Documentaries
by MarwaAMA | created - 12 Jun 2013 | updated - 12 Mar 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Story of Science (2010– )
Documentary
Michael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.
Stars: Michael Mosley, Simon Chaplin, Floor Lagerwey, Margaret Esiri
Votes: 652
2. 1948 Palestinian Exodus (1997)
60 min | Documentary
The film presents eyewitness accounts of Palestinian refugees and Zionist soldiers to tell the story of the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians as a part of the creation of the state of Israel.
Directors: Benny Brunner, Alexandra Jansse | Star: Joseph Rochlitz
Votes: 84
3. The World at War (1973–1974)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary, History, War
A groundbreaking 26-part documentary series narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
Stars: Laurence Olivier, Averell Harriman, Anthony Eden, Albert Speer
Votes: 29,153
4. Apocalypse: The Second World War (2009)
TV-MA | 312 min | Documentary, History, War
This six-part series traces the Second World War, from the rise of the Nazis to the surrender of the Japanese, with detailed portraits of key figures.
Stars: Mathieu Kassovitz, Martin Sheen, Rudolf Hess
Votes: 14,280
5. The First World War (2003)
500 min | Documentary, History, War
A comprehensive survey of the history of World War I.
Stars: Jonathan Lewis, Voja Tankosic, Andrée Bernard, Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Votes: 1,452
6. Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (2006)
Not Rated | 59 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A docu-drama covering the rise and the fall of the Roman world, including the establishment of strong individual rule by Julius Caesar and the rebuilding of Rome under Nero.
Stars: Lyall B. Watson, Michael Sheen, James D'Arcy, Pip Torrens
Votes: 1,970
7. Earth Story (1998– )
400 min | Documentary
A BBC documentary series on geology presented by Aubrey Manning.
Stars: Aubrey Manning, George Plafker, Vincent Courtillot, John Dewey
Votes: 225
8. Time (2006– )
60 min | Documentary
Stars: Michio Kaku, Shawn McDonald, Saul Perlmutter, Paul Nurse
Votes: 95
9. The Planets (1999)
49 min | Documentary
The Planets is a made for television documentary series that explores in depth the planets that make up our solar system.
Stars: Mark Halliley, Sasa Vasilievski, Jerry Soften, Donald Black
Votes: 1,531
10. Cosmos (1980– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
Stars: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
Votes: 44,036
11.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
Parallel Universes
(2002)
49 min | Documentary
It seems the speculation wasn't absurd enough. Parallel universes really do exist and they are much stranger than even the science fiction writers dared to imagine.
Stars: Dilly Barlow, Nima Arkani-Hamed, Michael Duff, Alan Guth
Votes: 91
12.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
Are You Good or Evil?
(2011)
Documentary
Series exploring topical scientific issues. Featuring the latest research into pain, one of the most common and mysterious human experiences.
Director: Nikki Stockley | Stars: Bernard Hill, Paul Babiak, William Bernet, Paul Bloom
Votes: 60
13. The Elegant Universe (2003)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
A documentary examining string theory.
Stars: Brian Greene, Leonard Susskind, Amanda Peet, Steven Weinberg
Votes: 2,278
14. Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (2010)
88 min | Documentary
In this comprehensive cosmology series Stephen Hawking looks at the entire universe, from the Big Bang to the end of time.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Hawking, Melissa Ricci, Christopher Goh
Votes: 5,548
15. The Story of Maths (2008)
TV-G | 60 min | Documentary, History
The history of mathematics from ancient times to the present day. Narrated by Oxford mathematics professor Marcus du Sautoy, the series covers the seminal moments and people in the development of maths.
Stars: Marcus du Sautoy, Eleanor Robson, Leonhard Euler, Jackie Stedall
Votes: 560
16. The Nazis: A Warning from History (1997)
292 min | Documentary, History, War
An examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
Stars: Samuel West, Adolf Buchner, Jutta Rüdiger, Günther Ruschin
Votes: 1,722
17. The Road to War (1989– )
50 min | Documentary
A thoughtful, detailed exposition of how and why the end of the Great War led inevitably to the Second World War, the most horrific in human history. Narrated by the great journalist Eric Sevareid.
