0 Best Documentaries Since 2000
List activity
947 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
93 titles
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsTio HardimanAmeena MatthewsToya BateyA year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsPhilippe PetitJean François HeckelJean-Louis BlondeauA 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".
- DirectorJacques PerrinJacques CluzaudMichel DebatsStarsJacques PerrinPhilippe LabroDocumentary on the migratory patterns of birds, shot over the course of three years on all seven continents.
- DirectorEllen Goosenberg KentCounselors provide support, guidance and hope to despondent servicemen dealing with emotional, physical and financial troubles.
- DirectorKen LoachFranny ArmstrongStarsHelen SteelDave MorrisBruce AlexanderMcLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald's in the biggest corporate PR disaster in history.
- DirectorMat WhitecrossMichael WinterbottomStarsJanine HuardEwen CameronNaomi KleinAn investigation of "disaster capitalism", based on Naomi Klein's proposition that neo-liberal capitalism feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.
- DirectorAgnès VardaStarsAgnès VardaAndré LubranoBlaise FournierAgnès Varda explores her memories, mostly chronologically, with photographs, film clips, interviews, reenactments, and droll, playful contemporary scenes of her narrating her story.
- DirectorPaul JustmanStarsJoe HunterJack AshfordUriel JonesDocumentary about the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit musicians who backed up dozens of Motown artists.
- DirectorMark AchbarJennifer AbbottStarsMikela JayRob BeckwermertChristopher GoraDocumentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsMatt DamonGylfi ZoegaAndri Snær MagnasonTakes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWerner HerzogJean ClottesJulien MonneyWerner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreGeorge W. BushBen AffleckMichael 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.
- DirectorJohn MaloofCharlie SiskelStarsVivian MaierJohn MaloofDaniel ArnaudA documentary on the late Vivian Maier, a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as one of the most accomplished street photographers.
- DirectorTellerStarsTim JenisonPenn JilletteMartin MullInventor Tim Jenison seeks to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer.
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
- DirectorDeb EllisDenis MuellerStarsMatt DamonDaniel BerriganHoward ZinnThe life and times of Howard Zinn: the historian, activist, and author of several classics including "A Peoples History of the United States". Archival footage, and commentary by friend, colleagues and Zinn himself.
- DirectorNicolas PhilibertStarsGeorges LopezAlizéAxel ThouveninA 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.
- DirectorDror MorehStarsAmi AyalonAvraham ShalomAvi DichterA documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
- DirectorJudy IrvingStarsMark BittnerMaggie McCallIvan StormgartA homeless musician finds meaning to his life when he starts a friendship with dozens of parrots.
- DirectorMark MoormannStarsRay CharlesJohn ColtraneAretha FranklinA documentary about Tom Dowd, who was an innovative recording engineer and producer of noted albums with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers and many others.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsNina SimoneLisa Simone KellyRoger NupieA documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
- DirectorRobbie CavolinaIan McCruddenStarsAnita O'DayLouis ArmstrongBuddy BregmanA tribute to jazz diva Anita O'Day, completed just weeks before her death in November 2006.
- DirectorChris PaineStarsMartin SheenTom HanksMel GibsonA 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.
- DirectorGary HustwitStarsAmanda M. BurdenRem KoolhaasNorman FosterA documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.
- DirectorBen NilesStarsPierre-Laurent AimardHarry Connick Jr.Hélène GrimaudA feature-length independent documentary that follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand, #L1037- from forest floor to concert hall.
- DirectorLaura PoitrasStarsEdward SnowdenGlenn GreenwaldWilliam BinneyA documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorPatrick CreadonStarsWill ShortzKen BurnsJon StewartAn in-depth look at The New York Times' long-time crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and his loyal fan base.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsDarlene LoveMerry ClaytonLisa FischerBackup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
- DirectorRichard PressStarsBill CunninghamAnna WintourMichael KorsA profile of the noted and extraordinarily cheerful veteran New York City fashion photographer.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsPaul HaggisJason BegheSpanky TaylorA documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
- DirectorJoshua OppenheimerAnonymousChristine CynnStarsAnwar CongoHerman KotoSyamsul ArifinA documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
- DirectorMarilyn AgreloStarsHeather BermanEmma Therese BiegackiEva CarrozzaThe students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.
- DirectorSarah PolleyStarsMichael PolleyJohn BuchanMark PolleyA film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers.
- DirectorTom DonahueStarsDeborah AquilaRisa Bramon GarciaEllen ChenowethThe surprising, never-before-told tale of the indispensable yet unsung Casting Director - Iconoclasts whose keen eye, exquisite taste and gut instincts redefined Hollywood.
- 20091h 32mNot Rated7.7 (2.4K)75MetascoreDirectorJudith EhrlichRick GoldsmithStarsPeter ArnettBen BagdikianAnn BeesonAn 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.
- DirectorJonathan SobolStarsKurt RussellJay BaruchelKatheryn WinnickCrunch Calhoun, a semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get his old gang back together to pull off one last heist.
