Documentaries
by Nifaro | created - 09 Oct 2016 | updated - 31 Oct 2021 | PublicAll the high quality and content must-watch documentaries
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1. Home (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, Family
With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glenn Close, Jacques Gamblin
Votes: 23,047
2. Zero Days (2016)
PG-13 | 116 min | Documentary
A 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.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: David Sanger, Emad Kiyaei, Eric Chien, Liam O'Murchu
Votes: 10,415 | Gross: $0.10M
3. 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: 57,969 | Gross: $2.80M
4. Before the Flood (2016)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, News
A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
Director: Fisher Stevens | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ban Ki-moon, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mike Brune
Votes: 28,861
5. The Ivory Game (2016)
112 min | Documentary
Wildlife activists in take on poachers in an effort to end illegal ivory trade in Africa.
Directors: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani | Stars: Andrea Crosta, Ian Stevenson, Prince William of Wales
Votes: 3,488
6. 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: 72,427 | Gross: $2.07M
7. 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: 8,825
8. Racing Extinction (2015)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Adventure, News
A documentary that follows undercover activists trying to stave off a man-made mass extinction.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Elon Musk, Joel Sartore, Louie Psihoyos, Charles Hambleton
Votes: 8,191
9. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,952 | Gross: $4.31M
10. 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: 37,668
11. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,027 | Gross: $2.67M
12. Planet Ocean (2012)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary
Dive into our planet's greatest mysteries with a team of international underwater cinematographers as they explore the breathtaking bond between humanity and the ocean.
Directors: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Michael Pitiot | Stars: Josh Duhamel, Sharon Mann
Votes: 1,596
13. Touching the Void (2003)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron
Votes: 38,088 | Gross: $4.59M
14. Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary, Drama
An exploration into our planetary past and a search for humanity's place in the future. With narration by Cate Blanchett.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Jamal Cavil, Maisha Diatta, Yagazie Emezi
Votes: 5,461
15. A Thirsty World (2012 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary
Today, against a backdrop of sharply increasing demand, growth in the world population and the growing impact of an unsettled climate, water has become one of the most precious natural resources of our planet.
Directors: Thierry Piantanida, Baptiste Rouget-Luchaire | Stars: Catarina de Albuquerque, Vandana Shiva
Votes: 187
16. La Terre vue du ciel (2004)
Not Rated | 67 min | Documentary
Yann Arthus-Bertrand has flown over hundreds of countries to create an extraordinary aerial portrait of our planet as never seen before. This DVD from the Panoramica Motion Gallery is '... See full summary »
Director: Renaud Delourme | Stars: Bernard Giraudeau, Nils Hugon
Votes: 342
17. 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
18. Mission Blue (2014)
95 min | Documentary, Drama
Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries.
Directors: Robert Nixon, Fisher Stevens | Stars: Barbara Block, James Cameron, Michael deGruy, Sylvia Earle
Votes: 2,146
19. Chasing Ice (2012)
PG-13 | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.
Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang | Stars: James Balog, Svavar Jónatansson, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone
Votes: 8,863 | Gross: $1.33M
20. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Follow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.
Directors: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn | Stars: Bruce Hamilton, Kip Andersen, Al Gore, Heather Cooley
Votes: 26,572
21. Years of Living Dangerously (2014–2016)
TV-PG | Documentary
From the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy to the upheaval caused by drought in the Middle East, this groundbreaking documentary event series provides first-hand reports on those affected by, and seeking solutions to, climate change.
Stars: Thomas Friedman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, America Ferrera, Ian Somerhalder
Votes: 826
22. Cosmic Collisions (2009– )
Documentary
The new digital show Cosmic Collisions launches you on a thrilling trip through space and time to explore the astronomical impacts that drive the dynamic and continuing evolution of the ... See full summary »
Star: Michael Carroll
Votes: 29
23. One Strange Rock (2018)
TV-PG | 47 min | Documentary
The extraordinary story of Earth and why it is special and uniquely brimming with life among a largely unknown but harsh cosmic arena; astronauts tell the story of Earth through a unique perspective.
Stars: Will Smith, Chris Hadfield, Jerry Linenger, Mae C. Jemison
Votes: 8,287
24. Hostile Planet (2019)
TV-14 | 47 min | Documentary
A look at the world's harshest landscapes and the animals that have adapted to live there.
Stars: Bear Grylls, Cong Liu
Votes: 937
25. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
TV-PG | 43 min | Documentary
An exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Emerson, Keythe Farley, Piotr Michael
Votes: 128,543
26. Planet Earth (2006)
TV-PG | 49 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti Johnston
Votes: 220,112
27. Planet Earth II (2016)
TV-G | 50 min | Documentary
David Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
Stars: David Attenborough, Chadden Hunter, Gordon Buchanan, Elizabeth White
Votes: 158,064
28. Human Planet (2011)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
Stars: John Hurt, Roger Munns
Votes: 27,787
29. Life (2009)
TV-G | 43 min | Documentary, Family
David Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth. From giving an overview of the challenges facing life to hunting the deep sea and various major evolutionary groups of creatures.
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, David Attenborough, Doug Allan, Roger Munns
Votes: 42,714
30. 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: 44,026
31. How the Universe Works (2010– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
A users guide to the cosmos from the big bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons. Where did it all come from and how does it all fit together. A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
Stars: Phil Plait, Michelle Thaller, Richard Lintern, Mike Rowe
Votes: 7,247
32. Through the Wormhole (2010–2017)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole will explore the deepest mysteries of existence - the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. What are we made of? What was there ... See full summary »
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Sean Carroll, Michio Kaku, Kip Thorne
Votes: 18,430
33. StarTalk (2015– )
47 min | Talk-Show
Famed astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses science and pop culture with notable guests.
Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Chuck Nice, Charles Liu
Votes: 798
34. Our Planet (2019–2023)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
Explores and unravels the mystery of how and why animals migrate, showing some of the most dramatic and compelling stories in the natural world through spectacular and innovative cinematography.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 51,010
35. China's Hidden Kingdoms (2020– )
Documentary, History
With unique access to locations across the country, viewers go on a journey through these magical realms, exploring five very different worlds -high mountains, tropical jungles, bamboo forests, great plains and temperate forests.
Stars: Ronan Summers, Michelle Yeoh
Votes: 132
36. Ice Road Rescue (2015– )
45 min | Documentary, Reality-TV
Deep in the frigid mountains of Norway, brave rescue workers help stranded people stuck in the snow and clear the roads in some of the most dangerous areas.
Stars: Thord Paulsen, David Wartnaby, Bjørn Lægreid, Jo Roger Blengsli
Votes: 371
37. Unearthed (I) (2016– )
Documentary, History, Mystery
Exploration of great archaeological discoveries, fascinating ancient civilizations, forgotten architectural marvels and tantalizing historical mysteries.
Stars: Steven Kearney, Richard Cotton, Demetri Goritsas, Aidan Dodson
Votes: 324
38. Connections (1978)
50 min | Documentary, History
Follow James Burke through the history of science and technology in this collection of 10 1-hour episodes, starting with "The Trigger Effect."
Stars: James Burke, Kenneth Kendall, Bruce Boa, Mark Wing-Davey
Votes: 1,434
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