Unusual Disturbingly Interesting Docs to Watch
by shannacastellini | created - 19 Nov 2016 | updated - 10 Jan 2017 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Why Horror? (2014)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography, Horror
Why Horror? Is a feature documentary following horror fan Tal Zimerman as he looks at the psychology of horror around the world in order to understand why we love to be scared.
Directors: Nicolas Kleiman, Rob Lindsay | Stars: Alexandre Aja, Chris Alexander, Dave Alexander, Simon Barrett
Votes: 779
2. Tickled (2016)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve | Stars: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David Starr, Kevin Clarke
Votes: 20,600 | Gross: $0.61M
3. Fury of the Demon (2016)
60 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror
A documentary investigation on the rarest and most controversial French movie in the history of early cinema: a fascinating, lost and dangerous short film which causes violent reactions to those who watch it.
Director: Fabien Delage | Stars: Alexandre Aja, Dave Alexander, Jean-Jacques Bernard, Christophe Gans
Votes: 1,452
4. Oxyana (2013)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, News
The 'Hillbilly Heroin' epidemic that's slowly rotting the soul of rural America.
Director: Sean Dunne
Votes: 658
5. The Exorcist in the 21st Century (2012)
TV-PG | 80 min | Documentary
The Exorcist in the 21st Century takes the viewer into the unknown and sinister world of exorcism in the Catholic Church. We meet one of the few exorcists in Europe, the Vatican approved ... See full summary »
Director: Fredrik Horn Akselsen | Stars: José Antonio Fortea, Gabriele Amorth, Bernt Eidsvik, Juan Masia
Votes: 132
6. Hell House (2001)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
Each Halloween, youth members of Trinity Church, Texas construct a 'Hell House'; a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon, presented in the form of a haunted house, seen by over 10,000 visitors each year.
Director: George Ratliff | Stars: Aria Adloo, Ashley Adloo, Amy Allred, Gabriel Allred
Votes: 1,724
7. Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.
Director: Jon Foy | Stars: Justin Duerr, Marc Duerr, Kevin Riley, Abby Miller
Votes: 2,312 | Gross: $0.01M
8. The Institute (2012)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A documentary on the Jejune Institute, a mind-bending San Francisco phenomenon where 10,000 people became "inducted" without ever quite realizing what they'd signed up for.
Director: Spencer McCall | Stars: Arye Bender, Boston Blake, Jeff Hull, Chelsea London Lloyd
Votes: 1,405
9. The Bridgewater Triangle (2013)
91 min | Documentary, Crime, History
The Bridgewater Triangle sits within Southeastern Massachusetts, and includes a number of locations known for unexplained occurrences; the most prominent of which include the legendary ... See full summary »
Directors: Aaron Cadieux, Manny Famolare | Stars: John Horrigan, Jeff Belanger, Christopher Pittman, Christopher Balzano
Votes: 309
10. The Fear of God: 25 Years of 'The Exorcist' (1998 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary
The Exorcist (1973) became a cultural phenomenon upon its release. This making-of documentary tells the story of its creation and describes how audiences reacted to it. Interviews with cast and crew are shown.
Director: Nick Freand Jones | Stars: Mark Kermode, Ellen Burstyn, William O'Malley, William Friedkin
Votes: 807
11. Bridgend (2013)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young people in Bridgend, South Wales die by hanging. Authorities struggle to explain connections between victims - friends, neighbors, cousins. Film examines lives and deaths through interviews, seeking explanations for the tragic events.
Director: John Michael Williams
Votes: 1,520
12. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,759 | Gross: $0.49M
13. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)
Unrated | 96 min | Documentary, Horror
An exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre.
Director: Andrew Monument | Stars: Lance Henriksen, Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, John Carpenter
Votes: 2,887
14. Eyes of the Mothman (2011)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary
Feature length documentary of the real story behind the legend of The Mothman.
Director: Matthew J. Pellowski | Stars: Mothman, Richard Pait, John H. Sauer, Helen H. Tanner
Votes: 357
15. The Houses October Built (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, Horror
Every October, over 30 million people will visit Halloween Haunted Houses. This film sheds light on the dark world of haunting.
Directors: Bobby Roe, Jeff Larson | Stars: Brandy Schaefer, Bobby Roe, Zack Andrews, Mikey Roe
Votes: 616
16. Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie (2008)
Not Rated | 63 min | Documentary
Through the experiences of two amateur Bigfoot researchers in Appalachian Ohio, we see how the power of a dream can bring two men together and provide a source of hope and meaning that transcend the harsh realities of life in a dying steel town.
