Best Documentaries
by faluvegi-1 | created - 16 Mar 2012 | updated - 2 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1.
30 for 30 (2009– )
Episode:
The Two Escobars
(2010)
TV-G | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The rise of Colombian soccer is attributed to the influx of drug money into the sport by Pablo Escobar and the other drug cartels. However, the team's swift decline after Escobar's death results in the murder of star player Andres Escobar.
Directors: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist | Stars: María Ester Escobar, Francisco Maturana, Alexis García V., Jaime Gaviria Gómez
Votes: 3,387
2. Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives (2007)
60 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Mark Oliver Everett, singer of the band EELS, on his quest to get to know his later father, quantum physicist Hugh Everett III, who invented the Many Worlds theory.
Director: Louise Lockwood | Stars: Mark Oliver Everett, Annie Mac, Max Tegmark
Votes: 189
3. 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: 39,104 | Gross: $0.49M
4. Father Soldier Son (2020)
R | 99 min | Documentary, War
When Sgt. First Class Brian Eisch is critically wounded in Afghanistan, it sets him and his sons on a journey of love, loss, redemption and legacy.
Directors: Leslye Davis, Catrin Einhorn | Stars: Brian Eisch, Isaac Eisch, Joey Eisch, Roxanne Gregory
Votes: 988
5. 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: 16,880 | Gross: $0.22M
6. Home (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary
With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glenn Close, Jacques Gamblin
Votes: 22,692
7. 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: 72,267 | Gross: $1.61M
8. The Bridge (I) (2006)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Filmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
Director: Eric Steel | Stars: Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley
Votes: 11,818 | Gross: $0.18M
9. 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: 24,982 | Gross: $1.21M
10. 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: 58,681 | Gross: $3.17M
11. Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
After losing his memory in an accident, Alex Lewis trusts his twin brother, Marcus, to tell him about his past only to discover that he's hiding a dark secret about their childhood.
Director: Ed Perkins | Stars: Andrew Caley, Alex Lewis, Marcus Lewis, Evan Milton
Votes: 15,337
12. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 145,955 | Gross: $21.58M
13. 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: 37,996 | Gross: $0.02M
14. Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream (2012)
Not Rated | 70 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Filmmaker Alex Gibney investigates the fact that the 400 richest Americans control more wealth than the 150 million people in the bottom 50 percent of the population.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Paul Piff, Anne Rueth, Colin Dunkley
Votes: 1,362
15. Saving 10,000: Winning a War on Suicide in Japan (2012)
68 min | Documentary, News
Driven by a tragedy to make a documentary, 'Saving 10,000' is the story of one Irishman's quest to uncover the real causes of the high suicide rate in Japan. With the help of various ... See full summary »
Director: Rene Duignan
Votes: 33
16. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, News
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: 84,057 | Gross: $23.81M
17. 5 Broken Cameras (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, War
A documentary on a Palestinian farmer's chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi | Stars: Emad Burnat, Soraya Burnat, Mohammed Burnat, Yasin Burnat
Votes: 6,119 | Gross: $0.11M
18. Last Train Home (2009)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Drama
A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.
Director: Lixin Fan | Stars: Changhua Zhang, Yang Zhang, Suqin Chen, Qin Zhang
Votes: 3,646 | Gross: $0.29M
19. 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: 8,533 | Gross: $0.34M
20. How to Die in Oregon (2011)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
In 1994 Oregon became the first state to legalize a terminally ill person's request to end his or her life with medication. At the time, only Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands had ... See full summary »
Director: Peter Richardson | Stars: Harry Bruton, Ray Carnay, Cody Curtis, Paul Darley
Votes: 1,952
21. Super League: The War for Football (2023)
TV-MA | 56 min | Documentary, Sport
Documents the high stakes battle that is set off when plans for a breakaway league emerge and the past, present, and future of European football collide, leaving the game's powerful leaders to defend, or upend, the traditions of the sport.
Votes: 451
22. 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: 10,409
23. 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: 24,250 | Gross: $4.20M
24. Salesman (1969)
G | 91 min | Documentary, Drama
Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Paul Brennan, Charles McDevitt, James Baker, Raymond Martos
Votes: 5,476
25. 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: 36,768 | Gross: $2.55M
26. Girl Gang (2022)
98 min | Documentary
The 14-year-old Leonie, a successful influencer living on the outskirts of Berlin.
