BEST DOCUMENTARIES
by sgykbkp | created - 10 Oct 2021 | updated - 15 Feb 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Fog of War (2003)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Robert McNamara, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon
Votes: 25,046 | Gross: $4.20M
2. Bitter Lake (2015)
136 min | Documentary
An experimental documentary that explores Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. and the role this has played in the war in Afghanistan.
Director: Adam Curtis | Stars: George Bush, George W. Bush, Joanne Herring, Hamid Karzai
Votes: 3,523
3. HyperNormalisation (2016)
166 min | Documentary
Adam Curtis explains how, at a time of confusing and inexplicable world events, politicians and the people they represent have retreated in to a damaging over-simplified version of what is happening.
Director: Adam Curtis | Stars: Adam Curtis, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Victor Gotbaum
Votes: 7,370
4. Terror's Advocate (2007)
Unrated | 135 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary on Jacques Vergès, the controversial lawyer and former Free French Forces guerrilla who has defending unpopular figures such as Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy.
Director: Barbet Schroeder | Stars: Jacques Vergès, Klaus Barbie, Barbet Schroeder, Bassam Abu Sharif
Votes: 1,698 | Gross: $0.04M
5. The Gatekeepers (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
Director: Dror Moreh | Stars: Ami Ayalon, Avraham Shalom, Avi Dichter, Yaakov Peri
Votes: 5,887 | Gross: $2.42M
6. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
Stars: Andrew Jarecki, Robert Durst, J. Patrick Burns, Dick DeGuerin
Votes: 51,504
7. Meeting Gorbachev (2018)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life of Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final President of the Soviet Union in chronological order.
Directors: Werner Herzog, André Singer | Stars: Mikhail Gorbachev, Werner Herzog, André Singer, Leonid Brezhnev
Votes: 2,731 | Gross: $0.25M
8. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,105 | Gross: $3.12M
9. The Filth and the Fury (2000)
R | 108 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Votes: 6,207 | Gross: $0.61M
10. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography
A cinematic portrait of the life and career of the infamous American execution device designer and holocaust denier.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Fred A. Leuchter Jr., Robert Jan Van Pelt, David Irving, Caroline Leuchter
Votes: 5,780 | Gross: $0.50M
11. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson
Votes: 25,926 | Gross: $1.21M
12. Tiger King (2020–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot.
Stars: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, John Reinke, Jeff Lowe
Votes: 86,947
13. Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
TV-14 | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary feature exploring the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable, ... See full summary »
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Bobby Fischer, David Edmonds, Anthony Saidy, Susan Polgar
Votes: 7,402
14. American Movie (1999)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Comedy
Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt
Votes: 19,332 | Gross: $1.16M
15. Collapse (II) (2009)
Unrated | 82 min | Documentary
A documentary on Michael Ruppert, a police officer turned independent reporter who predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness.
Director: Chris Smith | Star: Michael Ruppert
Votes: 6,843 | Gross: $0.05M
16. 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: 72,432 | Gross: $2.07M
17. 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: 20,110
18. The Untold History of the United States (2012–2013)
TV-MA | 58 min | Documentary, History, War
Oliver Stone 's re-examination of under-reported events in American history.
Stars: Oliver Stone, Alan Shearman, Jim Ward, André Sogliuzzo
Votes: 9,701
19. Room 237 (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary
An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).
Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan
Votes: 23,110 | Gross: $0.26M
20. 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: 61,867 | Gross: $3.17M
21. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
Not Rated | 165 min | Documentary, History
A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.
Director: William Gazecki | Stars: Dan Gifford, Jim Cavanaugh, Dick DeGuerin, Clive Doyle
Votes: 3,731
22. 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
23.
Untold (2021– )
Episode:
Malice at the Palace
(2021)
TV-MA | 68 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A brawl broke out near the end of a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004. Nearly 17 years later, we re-examine that night and all the consequences that came from it.
Director: Floyd Russ | Stars: Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson, Metta World Peace, Reggie Miller
Votes: 9,802
24. Tickled (2016)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve | Stars: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David Starr, Kevin Clarke
Votes: 20,679 | Gross: $0.61M
25. When We Were Kings (1996)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Director: Leon Gast | Stars: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown
Votes: 19,130 | Gross: $2.79M
26. 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: 28,016 | Gross: $7.83M
27. Five Came Back (2017)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The wartime contributions of five prominent Hollywood film directors during World War II are profiled.
Stars: Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Guillermo del Toro
Votes: 5,277
28. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Tony Brooks, Diana Davis, Terry Wood, Dick Clay
Votes: 18,138
29. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Music
The iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo
Votes: 20,345 | Gross: $1.22M
30. Crumb (1994)
R | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Votes: 21,588 | Gross: $3.17M
31. 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: 68,815 | Gross: $3.29M
32. Dig! (2004)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Anton Newcombe, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Joel Gion, Matt Hollywood
Votes: 6,689 | Gross: $0.13M
33. Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (2016)
TV-MA | 97 min | Documentary, Crime
Tech tycoon John McAfee made millions from his antivirus software. Now, he may be best known his bizarre and scandalous lifestyle.
Director: Nanette Burstein | Stars: Allison Adonizio, Nanette Burstein, Mark Coker, John McAfee
Votes: 3,605
34. We Live in Public (2009)
Unrated | 91 min | Documentary
A documentary focusing on the life of dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Josh Harris, Tom Harris, Carlos Alvarez, David Amron
Votes: 1,983 | Gross: $0.04M
35. Frontline (1983– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, News
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world and American television's top long-form news and current affairs series since 1983
Stars: Will Lyman, Sarah Childress, Priyanka Boghani, Arun Rath
Votes: 2,295
36.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
The Mormons: Part II
(2007)
TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Somewhat different than part 1, which was a selective treatment of Mormon history, part 2 explores the lives of many different kinds of Mormons, going for more breadth than depth. As such ... See full synopsis »
Director: Helen Whitney | Stars: Tal Bachman, Robert Bennett, James Dalrymple, Timber Dick
Votes: 64
37. The Civil War (1990)
TV-14 | 76 min | Documentary, History, War
A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
Stars: David McCullough, Sam Waterston, Julie Harris, Jason Robards
Votes: 18,478
38. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary, Crime
Tracing from his rise in the 1970s to his disgrace in accusations of rape and sexual harassment in more recent years.
Director: Eva Orner | Stars: Larissa Anderson, Francesca Asumah, Sarah Baughn, Bikram Choudhury
Votes: 8,340
39.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
The Mormons: Part I
(2007)
TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The following topics are covered: history of Joseph Smith based almost entirely on 2nd and 3rd person accounts, Haun's Mill massacre, early polygamy, modern polygamy as practiced by ... See full synopsis »
Director: Helen Whitney | Stars: Will Bagley, Alex Baugh, Leslie Berger, Harold Bloom
Votes: 79
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