Documentaries
by AnhTuNguyen | created - 19 Feb 2015 | updated - 14 Mar 2015 | PublicHighly recommended documentaries. Not ranked in any particularly order.
My other lists:
1. Important Classic and contemporary European Filmmakers
2. Important Classic and contemporary Asian Filmmakers
3. Important Classic and contemporary Hollywood Filmmakers Filmmakers
4. Important Classic and contemporary South/Middle America Filmmakers
5. Animated Short Films
6. Vietnamese Films
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1. Finding Vivian Maier (2013)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Mystery
A documentary on the late Vivian Maier, a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as one of the most accomplished street photographers.
Directors: John Maloof, Charlie Siskel | Stars: Vivian Maier, John Maloof, Daniel Arnaud, Simon Amédé
Votes: 15,087 | Gross: $1.51M
2. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,478 | Gross: $1.34M
3. God Grew Tired of Us (2006)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
Three young men from Sudan embark on a journey to America after years of wandering Sub-Saharan Africa in search of safety.
Directors: Christopher Dillon Quinn, Tommy Walker | Stars: Panther Bior, John Bul Dau, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Abol Pach
Votes: 2,906 | Gross: $0.28M
4. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
Documentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Oliver O'Grady, Thomas Doyle, Adam, Jeff Anderson
Votes: 10,830 | Gross: $30.58M
5. Deep Water (2006)
PG | 92 min | Documentary, History, Sport
A documentary about the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race.
Directors: Louise Osmond, Jerry Rothwell | Stars: Tilda Swinton, Donald Crowhurst, Ted Hynds, Robin Knox-Johnston
Votes: 3,303 | Gross: $0.27M
6. An Open Secret (I) (2014)
Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Evan Henzi, Michael Egan III, Mark Ryan, Joey Coleman
Votes: 2,463
7. Prophet's Prey (2015)
TV-14 | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, History
When Warren Jeffs rose to Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, he took control of a religion with a history of polygamous and underage marriage. In a short time, ... See full summary »
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Nick Cave, Elaine Anderson, Sam Brower, Andrew Chatwin
Votes: 1,987 | Gross: $0.01M
8. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Tony Brooks, Diana Davis, Terry Wood, Dick Clay
Votes: 18,159
9. 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: 28,780 | Gross: $0.90M
10. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby
Votes: 40,748 | Gross: $0.02M
11. The Boys of Baraka (2005)
R | 84 min | Documentary
Twenty 12-year-old black boys from one of the most violent ghettos in Baltimore, Maryland, are taken 10,000 miles away to an experimental boarding school in rural Kenya, to try to take ... See full summary »
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Devon Brown, Darius Chambers, Edward Bernard Green Jr., Richard Keyser
Votes: 820 | Gross: $0.32M
12. Witch Hunt (2008)
Unrated | 91 min | Documentary, Crime
The story of several families who have their lives destroyed when their hometown is whipped into a frenzy by allegations of child molestation.
Directors: Don Hardy, Dana Nachman | Stars: Jack Cummings, Jackie Cummings, Allen Grafton, Ed Jagels
Votes: 1,070
13. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,836 | Gross: $3.29M
14. Into the Abyss (2011)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Richard Lopez, Michael Perry, Damon Hall
Votes: 17,359 | Gross: $0.22M
15. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,312 | Gross: $11.53M
16. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,926 | Gross: $3.97M
17. Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)
57 min | Documentary
This film chronicles the drive-in's birth and development, its phenomenal popularity with audiences of all ages, its tragic decline, and its inevitable comeback as a classic form of Americana.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Leonard Maltin, John Bloom, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Jon Bokenkamp
Votes: 229
18. 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: 40,829 | Gross: $0.49M
19. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,485 | Gross: $2.07M
20. The Last Word (IV) (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
This documentary takes the "Innocent Man on Texas Death Row" tale to a dark corner feared by all - - proving that an innocent man has been executed by the State. A clash between good and ... See full summary »
Director: Jesse Quackenbush | Stars: Katie Quackenbush, Jeff Blackburn, Jimmy Don Boydston, David Brown
Votes: 138
21. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
G | 99 min | Documentary
Film-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Scott Rowland, Stefan Pashov, Doug MacAyeal
Votes: 19,261 | Gross: $0.94M
22. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,931 | Gross: $3.17M
23. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.
