Documentaries

by rainierstranger | created - 25 Jan 2017 | updated - 26 May 2019 | Public
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1. Under the Sun (2015)

Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary

81 Metascore

A propaganda documentary about North Korea that reveals a few hidden facts because the director continues filming between the scripted scenes.

Director: Vitaliy Manskiy | Stars: Lee Zin-Mi, Yu-Yong, Hye-Yong, Oh-Gyong

Votes: 5,055 | Gross: $0.07M

2. Makers: Women Who Make America (2013– )

60 min | Documentary

This series documents stories of women's contributions to some of the most important moments in the history of America.

Stars: Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Pat Schroeder

Votes: 143

3. A Small Section of the World (2014)

Not Rated | 62 min | Documentary, Biography

46 Metascore

A Small Section of the World is an inspirational story about a group of women from a remote farming region of Costa Rica whose ideas sparked a revolution in the coffee growing world. After ... See full summary »

Director: Lesley Chilcott

Votes: 68

4. Half the Sky (2012)

Not Rated | 224 min | Documentary

HALF THE SKY is a passionate call-to-arms, urging us not only to bear witness to the plight of the world's women, but to help to transform their oppression into opportunity. Our future is in the hands of women everywhere.

Director: Maro Chermayeff | Stars: America Ferrera, Nicholas Kristof, Diane Lane, Dipti Mehta

Votes: 283

5. The Fear of 13 (2015)

96 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime

A convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.

Director: David Sington | Stars: Herbert A. Fuchs, Sammy Silverwatch, Nick Yarris

Votes: 7,636

6. 13th (2016)

TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History

81 Metascore

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: 37,687

7. All Things Must Pass (2015)

Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, History, Music

73 Metascore

'All Things Must Pass' is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and its legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.

Director: Colin Hanks | Stars: Russ Solomon, Michael Solomon, Heidi Cotler, Paul Brown

Votes: 3,560 | Gross: $0.17M

8. Sound City (2013)

Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Music

76 Metascore

A documentary on the fabled recording studio that was located in Van Nuys, California.

Director: Dave Grohl | Stars: Trent Reznor, Tom Petty, Mick Fleetwood, Vinny Appice

Votes: 13,443 | Gross: $0.42M

9. Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (2014)

Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography

68 Metascore

A documentary that explores the world of U.S. television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them.

Director: Des Doyle | Stars: J.J. Abrams, Kristen Bell, David Boreanaz, Shane Brolly

Votes: 1,259 | Gross: $0.00M

10. Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

PG | 86 min | Documentary, Drama, History

70 Metascore

The story of the Disney Renaissance, an incredibly prolific, successful and prestigious decade lasting from 1984 to 1994 that saw the fallen Walt Disney Animation Studios' unexpected progressive triumphant return to excellence.

Director: Don Hahn | Stars: Roy Edward Disney, John Lasseter, Michael Eisner, Don Hahn

Votes: 3,274 | Gross: $0.08M

11. Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (2009 TV Movie)

TV-14 | 39 min | Documentary

A loving look at one of the most cherished and controversial figures in children's literature, Maurice Sendak. In this deeply moving tribute, spend time with the man who spoke to children ... See full summary »

Directors: Lance Bangs, Spike Jonze | Stars: Lance Bangs, Lynn Caponera, James Gandolfini, Spike Jonze

Votes: 391

12. The Possibilities Are Endless (2014)

Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

Imagine your mind has been wiped: memories, knowledge, experiences, language - every word you ever spoke, has vanished. If eventually you found the words, what would you say? For Edwyn Collins, 'The Possibilities Are Endless'.

Directors: James Hall, Edward Lovelace | Stars: Edwyn Collins, Grace Maxwell, William Collins, Yasmin Paige

Votes: 379

13. The Untold History of the United States (2012–2013)

TV-MA | 58 min | Documentary, History, War

Oliver Stone 's re-examination of under-reported events in American history.

Stars: Oliver Stone, Alan Shearman, Jim Ward, André Sogliuzzo

Votes: 9,709

14. What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)

Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

75 Metascore

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: 14,836

15. Into the Abyss (2011)

PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama

74 Metascore

Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.

Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Richard Lopez, Michael Perry, Damon Hall

Votes: 17,357 | Gross: $0.22M

16. Restrepo (2010)

R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History

85 Metascore

A year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.

Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger | Stars: The Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Juan 'Doc Restrepo, Dan Kearney, LaMonta Caldwell

Votes: 24,425 | Gross: $1.33M

17. Korengal (2014)

R | 84 min | Documentary, Biography, History

67 Metascore

Korengal picks up where Restrepo (2010) left off--with the same men, in the same valley, with the same commanders--but presents a very different look at the experience of war.

Director: Sebastian Junger | Stars: LaMonta Caldwell, Miguel Cortez, Stephen Gillespie, Aron Hijar

Votes: 4,094 | Gross: $0.06M

19. Chef's Table: France (2016)

TV-14 | 46 min | Documentary

Chef's Table, French edition, goes inside the lives and kitchens of some of the world's most renowned French chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their ... See full summary »

Stars: Alain Passard, Alexandre Couillon

Votes: 1,862

20. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010)

Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary

74 Metascore

A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.

Directors: Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov | Stars: Werner Herzog, Gennady Soloviev, Anatoly Blumei, Gennady Tiganov

Votes: 8,930 | Gross: $0.34M

21. Room 237 (I) (2012)

Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary

80 Metascore

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).

Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan

Votes: 23,119 | Gross: $0.26M

22. Miss Representation (2011)

Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary

Explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.

Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom | Stars: Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Jean Kilbourne, Jim Steyer, Katie Couric

Votes: 3,866

23. Autism in Love (2015)

Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary, Drama, Romance

Autism in Love follows the story of four adults with autism spectrum disorders as they search for and manage romantic relationships.

Director: Matt Fuller

Votes: 510

24. The Mask You Live In (2015)

Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, News

Explores how our culture's narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men and society at large and unveils what we can do about it.

Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom | Stars: Joe Herman, Michael Kimmel, Caroline Heldman, Tony Porter

Votes: 2,798

25. The Square (2013)

Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Drama, History

84 Metascore

A group of Egyptian revolutionaries battle leaders and regimes, risking their lives to build a new society of conscience.

Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam

Votes: 9,403 | Gross: $0.12M

26. Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)

Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, History, War

79 Metascore

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: 20,638

27. Terra (2015 TV Movie)

98 min | Documentary

A visually stunning documentary that reflects human's relationship to other species on Earth as humanity becomes more and more isolated from Nature.

Directors: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Michael Pitiot | Star: Vanessa Paradis

Votes: 2,006

28. Dior and I (2014)

R | 90 min | Documentary

70 Metascore

Get inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons' first haute couture collection as its new artistic director.

Director: Frédéric Tcheng | Stars: Christian Dior, Omar Berrada, Raf Simons, Pieter Mulier

Votes: 4,034 | Gross: $1.03M

29. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)

Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, History

73 Metascore

Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker.

Director: Göran Hugo Olsson | Stars: Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Abiodun Oyewole

Votes: 2,498 | Gross: $0.26M

30. Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)

TV-PG | 81 min | Documentary, Music

62 Metascore

A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.

Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Keith Richards, Anthony DeCurtis, Steve Jordan, Tom Waits

Votes: 3,669

31. Cesar's Last Fast (2014)

100 min | Documentary

57 Metascore

In 1988, Cesar Chavez embarked on what would be his last act of protest in his remarkable life. Driven in part to pay penance for feeling he had not done enough, Chavez began his "Fast for ... See full summary »

Directors: Richard Ray Perez, Lorena Parlee | Stars: Cesar Chavez, Chris Hartmire, Arturo Rodriguez, Luis Valdez

Votes: 51

32. Everybody Street (2013)

Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Everybody Street" highlights the lives and work of New York's iconic street photographers and the unparalleled city that has inspired them for decades.

Director: Cheryl Dunn | Stars: Boogie, Martha Cooper, Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt

Votes: 932

33. From Caligari to Hitler: German Cinema in the Age of the Masses (2014)

119 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Focuses on the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) and its 'collective spirit' in cinema. The purpose of film as a cultural tool is examined. Based on celebrated sociologist Siegfried Kracauer's seminal book 'From Caligari to Hitler' (1947).

