The Best Documentary Films
by nraeax | created - 24 Sep 2019 | updated - 15 Jan 2022 | PublicA list of the best documentary films
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (2014)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary, Adventure, History
A famous prison escape sparks the idea for a cult-like race that has seen only 10 finishers in its first 25 years. This award-winning, oddly inspiring, and wildly funny documentary reveals the sports world's most guarded secret.
Directors: Annika Iltis, Timothy James Kane | Star: Lazarus Lake
Votes: 5,769
2. I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Caroll Spinney has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
Directors: Dave LaMattina, Chad N. Walker | Stars: Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Debra Spinney
Votes: 1,702 | Gross: $0.01M
3. The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
PG | 91 min | Documentary, Family
Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles.
Director: John Chester | Stars: John Chester, Molly Chester, Todd, Alan York
Votes: 8,895 | Gross: $4.37M
4. Free Solo (2018)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe
Votes: 77,442 | Gross: $17.54M
5. 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: 13,955 | Gross: $4.95M
6. 9/11 (2002 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 112 min | Documentary
A real life documentary following the events of September 11 from an insider's view, through the lens of James Hanlon and two French filmmakers who were in Manhattan that one day.
Directors: James Hanlon, Gédéon Naudet, Jules Naudet | Stars: Tony Benatatos, Yusuf Baran Bilgic, Jamal Braithwaite, Steve Buscemi
Votes: 8,645
7. 9/11: The Falling Man (2006 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 80 min | Documentary
The Falling Man is a documentary that examines one of the many images that were circulated by the press immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. The ... See full summary »
Director: Henry Singer | Stars: Steven Mackintosh, Eric Lipton, Iliana Guibert
Votes: 2,146
8. The Dawn Wall (2017)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
In an unbelievable story of perseverance, free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempt to scale the impossible 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan.
Directors: Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer | Stars: John Branch, Tommy Caldwell, Kevin Jorgeson
Votes: 21,236 | Gross: $1.08M
9. McQueen (2018)
R | 111 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and career of fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen: from his start as a tailor, to launching and overseeing his eponymous line and his untimely death.
Directors: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui | Stars: Alexander McQueen, Joyce McQueen, John Hitchcock, Danny Hall
Votes: 8,419 | Gross: $1.26M
10. 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park (2011 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 42 min | Documentary, Comedy
A look at the making of South Park: HUMANCENTiPAD (2011).
Director: Arthur Bradford | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Anne Garefino, Frank C. Agnone II
Votes: 3,199
11. 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: 68,830 | Gross: $3.29M
12. Amy (III) (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand
Votes: 55,087 | Gross: $8.41M
13. Miss Americana (2020)
TV-MA | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
A look at iconic pop artist Taylor Swift during a transformational time in her life as she embraces her role as a singer/songwriter and harnesses the full power of her voice.
Director: Lana Wilson | Stars: Taylor Swift, Andrea Swift, Scott Swift, Joel Little
Votes: 24,836
14. The Bridge (I) (2006)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Filmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
Director: Eric Steel | Stars: Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley
Votes: 12,219 | Gross: $0.18M
15.
The New York Times Presents (2020– )
Episode:
Framing Britney Spears
(2021)
TV-MA | 74 min | Documentary
Her rise was a global phenomenon. Her downfall was a cruel national sport. People close to Britney Spears and lawyers tied to her conservatorship now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life.
Director: Samantha Stark | Stars: Britney Spears, Liz Day, Felicia Culotta, Hayley Hill
Votes: 6,964
16. Hip-Hop Evolution (2016– )
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary, Music
MC and journalist Shad Kabango meets with Hip-Hop's biggest stars to retrace how Hip-Hop became the world's most popular music, but realizes that Hip-Hop's true legacy is something much more profound.
Stars: Shad, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Cheo Hodari Coker
Votes: 6,452
17. 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: 72,458 | Gross: $2.07M
18. 102 Minutes That Changed America (2008 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 102 min | Documentary, History
The morning of September 11, 2001 is shown through multiple video cameras in New York City, from the moment the first WTC tower is hit until after both towers collapse.
Directors: Nicole Rittenmeyer, Seth Skundrick | Stars: George W. Bush, Joe Napolitano, Kelly Edwards
Votes: 2,906
19. The Defiant Ones (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
"The Defiant Ones" examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture.
Stars: Stevie Nicks, Bono, Dr. Dre, Tom Petty
Votes: 15,680
20. K2: Siren of the Himalayas (2012)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Following a group of climbers attempting to climb K2 in 2009, on the 100-year anniversary of its landmark 1909 expedition. Experience the adventure, peril and serenity of a group's attempt to climb the most challenging peak on earth.
Director: Dave Ohlson | Stars: Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Simone Leorin, Jake Meyer, Chris Szymiec
Votes: 1,197 | Gross: $0.01M
21. The Great Hack (2019)
TV-MA | 114 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The Cambridge Analytica scandal is examined through the roles of several affected persons.
