Documentaries I've Watched
by d_schaumann | created - 03 Nov 2013 | updated - 6 months ago | PublicI only ever really watch documentaries or films based on the truth. This is a list of all documentaries and factual TV specials that I can remember watching, ordered from most recent I've watched to the oldest.
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1. Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017)
TV-PG | 72 min | Documentary, History
The story of Ted Slauson, a contestant who gamed the rules of The Price Is Right (1972) through extensive analysis and became a sensation on the game show.
Director: C.J. Wallis | Stars: Theodore Slauson, Roger Dobkowitz, Bob Barker, Brandon
Votes: 2,705
2. Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic (2021)
89 min | Documentary
This special sees Louis travel to America to investigate the story of a man who has become one of the most controversial and captivating icons of recent times: the gun-toting, self-described 'gay hillbilly' and 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic.
Director: Jack Rampling | Stars: Louis Theroux, Carole Baskin, Howard Baskin, Joe Exotic
Votes: 808
3. Autonomy (2019)
80 min | Documentary
Brief history of the development of self-driving cars along with an even-handed look at the pros and cons of giving up human control of something that has been a significant part of ... See full summary »
Director: Alex Horwitz | Stars: Eddie Alterman, Malcolm Gladwell, Ray Magliozzi, Andy Schaudt
Votes: 130
4. Happy Birthday Mr Bean (2021 TV Movie)
47 min | Documentary
A documentary looking back at the thirty years since comedy legend Mr Bean landed on our screens. With classic clips and interviews from key creators, including Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis.
Directors: Iain Thompson, Alex Mucadum | Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Peter Bennett-Jones, Richard Curtis, Robin Driscoll
Votes: 171
6. Dave Not Coming Back (2020)
TV-PG | 92 min | Documentary, Action, Adventure
Two friends, Don and Dave were diving in the cave of Boesmansgat: 283 meters. Right before surfacing up, Dave - who'd just broken a world record - finds a body. They decide to dive back and retrieve it.
Director: Jonah Malak | Stars: Mark Andrews, Deon Dreyer, Theo Dreyer, Peter Herbst
Votes: 386
7. Some Kind of Heaven (2020)
81 min | Documentary
Behind the gates of a palm tree-lined fantasyland, four residents of America's largest retirement community, The Villages, FL, strive to find solace and meaning.
Director: Lance Oppenheim | Stars: Dennis Dean, Lynn Henry, Anne Kincer, Reggie Kincer
Votes: 2,670
8. The KGB, the Computer and Me (1990 TV Movie)
58 min | Documentary
In 1986, astronomer turned computer scientist Clifford Stoll had just started working on a computer system at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory when he noticed a 75-cent discrepancy between ... See full summary »
Director: Robin Bates | Star: Clifford Stoll
Votes: 164
9. My Octopus Teacher (2020)
TV-G | 85 min | Documentary
A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.
Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed | Stars: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Votes: 53,398
10. 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: 6,283
11. Fyre (2018)
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: 46,289
12. A Loss of Something Ever Felt (2019)
82 min | Documentary
A woman travels from Estonia to Colombia to look for her drug-addicted and alcoholic half-brother.
Director: Carlos E. Lesmes | Star: Carlos E. Lesmes
Votes: 27
13. Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds (2020)
TV-PG | 97 min | Documentary
A documentary from Werner Herzog about meteors and comets and their influence on ancient religions and other cultural and physical impacts they've had on Earth.
Directors: Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer | Stars: Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer, Simon Schaffer, Jon Larsen
Votes: 2,957
14. 9/11 Kids (2020)
88 min | Documentary
Filmmakers follow up with the students who were with President George W. Bush when he learned of the 9/11 attacks.
Director: Elizabeth St. Philip | Stars: Dinasty Brown, George W. Bush, Kay Daniels, Megan Diggins
Votes: 48
15. Tiger King (2020–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot.
Stars: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, John Reinke, Jeff Lowe
Votes: 78,337
16. The Booksellers (2019)
99 min | Documentary
A behind-the-scenes look at the New York rare book world.