Director: Rüdiger Suchsland | Stars: Rüdiger Suchsland, Hans Henrik Wöhler, Fritz Lang, Volker Schlöndorff

Votes: 897

34. Miss Sharon Jones! (2015)

Unrated | 93 min | Documentary, Music

77 Metascore

Dreams never expire but sometimes they are deferred. The film follows the talented and gregarious soul singer of the Grammy-nominated R&B band "Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings." In the most ... See full summary »

Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: Sharon Jones, Starr Duncan-Lowe, Binky Griptite, Megan Holken

Votes: 692 | Gross: $0.12M

35. The Wolfpack (2015)

R | 90 min | Documentary, Biography

75 Metascore

Confined in an apartment from a New York housing project, the six Angulo brothers learned everything they know about the world through watching films and spend their time reenacting their favorite movies with intricate homemade costumes.

Director: Crystal Moselle | Stars: Mukunda Angulo, Narayana Angulo, Susanne Angulo, Bhagavan Angulo

Votes: 13,518 | Gross: $1.30M

36. The Green Prince (2014)

PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, Biography

67 Metascore

The son of a founding leader in the Palestinian organization, Hamas, becomes a spy for the Israelis.

Director: Nadav Schirman | Stars: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Gonen Ben Yitzhak, Sheikh Hassan Yousef

Votes: 2,877 | Gross: $0.26M

37. Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary

76 Metascore

Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.

Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Elon Musk, Lawrence Krauss, Lucianne Walkowicz, Kevin Mitnick

Votes: 13,415 | Gross: $0.59M

38. The Secret Life of Plants (1978)

G | 97 min | Documentary, Family

Documents the pain and joy plants experience and how they communicate it. Soundtrack by Stevie Wonder.

Director: Walon Green | Stars: Ruby Crystal, John Ashley Hamilton, Eartha Robinson, Peter Tompkins

Votes: 200

39. Cropsey (2009)

Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Crime, Horror

73 Metascore

Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.

Directors: Barbara Brancaccio, Joshua Zeman | Stars: Joshua Zeman, Barbara Brancaccio, Bill Ellis, Dorothy D'Eletto

Votes: 9,210 | Gross: $0.05M

40. The Farm: Angola, USA (1998)

88 min | Documentary

Documentary depicting day to day life in Angola Prison mostly from an inmate's perspective. Interviews are with several inmates including one with a life sentence who is about to die.

Directors: Liz Garbus, Wilbert Rideau, Jonathan Stack | Stars: Bernard Addison, Burl Cain, George Crawford, Wilbert Rideau

Votes: 814

41. Sidemen: Long Road to Glory (2016)

PG | 77 min | Documentary, Biography, History

70 Metascore

SIDEMEN - Long Road To Glory is an intimate look at the incredible lives and legacies of piano player Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith and guitarist Hubert Sumlin, all Muddy... See full summary »

Director: Scott D. Rosenbaum | Stars: Marc Maron, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith

Votes: 161 | Gross: $0.03M

42. Kedi (2016)

Not Rated | 79 min | Documentary

78 Metascore

A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.

Director: Ceyda Torun | Stars: Yaman Barlas, Sari, Arzu Göl, Kemal Suncu

Votes: 15,882 | Gross: $2.83M

43. Rat Film (2016)

82 min | Documentary

83 Metascore

Across walls, fences, and alleys, rats not only expose our boundaries of separation but make homes in them. This documentary uses the rat to explore the history of Baltimore.

Director: Theo Anthony | Stars: Theo Anthony, Dan Deacon, Matt Fouse, Will Kearney III

Votes: 989 | Gross: $0.04M

44. Roger & Me (1989)

R | 91 min | Documentary

70 Metascore

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: 27,516 | Gross: $6.71M

45. Germans & Jews (2016)

76 min | Documentary

73 Metascore

Germany is one of the most democratic societies in the world, and has the fastest growing Jewish community in Europe. This never could have been imagined in 1945. Through personal stories, ... See full summary »

Director: Janina Quint

Votes: 82 | Gross: $0.04M

46. 78/52 (2017)

Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary

74 Metascore

An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe | Stars: Marli Renfro, Alfred Hitchcock, Tere Carrubba, Alan Barnette

Votes: 3,872 | Gross: $0.04M

47. Twinsters (2015)

PG-13 | 89 min | Documentary, Biography

81 Metascore

Adopted from South Korea, raised on different continents & connected through social media, Samantha & Anaïs believe that they are twin sisters separated at birth.

Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto | Stars: Skylar Astin, Anaïs Bordier, Jacques Bordier, Patricia Bordier

Votes: 4,869



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