Documentaries YOU MUST SEE
by dallasryan | created - 26 Sep 2016 | updated - 5 months ago | PublicAs eyes are the windows to our soul, great documentaries are the windows to truth and awareness. Great documentaries bring knowledge, and knowledge truly is power.. Some documentaries will be fun to watch, you'll learn something new in a fun and amazing way. Some will make you angry, maybe bitter to where you say 'ignorance truly is bliss', but you need to know what's going on as they bring you knowledge, and have you question life on all levels which will open your eyes and bring you into a consciousness in which you want to get involved with the fight i.e. petition, write your local congressman, start a blog, start a website, join a group, donate your time or if nothing else, donate money to the cause. Documentaries bring awareness and they will enlighten a person in a good way as well as make a person upset and hopefully motivate us to fight the good fight and drive us to be just and good. Documentaries will make us want to fight the tyranny of evil that is out there everyday. Documentaries are where change starts. Help the fight in some way and let it make you a better person. Because it will.
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1. American Movie (1999)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Comedy
Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt
Votes: 19,351 | Gross: $1.16M
2. The Devil Came on Horseback (2007)
85 min | Documentary
A documentary that exposes the genocide raging in Darfur, Sudan as seen through the eyes of a former U.S. marine who returns home to make the story public.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Nicholas Kristof, Brian Steidle
Votes: 1,622 | Gross: $0.13M
3. La sierra (2005)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary on three young people who live in Medellín, Colombia, an area ruled by a gang with ties to the nation's paramilitary armies.
Directors: Scott Dalton, Margarita Martinez | Stars: Edison Flores, Jesús Martínez, Cielo Muñoz
Votes: 390
4. Artifact (2012)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary, Music
Telling harsh truths about the modern music business, this riveting and award-winning documentary gives intimate access to singer/actor Jared Leto ("Requiem for a Dream," "Dallas Buyers ... See full summary »
Director: Jared Leto | Stars: Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Milicevic, Irving Azoff
Votes: 4,691
5. 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: 78,994 | Gross: $4.31M
6. War Dance (2007)
PG-13 | 105 min | Documentary, Music, War
Three children living in a displacement camp in northern Uganda compete in their country's national music and dance festival.
Directors: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix | Stars: Dominic, Nancy, Rose, Jane Adong
Votes: 1,199 | Gross: $0.11M
7. 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: 19,139 | Gross: $2.79M
8. Whores' Glory (2011)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary
An examination of the lives, needs, troubles, and hopes of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Mexico.
Director: Michael Glawogger | Stars: Emma, Ning, Toh, Wat
Votes: 5,122 | Gross: $0.03M
9. 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: 72,924 | Gross: $3.97M
10. 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: 3,195
11. 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: 113,305 | Gross: $11.53M
12. Blind Spot (I) (2008)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
Blind Spot is a documentary film that illustrates the current oil and energy crisis that our world is facing. Whatever measures of ignorance, greed, wishful thinking, we have put ourselves ... See full summary »
Director: Adolfo Doring | Stars: Richard Heinberg, Lester Brown, Ted Caplow, William R. Catton
Votes: 166
13. Fed Up (2014)
PG | 92 min | Documentary
An examination of America's obesity epidemic and the food industry's role in aggravating it.
Director: Stephanie Soechtig | Stars: Michele Simon, Katie Couric, Bill Clinton, Michael Pollan
Votes: 12,358 | Gross: $1.54M
14. Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero (2002 TV Movie)
110 min | Documentary
Through interviews with a cross section of Americans impacted by the attacks, explores and illuminates the many spiritual questions that have come out of the terror, pain, and destruction at Ground Zero.
Director: Helen Whitney | Star: Jay Charan
Votes: 48
15. Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008)
PG-13 | 105 min | Documentary, Sport
An examination of America's win-at-all-cost culture from the perspective of bodybuilding and performance enhancing drugs, as it focuses on a pair of siblings chasing their dream.
Director: Chris Bell | Stars: Chris Bell, Mike Bell, Mark Bell, Hank Aaron
Votes: 13,817 | Gross: $0.31M
16. Project Nim (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary
Tells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Nim Chimpsky, Stephanie LaFarge, Herbert Terrace, Wer LaFarge
Votes: 8,600 | Gross: $0.41M
17. Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, News
An investigative documentary that uncovers the U.S. healthcare system's true design.
