best documentaries
by rainbowflat | created - 16 Dec 2016 | updated - 22 Jul 2021 | Publicoutstanding docos that I've watched since 2012
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Ways of Seeing (1972)
30 min | Documentary, Family
John Berger presents his insights on how people see. Through examples of Art History Berger shows how our very sense of sight has been transformed. By discovering why this is so, according ... See full summary »
Stars: John Berger, Anya Bostock, Eva Figes, Jane Kenrick
Votes: 618
Geez, who writes those blurbs?
2. The Shock of the New (1980)
60 min | Documentary
A definitive eight part series on the rise and fall of the modern art movement presented by critic Robert Hughes.
Stars: Robert Hughes, Tony Church, Martin Jarvis, Judi Dench
Votes: 162
3. Goya: Crazy Like a Genius (2002 TV Movie)
75 min | Documentary
Director: Ian MacMillan | Stars: Leon Golub, Robert Hughes
Votes: 40
4.
Frontline (1983– )
Episode:
A Class Divided
(1985)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, News
An expanded edition of William Peters's classic study of the unique eye-color lesson in prejudice and discrimination taught by Iowa schoolteacher Jane Elliott. This new edition continues ... See full summary »
Director: William Peters | Stars: Charlie Cobb, Jane Elliott, Martin Luther King, Judy Woodruff
Votes: 194
About the original 'Wave' blue/brown eyes classroom experiment, and the class reunion.
5. The Nazis: A Warning from History (1997)
292 min | Documentary, History, War
An examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
Stars: Samuel West, Adolf Buchner, Jutta Rüdiger, Günther Ruschin
Votes: 1,721
6. Der Fisch in uns (2014– )
Documentary
Have you ever wondered why the human body looks the way it does? Why we walk on two legs instead of four? Why we can see in color but have a lousy sense of smell? Your Inner Fish delves ... See full summary »
Stars: Neil Shubin, Michael Berryman, Tim D. White, Donald Carl Johanson
Votes: 400
7. Connections (1978)
50 min | Documentary, History
Follow James Burke through the history of science and technology in this collection of 10 1-hour episodes, starting with "The Trigger Effect."
Stars: James Burke, Kenneth Kendall, Bruce Boa, Mark Wing-Davey
Votes: 1,432
8. The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)
Not Rated | 62 min | Documentary, History
A comprehensive history of the medium and art of motion pictures.
Stars: Mark Cousins, Juan Diego Botto, Aleksandr Sokurov, Norman Lloyd
Votes: 4,828
9.
Voices (1982– )
Episode:
To Tell a Story...
(1983)
65 min | Family
Director: Mike Lloyd | Stars: John Berger, Susan Sontag
Votes: 8
John Berger and Susan Sontag in conversation.
10. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,967
11. Sans Soleil (1983)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Drama
A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
Director: Chris Marker | Stars: Amilcar Cabral, Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda
Votes: 12,126 | Gross: $0.03M
12. The Battle of Chile: Part I (1975)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, History
The chronicle of the political tension in Chile in 1973 and of the violent counter revolution against the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Abilio Fernández, Salvador Allende
Votes: 1,613
13. Nostalgia for the Light (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary about two different searches conducted in the Chilean Atacama Desert: one by astronomers looking for answers about the history of the cosmos, and one by women looking for the remains of loved ones killed by Pinochet's regime.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Gaspar Galaz, Lautaro Núñez, Luís Henríquez, Miguel Lawner
Votes: 6,105
14. The Pearl Button (2015)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
Delving into the nearly-religious significance of water, this profound rumination on memory and loss bridges the gap between its mystical origins, Pinochet's coup d'état, and the secret of a mother-of-pearl button at the bottom of the sea.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Martín Calderón, Cristina, Patricio Guzmán, Ema Malig
Votes: 2,895
15. Lessons of Darkness (1992 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 54 min | Documentary, War
This film surveys the disaster of the Kuwaiti oil fields in flames, with little narration and scarcely any interviews. Hell on Earth is presented in such transcendent visions and music that one can only be fascinated by it.
Director: Werner Herzog | Star: Werner Herzog
Votes: 6,741
16. 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: 61,857 | Gross: $3.17M
17. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary
Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Elon Musk, Lawrence Krauss, Lucianne Walkowicz, Kevin Mitnick
Votes: 13,404 | Gross: $0.59M
18. 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: 6,289
19. Sherman's March (1985)
Not Rated | 157 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union General Sherman's March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life.