Directors: Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov | Stars: Werner Herzog, Gennady Soloviev, Anatoly Blumei, Gennady Tiganov
Votes: 8,931 | Gross: $0.34M
24. 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: 51,459 | Gross: $0.87M
25. Senna (2010)
PG-13 | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neyde Senna
Votes: 75,888 | Gross: $1.61M
26. Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
German-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Dieter Dengler, Werner Herzog, Eugene Deatrick
Votes: 6,835
27. La Soufrière (1977)
31 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
Herzog takes a film crew to the island of Guadeloupe when he hears that the volcano on the island is going to erupt. Everyone has left, except for one old man who refuses to leave. Herzog ... See full summary »
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein, Edward Lachman
Votes: 2,305
28. My Best Fiend (1999)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography
The love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Eva Mattes
Votes: 12,200 | Gross: $0.10M
29. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary
Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan
Votes: 28,631 | Gross: $0.30M
30. The Look of Silence (2014)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer | Stars: Adi Rukun, M.Y. Basrun, Volker Hanisch, Amir Hasan
Votes: 13,889 | Gross: $0.11M
31. Stories We Tell (2012)
PG-13 | 108 min | Documentary
A film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.
Director: Sarah Polley | Stars: Michael Polley, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Joanna Polley
Votes: 14,121 | Gross: $1.60M
32. Sharkwater (2006)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
An investigation of sharks' importance to ecosystems and humankind's mass destruction of shark species worldwide.
Director: Rob Stewart | Stars: Rob Stewart, Paul Watson, Erich Ritter, Boris Worm
Votes: 5,038 | Gross: $0.85M
33. A Fall from Freedom (2011)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary, History
The first comprehensive film to reveal the long and sordid history of the captive whale and dolphin entertainment business. Many of these marine parks and aquariums are directly or ... See full summary »
Stars: Brad Andrews, Ken Balcomb, Hardy Jones, Lori Marino
Votes: 84
34. Pirate for the Sea (2008)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
A documentary on Paul Watson, who takes the law into his own hands on the open seas, confronting, by any nonviolent means necessary, the hunters who indiscriminately slaughter whales, seals... See full summary »
Director: Ronald Colby | Stars: Peter Brown, Ronald Colby, Alex Cornelissen, Julie Farris
Votes: 173
35. We Are in the Field (2012)
30 min | Documentary, Short, Adventure
A young Nepalese man tries to protect the wildlife and habitat of his country by any means necessary.
Director: Gabriel Diamond | Star: Manoj Gautam
Votes: 9
36. The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013)
93 min | Documentary
A cinematic documentary that illuminates the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world.
Director: Liz Marshall | Stars: Marcel Saba, Lori Reese, Perrie Wardell, Martin Rowe
Votes: 680 | Gross: $0.02M
37. 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: 19,811
38. Food Matters (2008)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
Food Matters examines how the food we eat can help or hurt our health. Nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists weigh in on such topics as organic food, food safety, raw foodism, and nutritional therapy.
Directors: James Colquhoun, Carlo Ledesma | Stars: Vicky Blewitt, Ian Brighthope, Jerome Burne, Phillip Day
Votes: 4,812
39. Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)
78 min | Documentary
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home explores the powerful struggle of conscience experienced by several people from traditional farming backgrounds who come to question the basic ... See full summary »
Director: Jenny Stein | Stars: Harold Brown, Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis, Howard Lyman, Cayce Mell
Votes: 248
40. Keiko: The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy (2013)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Millions of Free Willy fans around the world finally learn the truth about what really happened when the whale star, Keiko, became the first and only captive orca to be released back into the wild.
Director: Theresa Demarest | Stars: Colin Baird, Mark Berman, Keiko, 'Tobba' Thorbjorg Valdis Kristjansdottir
Votes: 109
41. Mission Blue (2014)
95 min | Documentary, Drama
Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries.
Directors: Robert Nixon, Fisher Stevens | Stars: Barbara Block, James Cameron, Michael deGruy, Sylvia Earle
Votes: 2,147
42. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,229 | Gross: $4.42M
43. Forks Over Knives (2011)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
Examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.
