Top 50 Best Documentaries
by b_whisky | created - 21 Mar 2019 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicA list of my favorite Documentary features in no particular order. Enjoy! Check out my other lists! :) https://www.imdb.com/list/ls024769158/ https://www.imdb.com/list/ls008061098/?ref_=otl_3 https://www.imdb.com/list/ls051486323/?ref_=otl_4 https://www.imdb.com/list/ls051486989/?ref_=otl_5 https://www.imdb.com/list/ls008028962/
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1. Free Solo (2018)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Alex 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.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe
Votes: 77,279 | Gross: $17.54M
2. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary
Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan
Votes: 28,619 | Gross: $0.30M
3. The Queen of Versailles (2012)
PG | 100 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Lorraine Barrett, June Downs
Votes: 13,700 | Gross: $2.40M
4. The First Monday in May (2016)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
Follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibition in history, "China: Through The Looking Glass," an exploration of Chinese-inspired Western fashions by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton.
Director: Andrew Rossi | Stars: Anna Wintour, Andrew Bolton, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld
Votes: 1,944 | Gross: $0.53M
5. Beware the Slenderman (2016)
TV-14 | 114 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Tells the story of two 12-year old girls, who attempted to murder one of their friends in an attempt to appease Slenderman, a fictional monster from a horror website.
Director: Irene Taylor | Stars: Morgan Geyser, Anissa Weier, Angie Geyser, William Weier
Votes: 7,801
6. The Hunting Ground (2015)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary
An exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Andrea Pino, Annie Clark, Claire Potter, Melinda Manning
Votes: 6,489 | Gross: $0.41M
7. Hot Girls Wanted (2015)
TV-MA | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary about young women who have been drawn into the sex trade - and how easy it is for a web-savvy generation to end up making porn.
Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus | Stars: Tressa Silguero, Riley Reynolds, Rachel Bernard, John Anthony
Votes: 18,481
8. Good Ol' Freda (2013)
PG | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary in which Freda Kelly looks back at her career as lifelong secretary for The Beatles.
Director: Ryan White | Stars: Freda Kelly, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison
Votes: 2,114 | Gross: $0.14M
9. Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Backup 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.
Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill
Votes: 13,949 | Gross: $4.95M
10. Dogville Confessions (2003)
52 min | Documentary
This film depicts the intense drama that takes place during the making of Dogville. Lars von Trier and Nicole Kidman work through this creative process under very extreme conditions.
Director: Sami Saif | Stars: Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Blair Brown
Votes: 709
11. An Open Secret (I) (2014)
Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Evan Henzi, Michael Egan III, Mark Ryan, Joey Coleman
Votes: 2,458
12. The Imposter (2012)
R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
Director: Bart Layton | Stars: Adam O'Brian, Nicholas Barclay, Carey Gibson, Bryan Gibson
Votes: 50,417 | Gross: $0.89M
13. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
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: 76,822 | Gross: $24.54M
14. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
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: 148,708 | Gross: $21.58M
15. Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary
A documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Paul Haggis, Jason Beghe, Spanky Taylor, David Miscavige
Votes: 40,894
16. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
TV-14 | 106 min | Documentary
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Terry Kohut, Gary Smith, Pat Kuehn
Votes: 4,081
17. 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: 57,960 | Gross: $2.80M
18. Pina (2011)
PG | 103 min | Documentary, Music
A tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Pina Bausch, Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo, Ruth Amarante
Votes: 15,938 | Gross: $3.52M
19. Amy (III) (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand
Votes: 54,985 | Gross: $8.41M
20. 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: 37,569 | Gross: $0.68M
21. Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
TV-MA | 132 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
An authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.
Director: Brett Morgen | Stars: Kurt Cobain, Wendy O'Connor, Don Cobain, Jenny Cobain
Votes: 32,124
22. Whitney (2018)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
An in-depth look at the life and music of Whitney Houston.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Whitney Houston, Ellen White, Michael Houston, Cissy Houston
Votes: 7,870 | Gross: $3.03M
23. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
R | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Kathy Griffin, Jocelyn Pickett
Votes: 3,816 | Gross: $2.93M
24. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,407 | Gross: $2.07M
25. Good Hair (2009)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Comedy
Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.
Director: Jeff Stilson | Stars: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton, Tanya Crumel
Votes: 6,214 | Gross: $4.16M
26. I Am Bolt (2016)
PG | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
The legacy of the fastest man in history, Usain Bolt.
Directors: Ben Turner, Gabe Turner | Stars: Usain Bolt, Nugent Walker Jr., Ricky Simms, Glen Mills
Votes: 3,869
27. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre | Stars: Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, David Balliano
Votes: 6,473 | Gross: $0.09M
28. He Named Me Malala (2015)
PG-13 | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
A look at the events leading up to the Taliban's attack on Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai for speaking out on girls' education, followed by the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Toor Pekai Yousafzai, Khushal Yousafzai
Votes: 4,786 | Gross: $2.64M
29. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
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: 68,806 | Gross: $3.29M
30. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,739 | Gross: $3.23M
31. 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: 58,661 | Gross: $2.96M
32. Honeyland (2019)
Unrated | 89 min | Documentary, Drama
The last female bee-hunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood.