- DirectorRory KennedyStarsRichard NixonHenry KissingerStuart HerringtonDuring 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.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsJulian AssangeAdrian LamoJohn 'FuzzFace' McMahonA documentary that details the creation of Julian Assange's controversial website, which facilitated the largest security breach in U.S. history.
- DirectorJehane NoujaimStarsSamir KhaderJosh RushingGeorge W. BushA documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreJohnny FancelliChristina FancelliTo learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsDavid SangerEmad KiyaeiEric ChienA documentary focused on Stuxnet, a piece of self-replicating computer malware that the U.S. and Israel unleashed to destroy a key part of an Iranian nuclear facility, and which ultimately spread beyond its intended target.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsThe BeatlesJohn LennonGeorge HarrisonA compilation of found footage featuring music, interviews, and stories of The Beatles' 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsNeil ArmstrongMick AvoryRon Blair"Runnin' Down A Dream," a film directed by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich, is the story of one of America's great rock and roll bands told as never before.
- DirectorThom ZimnyStarsBruce SpringsteenThe creation of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 1980 double album "The River" is recalled in this new rock-doc that includes archival footage as well as recent interviews.
- DirectorWilliam HechterPeter MillerStarsWilli BurkeMarshall ChapmanShawn ColvinDoc Pomus was the unlikeliest of rock and roll icons. Paralyzed by polio as a child, Jerome Felder reinvented himself first as a blues singer, choosing the blues name Doc Pomus, and then as one of American popular music's greatest songwriters, creating "Save the Last Dance for Me," "This Magic Moment," "A Teenager in Love," "Viva Las Vegas," and a thousand other songs. A.K.A. DOC POMUS brings to life Doc's joyous, heartbreaking, romantic, and extraordinarily eventful journey. Packed with incomparable music and rare archival imagery, its cast includes Dr. John, Ben E. King, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Dion, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, B.B. King, and Lou Reed, who also reads from Doc's powerful private journals. Doc's was a life of disability and possibility, tragedy and romance, and some of the greatest music ever recorded.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
- DirectorKasper CollinStarsLee MorganHelen MorganWayne ShorterAn exploration of the relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who was implicated in his murder in 1972.
- DirectorEthan HawkeStarsSeymour BernsteinEthan HawkeSam BachelderMeet Seymour Bernstein: a beloved pianist, teacher and true inspiration who shares eye-opening insights from an amazing life. Ethan Hawke helms this poignant guide to life.
- DirectorDenny TedescoStarsBrian WilsonDick ClarkCherA celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsPina BauschRegina AdventoMalou AiraudoA tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsThomas SungHwei Lin SungCyrus Vance Jr.A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.
- DirectorTim WardleStarsRobert ShafranMichael DomnitzHoward SchneiderIn 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
- DirectorJulie CohenBetsy WestStarsRuth Bader GinsburgAnn KittnerHarryette HelselThe exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsFred RogersMargaret WhitmerTom JunodAn exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.
- DirectorBruce SpiegelStarsConnie AtkinsonTony BennettBill CharlapBill Evans Time Remembered is a 90-minute documentary film, produced by Bruce Spiegel which tells the story of Bill Evans' turbulent life and his contribution to jazz music.
- DirectorCatherine BainbridgeAlfonso MaioranaStarsGeorge ClintonRobbie RobertsonGary GiddinsA documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.
- DirectorJRAgnès VardaStarsAgnès VardaJRJeannine CarpentierDirector Agnes Varda and photographer/muralist J.R. journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.
- StarsPeter SarsgaardMolly ParkerChristian CamargoIn 1953, Army scientist Frank Olson takes a fatal plunge from a hotel window. In 1975, a bombshell report ties his death to a top-secret experiment.
- DirectorGreg 'Freddy' CamalierStarsRick HallAretha FranklinKeith RichardsA documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".
- DirectorAlexandra DeanStarsHedy LamarrMel BrooksJennifer HomThe life and career of the hailed Hollywood movie star and underappreciated genius inventor, Hedy Lamarr.
- DirectorKelly DuaneStarsSam CookeQuincy JonesSmokey RobinsonAn investigation into the circumstances and controversy surrounding Sam Cooke's murder.
- DirectorAiyana ElliottStarsJack ElliottGil GrossArlo GuthrieWith the help of her mother, family, friends, and fellow musicians, Aiyana Elliott reaches for her father, legendary cowboy troubadour, Ramblin' Jack Elliott. She explores who he is and how he got there, working back and forth between archival and contemporary footage. Born in 1932 in Brooklyn, busking through the South and West in the early 50s, a year with Woody Guthrie, six years flatpicking in Europe, a triumphant return to Greenwich Village in the early 60s, mentoring Bob Dylan, then life on the road, from gig to gig, singing and telling stories. A Grammy and the National Medal of Arts await Jack near the end of a long trail. What will Aiyana find for herself?
- DirectorBing LiuStarsKent AbernathyMengyue BolenNina BowgrenFilmmaker Bing Liu searches for correlations between his skateboarder friends' turbulent upbringings and the complexities of modern masculinity.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAlex HonnoldTommy CaldwellJimmy ChinAlex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
- DirectorJoseph LevyStarsGrant AchatzCindy BreitbachMike BreitbachA documentary about three unique restaurants and their respective owners.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsElon MuskLawrence KraussLucianne WalkowiczWerner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.