Directors: Susan Froemke, Matthew Heineman | Stars: Clive Alonzo, Don Berwick, Elizabeth Blackburn, Krystal Bracy
Votes: 556 | Gross: $0.10M
18. Anvil (2008)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Since 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
Director: Sacha Gervasi | Stars: Robb Reiner, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Tiziana Arrigoni, Scott Ian
Votes: 16,846 | Gross: $0.67M
19. 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: 52,228 | Gross: $4.42M
20. GMO OMG (2013)
90 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Jeremy Seifert journeys to Haiti, Paris, Norway, and even agri-giant Monsanto in search of answers about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and how they affect our children, the health of our planet, and our freedom of choice.
Director: Jeremy Seifert | Stars: Jeremy Seifert, Vandana Shiva, Cary Fowler, Dennis Kucinich
Votes: 1,499 | Gross: $0.04M
21. We Live in Public (2009)
Unrated | 91 min | Documentary
A documentary focusing on the life of dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Josh Harris, Tom Harris, Carlos Alvarez, David Amron
Votes: 1,983 | Gross: $0.04M
22. The Armstrong Lie (2013)
R | 124 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Lance Armstrong, Reed Albergotti, Betsy Andreu, Frankie Andreu
Votes: 7,901 | Gross: $0.38M
23. Particle Fever (2013)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time -- or perhaps their greatest failure.
Director: Mark Levinson | Stars: David Kaplan, Fabiola Gianotti, Sherwood Boehlert, Joel Hefley
Votes: 7,589 | Gross: $0.87M
24. 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: 58,687 | Gross: $2.96M
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: 38,030 | Gross: $2.55M
26.
National Geographic Explorer (1985– )
Episode:
Camp Leatherneck
(2010)
Documentary, History
National Geographic Explorer offers an inside look at Camp Leatherneck the U.S. Marine base of operation in Afghanistan where more than 10,000 soldiers are charged with fighting the Taliban.
Stars: Gabriel Christianson, Peter Coyote, Gerard Dempster, Al Faxon
Votes: 41
27. 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: 51,457 | Gross: $0.87M
28. 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: 72,474 | Gross: $2.07M
29. Crumb (1994)
R | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Votes: 21,600 | Gross: $3.17M
30. How to Survive a Plague (2012)
Not Rated | 110 min | Documentary, History, News
The story of two coalitions -- ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group) -- whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.
Director: David France | Stars: Peter Staley, Larry Kramer, Iris Long, Bob Rafsky
Votes: 4,358 | Gross: $0.13M
31. Dig Into History with California Jones: Gold Rush! (2009 Video)
26 min | Short, Family
Director: Paul Ripple | Stars: April Barnett, David Burrus, Richard Dvoracek, Cameron Escalante
32.
How the Earth Was Made (2009– )
Episode:
Yellowstone
(2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Documentary, History
The evidence, structure, history and potential threat of the Yellowstone super volcano are described.
Director: Robert Strange | Stars: Corey Johnson, Hank Heasler, Jake Lowenstern, Lisa A. Morgan
Votes: 32
33. How the Earth Was Made (2007 TV Movie)
90 min | Documentary
A brief account of the Earth's geological progression, from its creation 4.6 billion years ago to scientists' predictions of its demise more than 2.5 billion years in the future.
Director: Peter Chinn | Stars: Edward Herrmann, Geoffrey Boulton, Gary Stevens, Dan Durda
Votes: 620
34. Yellowstone (1994)
55 min | Documentary
See Yellowstone National Park: Grizzlies, geysers, rivers, canyons and, of course, moose.
Director: Kieth Merrill | Stars: Rosie the Bear Cub, Bart the Bear, Michael R. Berger, Michael Robert Berger
Votes: 98
35. The Privileged Planet (2004 Video)
60 min | Documentary
This 60-minute video documentary explores the conditions on Earth that allow for intelligent life and also make it a strangely well suited place for viewing and analyzing the universe.