Director: Jay Delaney | Stars: Dallas Gilbert, Wayne Burton, C. Thomas Biscardi
Votes: 246
17. Jesus Camp (2006)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Votes: 28,764 | Gross: $0.90M
18. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,240 | Gross: $0.03M
19. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson
Votes: 25,851 | Gross: $1.21M
20. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,065 | Gross: $3.12M
21. Zoo (2007)
Unrated | 75 min | Documentary
A look at the life of an Enumclaw, Washington man who died as a result of an unusual encounter with a horse.
Director: Robinson Devor | Stars: Coyote, Jenny Edwards, John Edwards, John Paulsen
Votes: 2,981 | Gross: $0.07M
22. Just, Melvin: Just Evil (2000)
96 min | Documentary
An in-depth look at the director James Ronald Whitney's family history of incest spanning at least three generations and the devastating consequences that include drug abuse and alcoholism.
Director: James Ronald Whitney | Stars: James Ronald Whitney, Melvin Just, Denise Benson, Jean Benson
Votes: 1,774
23. The House of Suh (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A chilling exploration of the tragic history of the Suh family and the murder that shocked America - when the picture perfect son, Andrew, shot and killed his sister's fiancé at her bidding.
Director: Iris K. Shim | Stars: Bob J. Berlin, Myung Han, Carol Hogan, Kevin Koron
Votes: 636
24. The Cheshire Murders (2013 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 118 min | Documentary, Crime
A documentary about a brutal home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut in 2007.
Directors: Kate Davis, David Heilbroner | Stars: Jennifer Petit, Hayley Petit, William Petit Jr., Michaela Petit
Votes: 3,165
25. Cat Dancers (2007)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
The story of the Cat Dancers, one of the world's first exotic tiger entertainment acts, and the tragic accidents that brought their tale to an end.
Director: Harris Fishman | Stars: Joy Holiday, Ron Holiday, Chuck Lizza
Votes: 301
26. The Witness (I) (2015)
89 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The brother of Kitty Genovese investigates the circumstances of her murder and the truth of the story that dozens of locals witnessed the crime and did nothing to intervene.
Directors: James D. Solomon, Jessica Robinson | Stars: William Genovese, Shannon Beeby, Aaron Adler, Linda Ellen Bonekoskey
Votes: 4,549
27. The Fear of 13 (2015)
96 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.
Director: David Sington | Stars: Herbert A. Fuchs, Sammy Silverwatch, Nick Yarris
Votes: 7,631
28. Crazy Love (I) (2007)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Romance
The bizarre true story of Linda Riss and Burt Pugach.
Directors: Dan Klores, Fisher Stevens | Stars: Burt Pugach, Linda Pugach, Bob Janoff, Sylvia Hoffman
Votes: 2,824 | Gross: $0.30M
29. Valentine Road (2013)
TV-14 | 89 min | Documentary, Crime
On February 12, 2008 in Oxnard, California, eighth-grade student Brandon McInerney shot his classmate Larry King twice in the back of the head during first period. When Larry died two days ... See full summary »
Director: Marta Cunningham | Stars: James Bing, Jeremy Bing, Rosalie Black, Dawn Boldrin
Votes: 1,982
30. Shut Up Little Man (2011)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
When two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world's first 'viral' pop-culture sensations.
Director: Matthew Bate | Stars: Eddie Lee Sausage, Mitch Deprey, Daniel Clowes, Ivan Brunetti
Votes: 1,326 | Gross: $0.02M
31.
America Undercover (1983– )
Episode:
The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer
(1992)
Not Rated | 47 min | Documentary
Richard Kuklinski was a devoted husband, loving father--and ruthless killer of over 100 people. You'll meet him in this powerful documentary that features one of the most vivid and ... See full summary »
Directors: Arthur Ginsberg, Tom Spain | Stars: Richard Kuklinski, Michael Baden, Robert J. Carroll, Lee Grant
Votes: 1,108
32.
Different Drummer (1989–1991)
Episode:
Dancing Outlaw
(1991)
Not Rated | 29 min | Documentary
This documentary short, produced for West Virginia public TV's "Different Drummer" series, introduces us to Jesco White, a hard-living, tap-dancing Boone County resident whose repeated ... See full summary »
Director: Jacob Young | Stars: Wattie Green, Dorsey White, Jerry White, Jesco White
Votes: 547
33. Demon House (2019)
TV-14 | 95 min | Documentary, Horror, Mystery
Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans documents the most authenticated case of possession in American history.
