top doc's to buy
by Pronkjewail | created - 24 Oct 2017 | updated - 18 Oct 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Nanook of the North (1922)
Passed | 78 min | Documentary
In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
Director: Robert J. Flaherty | Stars: Allakariallak, Alice Nevalinga, Cunayou, Allegoo
Votes: 13,448
2. Las Hurdes (1933)
30 min | Documentary, Short
A surrealist film, a pseudo-documentary portrait of Las Hurdes, a remote region of Spain where civilisation has barely developed, showing how the local peasants try to survive without even the most basic utilities and skills.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Abel Jacquin, Alexandre O'Neill
Votes: 6,260
3. Gimme Shelter (1970)
GP | 91 min | Documentary, Music, Thriller
When three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts
Votes: 12,884 | Gross: $0.25M
4. 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
5. Paragraph 175 (2000)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, History, Romance
Historian Klaus Müller interviews survivors of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals because of the German Penal Code of 1871, Paragraph 175.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Rupert Everett, Klaus Müller, Karl Gorath, Pierre Seel
Votes: 2,192 | Gross: $0.07M
6. Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie (1995 Video)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, History, War
The history of nuclear weapons between 1945 until 1963.
Director: Peter Kuran | Stars: William Shatner, Edward Teller, W.H.P. Blandy, Frank H. Shelton
Votes: 3,620
7. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
An exploration of the life and work of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, former Marine and military strategist, who was responsible for the publication of secret government documents that revealed the truth behind America's involvement in Vietnam.
Directors: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith | Stars: Peter Arnett, Ben Bagdikian, Ann Beeson, John Dean
Votes: 2,421 | Gross: $0.45M
8. Winter Soldier (1972)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, History, War
For three days in 1971, former US soldiers who were in Vietnam testify in Detroit about their war experiences. Nearly 30 speak, describing atrocities personally committed or witnessed, ... See full summary »
Director: Winterfilm Collective | Stars: Rusty Sachs, Joe Bangert, Scott Shimabukuro, Kenneth Campbell
Votes: 1,081
9. America: Freedom to Fascism (2006)
95 min | Documentary
A documentary that explores the connection between income tax collection and the erosion of civil liberties in America.
Director: Aaron Russo | Stars: Aaron Russo, John Turner, Joe Banister, Sherry Peel Jackson
Votes: 2,603 | Gross: $0.09M
10. Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire (2004)
90 min | Documentary
The story of Canadian Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire and his controversial command of the United Nations' mission to Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.
Director: Peter Raymont | Stars: Gerry Caplan, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Roméo Dallaire
Votes: 1,087
11. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
86 min | Documentary, History
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Director: Stanley Nelson | Stars: Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter, Stanley Clayton
Votes: 5,642
12. Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
R | 118 min | Documentary, Crime, History
The story of how Miami became the cocaine capital of the United States in the early 1980's and the police officers who turned the tide on crime.
Director: Billy Corben | Stars: Jon Roberts, Al Sunshine, Sam Burstyn, Mickey Munday
Votes: 14,089 | Gross: $0.15M
13. Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)
Not Rated | 111 min | Documentary, Crime
Oscar-winning documentary that documents a murder trial in which a 15-year-old African-American is wrongfully accused of a 2000 murder in Jacksonville, Florida.
Director: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade | Stars: Ann Finnell, Patrick McGuinness, James Williams, Michael Glover
Votes: 4,515
14. Titicut Follies (1967)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater where people stay trapped in their madness.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 5,105
15. Occupation 101 (2006)
90 min | Documentary
A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. political involvement.
Directors: Abdallah Omeish, Sufyan Omeish | Stars: James Akins, Arik Ascherman, Bishop Barltlett Jr., Phyllis Bennis
Votes: 1,905
16. 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: 11,104 | Gross: $0.03M
17. Paris Is Burning (1990)
R | 78 min | Documentary
A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Director: Jennie Livingston | Stars: Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée
Votes: 17,598 | Gross: $3.78M
18. Side by Side (2012)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.
Director: Christopher Kenneally | Stars: Derek Ambrosi, Michael Ballhaus, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Dion Beebe
Votes: 13,717 | Gross: $0.03M
19. The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)
150 min | Documentary
Slavoj Zizek examines famous films in a philosophical and a psychoanalytic context.