Director: Lad Allen | Stars: John Rhys-Davies, Tom Roberts, Charles Beichman, Donald Brownlee
Votes: 296
36. Murderball (2005)
R | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Directors: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro | Stars: Joe Soares, Keith Cavill, Mark Zupan, Robert Soares
Votes: 10,459 | Gross: $1.52M
37. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,796 | Gross: $5.23M
38. We Are Egypt (2012)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
In the 14 months prior to the revolution, filmmaker Lillie Paquette follows key opposition figures and young activists as they struggle against the odds and at great personal risk to remove an uncompromising U.S.-backed regime.
Director: Lillie Paquette
Votes: 9
39. Voices of Iraq (2004)
Unrated | 80 min | Documentary, War
150 digital videos are distributed to everyday Iraqis, who are encouraged to record their feelings about their lives. They are also encouraged to pass the cameras along to get as many ... See full summary »
Directors: People of Iraq, Martin Kunert | Star: People of Iraq
Votes: 396 | Gross: $0.06M
40. Born to Be Wild (2011)
G | 40 min | Documentary, Short, Adventure
This heartwarming film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them-saving endangered species one life at a time.
Director: David Lickley | Stars: Birute Galdikas, Daphne Sheldrick, Morgan Freeman, Chris Fries
Votes: 3,149 | Gross: $25.89M
41. Frogs: Vocal and Vulnerable (2012)
7 min | Documentary, Short, News | Completed
Biologist Mike Owen and his team of volunteers go searching for the sounds of Frogs deep in the Everglades and discuss their larger implications.
Director: Aaron David Port
42.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
What Plants Talk About
(2013)
Not Rated | 54 min | Documentary, Family
From PBS - Hard core science is effortlessly integrated with a light-hearted look at how plants behave, revealing a world where plants are as busy, responsive and complex as we are. From ... See full summary »
Director: Erna Buffie | Star: Nora Young
Votes: 96
43. 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: 14,120 | Gross: $1.60M
44. Brett Killed Mom: A Sister's Diary (1996 TV Movie)
50 min | Documentary
A sister recounts the circumstances leading to the murder of her mother by her 15-year old brother.
Director: Ellen Goosenberg Kent | Stars: Brett Reider, Alissa Reider, Claudia Reider, Darwin Reider
Votes: 45
45. Bully (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary
A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.
Director: Lee Hirsch | Stars: Alex Libby, Lona Johnson, Kelby Johnson, Bob Johnson
Votes: 10,542 | Gross: $4.04M
46. 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
47. Citizen Koch (2013)
90 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary that follows the money behind the rise of the Tea Party.
Directors: Carl Deal, Tia Lessin | Stars: David H. Koch, Charles G. Koch, Scott Walker, Floyd Abrams
Votes: 724 | Gross: $0.15M
48. Woodstock (1970)
R | 184 min | Documentary, History, Music
Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
Director: Michael Wadleigh | Stars: Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Roger Daltrey, Joe Cocker
Votes: 18,471 | Gross: $50.00M
49. You've Been Trumped (2011)
Not Rated | 79 min | Documentary
In this David and Goliath story for the 21st century, a group of proud Scottish homeowners take on celebrity tycoon Donald Trump as he buys up one of Scotland's last wilderness areas to build a golf resort.
Director: Anthony Baxter | Stars: Michael Forbes, Donald Trump, Anthony Baxter, Kevin Brown
Votes: 2,309 | Gross: $0.03M
50. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
Ben Stein examines the issue of academic freedom and decides that there is none when it comes to the debate over intelligent design.
Director: Nathan Frankowski | Stars: Ben Stein, Lili Asvar, Peter Atkins, Hector Avalos
Votes: 12,198 | Gross: $7.69M
51. American Teen (2008)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
Director: Nanette Burstein | Stars: Hannah Bailey, Jake Tusing, Megan Krizmanich, Colin Clemens
Votes: 4,229 | Gross: $0.94M
52. GasLand (2010)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary
An exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
Director: Josh Fox | Stars: Josh Fox, Dick Cheney, Pete Seeger, Richard Nixon
Votes: 11,105 | Gross: $0.03M
53. Middle School Confessions (2002 TV Movie)
75 min | Documentary
Adolescents confront issues of sexual activity, sexual orientation, violence, alcohol abuse and depression.