Stars: Charles Wheeler, Joachim Fest, Ikuhiko Hata, Waldo Heinrichs
Votes: 112
18. Dunkirk (2004)
180 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A dramatized documentary about the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in May 1940.
Stars: Adrian Rawlins, Lee Ross, William Hope, Simon Russell Beale
Votes: 872
19. War of the Century (1999– )
200 min | Documentary, History, War
Documentary examining Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
Stars: Samuel West, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Rolf Becker
Votes: 493
20. Battle of the Atlantic (2002– )
146 min | Documentary, History, War
The story of the World War II effort by Nazi Germany to disrupt Allied shipping with U-boat attacks and the Allied efforts to prevent it.
Stars: Chris Broyles, Bill Paterson
Votes: 138
21. Horror in the East (2000 TV Movie)
PG | Documentary, War
An examination of atrocities and depredations committed by Imperial Japanese military forces, from 1931 to 1945.
Stars: Edward Herrmann, Samuel West
Votes: 231
22. Battlefields (2001– )
194 min | Documentary, History, War
British military historian Professor Richard Holmes takes the viewer through four major battles of world war two. The Battles of Cassino, El Alamein, Arnhem (Operation Market Garden), & the... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Holmes, Paul Woodadge, John McGregor, Horace Suckling
Votes: 63
23. D-Day 6.6.1944 (2004 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama, History
Dramatised documentary, based on the experiences of the soldiers who invaded France in the D-Day Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 which were instrumental in ending World War II.
Directors: Richard Dale, Kim Bour, Pamela Gordon, Sally Weale | Stars: Ian Holm, André Heintz, Raimund Steiner, Eddie McCann
Votes: 380
24. D-Day to Berlin (2005 Video)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, History, War
A 3-part BBC Miniseries depicting the Allied progress from the D-Day landings in Normandy all the way to Berlin. The Normandy breakout is covered, as well as the Battle of the Bulge and ... See full summary »
Stars: Sean Bean, Rene Costa, Nickolas Grace, Wlodzimierz Matuszak
Votes: 174
25. Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State (2005)
48 min | Documentary, History, War
The history of the Final Solution phase of the Nazi Holocaust, particularly with the most infamous of the death camps.
Stars: Samuel West, Linda Hunt, Gert Heidenreich, Horst Günter Marx
Votes: 4,652
26. This Is It (2009)
PG | 111 min | Documentary, Music
A compilation of interviews, rehearsals, and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.
Director: Kenny Ortega | Stars: Michael Jackson, Alex Al, Alexandra Apjarova, Nick Bass
Votes: 41,901 | Gross: $72.09M
27.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
Project Poltergeist
(2004)
49 min | Documentary
The history of neutrino related discoveries which made scientists re-think their fundamental theories of the universe.
Director: David Sington | Stars: John Bahcall, Andrew Davis, Ray Davis, Kunio Inoue
Votes: 13
28.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
Is Everything We Know About the Universe Wrong?
(2010)
Documentary
Director: Rob Liddell | Stars: Samuel West, Dan Bauer, Pedro Ferreira, Carlos Frenk
Votes: 52
29.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
The Hunt for the Higgs
(2012)
50 min | Documentary
Director: Gaby Hornsby | Stars: Jim Al-Khalili, Jon Butterworth, Peter Clarke, Adam Davison
Votes: 73
30. The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo (2005 TV Movie)
90 min | Documentary
A documentary feature about the life of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
Director: Amy Stechler | Stars: Heinz Berggruen, Estela de Bassagoda, Lila Downs, Arturo Estrada
Votes: 202
31. Control Room (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.
Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Samir Khader, Josh Rushing, George W. Bush, Hassan Ibrahim
Votes: 5,262 | Gross: $2.59M
32. The Secret Life of Chaos (2010)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Chaos theory has a bad name, conjuring up images of unpredictable weather, economic crashes and science gone wrong. But there is a fascinating and hidden side to Chaos, one that scientists ... See full summary »
Director: Nic Stacey | Star: Jim Al-Khalili
Votes: 871
33. Maradona by Kusturica (2008)
90 min | Documentary, Sport
A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.
