Documentaries
by mashlyn | created - 21 Jan 2020 | updated - 1 month ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Science Fair (I) (2018)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
Nine high school students from disparate corners of the globe navigate rivalries, setbacks, and hormones on their quest to win the international science fair. Only one can be named "Best in Fair."
Directors: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster | Stars: Jack Andraka, Anjali Chadha, Serena McCalla
Votes: 676 | Gross: $0.28M
2. First Position (2011)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
Director: Bess Kargman | Stars: Aran Bell, Rebecca Houseknecht, Joan Sebastian Zamora, Miko Fogarty
Votes: 3,455 | Gross: $1.10M
3. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 38,005 | Gross: $2.55M
4. Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary
A documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Paul Haggis, Jason Beghe, Spanky Taylor, David Miscavige
Votes: 40,904
5. 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: 61,868 | Gross: $3.17M
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: 72,431 | Gross: $2.07M
7. 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: 40,804 | Gross: $0.49M
8. 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: 58,673 | Gross: $2.96M
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: 68,816 | Gross: $3.29M
10. I Wish I Knew (2010)
116 min | Documentary, History
Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day.
Director: Zhangke Jia | Stars: Michelangelo Antonioni, Yindi Cao, Hsin-i Chang, Danqing Chen
Votes: 833
11. Honeyland (2019)
Unrated | 89 min | Documentary, Drama
The last female bee-hunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood.
Directors: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov | Stars: Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam, Ljutvie Sam
Votes: 19,403 | Gross: $0.82M
12. Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (2018)
TV-G | 68 min | Documentary
Decades before Hogwarts, Ursula K. Le Guin invited young readers to wizard school in her classic Earthsea fantasy series, and dazzled the science fiction world with masterworks like The ... See full summary »
Director: Arwen Curry | Stars: Michael Chabon, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin
Votes: 368
13. The Game Changer (2014)
18 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
Every Sunday afternoon for the last seven years, Susan Slotnick has driven an hour up the mountains to the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for men, to teach ... See full summary »
Director: Indrani Kopal
14. The Game Changers (2018)
86 min | Documentary, Sport
A UFC fighter's world is turned upside down when he discovers an elite group of world-renowned athletes and scientists who prove that everything he had been taught about protein was a lie.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: James Wilks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrik Baboumian, Dotsie Bausch
Votes: 21,839 | Gross: $0.74M
15. Ballet Boys (2014)
75 min | Documentary, Sport
Ballet Boys takes you through disappointments, victories, forging of friendship, first loves, doubt, faith, growing apart from each other, finding your own way and own ambitions, all mixed with the beautiful expression of ballet.
Director: Kenneth Elvebakk | Stars: Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød, Syvert Lorenz Garcia, Torgeir Lund
Votes: 320
16. The Painter and the Thief (2020)
106 min | Documentary
An artist befriends the thief who stole her paintings. She becomes his closest ally when he is severely hurt in a car crash and needs full time care, even if her paintings are not found. But then the tables turn.
Director: Benjamin Ree | Stars: Karl Bertil-Nordland, Barbora Kysilkova, Øystein Stene
Votes: 4,310
17. 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: 52,037
18. Earthlings (2005)
95 min | Documentary
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Votes: 19,801
19. Sherman's March (1985)
Not Rated | 157 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee sets out to make a movie about Union General Sherman's March to the Sea towards the end of the American Civil War, but keeps getting sidetracked by his own love life.
Director: Ross McElwee | Stars: Ross McElwee, Dede McElwee, Ross McElwee Jr., Patricia Rendleman
Votes: 2,709
20. The War Room (1993)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, History
A documentary of the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.
Directors: Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Heather Beckel, Paul Begala
Votes: 4,431 | Gross: $0.90M
21. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Edward Asner, Pat Benatar, Jerry Brown, Johnny Carson
Votes: 41,469 | Gross: $1.72M
22. MLK/FBI (2020)
TV-PG | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Based on newly declassified files, Sam Pollard's resonant film explores the US government's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Director: Sam Pollard | Stars: Martin Luther King, J. Edgar Hoover, David Garrow, Clarence B. Jones
Votes: 1,750
23. RBG (2018)
PG | 98 min | Documentary, Biography
The exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.
Directors: Julie Cohen, Betsy West | Stars: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ann Kittner, Harryette Helsel, Nina Totenberg
Votes: 15,059 | Gross: $14.02M
24. Murder on Middle Beach (2020)
TV-MA | 66 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A young man is determined to solve an unspeakable crime and absolve the people he loves, while looking for answers within his fractured family and community.
Stars: Madison Hamburg, Mark E. Safarik
Votes: 4,550
25. A Dog Called Money (2019)
TV-MA | 94 min | Documentary, Music
Accompany PJ Harvey and Seamus Murphy on a journey through the creative process behind PJ Harvey's new album, conceived by their travels around the globe.
Director: Seamus Murphy | Stars: PJ Harvey, Terry Edwards, John Parish
Votes: 819
26. Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary (2016)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, History
An exploration of the global power and impact of the music of John Coltrane where the passions, experiences and forces that shaped his life and revolutionary sounds are revealed.
Director: John Scheinfeld | Stars: Denzel Washington, Reggie Workman, Ravi Coltrane, Ashley Kahn
Votes: 2,497 | Gross: $0.41M
27. Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller (2020– )
TV-14 | 47 min | Documentary
TRAFFICKED explores the complex and often dangerous inner workings of the global underworld - smuggling networks, and black and informal markets.
