Great Documentaries
by jeray85 | created - 08 Jan 2015 | updated - 11 Aug 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Casting By (2012)
TV-14 | 89 min | Documentary, Biography
The surprising, never-before-told tale of the indispensable yet unsung Casting Director - Iconoclasts whose keen eye, exquisite taste and gut instincts redefined Hollywood.
Director: Tom Donahue | Stars: Deborah Aquila, Risa Bramon Garcia, Ellen Chenoweth, Marion Dougherty
Votes: 1,638 | Gross: $0.01M
2. 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: 13,950 | Gross: $4.95M
3. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Not Rated | 169 min | Documentary, History
A documentary on how Los Angeles has been used and depicted in the movies.
Director: Thom Andersen | Stars: Encke King, Ben Alexander, Jim Backus, Brenda Bakke
Votes: 2,730
4. The September Issue (2009)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
Director: R.J. Cutler | Stars: Anna Wintour, Thakoon Panichgul, André Leon Talley, Grace Coddington
Votes: 7,996 | Gross: $3.82M
5. Pumping Iron (1977)
PG | 86 min | Documentary, Sport
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia in this critically-acclaimed film that made Schwarzenegger a household name.
Directors: George Butler, Robert Fiore | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Matty Ferrigno, Victoria Ferrigno
Votes: 24,903
6. Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (2013)
Not Rated | 57 min | Documentary, Adventure, Family
Angela Sun's journey of discovery to one of the most remote places on Earth, Midway Atoll, to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Along the way she ... See full summary »
Director: Angela Sun | Stars: Lewis Goldsmith, Wallace J. Nichols, Angela Sun
Votes: 481
7. 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: 27,780
8. 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: 42,707
9. 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: 14,820
10. Chef's Table (2015–2019)
TV-MA | 50 min | Documentary, Biography
Chef's Table goes inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned international chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their lives, talents and passion from their piece of culinary heaven.
Stars: Massimo Bottura, Ruth Reichl, Francis Mallmann, Bill Buford
Votes: 17,015
11. The Hidden Hand: Alien Contact and the Government Cover-Up (2013)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, History, News
The Hidden Hand is a controversial Award-winning documentary that explores the possibility of an extraterrestrial presence here on Earth. The film takes a keen look at a spectrum of topics ... See full summary »
Director: James Carman | Stars: Tristan Layton, Richard Dolan, Whitley Strieber, Robert Dean
Votes: 348
12. Iris (IX) (2014)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about fashion icon Iris Apfel, the 93-year-old style maven who has had an out-sized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades, from legendary late 88-year-old documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles.
Director: Albert Maysles | Stars: Iris Apfel, Harold Koda, Dries Van Noten, Inez Bailey
Votes: 4,615 | Gross: $1.31M
13. 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
14. Dior and I (2014)
R | 90 min | Documentary
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: 4,031 | Gross: $1.03M
15. How We Got to Now (2014– )
TV-PG | 360 min | Documentary, History
Explores the power and the legacy of great ideas.
Stars: Steven Johnson, Gene Chruszcz, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Terri Adams
Votes: 411
16. The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, History
The strange history of the now abandoned American 1993-bill, «Don't ask, don't tell» where sexual orientation was a "non-talk" policy in the American forces, leading to 13.368 getting kicked out before 2011.
Directors: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato | Stars: Carl Levin, Robert Gates, Mike Mullen, John McCain
Votes: 225
17. Cosmic Journeys (2009– )
G | 24 min | Documentary, Short
Gentle documentaries about different aspects of our cosmos. Visually stunning.interesting narration.
Stars: Dick Rodstein, Dave Brody
Votes: 67
18. Ancient Aliens (2009– )
TV-PG | 42 min | Documentary, History, Sci-Fi
Science and mythology - and how they are the same thing.
Stars: Robert Clotworthy, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, David Childress, William Henry
Votes: 12,559
19. One Day on Earth (2012)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary
A documentary that captures the same 24-hour period throughout every country in the world.
Director: Kyle Ruddick | Star: Vincent Miedema
Votes: 422
20. Ringers: Lord of the Fans (2005)
PG-13 | 97 min | Documentary, Comedy
'Ringers: Lord of the Fans' is a feature-length documentary that explores how "The Lord of the Rings" has influenced Western popular culture over the past 50 years.
Director: Carlene Cordova | Stars: Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Peter Jackson, Viggo Mortensen
Votes: 765
21.
Ancient Aliens (2009– )
Episode:
Aliens and the Lost Ark
(2013)
TV-PG | 44 min | Documentary, History, Sci-Fi
The Ark of the Covenant is one of the most sought after religious relics of all times and far more than just a box that contained the Ten Commandments. The biblical stories surrounding the ... See full summary »
Stars: Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Graham Hancock, Barry Downing, Ed Feinstein
Votes: 122
22. The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2013)
TV-PG | Documentary
Professor Gates describes the history of the African American people by talking to historians, authors, and the people who made history.
Stars: Henry Louis Gates Jr., Vincent Brown, Bernard E. Powers Jr., Peniel E. Joseph
Votes: 291
23. 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: 220,032
24. High Profits (2015– )
42 min | Documentary
Dreams of Empire. In Colorado a young couple set of with a dream to build the worlds first marijuana empire. This takes place on the eve of recreational marijuana open for anyone over 21 ... See full summary »
Stars: Caitlin McGuire, Brian Rogers, Katherine Grimm
Votes: 350
25. 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: 76,823 | Gross: $24.54M
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