Duke's Top Documentaries for 2018... (so far & in list order)

by DukeEman | created - 21 Mar 2019 | updated - 5 months ago | Public

Documentaries that informed me, shook my foundations and showed me a part of life that I would have never ventured into...

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1. The Eyes of Orson Welles (2018)

115 min | Documentary

75 Metascore

Mark Cousins dives deep into the visual world of legendary director and actor Orson Welles to reveal a portrait of the artist as he's never been seen before.

Director: Mark Cousins | Stars: Mark Cousins, Orson Welles, Jack Klaff, Beatrice Welles

Votes: 1,111 | Gross: $0.01M

Mark Cousins' ode to Orson Welles as an artist, a humanitarian, filmmaker and lover...

2. Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, History

85 Metascore

An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.

Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Fred Rogers, Margaret Whitmer, Tom Junod, Joanne Rogers

Votes: 27,103 | Gross: $22.84M

A wondrous look into the soul of a gentle man of a gentleman who communicated with a child's innocence and taught the world to listen (now all undone by the orange man)...

3. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)

TV-MA | 116 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy

74 Metascore

An intimate look into the life and work of the revered master comedian and actor, Robin Williams.

Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: Robin Williams, Mark Rasmussen, Stan Wilson, John Houseman

Votes: 9,151

A pure comedic genius that left us too early, and this celebrates the magic he left behind...

4. Satan & Adam (2018)

80 min | Documentary, Music

75 Metascore

SATAN & ADAM chronicles the unlikely pairing of legendary one-man-band Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee and harmonica master Adam Gussow. Shot over 20 years, the film showcases one of the ... See full summary »

Director: V. Scott Balcerek | Stars: The Edge, Harry Shearer, Al Sharpton, Sterling Magee

Votes: 498

It's more than the blues in this heartfelt doco...

5. Quincy (2018)

TV-MA | 124 min | Documentary, Biography

60 Metascore

An intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America.

Directors: Alan Hicks, Rashida Jones | Stars: Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clarence Avant

Votes: 5,152

The legend and the devotion to his gift of music that we are so blessed to have...

6. End Game (2018)

TV-PG | 40 min | Documentary, Short

Filmed and edited in intimate vérité style, this movie follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death and are dedicated to changing our thinking about both.

Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Votes: 2,097

An observational gem from the team of Epstein & Friedman, this time dealing with the acceptance of death and those that deal with it...

7. Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)

R | 128 min | Documentary

69 Metascore

Filmmaker Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald Trump presidency and gun violence, while highlighting the power of grassroots democratic movements.

Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Jim Acosta, Roger Ailes, Brooke Baldwin, Ashleigh Banfield

Votes: 20,390 | Gross: $6.35M

Moore the Provocateur gives us something to really think about in these trying times...

8. Matangi/Maya/M.I.A (2018)

96 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

70 Metascore

Drawn from a never-before-seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.

Director: Steve Loveridge | Stars: M.I.A., Spike Jonze, Madonna, Bill Maher

Votes: 2,225 | Gross: $0.23M

A passionate artists who cares for her fellow human beings...

9. Working Class Boy (2018)

104 min | Documentary

Based on Barnes' memoir of the same name, this documentary tells the story of his childhood survival in the slums of Glasgow, immigration to Australia, and how he became the lead singer of Cold Chisel.

Director: Mark Joffe | Stars: Jimmy Barnes, Jim Duffy, Jack Oliver, Bill Brouwers

Votes: 200

The hard childhood life of Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes...

10. They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)

TV-MA | 98 min | Documentary, Biography

77 Metascore

In the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles, he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018), in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last great movie.

Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Alan Cumming, Peter Bogdanovich, Oja Kodar, Orson Welles

Votes: 5,436

The madness of filmmaking according to Orson Welles is both insightful and cringe worthy. Worth viewing this first before watching the movie because you'd be spellbound how they got a film out of this mess...

11. Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)

TV-MA | 115 min | Documentary, Biography

This documentary chronicles the life of Polish-American artist Stanislav Szukalski (1893-1987) from his early years in Chicago, to his time in Poland and Los Angeles, and his artistic and political contributions to the world.

Director: Ireneusz Dobrowolski | Stars: Stanislav Szukalski, Glenn Bray, Robert Williams, Suzanne Williams

Votes: 4,635

The unveiling of a sculptor and his fascinating and mysterious life...

12. Le grand bal (2018)

89 min | Documentary

Since about 30 years ago the fans of traditional dances get together at Gennetines, a small village in the Ardeche department to dance all nights and days for 7 days. 500 musicians and more... See full summary »

Director: Laetitia Carton

Votes: 122

An ode to the passion and love for folk dancing...

13. Seeing Allred (2018)

TV-14 | 96 min | Documentary, Biography

68 Metascore

Women's rights attorney Gloria Allred takes on the biggest names in American culture as coverage of sexual assault allegations in the media become more prevalent.

Directors: Roberta Grossman, Sophie Sartain | Stars: Gloria Allred, Lisa Bloom, Hillary Clinton, Bill Cosby

Votes: 1,464

Worth getting to know the woman who is fighting the fight...

14. Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager (2018)

104 min | Documentary, Sport

The definitive portrait of the late English football manager Sir Bobby Robson, one of the game's most inspirational and influential figures, whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.

Directors: Gabriel Clarke, Torquil Jones | Stars: Pep Guardiola, Gary Lineker, Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho

Votes: 3,281

A deserving documentation of the football legend...