Director: Ellen Goosenberg Kent | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Marjorie Jost, Debbie Brie, Deborah Roffman
Votes: 88
54. Night and Fog (1956)
TV-14 | 32 min | Documentary, Short, History
The history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Michel Bouquet, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler
Votes: 21,476
55. 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: 5,395 | Gross: $0.21M
56. The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary
Follows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
Director: Mami Sunada | Stars: Hayao Miyazaki, Yumiko Miyoshi, Toshio Suzuki, Shinsuke Nonaka
Votes: 5,663
57. Even the Heavens Weep: The West Virginia Mine Wars (1985)
60 min | Documentary
Documentary about the mine wars of Southern West Virginia. This shows the fight and struggle mine workers had against corrupt local government officials and the companies that were willing ... See full summary »
Director: Danny L. McGuire | Star: Mike Connors
58. Remember the Alamo (2003 TV Movie)
92 min | Documentary
Director: Joshua Alper | Stars: Jeff Bearden, Jack Edmondson, Dennis Quaid
Votes: 26
59. A Golden Prison: The Louvre (1964 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 53 min | Documentary
Before this film no one else, including the French was ever permitted to film the Louvre. The priceless treasures and incomparable art can be shared through the eyes of award-winning ... See full summary »
Director: John J. Sughrue | Stars: Charles Boyer, Germain Bazin
Votes: 71
60.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Outback Pelicans
(2011)
TV-PG | Documentary, Family
The show about one of the largest predatory birds, Pelican. It shows the life cycle of the Australian pelicans. Many of whom migrates in the arid, desolate and dry land of Australia's ... See full summary »
Director: Susan McMillan | Stars: Greg Johnston, Chris Morgan
Votes: 21
61. In Search of the Jaguar (2003 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 56 min | Documentary
In the face of his own threatening illness, the jaguars' greatest protector is battling time and adversity to save these endangered cats. Venture deep into the wilds of Brazil, Belize, and ... See full summary »
Director: Kate Churchill | Star: Glenn Close
Votes: 24
62. Manny (I) (2014)
PG-13 | 88 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
World Champion. Congressman. Father. Manny Pacquiao fights any obstacle that comes his way. As his home country of 100 million people watches his every move, the question now is: what bridge is too far for Manny?
Directors: Leon Gast, Ryan Moore | Stars: Jimmy Kimmel, Sardo Mejia, Liam Neeson, Jinkee Pacquiao
Votes: 2,323
63. After Porn Ends (2012)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary
An exploration of the lives of several former adult performers who have retired from the porn industry.
Director: Bryce Wagoner | Stars: Amber Lynn, Asia Carrera, Bobby Slayton, Crissy Moran
Votes: 8,111
64. Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman (2015)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary chronicling the 35 year car racing career of Paul Newman. The documentary showcases Newman's racing life as both a prolific driver and owner.
Directors: Adam Carolla, Nate Adams | Stars: Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Dick Barbour, Bob Bondurant
Votes: 936
65. Egypt: New Discoveries, Ancient Mysteries (2008)
60 min | Documentary
Famous Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass takes us on an incredible intimate journey into exclusive never-before-seen excavation sites in Ancient Egypt. The spectator is live at the center of the ... See full summary »
Director: DeAgostini Editore | Star: Zahi Hawass
Votes: 7
66. Chilean Miners: Buried Alive (2011 TV Movie)
Documentary
The show focuses on the extraordinary stories behind the greatest rescue in the history of modern mining. First hand accounts of the 69 gruelling days show a never-before-told account of ... See full summary »
Director: Jaime Escallon-Buraglia
Votes: 8
68. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)
Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, Crime
Examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary filmmaker Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.
Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: Andrew Braunsberg, Richard Brenneman, Douglas Dalton, Marilyn Beck
Votes: 5,207 | Gross: $0.06M
69. Garbo (2005)
85 min | Documentary, Biography
An original documentary from Turner Classic Movies, narrated by Julie Christie
Directors: Christopher Bird, Kevin Brownlow | Stars: Julie Christie, Greta Garbo, Charles Busch, Karen Swenson
Votes: 350
70.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Honey Badgers: Masters of Mayhem
(2014)
TV-G | 53 min | Documentary, Family
From PBS - "Honey badger is bad ass." Those words and corresponding video became a YouTube sensation with 51 million hits. This is one of the most fearless animals in the world, renowned ... See full summary »
Director: Steve Gooder | Star: Daniel Stern
Votes: 175
71. The 9/11 Commission Report (2006)
R | 86 min | Drama, Thriller
More chilling than Syriana and United 93, events highlighted in the best selling report from the 9/11 commission expose a string of missed opportunities that lead to our nation's greatest tragedy.
Director: Leigh Scott | Stars: Rhett Giles, Marat Glazer, Griff Furst, Sarah Lieving
Votes: 496
72. The Gatekeepers (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
Director: Dror Moreh | Stars: Ami Ayalon, Avraham Shalom, Avi Dichter, Yaakov Peri
Votes: 5,890 | Gross: $2.42M
73. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,745 | Gross: $3.23M
74. The Tillman Story (2010)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Mystery
Chronicles the life of the late Pat Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army but died from friendly fire in Afghanistan.
Director: Amir Bar-Lev | Stars: Pat Tillman, Josh Brolin, Mary Tillman, Russell Baer
Votes: 5,431 | Gross: $0.80M
75. 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: 25,056 | Gross: $4.20M
76.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Raccoon Nation
(2012)
TV-PG | 53 min | Documentary, Family
An examination of the raccoon, the largest mammal species to have adapted well to human cities.
Director: Susan Fleming | Stars: Frank Beeker, Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux, Stan Gehrt, Andrew Iwaniuk
Votes: 68
77. The Buddha (2010 TV Movie)
TV-G | 120 min | Documentary
After 400 BC, a new philosophy was born in South east Asia, generated from the ideas of Buddha, a mysterious Prince from Nepal who gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree.
Director: David Grubin | Stars: Richard Gere, Blair Brown, The Dalai Lama, Mark Epstein
Votes: 1,248
78.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
The Mormons: Part I
(2007)
TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The following topics are covered: history of Joseph Smith based almost entirely on 2nd and 3rd person accounts, Haun's Mill massacre, early polygamy, modern polygamy as practiced by ... See full synopsis »
Director: Helen Whitney | Stars: Will Bagley, Alex Baugh, Leslie Berger, Harold Bloom
Votes: 79
79.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
The Mormons: Part II
(2007)
TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Somewhat different than part 1, which was a selective treatment of Mormon history, part 2 explores the lives of many different kinds of Mormons, going for more breadth than depth. As such ... See full synopsis »
Director: Helen Whitney | Stars: Tal Bachman, Robert Bennett, James Dalrymple, Timber Dick
Votes: 64
80. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Sport
Documentary about the pioneering 1970s Zephyr skating team.
Director: Stacy Peralta | Stars: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Jeff Ament
Votes: 13,362 | Gross: $1.29M
81. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.
Directors: Ice-T, Andy Baybutt | Stars: Ice-T, Dr. Dre, Chuck D, Snoop Dogg
Votes: 3,620 | Gross: $0.29M
82.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Cracking the Koala Code
(2012)
TV-PG | 52 min | Documentary, Family
Follow individual koalas from a small social group on an Australian island to learn just how a koala manages to survive and thrive on a diet poisonous to almost all other herbivorous ... See full summary »
Director: Paul Scott | Star: Bettina Dalton
Votes: 35
83.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Cold Warriors: Wolves and Buffalo
(2013)
TV-G | 53 min | Documentary, Family
From PBS - For thousands of years, wolves hunted buffalo across the vast North American plains until the westward settlement of the continent saw the virtual extinction of these vast herds ... See full summary »
Directors: Jeff Turner, Sue Turner | Star: Jeff Turner
Votes: 39
84. Lioness (2008)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary
The untold story of the first women in U.S. history to be sent into direct ground combat.
Directors: Meg McLagan, Daria Sommers
Votes: 98
85.
Frontline (1983– )
Episode:
League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis
(2013)
TV-PG | 114 min | Documentary, News
An investigation of the health crisis threatening NFL players and the long-term fortunes of football.
