50 Great Documentaries...
Documentary films worth adding to your watch list
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- DirectorMike BirkheadAndrew Graham-BrownKathryn JeffsStarsDavid AttenboroughSean BeanPaul McGannBrolga is a tough Australian who lives in the desert outback with a mob of orphaned kangaroos. He rescues baby joey's from the roadside when their mothers are killed and nurses them back to health. This documentary follows him.9/10
- DirectorElliot McCaffreyStarsBen UnderwoodBen Underwood had both his eyes removed at the age of three. He taught himself to perceive and locate objects by making clicking sounds with his tongue and using the echoes as they bounced off his environment.9/10 - I love this film, I watch it every few years and it draws me in every time
- DirectorDavis GuggenheimStarsAl GoreBilly WestGeorge BushFilmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.8/10
- DirectorChris PaineStarsMartin SheenTom HanksMel GibsonA documentary that investigates the birth and death of the electric car, as well as the role of renewable energy and sustainable living in the future.8/10
- StarsDerren BrownKarol SteeleBen Ryan-SteeleIn the first programme, Derren sets up a fake pharmaceutical company which claims to have developed a drug named 'Rumyodin', with the ability to inhibit fear. In the second, Derren looks at the psychology of religious belief.9/10 - Placebo effect Derren Brown style
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliAndrea SellaHal SosabowskiSeries in which Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of how the elements, the building blocks that make up our entire world, were discovered and mapped.8/10
- StarsGunther von HagensDennis LauJuliet PercivalControversial anatomist Gunther von Hagens performs dissections on real human bodies, laying bare the intricacy and beauty of the human design and lifting the lid on the mysteries of our own bodies in a series of lectures.8/10
- DirectorDani CarlawFred HepburnStarsGeorge McGavinDr George McGavin examines the science of decay in a sealed environment, representing a typical kitchen and a garden, captured by time-lapse photography.8/10
- DirectorChris OxleyStarsPhilip HarveyPhillip KeimanClare Angelini HeatherThis BBC documentary outlines the evidence that suggest that Newton's revolutionary ideas about light came from his secret work as an alchemist.8/10
- DirectorKenny OrtegaStarsMichael JacksonAlex AlAlexandra ApjarovaA compilation of interviews, rehearsals, and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.8/10 - The bits between the songs are fascinating to watch
- StarsJohn HurtRoger MunnsA cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth8/10
- StarsMichael MosleySimon ChaplinFloor LagerweyMichael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.8/10
- DirectorBanksyStarsBanksyMr. BrainwashSpace InvaderFollowing the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.8/10
- StarsDerren BrownSteven BrosnanGilbert MartinA member of the public is given a second chance at life when mentalist Derren Brown makes him realize how important life is by tricking him into believing that a meteor has hit the earth which is now populated by zombies.8/10 Derrren Brown again...
- DirectorChris DurlacherStarsEwan BaileyAdolf HitlerBill PanagopulosDocumentary discussing Hitler's fraudulent physician, his poor health and possible drug dependency.8/10
- DirectorWim WendersStarsChris Thomas KingKeith B. BrownJames HughesThe dramatic tension in the blues between the sacred and the profane by exploring the music and lives of three of director Wim Wenders's favorite blues artists.8/10
- DirectorJulie NoonStarsDeborah DaviesOn the day that the mass eviction was due to start on Dale Farm, Britain's largest traveller site, investigates the controversial relations between gypsies and travellers, their neighbours and the law.8/10
- DirectorHenry JoostAriel SchulmanStarsNev SchulmanAriel SchulmanHenry JoostYoung filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.8/10
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsMorgan SpurlockDaryl IsaacsChemeeka WalkerWhile examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.7/10 Classic
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.7/10
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreCharlton HestonMarilyn MansonFilmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.7/10
- DirectorSusan SaladoffStarsChuck AllenJudy AllenJay AngoffHow the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit and similar cases were exploited as part of a right wing crusade to weaken civil justice.7/10
- StarsSigourney WeaverDavid AttenboroughNikolay DrozdovA 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.7/10
- StarsDavid TennantPeter DrostPenguins - Spy in the Huddle spends nearly a year in the close company of penguins, deploying 50 spycams to capture as never before the true character of these birds.7/10
- StarsGabriel WestonLorna DawsonAndrea SellaThese absorbing programs chart 200 years' worth of innovations in the science and history of crime-solving forensic investigation.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's study of the world of plants, which demonstrates, with the aid of time-lapse photography, the rich and varied ways in which they flourish.7/10
