Documentary List

by camielvos | created - 26 Feb 2012 | updated - 16 Apr 2013 | Public

A list to keep track of the documentaries I have seen.

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1. From Beirut to Bosnia (1993– )

50 min | Documentary

The British correspondent in Lebanon, "Robert Fisk", tries to find the roots of misunderstanding between the Muslims and the Western World, and why some Muslims do not trust the West. He ... See full summary »

Star: Robert Fisk

Votes: 43

2. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime

85 Metascore

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: 68,826 | Gross: $3.29M

3. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)

Unrated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime

65 Metascore

A rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat.'

Directors: Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman | Stars: Daniel McGowan, Lisa McGowan, Tim Lewis, Kirk Engdall

Votes: 3,316 | Gross: $0.06M

4. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama

72 Metascore

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: 148,750 | Gross: $21.58M

5. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War

67 Metascore

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: 132,394 | Gross: $119.19M

6. Sicko (2007)

PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama

74 Metascore

A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.

Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush

Votes: 76,831 | Gross: $24.54M

7. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

R | 127 min | Documentary, Crime, History

61 Metascore

An examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.

Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings

Votes: 43,872 | Gross: $14.36M

8. Food, Inc. (2008)

PG | 94 min | Documentary, News

80 Metascore

An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.

Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards

Votes: 52,223 | Gross: $4.42M

9. Super Size Me (2004)

PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary

73 Metascore

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: 113,285 | Gross: $11.53M

10. Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008)

PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy, War

45 Metascore

Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror.

Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Daryl Isaacs

Votes: 6,072 | Gross: $0.38M

11. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

Unrated | 98 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.

Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan

Votes: 28,624 | Gross: $0.30M

12. Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

PG | 92 min | Documentary

70 Metascore

A documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.

Director: Chris Paine | Stars: Martin Sheen, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Reverend Gadget

Votes: 12,757 | Gross: $1.68M

13. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

PG | 96 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

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: 85,215 | Gross: $23.81M

14. Religulous (2008)

R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War

56 Metascore

Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.

Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg

Votes: 60,245 | Gross: $13.00M

15. Inside Job (2010)

PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime

88 Metascore

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: 78,975 | Gross: $4.31M

16. No End in Sight (2007)

Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, War

89 Metascore

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: 8,629 | Gross: $1.43M

17. Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004)

Unrated | 78 min | Documentary

58 Metascore

Documentary on reported Conservative bias of the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News Channel (FNC), which promotes itself as "Fair and Balanced". Material includes interviews with former FNC employees and the inter-office memos they provided.

Director: Robert Greenwald | Stars: Douglas Cheek, Walter Cronkite, Bob McChesney, Jeff Cohen

Votes: 6,276 | Gross: $0.24M

18. Iran Is Not the Problem (2008)

Not Rated | 79 min | Documentary, War

A response to the failure of the American mass media to provide the public with relevant and accurate information about the standoff between the US and Iran, as happened before with the ... See full summary »

Director: Aaron Newman | Stars: Antonia Juhasz, Larry Everest, Robert Gould, Michael Veiluva

Votes: 173

19. DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)

Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary

An investigation into the long-obscured mystery of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a molecule found in nearly every living organism and considered the most potent psychedelic on Earth.

Director: Mitch Schultz | Stars: Joe Rogan, Ralph Abraham, Joel Bakst, Steven Barker

Votes: 4,853

20. Zeitgeist (2007 Video)

Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, History

Mythology and belief in society today, presenting uncommon perspectives of common cultural issues.

Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Chogyam Trungpa, Jordan Maxwell, George Carlin, Bill Hicks

Votes: 50,373

21. Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008 Video)

Not Rated | 123 min | Documentary, History, War

Zeitgeist: Addendum attempts to locate the root causes of the pervasive social corruption, while also offering a solution.

Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows, John Perkins, George Carlin

Votes: 18,690

22. I.O.U.S.A. (2008)

PG | 85 min | Documentary

70 Metascore

Few are aware that America may be on the brink of a financial meltdown. I.O.U.S.A. explores the country's shocking current fiscal condition and ways to avoid a national economic disaster.

Director: Patrick Creadon | Stars: Robert Bixby, Humphrey Bogart, Warren Buffett, George Bush

Votes: 1,945 | Gross: $0.82M

23. Loose Change: Final Cut (2007 Video)

80 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

Loose Change Final Cut sets out to prove the official story of 9/11 - 'that the impact of two planes flying into two World Trade Center towers and the resulting fires caused three World ... See full synopsis »

Director: Dylan Avery | Stars: Dylan Avery, Mahmoud Ahmad, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Hamza Al-Ghamdi

Votes: 2,505

24. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (2003)

Unrated | 74 min | Documentary

81 Metascore

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

25. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)

Not Rated | 167 min | Documentary, Biography, War

A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.

Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Mark Achbar, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, Paul Andrews

Votes: 4,936

26. Waltz with Bashir (2008)

R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography

91 Metascore

An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.

Director: Ari Folman | Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ori Sivan

Votes: 60,415 | Gross: $2.28M

27. Riding Giants (2004)

PG-13 | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, History

80 Metascore

Documentary detailing the origins and history of surf culture.

Director: Stacy Peralta | Stars: Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner, Dave Kalama, Jeff Clark

Votes: 4,671 | Gross: $2.28M

28. Pumping Iron (1977)

PG | 86 min | Documentary, Sport

72 Metascore

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia in this critically-acclaimed film that made Schwarzenegger a household name.

Directors: George Butler, Robert Fiore | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Matty Ferrigno, Victoria Ferrigno

Votes: 24,933

29. WikiRebels (2010 TV Movie)

58 min | Documentary

About the work behind the scenes and the emergence of the organization Wikileaks. Wikileaks has carried out history's largest revelations of classified information.

Directors: Jesper Huor, Bosse Lindquist | Stars: Julian Assange, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, Kristinn Hrafnsson

Votes: 280

30. The Weather Underground (2002)

Unrated | 92 min | Documentary, History, War

77 Metascore

The remarkable story of The Weather Underground, radical activists of the 1970s, and of radical politics at its best and most disastrous.

Directors: Sam Green, Bill Siegel | Stars: Lili Taylor, Pamela Z, Jim Lange, Evan White

Votes: 3,769 | Gross: $0.56M

31. Lost in La Mancha (2002)

R | 89 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground.

Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe | Stars: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Tony Grisoni

Votes: 12,000 | Gross: $0.73M

32. Countdown to Zero (2010)

PG | 91 min | Documentary

70 Metascore

A documentary about how the likelihood of nuclear weapons (or fissile materials) usage has increased due to the rise of terrorism and lack of safeguards and verification.

Director: Lucy Walker | Stars: Graham Allison, James Baker III, Bruce Blair, Tony Blair

Votes: 2,314 | Gross: $0.27M

33. What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004)

Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama

38 Metascore

A fictional photographer's quest to spiritually rediscover herself is interspersed with documentary footage of scientists and theologians discussing the philosophical aspects of quantum physics.

Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente | Stars: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, John Ross Bowie, Robert Bailey Jr.

Votes: 13,848 | Gross: $10.94M

34. 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

35. The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005)

Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary

78 Metascore

The epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer. Castigated as a pariah in his community, Farmer John bravely transforms his farm amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors, and arson. He ... See full summary »

Director: Taggart Siegel | Stars: John Peterson, Anna Nielsen, John Edwards, Lester Peterson

Votes: 647 | Gross: $0.01M

36. Page One (2011)

R | 92 min | Documentary

68 Metascore

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: 3,447 | Gross: $1.07M

37. American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein (2009)

Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, History

71 Metascore

About the life and work of controversial American Jewish academic Norman Finkelstein.

Directors: David Ridgen, Nicolas Rossier | Stars: Musa Abu-Hashhash, Nidal Barham, Noam Chomsky, Alan Dershowitz

Votes: 805

38. Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land (2004 Video)

80 min | Documentary

57 Metascore

This video shows how the foreign policy interests of American political elites-working in combination with Israeli public relations stratgies-influence US news reporting about the Middle ... See full summary »

Directors: Sut Jhally, Bathsheba Ratzkoff | Stars: Seth Ackerman, Stav Adivi, Arik Ascherman, Hanan Ashrawi

Votes: 567

39. Louis Theroux: Behind Bars (2008 TV Movie)

60 min | Documentary

For two weeks, Theroux visits the San Quentin State Prison.

Director: Stuart Cabb | Star: Louis Theroux

Votes: 2,131

40. Louis Theroux's African Hunting Holiday (2008 TV Movie)

58 min | Documentary

Louis goes to South Africa where American tourists pay to hunt wild animals in privately owned reserves.

Director: Paddy Wivell | Star: Louis Theroux

Votes: 1,143

41. The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom (2007)

180 min | Documentary

The many ways in which Western notions of personal and political freedom are changing in the 21st Century are explored in this three-part documentary from writer and filmmaker Adam Curtis.

