picture begins to paint itself.

This dig is exciting on its own – and offers entertainment and big emotional moments –  but there’s also a sense of urgency in the air due to their funding hinging on how quickly they are able to unearth their next big discovery, which only heightens the stakes further. This isn’t just your everyday dig. Exploring themes of ancestry, tradition, and the future, Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb offers a unique view of a once-in-a-lifetime undertaking.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb will appeal to those who tend to dig a science, history, or nature documentary. Think Discovery and History Channel stuff, but about 100 times better. 

Memorable Dialogue: “We are the people who can best give voice to our ancestors… Because they are our ancestors, we are one step closer to them than the foreigner,” one archaeologist says. This sums up what is so beautiful about Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb; the fact that this history is being unearthed by the people it belongs to, rather than the outsiders who often swoop in to make a profit and a name for themselves without a second thought for the real history of it all.

Our Take: Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb simply works for a number of reasons; it’s very well paced, almost meditatively so. Things aren’t over-dramatized for cliffhangers or big reveals. We get such an authentic-feeling glimpse into the everyday lives of these people that when we do reach a big moment – like the unearthing of a mummy while all those present hold their breaths – it is particularly impactful. The film hits a sweet spot that never feels rushed or dragged out, though its subjects are so well-cast they definitely could have made a miniseries that dove even deeper into Egyptian customs and previous discoveries of this nature. In addition to its pacing, it’s also well-scripted and (as I previously mentioned) well-cast; all of the people involved in this historic event are really the heart of the film. The tomb is amazing, yes, but without these people – the diggers and the experts – the film wouldn’t be nearly as special as it is.

It’s rare that a documentary with this kind of subject matter is able to tug at your heartstrings, but Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb manages to do so with ease. Had they just taken us on a journey through the dig and discoveries itself, we would have had something interesting, but not emotionally engaging. Instead, the film brilliantly gets us invested in the lives of the people at the heart of this monumental moment in time, and drives home just how much it means to them – and in turn, makes it mean a lot to us, too. There’s something incredibly special about seeing the pride of these people when it comes to their ability to claim this discovery for themselves; so often are these things ripped from them and distributed to the world before they have the chance to connect with their own history. In Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, this ancient Egyptian discovery belongs to the Egyptians who are digging it up, translating it, and treating it with the utmost care. They are able to contextualize this history in a way that few others can, because so much of it plays a vital role in the way they move through the world today.

It’s this nuance that sets Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb aside from its predecessors exploring similar subject matter. It’s a film that proves that at the end of the day, most stories work best when you have someone to root for – even the nonfiction ones, like this. And this cast of characters are the perfect group of heroes. They love their country and their land and their history, and they help us fall in love with it too. Watching them get to unearth a piece of it for themselves is something totally astonishing.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb beautifully meshes the sharing of history with the making of it; there’s science and tradition, yes, but there’s also raw emotion and excitement. This special little film boasts all the qualities of a great documentary.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb on Netflix