- DirectorMark DeebleVictoria StoneStarsIan HolmThe remarkable story of an African fig tree and the special relationship it has with the animals who depend on it.7/10
- DirectorJordi LlompartStarsGordon BrownJoe LewisJoin a team of explorers on the expedition of a lifetime as they set off to become the first to navigate the Blue Nile from source to sea. The epic 3,260 mile descent down the world's greatest and deadliest river has eluded humankind for centuries - until now! Ride shotgun on the team's 16-foot rafts as they crash through the rapids in Ethiopia's desert canyons. Battle through some of the world's most extreme whitewater rapids with renowned kayaker, Gordon Brown. Over the arduous, four month journey, the team faces nearly in-surmountable challenges - from crocodile attacks to armed bandits and arrests. Through breathtaking cinematography, Mystery of the Nile reveals a wondrous region and abundant treasures, from Tissisat Falls and the wonders of Egypt to the forgotten black pyramids of Meroe and 12th century churches that were carved into sheer rock.7/10
- DirectorCharles EamesRay EamesStarsPhilip MorrisonBeginning with a shot of a couple enjoying a picnic, then zooming out incrementally by powers of ten, the film offers a glimpse of everything from the edge of the known universe to the molecules on a person's hand.7/10
- DirectorPhilip MartinStarsDavid TennantRichard McCabePatrick KennedyDrama about the development of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, and Einstein's relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, the first physicist to experimentally prove his ideas.
- StarsBrian CoxCarolyn PorcoRichard HooverIn this spellbinding series Professor Brian Cox visits the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the solar system.7/10
- DirectorGary JohnstoneStarsAidan McArdleShirley HendersonSteven RobertsonThis docudrama examines the history of scientific discovery that lead up to Albert Einstein's famous equation E=mc2 and its aftermath in the creation of nuclear energy. This includes Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic fields; Antoine Lavoisier's discovery that mass is never lost; and Emilie du Chatelet's demonstration that Newton's calculation of the velocity of a falling object was incorrect. By 1905, the miracle year where the publication Einstein's four physics papers changed over 200 years of scientific fundamentals, all of this came together with his now famous equation. Afterwards, Lise Meisner's work on uranium let to her conclusion that splitting an atom would release large amounts of energy.
- DirectorGeoffrey O'ConnorStarsLouis TherouxLauren DrainSteve DrainLouis meets the Phelps family, who protest against an America that tolerates homosexuality7/10
- DirectorDanny HoranStarsLouis TherouxLouis meets parents who have turned to medication to keep their children under control.7/10
- StarsRobert WinstonAndrew BlackallPhillippaThe BBC explores the human body from the inside out as never before.
- CreatorMichael SternStarsRobert LeighBren FosterCynthia BirInfrared cameras, sensors and computerized test dummies allow engineers to exactly calculate the incredible physics and physiology that produce martial arts' devastating force-at last, separating myth from reality.
- DirectorDiene PetterleStarsMichael PortilloPaul McGannFormer Conservative MP, Michael Portillo pushes his body to the brink of death in an investigation into the science of execution. As the American Supreme Court examines whether the lethal injection is causing prisoners to die in unnecessary pain Michael sets out to find a solution which is fundamentally humane. To do so he examines the key methods of execution available today: he discovers why convicts can catch on fire in the electric chair, learns how easy it is to botch a hanging and inhales a noxious gas to experience first hand the terror of the gas chamber. Armed with some startling evidence Michael considers a completely new approach. Will it be the answer? There is only one way of finding out - to experience it himself.
- DirectorPeter JonesStarsSimon CallowJohn FraserCornelius GarrettGalileo's struggle to convince Roman Catholic Church authorities that Earth revolves around the sun. Why the headstrong Galileo (1564-1642) didn't succeed is explored in interviews with scientists.
- DirectorRobin DashwoodStarsMarcus du SautoyIn India Marcus du Sautoy discovers how the symbol for the number zero was invented and in the Middle East he looks at the invention of the new language of algebra and the spread of Eastern knowledge to the West.
- StarsBrian CoxBill AndersCharles DukeBrian travels the globe to discuss these topics with examples from our planet and others in the universe.
- StarsHeston BlumenthalPeter BarhamSix-part series 'Kitchen Chemistry' fronted by acclaimed chef Heston Blumenthal. Each episode deals with the chemical processes that determine methods of cooking, as well as delving into the notion of "molecular gastronomy".