Stars: John Nash, Robert Spitzer, Jerome Wakefield, Paul McHugh

Votes: 2,018

42. Earthlings (2005)

95 min | Documentary

Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.

Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix

Votes: 19,805

43. Cultures of Resistance (2010)

Not Rated | 73 min | Documentary

Does each gesture really make a difference? Can music and dance be weapons of peace? In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, director Iara Lee embarked on a journey to better understand a ... See full summary »

Director: Iara Lee | Stars: Mouneer Al-Shaarani, Shoja Azari, Ola Balogun, Phyllis Bennis

Votes: 110

44. Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)

Not Rated | 161 min | Documentary

A feature length documentary work which presents a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society.

Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Peter Joseph, Robert Sapolsky, Gabor Maté, Richard Wilkinson

Votes: 18,743

45. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy

66 Metascore

A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.

Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: J.J. Abrams, Peter Berg, Paul Brennan, Noam Chomsky

Votes: 15,192 | Gross: $0.64M

46. 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: 21,464

47. When We Were Kings (1996)

PG | 88 min | Documentary, Sport

83 Metascore

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: 19,133 | Gross: $2.79M

48. Drugs, Inc. (2010– )

TV-14 | 44 min | Documentary, Crime

Documentary style show that explores in depth how drugs in modern day society are sold, processed, and how police are cracking down on it.

Stars: Mike Secher, Alex Cameron Dimez, Derrick Hesselein, Huey Morgan

Votes: 1,455

49. END:CIV (2011)

115 min | Documentary

If your homeland was invaded by aliens who cut down the forests, poisoned the water and air, and contaminated the food supply, would you resist?

Director: Franklin López | Stars: Steven Best, Zoe Blunt, Rod Coronado, Peter Gelderloos

Votes: 168

50. The Witness (2000)

43 min | Documentary, Short

Transformed by the love of a kitten, a tough New York City construction contractor is inspired to rescue abandoned animals, become a vegetarian, and take his message of compassion to the streets.

Director: Jenny Stein | Stars: Conrad Buchanan, Michelle Ann Casper, Rachel Cyriacks, Matt Dunne

Votes: 127

51. Best Worst Movie (2009)

Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy

61 Metascore

A look at the making of the film Troll 2 (1990) and its journey from being crowned the "worst film of all time" to a cherished cult classic.

Director: Michael Paul Stephenson | Stars: George Hardy, Pita Ray, Micki Knox, Tommy Bice

Votes: 8,524 | Gross: $0.10M

52. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport

83 Metascore

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: 37,578 | Gross: $0.68M

53. Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place (2011)

R | 107 min | Documentary

59 Metascore

A freewheeling portrait of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' fabled road trip across America.

Directors: Alison Ellwood, Alex Gibney | Stars: Stanley Tucci, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Jim Meskimen

Votes: 1,674 | Gross: $0.15M

54. Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (2006 TV Movie)

120 min | Documentary

Stephen Fry presents this documentary exploring the disease of manic depression; a little understood but potentially devastating condition affecting an estimated two percent of the ... See full summary »

Director: Ross Wilson | Stars: Stephen Fry, Andy Behrman, Jo Brand, Jo Crocker

Votes: 1,258

55. Helvetica (2007)

Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary

A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.

Director: Gary Hustwit | Stars: Manfred Schulz, Massimo Vignelli, Rick Poynor, Wim Crouwel

Votes: 8,171 | Gross: $0.20M

56. Marley (2012)

PG-13 | 144 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

82 Metascore

A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.

Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Jimmy Cliff

Votes: 14,494 | Gross: $1.41M

57. TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard (2013)

Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary

An intellectual freedoms documentary based around the interpersonal triumphs, and defeats of the three main characters against the largest industry in the known universe. The media industry.

Director: Simon Klose | Stars: Gottfrid Svartholm, Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Peter Althin

Votes: 13,930

58. We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012)

Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary

66 Metascore

A documentary on the workings and beliefs of the self-described "hacktivist" collective, Anonymous.

Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Anon2World, Anonyops, Julian Assange, Aaron Barr

Votes: 10,420

59. Until the Light Takes Us (2008)

Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Music

54 Metascore

Interviews and news footage explore the rise of black metal music in Norway in the 1990s, including artists who were involved in suicide, murder and arson.

Directors: Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell | Stars: Fenriz, Varg Vikernes, Euronymous, Hellhammer

Votes: 6,687 | Gross: $0.12M



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