Director: D.W. Young | Stars: Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz, Gay Talese, Susan Benne
Votes: 1,802
17. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)
TV-MA | 187 min | Documentary, Crime
A group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of himself killing kittens.
Stars: Deanna Thompson, John Green, Claudette Hamlin, Antonio Paradiso
Votes: 52,433
18. Chasing Einstein (2019)
82 min | Documentary
Nobody has managed to topple Einstein's theory of relativity, even though it leads to the shocking conclusion that most of the universe must be made of a mysterious form of invisible matter... See full summary »
Directors: Steve Brown, Timothy Wheeler | Stars: Elena Aprile, Barry Barish, Laura Baudis, James Beacham
Votes: 44
19. Billy Connolly: The Sex Life of Bandages (2019)
130 min | Comedy
Scot Billy Connolly is coming to cinemas with this brilliant show from his final stand-up tour. This whip smart routine is a riotous journey filled with outrageous tales and blistering observations of everyday absurdities.
Star: Billy Connolly
20. Human Nature (I) (2019)
95 min | Documentary
A breakthrough called CRISPR opens the door to curing diseases, reshaping the biosphere, and designing our own children. A provocative exploration of its far-reaching implications, through the eyes of the scientists who discovered it.
Director: Adam Bolt | Stars: Jennifer Doudna, George Church, Alta Charo, Fyodor Urnov
Votes: 1,616
21. Ask Dr. Ruth (2019)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography
Charting the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist.
Director: Ryan White | Stars: Ruth Westheimer, Pierre Lehu, Cliff Rubin, John Lollos
Votes: 1,024 | Gross: $0.30M
22. Mr. Toilet: The World's #2 Man (2019)
87 min | Documentary
Jack Sim, aka "Mr. Toilet," is a crusader for global sanitation. Born in the Singapore slums, Sim knows firsthand the agonies of not having a proper loo. Now he's dedicating his life to a crisis no one dares talk about.
Director: Lily Zepeda | Star: Jack Sim
Votes: 108
23. Maison du Bonheur (2017)
Not Rated | 62 min | Documentary
The day-to-day life of a Parisian astrologer, who has been residing in the same Montmartre apartment for over 50 years.
Director: Sofia Bohdanowicz | Stars: Juliane Sellam, Albert Eddassouki, Manouk Kurdoghlian, Claude Tougard-Lumbroso
Votes: 150
24. Cutie and the Boxer (2013)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
Director: Zachary Heinzerling | Stars: Ushio Shinohara, Noriko Shinohara, Alex Shinohara, Ethan Cohen
Votes: 4,625 | Gross: $0.20M
25. Believer (I) (2018)
TV-14 | 101 min | Documentary, Music
Believer.
Director: Don Argott | Stars: Dan Reynolds, Aja Volkman, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman
Votes: 891
26. Soufra (2017)
Not Rated | 73 min | Documentary
South of Beirut, Lebanon is a 68 year old refugee camp housing refugees from Palestine, Syria and Iraq. Many have lived in this camp their entire lives-- Mariam AlShaar is one of them. Now,... See full summary »
Director: Thomas A. Morgan
Votes: 95
27. Into the Okavango (2018)
88 min | Documentary
A passionate conservation biologist brings together a river bushman fearful of losing his past and a young scientist uncertain of her future on an epic, four-month expedition across three ... See full summary »
Director: Neil Gelinas | Stars: Chris Boyes, Jack Boyes, Steve Boyes, Adjany Costa
Votes: 459
28. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)
TV-MA | 116 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate look into the life and work of the revered master comedian and actor, Robin Williams.
Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: Robin Williams, Steve Allen, Robert Altman, Roseanne Barr
Votes: 8,221
29. Train Hopper (2019)
18 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
A young man travels across America hopping from one freight train to another.