- DirectorRachel LearsStarsAlexandria Ocasio-CortezCori BushJoe CrowleyA look at the people involved with various political campaigns during the 2018 U.S. congressional election.
- DirectorSara FishkoStarsDavid AmramCarla BleyJohn CohenArt, obsession and anxiety permeate a dilapidated Manhattan loft building in Mid-century: The first movie to use photographer W. Eugene Smith's massive, fly-on-the-wall archive of photos and audio tapes documenting the likes of jazz greats Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Hall Overton and others at work and play in the Sixth Avenue wreck that was Smith's home and studio from 1957 through the '60s.
- DirectorA.J. EatonStarsDavid CrosbyStephen BarncardJackson BrowneMeet David Crosby in this portrait of a man with everything but an easy retirement on his mind.
- DirectorRich PoggioliStarsMark J. GoodmanArlo GuthrieRichie Havensa look at the famous music festival.
- DirectorSteven BognarJulia ReichertStarsJunming 'Jimmy' WangRobert AllenSherrod BrownIn post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.
- DirectorJanice EngelStarsMolly IvinsForrest WilderDave McNeelyRAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS tells the story of media firebrand Molly Ivins, six feet of Texas trouble who took on the Good Old Boy corruption wherever she found it.
- DirectorJacob HatleyStarsLarry CampbellJay CollinsElizabeth DankoA documentary on Levon Helm, a founding member of The Band, at home in Woodstock in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years.
- DirectorJeff Orlowski-YangStarsTristan HarrisJeff SeibertBailey RichardsonExplores the dangerous human impact of social networking; tech experts sound the alarm on their own creations.
- DirectorDawn PorterStarsPete SouzaBarack ObamaBen RhodesFormer Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza's journey as a person with top secret clearance and total access to the President.
- DirectorVanessa GouldStarsErik D. DemaineMartin L. DemaineVincent FlodererDepicts 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 the world in paper, they arouse a fascinating mix of sensibilities towards art, form, expressiveness, creativity and meaning.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyElizabeth HolmesDan ArielyThe story of Theranos, a multi-billion dollar tech company, its founder Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest self-made female billionaire, and the massive fraud that collapsed the company.
- 20211h 58mPG-138.0 (14K)96MetascoreDirectorQuestloveStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsAsia ArgentoAnthony BourdainAriane BourdainA documentary about Anthony Bourdain and his career as a chef, writer and host, revered and renowned for his authentic approach to food, culture and travel.
- DirectorDaniel LindsayT.J. MartinStarsTina TurnerCarl ArringtonIke TurnerExclusive access to the Grammy Award-winning artist to celebrate her career.
- DirectorAlex GibneyOphelia HarutyunyanSuzanne HillingerStarsAlex AzarCharlie BakerScott BeckerAn in-depth look at how the United States government handled the response to the COVID-19 outbreak during the early months of the pandemic.
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsLouis ArmstrongSteve AllenErnie AndersonFollow the life and legacy of the master and so-called founding father of jazz, America's first pop star, and cultural ambassador.
- DirectorJonathan AlterJohn BlockSteve McCarthyStarsHarvey AratonJohn AvlonMike BarnicleThe story of New York City journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill lauded in their time as the voice of New York.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsClarence 'Gatemouth' BrownBuddy GuySolomon BurkeAntoine Fuqua's documentary on the blues, shot at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
- DirectorLisa HurwitzStarsMel BrooksJohn W. RomasCarl ReinerDocumentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.
- DirectorChristopher LockettStarsRyan AdneyMonique AlanizManfred BallwegThe documentary film The Typewriter (In the 21st Century) is an ode to a marvelous machine that changed the world, and the surprisingly enduring culture that valiantly attempts to preserve its legacy and save it from cultural extinction.
- StarsKelly CarlinPatrick CarlinChris RockInterviews with George Carlin's family and friends, material from his stand-up specials and footage from his personal archive.
- DirectorDave GrohlStarsTrent ReznorTom PettyMick FleetwoodA documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.
- DirectorIra DeutchmanStarsElyce BonnellPeter BroderickBea BrydsonThe feature documentary Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, who was the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. Rugoff's impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business-from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins-is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.
- DirectorApril WrightStarsRichard L. FosbrinkBob BoinJerald GrayThe evolution of the movie business over the past century, from penny arcades and nickelodeons, to the grand movie palaces built by the studios, and what happened over the years as they were challenged by television and cell-phone cinema.
- CreatorPaul NewmanStewart SternStarsGeorge ClooneyZoe KazanLaura LinneyIn this intimate six-part docuseries, actor/director Ethan Hawke explores the love story and enduring legacy of Hollywood legends Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.
- DirectorKevin RaffertyStarsDon GillisBruce FreemanTed SkowronskiCritically acclaimed documentary about the 1968 football game played by two undefeated teams from Harvard and Yale.