Documentary List
by bethcarpenter18 | created - 02 Feb 2023 | updated - 11 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. 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: 87,042
2. Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story (2021)
TV-MA | 127 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
It unpacks the truth about Doc Antle, private zoo operator. Witnesses come forward to share their stories of abuse and intimidation that set him at the top of the food chain.
Stars: Bhagavan Antle, Radha Hirsch, Steven Diamond, Betsy Rogers
Votes: 1,969
3. Leaving Neverland (2019)
TV-MA | 240 min | Documentary
At the height of his stardom, the world's biggest pop star, Michael Jackson, began long-running relationships with two young boys, aged between seven and ten, along their families. They now allege that he sexually abused them.
Director: Dan Reed | Stars: Michael Jackson, Wade Robson, Joy Robson, Chantal Robson
Votes: 31,129
4. Athlete A (2020)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts like Maggie Nichols.
Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk | Stars: Maggie Nichols, Gina Nichols, John Nichols, Steve Berta
Votes: 12,428
5. Three Identical Strangers (2018)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
In 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
Director: Tim Wardle | Stars: Robert Shafran, Michael Domnitz, Howard Schneider, Ellen Cervone
Votes: 39,852 | Gross: $12.32M
6. 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: 14,836
7. 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: 37,691
8. Britney vs Spears (2021)
TV-MA | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Journalist Jenny Eliscu and filmmaker Erin Lee Carr investigate Britney Spears' fight for freedom by way of exclusive interviews and confidential evidence.
Director: Erin Lee Carr | Stars: Britney Spears, Erin Lee Carr, Jenny Eliscu, Felicia Culotta
Votes: 8,106
9. Girl in the Picture (2022)
TV-MA | 101 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A young mother's mysterious death and her son's subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman's true identity and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.
Director: Skye Borgman | Stars: Karen Parsley, Charles Engles, Merle Bean, Ernest Bean
Votes: 21,701
10. Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)
TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Music
This documentary goes behind the scenes with pop provocateur Lady Gaga as she releases a bold new album and prepares for her Super Bowl halftime show.
Director: Chris Moukarbel | Stars: Sandra Amador, Michael Bearden, Tony Bennett, BloodPop
Votes: 13,698
11. The Imposter (2012)
R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
Director: Bart Layton | Stars: Adam O'Brian, Nicholas Barclay, Carey Gibson, Bryan Gibson
Votes: 50,476 | Gross: $0.89M
12. American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
TV-MA | 83 min | Documentary, Crime
In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters disappear in Colorado. With the heartbreaking details emerging, the family's story made headlines around the world.
Director: Jenny Popplewell | Stars: Nickole Atkinson, Jim Benemann, Luke Epple, Mark Jamieson
Votes: 32,792
13. 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: 8,351
14. Amanda Knox (2016)
TV-MA | 92 min | Documentary, Crime
American exchange student Amanda Knox is charged with the 2007 death of another student in Italy.
Directors: Rod Blackhurst, Brian McGinn | Stars: Amanda Knox, Meredith Kercher, Raffaele Sollecito, Giuliano Mignini
Votes: 26,137
15. The Keepers (II) (2017)
TV-MA | 62 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
Stars: Gemma Hoskins, Abbie Schaub, Virginia Anzengruber, Jean Hargadon Wehner
Votes: 25,077
16. The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (2022)
TV-MA | 42 min | Documentary, Crime
In this harrowing docuseries, a cruel conman masquerading as a British spy manipulates and steals from his victims, leaving ruined families in his wake.
Stars: Stephen Corrall, Sophie Clifton, Sarah Smith, Mark Clifton
Votes: 8,196
17. One of Us (IV) (2017)
95 min | Documentary
Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Etty, Chani Getter, Ari Hershkowitz, Luzer Twersky
Votes: 7,131
18. Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story (2022)
TV-MA | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Jimmy Savile once ruled the airwaves with a quirky persona and good works. So how did this icon manage to hide his many alleged bad deeds for so long?
Stars: Roger Ordish, Mark Lawson, Meirion Jones, Alison Bellamy
Votes: 9,102
19. Icarus (2017)
TV-MA | 120 min | Documentary, Sport
When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin, Grigory Rodchenkov
Votes: 54,735
20. The Fear of 13 (2015)
96 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.
Director: David Sington | Stars: Herbert A. Fuchs, Sammy Silverwatch, Nick Yarris
Votes: 7,637
21. Team Foxcatcher (2016)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary filmmaker Jon Greenhalgh examines the life of Dave Schultz, a professional wrestler who was part of 'Team Foxcatcher', funded by multi-millionaire John du Pont.