Director: Amélie Hardy
Votes: 11
30. Carmine Street Guitars (2018)
80 min | Documentary, Music
Five days in the life of fabled Greenwich Village guitar store Carmine Street Guitars.
Director: Ron Mann | Stars: Rick Kelly, Cindy Hulej, Dorothy Kelly, Travis Good
Votes: 362 | Gross: $0.04M
31. Leaving Neverland (2019)
TV-MA | 240 min | Documentary, Crime
At the height of his stardom, the world's biggest pop star, Michael Jackson, began long-running relationships with two boys, aged seven and ten, and their families. They now allege that he sexually abused them.
Director: Dan Reed | Stars: Michael Jackson, Wade Robson, Joy Robson, Chantal Robson
Votes: 29,581
32. Apollo 11 (I) (2019)
G | 93 min | Documentary, History
A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Director: Todd Douglas Miller | Stars: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Deke Slayton
Votes: 25,277 | Gross: $9.04M
33. Free Solo (2018)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Alex Honnold attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb El Capitan.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe
Votes: 67,173 | Gross: $17.54M
34. The Woman Who Loves Giraffes (2018)
123 min | Documentary
A profile of giraffe researcher Anne Dagg who, in 1956, became one of the first people to ever observe and report on animal behaviour.
Director: Alison Reid | Stars: Tatiana Maslany, Victor Garber, Anne Innis Dagg, Fred Bercovitch
Votes: 237
35. The Raft (2018)
97 min | Documentary
In 1973, five men and six women drifted across the Atlantic on a raft as part of a scientific experiment studying the sociology of violence, aggression and sexual attraction in human ... See full summary »
Director: Marcus Lindeen | Stars: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Fe Seymour, Maria Björnstam, Servane Zanotti
Votes: 916 | Gross: $0.04M
36. Pedal the World (2015)
80 min | Documentary
Young millennial German fueled by wanderlust and a lack of real world responsibilities travels the globe by bike, peddling across 22 countries and over 20,000 kms to find meaning in life. ... See full summary »
Director: Felix Starck | Star: Felix Starck
Votes: 1,090
37. Dark Tourist (2018)
TV-MA | 40 min | Documentary
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, Scott Michaels, Russ McKamey
Votes: 7,356
38. The Surrounding Game (2018)
97 min | Documentary, Drama, History
Go is the oldest game still played in its original form. In east Asia, it is hailed as one of mankind's greatest cultural achievements and considered both ancient art and national sport. At... See full summary »
Directors: Will Lockhart, Cole D. Pruitt | Stars: Allan Abramson, Keith Arnold, Terence Benson, Michael Chen
Votes: 358
39. Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
R | 128 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald Trump presidency and gun violence, while highlighting the power of grassroots democratic movements.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Jim Acosta, Roger Ailes, Brooke Baldwin, Ashleigh Banfield
Votes: 19,480 | Gross: $6.35M
40. Karl Meltzer: Made to Be Broken (2017)
42 min | Documentary, Short, Sport
Ultra-runner Karl Meltzer has long dreamed of setting the speed record for crossing America's Appalachian Trail. Now he sets out for his third and final attempt to run the 3,523 km (2,188 miles) in less than 46 days, 8 hours, 6 min.
Director: Matt Katsolis | Stars: Jonathan Basham, Eric Belz, David Horton, Scott Jurek
Votes: 564
41. Meeting Gorbachev (2018)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life of Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final President of the Soviet Union in chronological order.
Directors: Werner Herzog, André Singer | Stars: Mikhail Gorbachev, Werner Herzog, André Singer, Leonid Brezhnev
Votes: 2,274 | Gross: $0.25M
42. Vitamania: The Sense and Nonsense of Vitamins (2018)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary about vitamins: the history of their discovery, the dietary supplement industry, and the dangers of both deficiencies and excessive intake.
Director: Sonya Pemberton | Star: Derek Muller
Votes: 642