Director: Ross McElwee | Stars: Ross McElwee, Dede McElwee, Ross McElwee Jr., Patricia Rendleman
Votes: 2,709
20. Joe Leahy's Neighbours (1989)
90 min | Documentary
Directors: Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly | Star: Joe Leahy
Votes: 51
The 2nd of a trilogy. The first, First Contact, is about the first white men to visit a particular valley in New Guinea, in the 1930s. Features a lot of original footage. The second two movies are about the half white-half native son of the leader of that expedition and his efforts to run a coffee plantation, while dealing with his immediate neighbours, his own people, still living the traditional way. Amazing "between two worlds" struggle, two worlds that can't really mix. (And everywhere, it's the white people world that destroys the native world.)
21. Black Harvest (1992)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Joe Leahy is the half-caste son of one of the first explorers of the Papua New Guinean interior. His relations with the local Ganiga tribe who work his coffee plantation on their land are ... See full summary »
Directors: Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly | Star: Joe Leahy
Votes: 368
22. Facing the Music (2001)
89 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Directors: Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly | Stars: Anne Boyd, Winsome Evans, The Renaissance Players, The Song Company
Votes: 98
23. Bus 174 (2002)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Crime
On June 12, 2000, a young man with a gun took the passengers aboard Bus 174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hostage. This documentary examines the event itself, the resulting media frenzy, the police response, and the perpetrator's background.
Directors: José Padilha, Felipe Lacerda | Stars: Sandro do Nascimento, Rodrigo Pimentel, Luiz Eduardo Soares, Anonymous
Votes: 8,612 | Gross: $0.22M
Understanding Brazil 101
24. Secrets of the Tribe (2010)
TV-14 | 98 min | Documentary
The field of anthropology goes under the magnifying glass in this fiery investigation of the seminal research on Yanomami Indians. In the 1960s and '70s, a steady stream of anthropologists ... See full summary »
Director: José Padilha | Stars: Robert Borofsky, Jesus Cardozo, Napoleon A. Chagnon, Marie Isabel Eguillor
Votes: 516
Understanding Anthropologists 101
25. 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: 57,964 | Gross: $2.80M
26. McLibel (2005)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
McLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald's in the biggest corporate PR disaster in history.
Directors: Ken Loach, Franny Armstrong | Stars: Helen Steel, Dave Morris, Bruce Alexander, Anita Anand
Votes: 2,168 | Gross: $0.00M
27. 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: 6,625
28. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (2003)
Unrated | 74 min | Documentary
In April 2002, an Irish film crew is making a documentary about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, when a coup from the opposition is made.
Directors: Kim Bartley, Donnacha O'Briain | Stars: Hugo Chávez, Pedro Carmona, Jesse Helms, Colin Powell
Votes: 2,625
29. How to Start a Revolution (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, History
HOW TO START A REVOLUTION is the remarkable untold story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Gene Sharp, the world's leading expert on non-violent revolution. This new film (from first time ... See full summary »
Director: Ruaridh Arrow | Stars: Robert Helvey, Jamila Raqib, Gene Sharp
Votes: 281
30. Merchants of Doubt (2014)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary
A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Frederick Singer, Naomi Oreskes, Jamy Ian Swiss, Sam Roe
Votes: 3,930 | Gross: $0.19M
31. 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: 21,782 | Gross: $1.88M
32. The Yes Men (2003)
R | 83 min | Documentary, Comedy
Anti-corporate activists travel from conference to conference, impersonating member of the World Trade Organization.
Directors: Dan Ollman, Sarah Price, Chris Smith | Stars: Andreas Bichlbauer, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Michael Moore
Votes: 6,177 | Gross: $0.20M
33. The Yes Men Fix the World (2009)
87 min | Documentary, Comedy
Troublemaking duo Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, posing as their industrious alter-egos, expose the people profiting from Hurricane Katrina, the faces behind the environmental disaster in Bhopal, and other shocking events.
Directors: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, Kurt Engfehr | Stars: Reggie Watts, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Richard Ebeling
Votes: 5,207 | Gross: $0.19M
34. The Century of the Self (2002)
59 min | Documentary
A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations.
Stars: Adam Curtis, Robert Reich, Ann Bernays, Alfred Pritz
Votes: 6,359
35. To Be and to Have (2002)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary portrait of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from 4 to 11) are educated by a single dedicated teacher.