Director: Michael Kirk | Stars: Will Lyman, Harry Carson, Steve Fainaru, Beth Wilkinson
Votes: 330
86. The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia (2012)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Successful leaders reflect on their Dyslexic experiences, as a high school senior must overcome the challenges of Dyslexia to achieve his dream of getting into a competitive college.
Director: James Redford | Stars: David Boies, Richard Branson, Sheree Carter-Galvan, Toby Cosgrove
Votes: 98
87. 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: 148,767 | Gross: $21.58M
88.
30 for 30 (2009– )
Episode:
The Gospel According to Mac
(2015)
TV-G | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Examines Bill McCartney and his sometimes-controversial mixture of football and evangelicalism as Colorado Buffaloes head coach in the 1990s, including a national championship.
Director: Jim Podhoretz | Stars: William W. Barbour, Gary Barnett, Mitch Berger, Eric Bieniemy
Votes: 441
89.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
Big Birds Can't Fly
(2015)
TV-PG | 53 min | Documentary, Family
Of all the birds he's filmed over the years, David Attenborough finds these big birds the most comical. They are the Flintstones of the bird world - a group whose lineage can be traced back... See full summary »
Director: Mike Birkhead | Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 29
90. Roger & Me (1989)
R | 91 min | Documentary
After General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Roger B. Smith, Rhonda Britton, Fred Ross
Votes: 27,516 | Gross: $6.71M
91. Oceans (2008)
G | 84 min | Documentary
An ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Part thriller, part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.
Directors: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Jacques Perrin, Rie Miyazawa
Votes: 10,075 | Gross: $19.42M
92. Ready, Set, Bag! (2008)
PG | 80 min | Documentary
8 State champions from across the U.S. working to win the National Best Bagger competition in Las Vegas.
Directors: Alex D. da Silva, Justine Jacob | Stars: Brian Bay, Roger Chen, Craig Good, Ryan Hamilton
Votes: 86
93. Cuba (2011 Video)
9 min | Documentary, Animation, Short
Cuba is a country full of contradictions. While the rest of the world has embraced globalization, Cuba remains fixed on living out the beliefs of the revolution that took place over 50 ... See full summary »
Directors: Gloria Dios, Gabriela Tessitore
94. I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Caroll Spinney has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
Directors: Dave LaMattina, Chad N. Walker | Stars: Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Debra Spinney
Votes: 1,703 | Gross: $0.01M
95. Pope John Paul II: His Life and Legacy (2004 TV Movie)
60 min | Biography
Star: Bill Blakemore
Votes: 9
96. The Girls in the Band (2011)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their journeys from the late 1930's to the present day.
Director: Judy Chaikin | Stars: Geri Allen, Jessie Bailey, Jane Ira Bloom, Clora Bryant
Votes: 185
97. Great White Odyssey (2008 TV Movie)
Documentary
Two shark experts tag along wit a 12-foot great white shark as she journeys thousands of miles across the ocean in this thrilling documentary.
Director: Rory McGuinness | Star: Rima Te Wiata
Votes: 30
98.
Nature (1982– )
Episode:
The Gathering Swarms
(2014)
TV-G | 54 min | Documentary, Family
From PBS - A look at some of the planet's great gatherings, creatures that come together in inconceivable numbers - sometimes in millions, billions, and even trillions. Included are bats ... See full summary »
Star: Jay O. Sanders
Votes: 84
99.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
Inside Animal Minds: Who's the Smartest?
(2014)
TV-G | 53 min | Documentary
An examination of animal intelligence. Scientists have observed that many clever creatures live in complex social groups, including apes, dolphins and elephants.
Director: Andrew Thompson | Stars: Frans de Waal, Kathleen Dudzinski, Justin Gregg, Brian Hare
Votes: 42
100.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
Inside Animal Minds: Bird Genius
(2014)
TV-PG | 53 min | Documentary
An examination of the mental prowess of birds. Included: a wild crow focused on an eight-step puzzle; and a raven that can solve a puzzle box so fast that high-speed photography is needed to document it.
Director: Graham Russell | Stars: Alice Auersperg, Lloyd Buck, Nicola Clayton, Jane Goodall
Votes: 41
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