Director: Sophie Fiennes | Star: Slavoj Zizek
Votes: 7,338
Film-appreciation/Film-making/Philosophy of film/Human- interest.
20. The Atomic Cafe (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, History
Disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.
Directors: Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, Pierce Rafferty | Stars: Paul Tibbets, Harry S. Truman, W.H.P. Blandy, Brien McMahon
Votes: 4,533 | Gross: $0.02M
Exploitation film/Propaganda film/Educational film?
21. My Best Fiend (1999)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography
The love-hate relationship between Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, the deep trust between the director and the actor, and their independently and simultaneously hatched plans to murder one another.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Eva Mattes
Votes: 12,191 | Gross: $0.10M
Following; the films featured in this documentary: In chronological order.
22. Best Worst Movie (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
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: 8,523 | Gross: $0.10M
Stephenson/Michael.
23. Lodz Ghetto (1988)
103 min | Documentary
The Polish city of Lodz was under Nazi occupation for nearly the entire duration of WWII. The segregation of the Jewish population into the ghetto, and the subsequent horrors of the ... See full summary »
Directors: Alan Adelson, Kate Taverna | Stars: Jerzy Kosinski, Theodore Bikel, Julie Cohen, Lynn Cohen
Votes: 63
24. 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: 27,512 | Gross: $6.71M
25. The War Game (1966)
48 min | Drama, War
A docudrama depicting a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain.
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Michael Aspel, Peter Graham, Dave Baldwin, Kathy Staff
Votes: 7,302
26. Brother's Keeper (1992)
R | 104 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
This compelling documentary details the strange-but-true murder trial of Delbert Ward, accused of the mercy killing of his brother in rural upstate NY. This real-life murder mystery won the Audience Award at Sundance.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward, Walt Geisler
Votes: 4,281 | Gross: $1.31M
27. Burden of Dreams (1982)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
Director: Les Blank | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Votes: 8,130
28. 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
29. Saving Face (2012)
Not Rated | 40 min | Documentary, Short, Drama
Plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad returns to his native Pakistan to help those left horribly scarred by acid attacks.
Directors: Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy | Stars: Sarkar Abbas, Mohammad Jawad
Votes: 1,511
30. Marwencol (2010)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Fantasy
Documentary about Mark Hogancamp. After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard. Inspired the movie Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Director: Jeff Malmberg | Stars: Mark Hogancamp, Emmanuel Nneji, Edda Hogancamp, Tom Neubauer
Votes: 3,704 | Gross: $0.11M
31. Stevie (2002)
R | 140 min | Documentary
In 1995, director Steve James (of 'Hoop Dreams') returned to rural Southern Illinois to reconnect with Stevie Fielding, a troubled young boy to whom he had been an "Advocate Big Brother" ten years earlier.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Steve James, Stephen Fielding, Tonya Gregory, Bernice Hagler
Votes: 2,742 | Gross: $0.10M
32. 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
33. Marjoe (1972)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
This Oscar-winning documentary explores the life of one-time child evangelist and faith healer Marjoe Gortner. The son of professional evangelists, Gortner was preaching on the Southern tent-revival circuit by the age of 3.