Director: Nicolas Philibert | Stars: Georges Lopez, Alizé, Axel Thouvenin, Guillaume
Votes: 8,416 | Gross: $0.78M
36. 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: 40,674 | Gross: $0.02M
37. 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: 58,665 | Gross: $2.96M
38. Land of Look Behind (1982)
90 min | Documentary, Music
Director: Alan Greenberg | Stars: Micalon Stevenson, Jammy Galloway, Louie Lepkie, Mutabaruka
Votes: 116
39. Intangible Asset No. 82 (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Music
The search for an enigmatic South Korean shaman, and the inspiration found on the journey, renews a jazz musician's faith in the power of music.
Director: Emma Franz | Stars: Simon Barker, Dong-won Kim, Bae Il-Dong, Sung-dok Jeong
Votes: 62
40. Between the Folds (2008)
G | 56 min | Documentary
Depicts a cast of fine artists and eccentric scientists (from MIT and NASA) who have devoted their lives to the unlikely medium of modern origami. Through their determination to reinterpret... See full summary »
Director: Vanessa Gould | Stars: Erik D. Demaine, Martin L. Demaine, Vincent Floderer, Miri Golan
Votes: 877
41. Revolution OS (2001)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Comedy
While Microsoft may be the biggest software company in the world, not every computer user is a fan of their products, or their way of doing business. While Microsoft's Windows became the ... See full summary »
Director: J.T.S. Moore | Stars: Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens
Votes: 2,621 | Gross: $0.00M
42. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.
Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Aaron Swartz, Tim Berners-Lee, Cindy Cohn, Gabriella Coleman
Votes: 18,037 | Gross: $0.05M
43. Facebookistan (2015 TV Movie)
59 min | Documentary
"Like" it or not, Facebook wants you to share everything, but how much information are they willing to share with you?
Director: Jakob Gottschau | Stars: Mark Zuckerberg, Max Schrems, Peter Øvig Knudsen, Rebecca MacKinnon
Votes: 126
44. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Mark Alpiger, Adam Wood
Votes: 37,572 | Gross: $0.68M
45. That's Not Funny (2014)
90 min | Documentary, Comedy, History
That's Not Funny is an examination of the history of taboo subjects and controversy in comedy, and one comedy fan's heartfelt and passionate defense of an art form.
Director: Mike Celestino | Star: Mike Celestino
Votes: 116
46. Dark Days (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
Director: Marc Singer | Star: Marc Singer
Votes: 7,176 | Gross: $0.43M
47. Kumaré (2011)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. At the height of his popularity, the Guru Kumaré must reveal his true identity to his disciples and unveil his greatest teaching of all.
Director: Vikram Gandhi | Stars: Vikram Gandhi, Toby, Greg, Molly
Votes: 5,197 | Gross: $0.13M
This is fascinating, much better than it seems it's going to be, or could possibly be. An Indian-American guy (also the director of the movie!) sets up in the U.S. as Kumaré, a Hindu guru direct from India, with the help of 2 female assistants. He develops his doctrines and practices as he goes, all-too-aware of the ridiculousness of the world he has entered. He acquires a small band of devotees, whose lives he seems to actually make better, in many ways. He knows eventually he will have to reveal his true identity, that it's all been a lie...and yet when he does, it's a continuation of exactly his teachings. He's been telling them all along that he's not a guru, that he's a fake etc. His followers mostly don't feel betrayed, as he obviously cares a lot for them, and somehow he has become their actual guru. A beautiful story, which the director/Kumaré was obviously touched by, himself. Gee it's such a car crash moment when he 'comes out' as a fake. I think he set out to discover that there was nothing to gurus, but ended up discovering what a powerful thing and responsibility it is - by being one himself! (I've long been a fan of quite a few Hindu gurus myself - Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, the estadounidenses Ram Dass & Gangaji - and have gotten a lot from various New Age writers, so I'm sympathetic to both sides of the atheist/religion divide here.)
48. The Gleaners & I (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
Varda films and interviews gleaners in France in all forms, from those picking fields after the harvest to those scouring the dumpsters of Paris.
Director: Agnès Varda | Stars: François Wertheimer, Agnès Varda, Jean La Planche, Bodan Litnanski
Votes: 8,790 | Gross: $0.15M
Tell Your Friends