Director: Lee Fulkerson | Stars: Lee Fulkerson, Matthew Lederman, Alona Pulde, T. Colin Campbell
Votes: 12,700
44. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,998 | Gross: $4.31M
45. No End in Sight (2007)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, War
A comprehensive look at the Bush Administration's conduct of the Iraq war and its occupation of the country.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Campbell Scott, Gerald Burke, Ali Fadhil, Omar Fekeiki
Votes: 8,631 | Gross: $1.43M
46. Why We Fight (2005)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman, John Ashcroft
Votes: 10,233 | Gross: $1.44M
47. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,396 | Gross: $0.21M
48. 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: 10,958 | Gross: $0.31M
49. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
Not Rated | 167 min | Documentary, Biography, War
A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Mark Achbar, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, Paul Andrews
Votes: 4,937
50. Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land (2004 Video)
80 min | Documentary
This video shows how the foreign policy interests of American political elites-working in combination with Israeli public relations stratgies-influence US news reporting about the Middle ... See full summary »
Directors: Sut Jhally, Bathsheba Ratzkoff | Stars: Seth Ackerman, Stav Adivi, Arik Ascherman, Hanan Ashrawi
Votes: 567
51. How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2012)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Crime
Ten easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
Director: Matthew Cooke | Stars: 'Freeway' Ricky Ross, Susan Sarandon, David Simon, 50 Cent
Votes: 6,823 | Gross: $1.50M
52. Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private ... See full summary »
Director: Samuel Vartek | Stars: Jim Olson, Tony Clarke, Maude Barlow, Octavio Rosas Lando
Votes: 1,230
53. War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death (2007)
Not Rated | 73 min | Documentary, History, War
War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from ... See full summary »
Directors: Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp | Stars: Spiro Agnew, Christiane Amanpour, Peter Arnett, Wolf Blitzer
Votes: 1,139
54. America: Freedom to Fascism (2006)
95 min | Documentary
A documentary that explores the connection between income tax collection and the erosion of civil liberties in America.
Director: Aaron Russo | Stars: Aaron Russo, John Turner, Joe Banister, Sherry Peel Jackson
Votes: 2,603 | Gross: $0.09M
55. Owned & Operated (2012)
106 min | Documentary
Owned & Operated is a mosaic of the world through the lens of the Internet. Showing our lives as consumers, under the thumbs of privileged individuals and their methods of control. But the ... See full summary »
Director: Relic | Stars: Jiddu Krishnamurti, The Dalai Lama, George Carlin, Eric Schurenberg
Votes: 519
56. The Power of Nightmares (2004)
60 min | Documentary, History
A series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.
Stars: Gilles Kepel, William Kristol, Melvin Goodman, Richard Perle
Votes: 4,546
57. Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? (2011)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary, History, News
Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? reveals how American corporations orchestrated the dismantling of middle-class prosperity through rampant deregulation, the outsourcing of jobs, and tax... See full summary »
Directors: Frances Causey, Donald Goldmacher | Stars: Elizabeth Warren, Nomi Prins, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert Crandall
Votes: 185
58. 97% Owned (2012)
104 min | Documentary
97% owned present serious research and verifiable evidence on our economic and financial system. This is the first documentary to tackle this issue from a UK-perspective and explains the ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Oswald | Stars: Ben Dyson, Anne Belsey, Noel Longhurst, Josh Ryan-Collins
Votes: 671
59. The Fog of War (2003)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Robert McNamara, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon
Votes: 25,057 | Gross: $4.20M
60. 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: 25,987 | Gross: $1.21M
61. Gates of Heaven (1978)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Lucille Billingsley, Zella Graham, Cal Harberts, Dan Harberts
Votes: 6,297
62. The Corporation (2003)
Not Rated | 145 min | Documentary, History
Documentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott | Stars: Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora, Nina Jones
Votes: 21,787 | Gross: $1.88M
63. Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)
Not Rated | 161 min | Documentary
A feature length documentary work which presents a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society.
Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Peter Joseph, Robert Sapolsky, Gabor Maté, Richard Wilkinson
Votes: 18,745
64. Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers (2006)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, War
Robert Greenwald looks at war profiteering in Iraq by private contracting companies Halliburton, CACI, and KBR.
Director: Robert Greenwald | Stars: Katy Helvenston-Wettengal, Scott Helvenston, Donna Zovko, Jozo Zovko
Votes: 1,667
65. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Brian Keith Allen, Moazzam Begg, Christopher Beiring
Votes: 16,805 | Gross: $0.27M
66. March of the Penguins (2005)
G | 80 min | Documentary, Family
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Director: Luc Jacquet | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules Sitruk
Votes: 59,961 | Gross: $77.44M
67. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,230 | Gross: $23.81M
68. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,409 | Gross: $119.19M
69. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
R | 127 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings
Votes: 43,880 | Gross: $14.36M
70. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: John Beard, Tim Belden, Barbara Boxer, George W. Bush
Votes: 20,120
71. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
TV-14 | 106 min | Documentary
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Terry Kohut, Gary Smith, Pat Kuehn
Votes: 4,087
72. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 38,034 | Gross: $2.55M
73. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,688 | Gross: $2.96M
74. Citizenfour (2014)
R | 114 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Jacob Appelbaum
Votes: 57,994 | Gross: $2.80M
75. Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
During the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.
Director: Rory Kennedy | Stars: Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Stuart Herrington, Juan Valdez
Votes: 4,099 | Gross: $0.47M
76. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.
Director: Frank Pavich | Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger, Chris Foss
Votes: 27,596 | Gross: $0.65M
77. The Staircase (2004–2018)
TV-MA | 629 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001.