Director: Susanne Regina Meures
Votes: 109
27. Village at the End of the World (2012)
82 min | Documentary, Family, News
Village At The End Of The World is a witty, surprising and ultimately feel good portrait of an isolated village of 59 people and 100 sledge dogs, surviving against the odds.
Directors: Sarah Gavron, David Katznelson | Stars: Ane Kruse, Lars Kristian Kruse, Ilannguaq Egede, Karl Kristian Kruse
Votes: 317
28. The Art of Flight (2011)
PG-13 | 80 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Two years in the making, this film gives snowboarder Travis Rice and friends the opportunity to redefine what is possible in the mountains.
Director: Curt Morgan | Stars: Travis Rice, Mark Landvik, John Jackson, Nicolas Müller
Votes: 7,884
29. Keep Quiet (I) (2016)
90 min | Documentary
An anti-Semitic far-right politician's astonishing transformation after finding out he is Jewish.
Directors: Sam Blair, Joe Martin | Star: Csanad Szegedi
Votes: 352 | Gross: $0.05M
30. Last Men in Aleppo (2017)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, War
Khaled, Mahmoud and Subhi volunteer with the White Helmets trying to save lives of hundreds of victims in the besieged city of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War.
Directors: Feras Fayyad, Steen Johannessen | Stars: Khaled Umar Harah, Batul, Mahmoud, Abu Umar
Votes: 2,932 | Gross: $0.01M
31. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 39,665 | Gross: $1.33M
32. 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: 76,722 | Gross: $4.31M
33. 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: 8,481 | Gross: $1.43M
34. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez (2020)
TV-MA | 201 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
A three-part documentary series examining what led to the murderous fall and shocking death of former NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez.
Stars: Kevin Armstrong, Dan Wetzel, Stephen Ziogas, Patrick Haggan
Votes: 17,920
35. Return to Epipo (2020)
84 min | Documentary
In 1980s, many Hungarian youngsters dreamed of visiting a unique summer camp in Epipo. A realm of role-playing and magic, yet behind innocent games lurked humiliation and concealed abuse. After 25 years secrets is still a part of them.
Director: Judit Oláh | Stars: Istvánné Farkas, Lászlóné Fazekas, Dénes Fábri, Ádám Fábri
Votes: 555
36. Game Over (2003)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
In 1997, chess champion Garry Kasparov goes head-to-head against IBM's computer, Deep Blue, and accuses IBM of cheating its way to victory. Interviews with Kasparov, his manager and members of the Deep Blue team illuminate the controversy.
Director: Vikram Jayanti | Stars: Marc Ghannoum, Joel Benjamin, Michael Greengard, Anatoli Karpov
Votes: 1,363
37. Page One (2011)
R | 92 min | Documentary
Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.
Director: Andrew Rossi | Stars: David Carr, Sarah Ellison, Larry Ingrassia, Dennis Crowley
Votes: 3,412 | Gross: $1.07M
38. 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: 19,337
39. 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: 28,219 | Gross: $0.90M
40.
Passé sous silence (2000– )
Episode:
The Battle of Chernobyl
(2006)
94 min | Documentary
Documentary about the nuclear disaster of Chernobyl.
Director: Thomas Johnson | Stars: Tim Birkett, Hans Blix, Mikhail Gorbachev, Oleg Mirochnikov
Votes: 1,539
41. From One Second to the Next (2013)
34 min | Documentary, Short
Stories of serious traffic accidents caused by texting and driving are told by the perpetrators and surviving victims.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Valetta Bradford, Xzavier Davis-Bilbo, Aurie Parris, Chandler Gerber
Votes: 1,282
42. 1 (2013)
Not Rated | 112 min | Documentary, Action, History
Set in the golden era of Grand Prix Racing '1' tells the story of a generation of charismatic drivers who raced on the edge, risking their lives during Formula 1's deadliest period, and the men who stood up and changed the sport forever.
Director: Paul Crowder | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Lewis Hamilton, Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher
Votes: 4,279
43. WWII from Space (2012 TV Movie)
Documentary, History, War
The events of World War II from 1941 onward are depicted from the perspective of space.
Director: Simon George | Stars: Corey Johnson, Kevin Farrell, Geoffrey Wawro, Conrad Crane
Votes: 465