Directors: Karim Amer, Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Brittany Kaiser, David Carroll, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik
Votes: 25,028
22. At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (2019)
TV-MA | 88 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar is convicted of serial sexual abuse of young athletes.
Director: Erin Lee Carr | Stars: Simone Biles, Scott Blackmun, Richard Blumenthal, Aimee Boorman
Votes: 3,444
23. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A 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.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,904 | Gross: $3.17M
24. 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: 52,058
25. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019)
TV-MA | 137 min | Documentary, Music
This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement.
Directors: Beyoncé, Ed Burke | Stars: Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams
Votes: 7,975
26. Last Breath (2019)
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary
A deep sea diver is stranded on the seabed with 5 minutes of oxygen and no hope of rescue. With access to amazing archive this is the story of one man's impossible fight for survival.
Directors: Richard da Costa, Alex Parkinson | Stars: Duncan Allcock, Kjetil Ove Alvestad, Stuart Anderson, Glenn Brunskill
Votes: 7,316
27. Hoop Dreams (1994)
PG-13 | 170 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
Director: Steve James | Stars: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates
Votes: 28,020 | Gross: $7.83M
28. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,685 | Gross: $2.96M
29. The Cove (2009)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Votes: 51,452 | Gross: $0.87M
30. 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: 38,110 | Gross: $4.59M
31. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
TV-MA | 94 min | Documentary
A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman, Peter Bonerz
Votes: 27,989
32. Valley Uprising (2014)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary
In the shady campgrounds of Yosemite valley, climbers carved out a counterculture lifestyle of dumpster-diving and wild parties that clashed with the conservative values of the National Park Service.
Directors: Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, Josh Lowell | Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Alex Honnold, Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins
Votes: 6,277
33. Meru (2015)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Sport
Three elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Conrad Anker, Grace Chin, Jimmy Chin, Amee Hinkley
Votes: 19,059 | Gross: $2.33M
34. Whitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Music
Tells the story of Whitney Houston's extraordinary life and tragic death.
Directors: Nick Broomfield, Rudi Dolezal | Stars: Whitney Houston, Michael Baker, Wayne Lindsey, Sharlotte Gibson
Votes: 5,137
35. Hillsborough (2016 TV Movie)
121 min | Documentary
Hillsborough is an in-depth, moving account of Britain's worst sporting disaster, in which 96 men, women and children were killed, hundreds injured and thousands traumatised. Beginning with... See full summary »
Director: Daniel Gordon | Stars: William Bale, Margaret Aspinall, David Duckenfield, Tony Evans
Votes: 545
36. McMillions (2020)
TV-14 | 57 min | Documentary, Crime, History
A detailed account of the McDonald's Monopoly game scam during the 1990s as told by the participants in the case, including the prizewinners and the FBI agents involved.
Stars: Chris Graham, Doug Mathews, Amy Murray, Janet Pellicciotti
Votes: 9,205
37. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.
Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Aaron Swartz, Tim Berners-Lee, Cindy Cohn, Gabriella Coleman
Votes: 18,040 | Gross: $0.05M
38. Tread (2019)
89 min | Documentary
Pushed to his breaking point, a master welder in a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains quietly fortifies a bulldozer with 30 tons of concrete and steel and seeks to destroy those he believes have wronged him.
Director: Paul Solet | Stars: Marvin Heemeyer, Patrick Brower, Glenn Trainor Jr., Casey Farrell
Votes: 3,570
39. Over the Limit (2017)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary, Sport
An intimate portrait of the world's most outstanding rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun who needs to overcome mental fragility to take part in the Olympic Games.
Director: Marta Prus | Stars: Yana Kudryavtseva, Margarita Mamun, Irina Viner, Amina Zaripova
Votes: 998 | Gross: $0.00M
40. Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story (2020)
104 min | Documentary
A documentary that explores the rise and fall of The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991) and its controversial creator, John Kricfalusi.
Directors: Ron Cicero, Kimo Easterwood | Stars: Jim Ballantine, Ed Bell, Jack Black, Robyn Byrd
Votes: 889
41. The Imagineering Story (2019)
TV-G | 60 min | Documentary, Adventure
The inside look into the Walt Disney Imagineering company.
Stars: Tom Morris, Kevin Rafferty, Angela Bassett, Matt Fowler
Votes: 3,368
42. The Alpinist (2021)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography
Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. With no cameras and no margin for error, Leclerc's approach is the essence of solo adventure.
Directors: Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen | Stars: Marc-André Leclerc, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Jason Kruk
Votes: 14,428
43. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
R | 119 min | Documentary
A documentary about Anthony Bourdain and his career as a chef, writer and host, revered and renowned for his authentic approach to food, culture and travel.
Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Asia Argento, Anthony Bourdain, Ariane Bourdain, Christopher Bourdain
Votes: 10,118
44. The Rescue (2021)
PG | 107 min | Documentary, Action, Mystery
A chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Bancha Duriyapunt, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Anan Surawan, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun
Votes: 20,623 | Gross: $1.06M
Tell Your Friends