Director: Emir Kusturica | Stars: Ernesto Cantu, Fidel Castro, Manu Chao, Hugo Chávez
Votes: 6,623
34. 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: 50,434 | Gross: $0.89M
35. 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: 57,972 | Gross: $2.80M
36. The Oath (2010)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary
Tells the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Osama bin Laden, Salim Hamdan, Abu Jandal, Troy Lebane
Votes: 950 | Gross: $0.04M
37. What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Nina Simone, Lisa Simone Kelly, Roger Nupie, Al Schackman
Votes: 14,824
38. The Price of Sex (2011)
72 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
A documentary about young Eastern European women who've been drawn into a netherworld of sex trafficking and abuse. It is a story told by survivors; a film that gives a voice to women who ... See full summary »
Director: Mimi Chakarova | Star: Mimi Chakarova
Votes: 180
39. 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: 55,028 | Gross: $8.41M
40. On the Bride's Side (2014)
89 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
A Palestinian poet and an Italian journalist meet five Palestinians and Syrians in Milan who entered Europe via the Italian island of Lampedusa after fleeing the war in Syria. They decide ... See full summary »
Directors: Antonio Augugliaro, Gabriele del Grande, Khaled Soliman al Nassiry | Stars: Tasneem Fared, Abdallah Sallam
Votes: 153
41. Human (I) (2015)
Not Rated | 263 min | Documentary
A collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Luis Cancu, Atman, Berthony, Bruno
Votes: 8,826
42. Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky | Stars: His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Said Ismagilov, Bishop Agapit, Archbishop Petro Malchuk
Votes: 20,625
43. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015)
Not Rated | 40 min | Documentary, Short, Drama
A woman in Pakistan sentenced to death for falling in love becomes a rare survivor of the country's harsh judicial system.
Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy | Stars: Asad Jamal, Saba
Votes: 1,866
44. The Celluloid Closet (1995)
R | 102 min | Documentary, History
A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film.
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susie Bright, Arthur Laurents
Votes: 7,511 | Gross: $1.51M
45. Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008)
Unrated | 72 min | Documentary
A group of women rise up to peace to Liberia and help bring to power the country's first female head of state.
Director: Gini Reticker | Stars: Janet Johnson Bryant, Etweda Cooper, Vaiba Flomo, Leymah Gbowee
Votes: 573 | Gross: $0.08M
46. My Beautiful Broken Brain (2014)
TV-14 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography
After suffering a stroke at age 34, a woman documents her struggles, setbacks and eventual breakthrough as she relearns to speak, read and write.
Directors: Sophie Robinson, Lotje Sodderland | Stars: David Lynch, Sophie Robinson, Hente Sodderland, Jan Sodderland
Votes: 2,455
47. We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary
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
48. 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: 40,903
49. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
Nick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row.
Directors: Nick Broomfield, Joan Churchill | Stars: Aileen Wuornos, Nick Broomfield, Terry Humphreys-Slay, Leitha Prather
Votes: 6,948 | Gross: $0.10M
50. 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: 5,106
51. 13th (2016)
TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales
Votes: 37,670
52. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.
Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Aaron Swartz, Tim Berners-Lee, Cindy Cohn, Gabriella Coleman
Votes: 18,038 | Gross: $0.05M
53. The Social Dilemma (2020)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Explores the dangerous human impact of social networking; tech experts sound the alarm on their own creations.
Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang | Stars: Tristan Harris, Jeff Seibert, Bailey Richardson, Joe Toscano
Votes: 89,432
54. The Tinder Swindler (2022)
TV-MA | 114 min | Documentary, Crime
Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, he wooed women online, then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now some victims plan for payback.
Director: Felicity Morris | Stars: Simon Leviev, Cecilie Fjellhøy, Pernilla Sjöholm, Karan Pugal
Votes: 72,981
55. The Dissident (2020)
PG-13 | 119 min | Documentary, Crime, Thriller
When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.
Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Jamal Khashoggi, Omar Abdulaziz, Irfan Fidan, Recep Kiliç
Votes: 30,477
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