Documentaries
by deborahleilua | created - 24 Mar 2018 | updated - 2 weeks ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Filth and the Fury (2000)
R | 108 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Votes: 6,206 | Gross: $0.61M
2. 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: 51,437 | Gross: $0.87M
3. 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: 72,427 | Gross: $2.07M
4. Hot Girls Wanted (2015)
TV-MA | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary about young women who have been drawn into the sex trade - and how easy it is for a web-savvy generation to end up making porn.
Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus | Stars: Tressa Silguero, Riley Reynolds, Rachel Bernard, John Anthony
Votes: 18,481
5. 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: 148,718 | Gross: $21.58M
6. 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: 68,819 | Gross: $3.29M
7. 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: 132,378 | Gross: $119.19M
8. 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: 85,207 | Gross: $23.81M
9. Before the Flood (2016)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, News
A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
Director: Fisher Stevens | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ban Ki-moon, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mike Brune
Votes: 28,861
10. The Hunting Ground (2015)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary
An exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Andrea Pino, Annie Clark, Claire Potter, Melinda Manning
Votes: 6,489 | Gross: $0.41M
11. 13th (2016)
TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales
Votes: 37,667
12. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary, History
Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
Director: Raoul Peck | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X
Votes: 23,496 | Gross: $7.12M
13. Naomi Osaka (2021)
TV-14 | 113 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Featuring unprecedented access to Osaka, the documentary follows her pivotal year, from the U.S. Open in August 2019 and on tour, as she plays in each of the Grand Slams and prepares for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Stars: Naomi Osaka, Leonard François, Tamaki Osaka, Serena Williams
Votes: 1,450
14. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
PG-13 | 118 min | Documentary, History, Music
Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
Director: Questlove | Stars: Dorinda Drake, Barbara Bland-Acosta, Darryl Lewis, Ethel Beatty
Votes: 13,870
15. Athlete A (2020)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts like Maggie Nichols.
Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk | Stars: Maggie Nichols, Gina Nichols, John Nichols, Steve Berta
Votes: 12,408
16. Roll Red Roll (2018)
80 min | Documentary, Crime
An account of a notable sexual assault that took place in Steubenville, Ohio in 2012, and the role that social media played in the crime and on the community.
Director: Nancy Schwartzman | Stars: Mark Cole, Anthony Craig, Rachel Dissell, Alexandria Goddard
Votes: 2,690
17. Pray Away (2021)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary
Former leaders of the "pray the gay away" movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.
Director: Kristine Stolakis | Stars: Yvette Cantu Schneider, Michael Bussee, John Paulk, Julie Rodgers
Votes: 3,565
18. 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: 4,081
19. Crip Camp (2020)
R | 106 min | Documentary, History
Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Directors: James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham | Stars: James Lebrecht, Lionel Je'Woodyard, Joseph O'Conor, Ann Cupolo Freeman
Votes: 8,228
20. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary, History
Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
Director: Raoul Peck | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X
Votes: 23,496 | Gross: $7.12M
21. Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill
Votes: 13,950 | Gross: $4.95M
22. Knock Down the House (2019)
PG | 87 min | Documentary
A look at the people involved with various political campaigns during the 2018 U.S. congressional election.
Director: Rachel Lears | Stars: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Joe Crowley, Paula Jean Swearengin
Votes: 12,961
23. The Central Park Five (2012)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, Crime, History
A documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
Directors: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon | Stars: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Kharey Wise, Raymond Santana
Votes: 7,933 | Gross: $0.27M
24. 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: 10,825 | Gross: $30.58M
25. That Sugar Film (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Damon Gameau embarks on an experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body.
Director: Damon Gameau | Stars: Damon Gameau, Hugh Jackman, Milla Bakaitis, Richard Davies
Votes: 10,859
26. When We Were Kings (1996)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Director: Leon Gast | Stars: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown
Votes: 19,129 | Gross: $2.79M
27. Fyre (2019)
TV-MA | 97 min | Documentary, Crime, Music
An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Billy McFarland, Jason Bell, Gabrielle Bluestone, Shiyuan Deng
Votes: 52,037
28. Human Flow (2017)
PG-13 | 140 min | Documentary
Human Flow is director and artist Ai Weiwei's detailed and heartbreaking exploration into the global refugee crisis.
Director: Ai Weiwei | Stars: Israa Abboud, Hiba Abed, Rami Abu Sondos, Fadi Abou Akleh
Votes: 2,795 | Gross: $0.53M
29. Amy (III) (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand
Votes: 55,019 | Gross: $8.41M
30. 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: 1,984 | Gross: $0.01M
31. Wild Wild Country (2018)
TV-MA | 67 min | Documentary, Crime
When Osho, the world's most controversial guru, builds an Utopian city deep in the Oregon country, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal.
Stars: Ma Anand Sheela, Philip Toelkes, Jane Stork, George Meredith
Votes: 35,070
32. Descendant (2022)
PG | 109 min | Documentary, History
Follows descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States, as they reclaim their story.
Director: Margaret Brown | Stars: Theodore Arthur, Gary Autrey, Chris Davis, Joycelyn Davis
Votes: 1,415
33. Dark Tourist (2018)
TV-MA | 40 min | Documentary, Adventure
From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, New Zealand filmmaker and journalist David Farrier ('Tickled') visits unusual -- and often macabre -- tourism spots around the world.
Stars: David Farrier, Christian Wolf, Jhon Jairo Velásquez, Scott Michaels
Votes: 8,163
34. Bo Burnham: Inside (2021 TV Special)
TV-MA | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A musical comedy special shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of a very unusual year.
Director: Bo Burnham | Star: Bo Burnham
Votes: 54,402
35. American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
TV-MA | 83 min | Documentary, Crime
In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters disappear in Colorado. With the heartbreaking details emerging, the family's story made headlines around the world.
Director: Jenny Popplewell | Stars: Nickole Atkinson, Jim Benemann, Luke Epple, Mark Jamieson
Votes: 32,716
36. The Mission (2023)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary
26-year-old American missionary John Chau was killed as he attempted to make contact with an Indigenous group off the coast of India, one of the last communities on the planet still living in isolation.
Directors: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss | Stars: Pam Arlund, Dan Davis, Levi Davis, Daniel Everett
Votes: 898
37. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023)
Not Rated | 169 min | Documentary, Music
Beyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour and the creative mastermind behind it.
Directors: Beyoncé, Mark Ritchie, Ed Burke | Stars: Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, Diana Ross, Kendrick Lamar
Votes: 3,333
38. Attica (2021)
TV-MA | 116 min | Documentary, History
This unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later.
Directors: Traci Curry, Stanley Nelson | Stars: Arthur Harrison, Carlos Roche, Tyrone Larkins, George Che Nieves
Votes: 3,077
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