Director: Zak Bagans | Stars: Zak Bagans, Adam Ahlbrandt, Matthew Mourgides, Barry Taff
Votes: 6,534
34. American Ghost Hunter (2010)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
Paranormal investigator and documentary filmmaker Chad Calek (Guest Star and Director of A&E's Paranormal State and The Ghost Prophecies) returns to his hometown of Persia, Iowa in hopes to... See full summary »
Director: Chad Calek | Stars: Chad Calek, Ryan Buell, Lorraine Warren, Justin Holstein
Votes: 315
35. West of Memphis (2012)
R | 147 min | Documentary, Crime
An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Michael Baden
Votes: 10,938 | Gross: $0.31M
36. Welcome to Leith (2015)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
When a noted white supremacist moves into their town, the residents of Leith, North Dakota do what they can to prevent him from taking control of the municipality.
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker | Stars: Ryan Schock, Heather Cook, Lee Cook, Bobby Harper
Votes: 4,446 | Gross: $0.04M
37. Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies (2012 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
In Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies, Chiller investigates the terrifying factual stories that inspired some of the scariest horror movies of all time, including Silent Hill, The ... See full summary »
Director: John D'Auria | Stars: Katrina Weidman, Chris Holt, Charity Winters, John McGarry
Votes: 130
38. Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2000)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Adventure, Romance
A retired gay anthropologist revisits the native cultures he studied in his youth.
Directors: David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro | Stars: Tobias Schneebaum, Norman Mailer, Michael Rockefeller
Votes: 850 | Gross: $0.35M
39. The Revisionaries (2012)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, History, News
The theory of evolution and a re-write of American history are caught in the crosshairs when an unabashed Creationist seeks re-election as chairman of America's most influential Board of Education.
Director: Scott Thurman | Stars: Don McLeroy, Kathy Miller, Jonathan Saenz, Stephanie Klenzendorf
Votes: 697 | Gross: $0.02M
40. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary
Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Elon Musk, Lawrence Krauss, Lucianne Walkowicz, Kevin Mitnick
Votes: 13,397 | Gross: $0.59M
41. Into the Inferno (2016)
104 min | Documentary
An exploration of active volcanoes around the world.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Katia Krafft, Maurice Krafft, Clive Oppenheimer
Votes: 9,944
42. HyperNormalisation (2016)
166 min | Documentary
Adam Curtis explains how, at a time of confusing and inexplicable world events, politicians and the people they represent have retreated in to a damaging over-simplified version of what is happening.
Director: Adam Curtis | Stars: Adam Curtis, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Victor Gotbaum
Votes: 7,357
43. Zombie Girl: The Movie (2009)
89 min | Documentary
Emily Hagins is making a zombie movie. It's feature-length, it's bloody, and the zombies don't run. Just like it should be. But there's just one difference between her film and every other zombie movie you've ever seen. Emily is twelve.
Directors: Justin Johnson, Aaron Marshall, Erik Mauck | Stars: Emily Hagins, Megan Hagins, Jerry Hagins, C. Robert Cargill
Votes: 461
44. The Aswang Phenomenon (2011)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, History
What would happen if a country of 97 million people were taught at a young age that the boogie man was real. In the Philippines for the last 400 years, the 'aswang' has been used as ... See full summary »
Director: Jordan Clark | Stars: Jordan Clark, Peque Gallaga, Maricel Soriano
Votes: 74
45. InRealLife (2013)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, News
InRealLife takes us on a journey from the bedrooms of British teenagers to the world of Silicon Valley, to find out what exactly the internet is doing to our children.
Director: Beeban Kidron | Stars: Ryan, Ben, Sherry Turkle, Nicholas Negroponte
Votes: 257
46. Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony (2012)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary
Profiling the cross-demographic fanaticism for the ostensibly girl-orientated television series, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010).
Director: Laurent Malaquais | Stars: John de Lancie, Alex Tibcken, Tim Star, Lauren Faust
Votes: 1,661
47. The Elephant in the Living Room (2010)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Take a journey deep inside the fascinating world where wild exotic animals are kept as household pets.