Stars: Michael Peterson, David Rudolf, Ron Guerette, Martha Ratliff
Votes: 27,235
78. 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
79. 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: 27,145 | Gross: $3.12M
80. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)
Not Rated | 121 min | Documentary, Crime
A further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Gary Gitchell, Todd Moore, Dana Moore, Pam Hobbs
Votes: 10,874
81. 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: 4,284 | Gross: $1.31M
82. Thicker Than Water (2000 Video)
45 min | Documentary
Thicker Than Water is a 2000 documentary surf film directed by singer/songwriter Jack Johnson and his film school friend Chris Malloy. It shows surfing footage from different locations like... See full summary »
Directors: Jack Johnson, Chris Malloy, Emmett Malloy | Stars: Raimana Boucher, Saxon Boucher, Timmy Curran, Shane Dorian
Votes: 357
83. The Endless Summer (1966)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Sport
The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.
Director: Bruce Brown | Stars: Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears, Bruce Brown
Votes: 6,221
84. Riding Giants (2004)
PG-13 | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary detailing the origins and history of surf culture.
Director: Stacy Peralta | Stars: Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, Dave Kalama, Jeff Clark
Votes: 4,672 | Gross: $2.28M
85. Touching the Void (2003)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron
Votes: 38,118 | Gross: $4.59M
86. The Endurance (2000)
G | 97 min | Documentary, History
A retelling of Sir Ernest Shackleton 's ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in 1914-1916, featuring new footage of the actual locations and interviews with surviving relatives of key ... See full summary »
Director: George Butler | Stars: Liam Neeson, Julian Ayer, John Blackborow, David Cale
Votes: 2,195 | Gross: $2.45M
87. The Bothersome Man (2006)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
In a strange city where every person seems content beyond reason a new man arrives in town and stirs up trouble by asking too many questions.
Director: Jens Lien | Stars: Trond Fausa, Petronella Barker, Per Schaanning, Birgitte Larsen
Votes: 18,075
88. Down the Barrel (2007 TV Movie)
93 min | Documentary, Sport
The essence of surfing is an elusive ideal. Part sport, part state-of-mind; an avenue for self-expression, a metaphor for freedom; a ritual, a competitive event, a dangerous journey, a ... See full summary »
Director: Steven Lawrence | Stars: Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Joel Parkinson, Kalani Robb
Votes: 43
89. Farther Than the Eye Can See (2003 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary
Film follows blind climber Erik Weihenmayer's successful climb of Mount Everest.
Director: Michael Brown | Stars: Eric Alexander, Luis Benitez, Brad Bull, Reba Bull
Votes: 98
90. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,836 | Gross: $24.54M
91. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
PG | 103 min | Documentary
A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson
Votes: 6,639
92. Shut Up & Sing (2006)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.
Directors: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck | Stars: Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, Clayton Allen
Votes: 4,991 | Gross: $1.22M
93. Hearts and Minds (1974)
R | 112 min | Documentary, History, War
A startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.
Director: Peter Davis | Stars: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Ngo Dinh Diem, John Foster Dulles
Votes: 6,114 | Gross: $0.03M
94. The Battle of Chile: Part II (1976)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, History
Filmmaker Patricio Guzmán tracks the deterioration of Salvador Allende's position following the attempted coup d'état of 29 June 1973, and analyzes the 10 weeks before Augusto Pinochet's CIA-backed seizure of power.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Salvador Allende, Carlos Altamirano, Fernando Castillo, Luis Corvalán
Votes: 1,283
95. 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: 15,295 | Gross: $0.03M
96. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
Director: Rob Epstein | Stars: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann
Votes: 6,580 | Gross: $0.01M
97. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
79 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A collection of profiles of people dead from AIDS who are remembered in the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Sara Lewinstein, David Mandell, Suzi Mandell, Sallie Perryman
Votes: 1,086
98. Word Is Out (1977)
124 min | Documentary, Biography, History
26 diverse lesbian and gay people are interviewed about their lives and the challenges they experience in a homophobic culture. A groundbreaking documentary is now an artefact of a different time.
Directors: Nancy Adair, Andrew Brown, Rob Epstein | Stars: Pat Bond, John Burnside, Sally M. Gearhart, Elsa Gidlow
Votes: 539
99. We Were Here (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
Directors: David Weissman, Bill Weber | Stars: Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark, Eileen Glutzer
Votes: 2,280
100. The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987)
Not Rated | 122 min | Documentary
A documentary following Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old WW2 veteran notorious for his protests against Emperor Hirohito, as he tries to expose the needless executions of two Japanese soldiers during the war.
Director: Kazuo Hara | Stars: Kenzo Okuzaki, Riichi Aikawa, Masaichi Hamaguchi, Toshio Hara
Votes: 2,126
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