10 Best Documentaries
by janmarcfurer | created - 14 Oct 2015 | updated - 1 month ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,799 | Gross: $0.49M
2. Toto and His Sisters (2014)
94 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
Totonel (10) and his sisters, Andreea (14) and Ana (17), are waiting for their mother to come back home from prison. As they grow up, each of them learns how to survive on their own, hoping... See full summary »
Director: Alexander Nanau | Stars: Hovarth Ilie Nicusor Gabriel Petre, Andreea Violeta Petre, Ana-Maria Badulescu Petre, Siminica Badulescu Petre
Votes: 634
3. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,441 | Gross: $1.34M
4. Tableau noir (2013)
117 min | Documentary, Drama
Tableau noir chronicles life at a one-room school in the Swiss mountains during an academic year, giving an endearing portrait of the twelve pupils aged six to twelve who share the same ... See full summary »
Director: Yves Yersin | Stars: Gilbert Hirschi, Debora Ferrari, Sophie Jacot, Dylan Jacot
Votes: 67
5. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, Biography
Pope Francis travels the world speaking to those in need and delivering a message of hope.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Pope Francis, Ignazio Oliva, María Eufemia Goycoechea, Joe Biden
Votes: 2,377 | Gross: $1.82M
6. Collective (2019)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
Director: Alexander Nanau | Stars: Dan Alexandru Condrea, Liviu Iolu, Razvan Lutac, Mirela Neag
Votes: 13,433
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. 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: 38,024 | Gross: $2.67M
9. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,814 | Gross: $3.29M
10. Neuland (2013)
93 min | Documentary
Young migrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Serbia and Venezuela attend a Swiss integration class where they learn a new language and prepare for employment.
Director: Anna Thommen | Stars: Christian Zingg, Ehsanullah Habibi, Nazlije Aliji, Ismail Aliji
Votes: 104
11. Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
German-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Dieter Dengler, Werner Herzog, Eugene Deatrick
Votes: 6,826
12. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,374 | Gross: $119.19M
13. 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: 157,923
14. War Photographer (2001)
96 min | Documentary, War
Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey, considered by many the greatest war photographer ever.
Director: Christian Frei | Stars: James Nachtwey, Christiane Amanpour, Hans-Hermann Klare, Christiane Breustedt
Votes: 4,302
15. The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)
Not Rated | 80 min | Sci-Fi
An alien narrates the story of his dying planet, his and his people's visits to Earth and Earth's man-made demise, while human astronauts attempt to find an alternate planet for surviving humans to live on.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Brad Dourif, Donald Williams, Ellen Baker, Franklin Chang-Diaz
Votes: 3,887
16. Speed: In Search of Lost Time (2012)
TV-G | 97 min | Documentary
Opitz tries to track down the reasons of our shortage of time and for the constant acceleration of our lives. In his search of lost time he visits several people, to find out how they deal ... See full summary »
Director: Florian Opitz | Stars: Hartmut Rosa, Karlheinz Geißler, Scott Kennedy, Alan Matthews
Votes: 244
17. The Wind. A Documentary Thriller (2019 TV Movie)
75 min | Documentary
When it starts to blow, there is no way to hide from it or completely shelter oneself. Its destructive power manifests itself in destroyed forests and houses. However, halny is not only a ... See full summary »
Director: Michal Bielawski
Votes: 97
18. Nobody's Business (1996)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary, Biography
A portrait of the director's father, searching for the extraordinary in the subject's seemingly normal existence.
Director: Alan Berliner | Stars: Alan Berliner, Oscar Berliner
Votes: 927
19. Dark Net (2016–2017)
TV-MA | 30 min | Documentary
Explores the furthest reaches of the internet and the people who frequently use it, providing a revealing and cautionary look inside a vast cyber netherworld.
Stars: Lauren Terp, Kristie, Drew, Anisha Vora
Votes: 1,542
20. Holy Hell (2016)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Drama
An inside look at Buddhafield, a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.
Director: Will Allen | Stars: Will Allen, Dimitrius Pulido, Phillipe Coquet, David Christopher
Votes: 6,063 | Gross: $0.02M
21. Fyre (2019)
TV-MA | 97 min | Documentary, Crime, Music
An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Billy McFarland, Jason Bell, Gabrielle Bluestone, Shiyuan Deng
Votes: 52,033
22. Borat (2006)
R | 84 min | Comedy
Kazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell, Chester
Votes: 441,807 | Gross: $128.51M
23. 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: 37,666
24. Tscharniblues II (2019)
83 min | Documentary
Bern, 1979: a tower block called Tscharnergut. Together with a few friends, among them famous Swiss actor Stefan Kurt, director Aron Nick's father and uncle shoot the idealistic Super 8 ... See full summary »
Director: Aron Nick
Votes: 12
25. Hi, A.I. (2019)
90 min | Documentary, Family, Sci-Fi
How will we live together with artificial intelligence? What will we win, what will we lose? The documentary shows us tomorrow's world today.
Director: Isabella Willinger | Stars: David Chalmers, Chuck, Mark Coeckelbergh, Kate Darling
Votes: 150
26. Sheep Hero (2019)
81 min | Documentary, Romance
A traditional shepherd is forced to innovate in a neo-liberal world that conflicts with his idealistic views. Will his struggle pay off or is he forced to go with the flock?
Director: Ton van Zantvoort
Votes: 154
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