Stars: Mariana van Zeller, Anthony Hughes, Alex Alonso
Votes: 1,298
28. Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story (2021)
TV-PG | 95 min | Documentary, Adventure
Pioneering scuba diver Valerie Taylor, who has dedicated her life to exposing the myth surrounding our fear of sharks.
Director: Sally Aitken | Stars: Jeremiah S. Sullivan, Valerie Taylor, Ron Taylor, Rodney Fox
Votes: 626
29. Coup 53 (2019)
120 min | Documentary, History
Theatrical feature documentary on the story of Operation Ajax, the CIA/MI6 staged coup in 1953 in Iran that overthrew Prime Minister Mossadegh.
Director: Taghi Amirani | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Walter Murch, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Votes: 686
30. Tina (I) (2021)
TV-MA | 118 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Exclusive access to the Grammy Award-winning artist to celebrate her career.
Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin | Stars: Tina Turner, Carl Arrington, Ike Turner, Lejeune Richardson
Votes: 6,339
31. Unnatural Selection (2019– )
TV-MA | 66 min | Documentary
DNA, the very essence of life, can now be altered. Not only by Harvard geneticists and multi-billion dollar corporations, but also by renegade biohackers working out of their garages.
Stars: David Ishee, Jeffrey Kahn, Jackson Kennedy, Kevin Esvelt
Votes: 2,190
32. Agents of Chaos (2020)
TV-MA | 239 min | Documentary, History
Was there Russian interference in the 2016 election? This two-part documentary directed by Emmy(R) and Academy Award(R) Winner Alex Gibney is a product of years of reporting on that ... See full summary »
Stars: Alex Gibney, Margarita Simonyan, John Podesta, Harry Reid
Votes: 1,446
33. Enemies: The President, Justice & The FBI (2018)
TV-14 | 256 min | Documentary
An examination of the long, complex history of American presidents testing the rule of law and the FBI trying to enforce it. Featuring interviews with current and former U.S. government officials.
Stars: Scott T. Hinson, Tim Weiner, Miah Kane, Jack Goldsmith
Votes: 346
34. American Jihad (2017)
TV-MA | 88 min | Documentary
Radicalizing of American born or American citizens by ISIS leaders.
Director: Alison Ellwood | Stars: Anwar Al-Awlaki, Nidal Hasan, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Votes: 250
35. City of Ghosts (2017)
R | 92 min | Documentary, War
A documentary that follows the efforts of "Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently," a handful of anonymous activists who banded together after their homeland was taken over by ISIS in 2014. ... See full summary »
Director: Matthew Heineman | Stars: Abdelaziz Alhamza, Mohamad Almusari, Hamoud Almousa, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
Votes: 4,126 | Gross: $0.13M
36. The Last Gladiators (2011)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Sport
In ice hockey, no one is tougher than the "goon". Those players have one mission: to protect the star players at any price.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Donald Brashear, Lyndon Byers, Guy Carbonneau, Don Cherry
Votes: 1,757
37. My Country, My Country (2006)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Documentary by Oscar winner Laura Poitras about the war in Iraq.
Director: Laura Poitras
Votes: 408
38. The Oath (2010)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary
Tells the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Osama bin Laden, Salim Hamdan, Abu Jandal, Troy Lebane
Votes: 950 | Gross: $0.04M
39. BOSTON: An American Running Story (2017)
Not Rated | 114 min | Documentary
The history of the Boston Marathon from its humble origins starting with only 15 runners, to the first female runners, through the tragedy in 2013, and ultimately the triumph of 2014.
Director: Jon Dunham | Stars: Matt Damon, Robert de Castella, Manzie Jones, Rosa Mota
Votes: 144
40. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
TV-MA | 52 min | Documentary, Crime
After marrying a mysterious man who claimed he could make her dog immortal, a celebrated vegan restaurateur finds her life veering off the rails.
Stars: Sarma Melngailis, Allen Salkin, Ilze Melngailis, Bonnie Crocker
Votes: 8,230
41. My Octopus Teacher (2020)
TV-G | 85 min | Documentary, Drama
A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.
Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed | Stars: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Votes: 63,782
42. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,786 | Gross: $5.23M
43. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: John Beard, Tim Belden, Barbara Boxer, George W. Bush
Votes: 20,109
44. Call Me Dancer (2023)
84 min | Documentary
A street dancer from Mumbai struggles against his parents' insistence that he follow a traditional path. Then he meets a curmudgeonly Israeli ballet master, who inspires him to follow his dreams.
Directors: Pip Gilmour, Leslie Shampaine | Stars: Manish Chauhan, Yehuda Maor
Votes: 62
45. Bread & Roses (2023)
90 min | Documentary
Capturing the experiences of Afghanistan women's under the Taliban since they took control of Kabul
Director: Sahra Mani
Votes: 20
46. The Vow (2020–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
A look at the experiences of the members of the NXIVM, an organization and sex cult that made headlines for being charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and conspiracy.
Stars: Sarah Edmondson, Mark Vicente, Bonnie Piesse, Anthony Ames
Votes: 6,644
47. The Antisocial Network (2024)
TV-MA | 85 min | Documentary
A group of lonely teenagers formed an online community and bonded over their isolation, but their collective beliefs warped reality.
Directors: Giorgio Angelini, Arthur Jones | Stars: Fuxnet, Amanda, Aubrey Cottle, Matt Alt
Votes: 1,337
48. Feels Good Man (2020)
92 min | Documentary, Comedy
Artist Matt Furie, creator of the comic character Pepe the Frog, begins an uphill battle to take back his iconic cartoon image from those who used it for their own purposes.
Director: Arthur Jones | Stars: Matt Furie, Aiyana Udesen, Chris Sullivan, Johnny Ryan
Votes: 5,549
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