- DirectorDan LevittStarsJack HornerMark GoodwinHans LarssonNational Geographic reviews Jack Horner's research into juvenile dinosaurs. His evidence suggests that juvenile dinosaurs looked sufficiently different from adults that they have sometimes been mistaken for a separate species. The program examines specific changes that occurred as dinosaurs aged and speculates on why the changes were necessary.6/10
- DirectorLuc JacquetStarsMorgan FreemanRomane BohringerCharles BerlingIn the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.6/10
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliAnnabel TroostIrving FinkelProfessor Jim Al-Khalili unwraps the evolutionary histories responsible for the modern human condition, as currently represented by our sophistication in energy manipulation and information technology.
- DirectorBasil GelpkeRaymond McCormackReto CaduffStarsWade AdamsAbdul Samad Al-AwadiFadhil J. Al-ChalabiA theatrical documentary on the planet's dwindling oil resources.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreTucker AlbrizziTony BennA documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
- DirectorRussell LevenStarsRichard ForteyRichard Fortey explores fungi, the story of their evolution, their mysterious life cycle and their value to the planet.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliThe story of the discovery that everything is made from atoms, one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history, and the brilliant minds behind it.
- DirectorMark HufnailIt is the second largest of the world's great religions, and the fastest growing. Its name comes from the word for peace, yet to many Westerners it is synonymous with terror. INSIDE ISLAM lifts the veil of mystery surrounding a misunderstood faith. Trace its roots back to the Hebrew Bible and discover how the Five Pillars, the religion's central tenets, helped spread Islam to the far corners of the world. Find out what the Qu'Ran says about war, violence and suicide, and how these words have been co-opted by extremists. And hear from experts like Khaled Abou el Fadl (author of Speaking in God's Name), who explore the challenges facing Islam today, including a crisis of authority and deep divisions among many sects. Illuminating, important and objective, INSIDE ISLAM exposes the heart of a faith mired in controversy.
- DirectorCarol MorleyStarsZawe AshtonAlix Luka-CainAlistair AbrahamsA filmmaker sets out to discover the life of Joyce Vincent, who died in her bedsit in North London in 2003. Her body wasn't discovered for three years, and newspaper reports offered few details of her life - not even a photograph.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsMark BorchardtMike SchankTom SchimmelsDocumentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
- DirectorFrench HorwitzStarsR. Lee ErmeyIf you're still talking about bullets, pay attention and Gunny will get you primed right. He provides a history lesson in the development of the modern round of ammunition with extensive demonstrations.
- DirectorJamie PickupStarsLouis TherouxJosephine EngelhardtMatt FernandezLouis travels to DLC Warren in New Jersey, an innovative autism school.
- DirectorNic StaceyStarsSimon SchafferIlan GoodmanLaura HeathExcellent one hour documentary narrated by Professor Simon Schaffer which explores the fascinating and rarely told story of automata, those intricate clockwork devices built hundreds of years ago with the intent to mimic and recreate life. Of particular interest are Jaquet-Droz's 'The Writer' (1774) and Merlin's 'The Silver Swan' (1773) which beautifully illustrate the degree of technical mechanical sophistication achieved by artisans over 240 years ago. There is also a funny aside: the record Prof. Schaffer places on the turntable at the end (columbia LX466, 1935 impression) is the Beethoven String Sonata Opus 132 and not the Symphony 7 so BBC used any old record and overlaid the sound track.
- StarsShaun DooleyA BBC documentary that follows the lives of three American citizens on death row.
- DirectorOndi TimonerStarsJosh HarrisTom HarrisCarlos AlvarezA documentary focusing on the life of dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsDavid SangerEmad KiyaeiEric ChienA 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.
- DirectorChris MitchellStarsAllan ChapmanThe story of how a giant of science was erased from history by the jealous rival Isaac Newton.
- DirectorLlewellyn M. SmithStarsShawn AgardRay AlmeidaCeoria CoatesDr. Percy Lavon Julian was a trailblazing chemist whose discoveries improved and saved countless lives. The grandson of slaves, Julian grew up at a time when African Americans faced extraordinary obstacles. Yet Julian refused to let racism prevent him from becoming one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century, as well as a leader in business and civil rights.
- StarsRob BrydonKevin EldonJames SaitoThe story of some of the most remembered characters who transformed the world. Produced by the BBC, based in true facts, with the support of modern historians. This documentary tells how Napoleon, Spartacus, Richard Lionhearth, Atila, Shogun and Cortes printed their names in the books of history.
- DirectorBecky Read
- CreatorMicah Fitzerman-BlueNoah HarpsterStarsUzo AdubaMatthew BroderickTaylor KitschThe causes and consequences of America's opioid epidemic unfold in this drama following its perpetrators, victims and an investigator seeking the truth.