Directors: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov | Stars: Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam, Ljutvie Sam
Votes: 19,395 | Gross: $0.82M
33. Saturday Night (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
With unprecedented access to the behind the scenes process of the writers, actors and producers, Franco and his crew document what it takes to create one full episode of Saturday Night Live.
Director: James Franco | Stars: Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Fred Armisen, Ken Aymong
Votes: 520
34. Cash & Marry (2009)
76 min | Documentary
Marko and Atanas are two friends whose lives would be sweet as strudel but for an annoying little problem with their papers. They need a European passport and they are prepared to do almost... See full summary »
Director: Atanas Georgiev | Stars: Atanas Georgiev, Lile Georgieva, Roland Kier, Marijana Kotevska
Votes: 87
35. Liv & Ingmar (2012)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary
The 42 year long relationship between legendary actress Liv Ullmann and master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.
Director: Dheeraj Akolkar | Stars: Liv Ullmann, Ingmar Bergman, Samuel Fröler, Erland Josephson
Votes: 1,779 | Gross: $0.01M
36. Our Last Tango (2015)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Musical
The life and love story of Argentina's famous tango dancers Maria Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes, who met as teenagers and danced together for nearly fifty years until a painful separation tore them apart.
Director: German Kral | Stars: María Nieves Rego, Juan Carlos Copes, Johana Copes, Myriam Copes
Votes: 713 | Gross: $0.10M
37. Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
TV-MA | 107 min | Documentary
A group of activists risk their lives fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Chechnya.
Director: David France | Stars: Olga Baranova, David Isteev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Maxim Lapunov
Votes: 3,136
38. Showbiz Kids (2020)
TV-MA | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary about the highs and lows of children in show business, featuring interviews and examinations of the lives and careers of the most famous former child actors in the world.
Director: Alex Winter | Stars: Cameron Boyce, Todd Bridges, Baby Peggy, Rohith Kalavacharla
Votes: 2,015
39. Have a Good Trip (2020)
TV-MA | 85 min | Documentary, Comedy
Mixing comedy with a thorough investigation of psychedelics, 'Have a Good Trip' explores the pros, cons, science, history, future, pop cultural impact, and cosmic possibilities of hallucinogens.
Director: Donick Cary | Stars: Nick Offerman, Sting, A$AP Rocky, Bill Kreutzmann
Votes: 8,610
40. Tickled (2016)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve | Stars: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David Starr, Kevin Clarke
Votes: 20,632 | Gross: $0.61M
41. Wojnarowicz: F--k You F-ggot F--ker (2020)
108 min | Documentary
A controversial artist blazes a trail for other gay image makers in New York 's 1980s scene, only to perish at the end of the decade from the AIDS virus.
Director: Chris McKim | Stars: Alan Barrows, Barry Blinderman, Bono, William Dannemeyer
Votes: 260
42. White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch (2022)
TV-14 | 88 min | Documentary
Abercrombie and Fitch conquered malls in the late '90s and early '00s with gorgeous models, pulsing dance beats and a fierce scent. But their "all-American" image shattered as exclusionary marketing and hiring practices came to light.
Director: Alison Klayman | Stars: Benjamin O'Keefe, Bobby Blanski, Ryan Daharsh, Sapna Maheshwari
Votes: 5,222
43. Rocco (2016)
TV-MA | 105 min | Documentary
A behind-the-scene account of the porn world and its stars as they've never been seen before - and the no-holds-barred portrait of a true giant.
Directors: Thierry Demaizière, Alban Teurlai | Stars: Rocco Siffredi, Anikka Albrite, Veronica Avluv, Eva Berger
Votes: 4,309
44. Tea With the Dames (2018)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary
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
45. Circus of Books (2019)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, History
In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking ... See full summary »
Director: Rachel Mason | Stars: Karen Mason, Barry Mason, Micah Mason, Rachel Mason
Votes: 5,006
46. Disclosure (2020)
TV-MA | 108 min | Documentary
An in-depth look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of those stories on transgender lives and American culture.
Director: Sam Feder | Stars: Laverne Cox, Bianca Leigh, Jen Richards, Alexandra Billings
Votes: 6,075
47. The Kingmaker (2019)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, History
An extraordinary look into the political career of Imelda Marcos, this documentary tells a cautionary tale of a powerful leader whose questionable sense of reality divided the Philippines.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Imelda Marcos, Etta Rosales, Ferdinand Marcos, George Bush
Votes: 2,624
48. 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: 17,588 | Gross: $3.78M
49. The Queen (1968)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
The behind the scenes of a national drag queen contest in New York City, including the rehearsals leading up to the contest, the conversations in the dressing room and the jealousies that emerge before and after the competition.
Director: Frank Simon | Stars: Bernard Giquel, Jack Doroshow, Jim Dine, Rachel Harlow
Votes: 1,325 | Gross: $0.05M
50. Models (1999)
118 min | Drama
Four models share their life experience.
Director: Ulrich Seidl | Stars: Viviane Bartsch, Tanja Petrovsky, Lisa Grossmann, Elvyra Geyer
Votes: 1,181
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