Directors: Sarah Kernochan, Howard Smith | Stars: Agnes Benjamin, Marjoe Gortner, Vernon Gortner, Sarah Kernochan
Votes: 1,743
34. Letting Go of God (2008)
130 min | Documentary
Letting Go of God is a humorous monologue by Julia Sweeney chronicling her search for God. She begins in the Catholic church, the religion her family raised her in, and takes a Bible study ... See full summary »
Director: Julia Sweeney
Votes: 689
35. For the Bible Tells Me So (2007)
Unrated | 95 min | Documentary, Romance
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
Director: Daniel G. Karslake | Stars: Imogene Robinson, Victor Robinson, Gene Robinson, Isabella 'Boo' McDaniel
Votes: 4,519 | Gross: $0.31M
36. 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: 4,356 | Gross: $0.13M
37. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,083 | Gross: $0.07M
38. Street Fight (2005)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary
This documentary follows the 2002 mayoral campaign in Newark, New Jersey in which a City Councilman, Cory Booker, attempted to unseat longtime mayor Sharpe James.
Director: Marshall Curry | Stars: Jen Bluestein, Cory Booker, Bill Bradley, Chris Christie
Votes: 2,117
39. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)
84 min | Documentary, History
The history of the "Scottsboro Boys," a group of African American men who were victims of a racist miscarriage of justice that became a national controversy.
Directors: Barak Goodman, Daniel Anker | Stars: Frances McDormand, Stanley Tucci, Andre Braugher, Nesbitt Blaisdell
Votes: 365
40. Incident at Oglala (1992)
PG | 89 min | Documentary, History
This film describes the events surrounding a 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge reservation in S. Dakota where two FBI agents were killed.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Robert Redford, Norman Zigrossi, Robert Sikma, Darelle 'Dino' Butler
Votes: 1,288 | Gross: $0.54M
41. Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
During the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.
Director: Rory Kennedy | Stars: Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Stuart Herrington, Juan Valdez
Votes: 4,096 | Gross: $0.47M
42. 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
43. The Great War (1964)
40 min | Documentary, History, War
One of the greatest achievements of television -broadcast from 1964 in 26 episodes. Use of extensive archive footage and sound effects, linked with contemporary classic music of that area. ... See full summary »
Stars: Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Emlyn Williams, Marius Goring
Votes: 746
44. Jazz (2001)
1,075 min | Documentary, History, Music
A survey of the musical form's history and major talents.
Stars: Keith David, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Giddins, Delroy Lindo
Votes: 2,497
45. Prohibition (2011)
60 min | Documentary, History
The story of the American activist struggle against the influence of alcohol, climaxing in the failed early 20th century nationwide era when it was banned.
Stars: Peter Coyote, Pete Hamill, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, Michael Lerner
Votes: 3,423
46. Hollywood (1980)
676 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The history of the American film industry in Hollywood during the Silent era.
Stars: James Mason, Colleen Moore, Byron Haskin, Viola Dana
Votes: 855
47. Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)
120 min | Documentary, History
The history of Dawson City, the gold rush town that had a historical treasure of forgotten silent films buried in permafrost for decades until 1978.
Director: Bill Morrison | Stars: Michael Gates, Kathy Jones-Gates, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Frank Barrett
Votes: 2,149 | Gross: $0.13M
48. For Sama (2019)
TV-PG | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, War
FOR SAMA is both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war.
Directors: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts | Stars: Waad Al-Kateab, Sama Al-Khateab, Hamza Al-Khateab, Afra
Votes: 12,817 | Gross: $0.04M
49. The Cave (I) (2019)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, War
Amidst air strikes and bombings, a group of female doctors in Ghouta, Syria struggle with systemic sexism while trying to care for the injured using limited resources.
Director: Feras Fayyad | Stars: Amani Ballour, Salim Namour, Alaa, Samaher
Votes: 2,945
50. Of Fathers and Sons (2017)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary, War
Talal Derki returns to his homeland where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years.
Director: Talal Derki | Stars: Tia Alkerdi, Yara Ibrahim, Abu Osama, Ayman Osama
Votes: 2,741 | Gross: $0.01M
51. Cartel Land (2015)
R | 100 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Matthew Heineman examines the state of the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Director: Matthew Heineman | Stars: Tim Foley, José Manuel 'El Doctor' Mireles, Paco Valencia, Chaneque
Votes: 18,825 | Gross: $0.70M
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