15. The Insufferable Groo (2018)

98 min | Documentary

Prolific and eccentric filmmaker Stephen Groo tries to recruit Jack Black, to be in his latest film about human who falls in love with an elf.

Director: Scott Christopherson | Stars: Jack Black, Lourie Bloomfield, Sherry Groo, Stephen Groo

Votes: 117

A cringe worthy doco on a manic no-budget filmmaker and his antics...

16. Shirkers (2018)

TV-14 | 97 min | Documentary

88 Metascore

A woman explores the events surrounding a film she and her friends began making with a mysterious stranger decades ago.

Director: Sandi Tan | Stars: Jasmine Kin Kia Ng, Philip Cheah, Sophia Siddique Harvey, Sharon Siddique

Votes: 5,667

Took a while to get around to the most captivating part, and that was the around the mysterious figure of Georges and his peculiar reasons for sabotaging Sandi's movie, but still captivating enough in a sort of strange way...

17. Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story (2018)

Not Rated | 77 min | Documentary, Action, Adventure

73 Metascore

A team of elephant rescuers embark on a mission to rescue a 70-year old captive Asian elephant.

Director: Ashley Bell | Stars: Ashley Bell, David Casselman, Lek Chailert, Noi Na

Votes: 308

The plight of Asian elephants through the documentation of a young filmmaker and a caring Thai animal activist who gives hope to the almost extinct creature...

18. ReMastered: The Lion's Share (2018 TV Movie)

84 min | Documentary, Music

South African journalist Rian Malan searches for the original writers of the legendary song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Director: Sam Cullman | Stars: Rian Malan, Solomon Linda, Delphi Linda, Elizabeth Linda

Votes: 715

Interesting case of a family who fights for their right to a piece of African Native music that was stolen and abused by the Western world...

19. Malcolm Is a Little Unwell (2018)

78 min | Documentary

'Unwell' charts the descent into madness of veteran foreign correspondent Malcolm Brabant after a routine yellow fever vaccine for an assignment in Africa.

Directors: Malcolm Brabant, Trine Villemann | Stars: Malcolm Brabant, Lukas Brabrant, Diana Christensen, Allan Little

Votes: 71

A fascinating look on how a top foreign correspondent journalist turned the camera on himself during a time of mental illness...

20. Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (2018)

86 min | Documentary

Feminists: What Were They Thinking? takes aim at our current culture revealing all too vividly the urgent need for continued change.

Director: Johanna Demetrakas | Stars: Bella Abzug, Laurie Anderson, Phyllis Chesler, Judy Chicago

Votes: 2,475

For me it was the fascination of comparing the subject matters now and then, not sure the filmmakers had any clear linear storyline to cling on to, but it still was able to reach some emotional depth...

21. Survivors Guide To Prison (2018)

TV-MA | 102 min | Documentary

66 Metascore

Today, you're more likely to go to prison in the United States than anywhere else in the world. So in the unfortunate case it should happen to you - this is the Survivors Guide to Prison.

Director: Matthew Cooke | Stars: Patricia Arquette, Susan Sarandon, Danny Trejo, Cynthia Nixon

Votes: 1,215 | Gross: $0.01M

There is plenty amiss with the U.S. prison system, and it makes my blood boil...

22. Tea With the Dames (2018)

Unrated | 84 min | Documentary

85 Metascore

Dames Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith get together for tea to reminisce and discuss their acting careers.

Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright

Votes: 2,835 | Gross: $0.87M

Mainly just hanging out with the dames and listening in...

23. Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018)

PG-13 | 115 min | Documentary, Music

64 Metascore

The band Coldplay discuss their band, music, and rise to fame.

Director: Mat Whitecross | Stars: Guy Berryman, Beyoncé, Jon Buckland, Will Champion

Votes: 3,493

You don't have to be a fan to enjoy their journey with some great behind-the-scenes footage captured since their inception and the honesty they convey...

24. Making Montgomery Clift (2018)

Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Biography

Classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift's legacy has long been a story of tragedy and self-destruction. But when his nephew dives into the family archives, a much more complicated picture emerges.

Directors: Robert Anderson Clift, Hillary Demmon | Stars: Brooks Clift, Sunny Clift, Patricia Bosworth, Lorenzo James

Votes: 252

Worth a look to see it from the family perspective...

25. Period. End of Sentence. (2018)

TV-PG | 26 min | Documentary, Short

Indian women fight the stigma surrounding menstruation and begin manufacturing sanitary pads.

Director: Rayka Zehtabchi | Stars: Ajeya, Anita, Gouri Choudari, Healthy Emmie

Votes: 6,550

Challenging the perception of women's menstruation in a country still behind in attitude...

26. The Most Unknown (2018)

92 min | Documentary

59 Metascore

The Most Unknown is an epic documentary film that sends nine scientists to extraordinary parts of the world to uncover unexpected answers to some of humanity's biggest questions. How did ... See full summary »

Director: Ian Cheney | Stars: Jennifer L. Macalady, Davide D'Angelo, Axel Cleeremans, Luke McKay

Votes: 2,217 | Gross: $0.01M

Interesting concept of brilliant minds who pay a visit to each other to pass on a bit of worldly knowledge that makes this universe a fascinating and mysteries force...

27. The Trader (2018)

TV-PG | 23 min | Documentary, Short

A traveling trader provides a window into rural life in the Republic of Georgia, where potatoes are currency and ambition is crushed by poverty.

Director: Tamta Gabrichidze

Votes: 3,441

Interesting observational piece on the Georgian rural life and the trader who travels through it...



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