Director: Michael Webber | Stars: Tim Harrison, Terry Brumfield, Russ Clear, Casey Craig
Votes: 1,113
48. Brother's Keeper (1992)
R | 104 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
This compelling documentary details the strange-but-true murder trial of Delbert Ward, accused of the mercy killing of his brother in rural upstate NY. This real-life murder mystery won the Audience Award at Sundance.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward, Walt Geisler
Votes: 4,274 | Gross: $1.31M
49. The Cove (2009)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Votes: 51,409 | Gross: $0.87M
50. Earthlings (2005)
95 min | Documentary
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Votes: 19,786
51. Rats (II) (2016)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Horror
A history of rat infestations in major cities throughout the world.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Ed Sheehan, Bobby Corrigan, Rick Simeone, Michael Blum
Votes: 1,575
52. The Eagle Huntress (2016)
G | 87 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Thirteen-year-old Aisholpan trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her nomad family to become an eagle huntress.
Director: Otto Bell | Stars: Aisholpan Nurgaiv, Daisy Ridley, Rys Nurgaiv
Votes: 4,183 | Gross: $3.17M
53. Häxan (1922)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror
Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.
Director: Benjamin Christensen | Stars: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan
Votes: 16,683
54. Hostage to the Devil (2016)
96 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A child possessed. An exorcist locked in combat with an ancient evil. In the battle for saving a soul, just who really is the 'Hostage to the Devil'?
Director: Marty Stalker | Stars: Malachi Martin, Eugene O'Neill, Robert Blair Kaiser, Robert Marro
Votes: 1,567
55. Nietzermann (2015)
PG | 90 min | Documentary, Mystery, Thriller
In an attempt to launch their careers, two young actors investigate a disturbing viral video of a French psychic's prophecy. As they shed light on the mysterious footage, their journey will... See full summary »
Director: Will G. Kraft | Stars: Luke Stratte-McClure, Mackenzie Sidwell Graff, Joanna Ellenbeck, Christopher Coulson
Votes: 55
56. November 84 (2014)
123 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
An investigation film that suggests a possible link between 7 child-murder cold cases in the 1980s.
Director: Stephan Parent | Stars: Yeinbinson Andres, François Beaulieu, Marc Bellemare, Luc Bouille
Votes: 101
57. The Phoenix Incident (2015)
Not Rated | 82 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Blurring the line between fiction and reality, the fact-based, sci-fi thriller revolves around a military conspiracy and the controversial missing persons case surrounding the infamous Phoenix Lights.
Director: Keith Arem | Stars: Yuri Lowenthal, Travis Willingham, Troy Baker, Liam O'Brien
Votes: 3,316
58. Fear Itself (2015)
88 min | Documentary, Horror, Mystery
Constructed entirely from existing films, Fear Itself is a personal journey through fear and cinema that asks whether horror movies know us better than we know ourselves.
Director: Charlie Shackleton | Stars: Issei Sagawa, Amy Ebbutt
Votes: 396
59. Beware the Slenderman (2016)
TV-14 | 114 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Tells the story of two 12-year old girls, who attempted to murder one of their friends in an attempt to appease Slenderman, a fictional monster from a horror website.
Director: Irene Taylor | Stars: Morgan Geyser, Anissa Weier, Angie Geyser, William Weier
Votes: 7,794
60. Deep Web (2015)
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary
A feature documentary that explores the rise of a new Internet; decentralized, encrypted, dangerous and beyond the law; with particular focus on the FBI capture of the Tor hidden service Silk Road, and the judicial aftermath.
Director: Alex Winter | Stars: Ross Ulbricht, James Chaparro, Nicolas Christin, Cindy Cohn
Votes: 9,636
61. Dancing Outlaw II: Jesco Goes to Hollywood (1999)
28 min | Documentary, Short
Jesco's trip to Los Angeles to appear in an episode of the Roseanne Barr show as an Elvis impersonating clog dancer is chronicled.
Director: Jacob Young | Stars: Jesco White, Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr, John Goodman
Votes: 209
62. Echoes From a Somber Empire (1990)
91 min | Documentary
Documentary examining Bokassa's rule in the Central African Republic using the testimony of witnesses and visits to key sites.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Michael Goldsmith, Werner Herzog, Augustine Assemat, David Dacko
Votes: 725
63. Join Us (2007)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary
Award winning filmmaker, Ondi Timoner, follows four families as they leave an abusive church in South Carolina and realize they have been in a cult. The film documents them as they enter ... See full summary »
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Raymund Melz, Deborah Melz, Joaquin Sullivan, Liz Shaw
Votes: 148
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