Director: Jon Greenhalgh | Stars: John du Pont, Dave Schultz, Mike Gostigian, Ray Wilson
Votes: 7,240
22. West of Memphis (2012)
R | 147 min | Documentary, Crime
An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Michael Baden
Votes: 10,958 | Gross: $0.31M
23. 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: 18,159
24. Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000 TV Movie)
Unrated | 130 min | Documentary, Crime
The case of the West Memphis Three, its questionable circumstances and the parties involved are followed up years later.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Damien Wayne Echols, Melissa Byers, Norris Deajon, Tim Sullivan
Votes: 9,661
25. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)
Not Rated | 121 min | Documentary, Crime
A further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Gary Gitchell, Todd Moore, Dana Moore, Pam Hobbs
Votes: 10,874
26. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby
Votes: 40,748 | Gross: $0.02M
27. Making a Murderer (2015–2018)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
Filmed over a 10-year period, Steven Avery, a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.
Stars: Steven Avery, Dolores Avery, Laura Nirider, Allan Avery
Votes: 102,901
28. TransFatty Lives (2015)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography
At 30, Patrick O'Brien was TransFatty: NYC DJ, Internet personality, filmmaker. Then he was diagnosed with ALS. Given 2-5 years to live, Patrick braves the unthinkable and turns his camera onto himself. Forcefully lacking self-pity, he captures the emotion, humor, and absurdity of real life as he makes art, gets political, falls in love, and fathers a son.
Director: Patrick O'Brien | Stars: Patrick O'Brien, Michele Dupree, Darin Hallinan, Steve Saling
Votes: 180
29. In the Footsteps of Killers (2021– )
TV-14 | 65 min | Documentary, Crime
Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson use the latest forensic science and criminological research to shed new light on unsolved murder cases.
Stars: Emilia Fox, David Wilson, Graham Hill
Votes: 256
30. Louis Theroux: Forbidden America (2022– )
58 min | Documentary
Louis Theroux returns to the USA to explore the impact of the internet and social media on some of the most controversial corners of American society.
Stars: Louis Theroux, Mia Malkova, Nick Fuentes, Darrin Robinson
Votes: 1,089
31. Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998–2000)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Louis Theroux documents some of the US's most bizarre happenings, events and rituals, by getting involved himself.
Stars: Louis Theroux, David Paul, J.J. Michaels, Randy James
Votes: 3,332
32. Louis Theroux: Twilight of the Porn Stars (2012 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary
In 1997, Louis made a documentary on the booming Californian porn industry. In 2012, he returns to find an industry that has been decimated by illegal Internet tube sites.
Director: Jason Massot | Stars: Louis Theroux, Xander Corvus, Brad Armstrong, Alexa Nicole
Votes: 1,689
33. Louis Theroux: Selling Sex (2020 TV Movie)
60 min | Documentary
Meet women in UK, legally providing sexual services, either to make a living or to supplement their income, potentially earning hundreds of pounds per hour.
Director: Joshua Baker | Stars: Louis Theroux, Victoria, Ashleigh, Georgina
Votes: 703
34. Louis Theroux: By Reason of Insanity (2015– )
60 min | Documentary
Louis investigates Ohio's state psychiatric hospitals, meeting patients who have committed crimes but have been found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Stars: Michael G. Borack, Indre Rukseniene, Jonathan, Brian
Votes: 1,257
35. Louis Theroux: Dark States (2017)
177 min | Documentary
Louis Theroux visits three American cities and examines a uniquely devastating human crisis in each - opioid and heroin addiction in Huntington, sex trafficking in Houston, and murder in Milwaukee.
Stars: Louis Theroux, Katillia, Nate Walsh, Gust Petropoulos
Votes: 1,174
36. Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge (2020– )
205 min | Documentary
Interviews with Louis Theroux and conversations between the filmmaker and some of his most notable contributors.
Stars: Louis Theroux, Frederick, Albert, Nancy Strang
Votes: 399
37. 24 Hours in Police Custody (2014– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
Cameras follow Bedfordshire Police over a 24 hour period as they respond to emergencies, investigate crimes, arrest suspects and battle against the clock.
Stars: Zawe Ashton, Royce Pierreson, Attiq Malik, Brett Jones
Votes: 948
38. Marooned with Ed Stafford (2013–2016)
45 min | Adventure
Ed Stafford pushes his survival limits as he tries to survive in some of the worlds' toughest environments without even essential equipment and only a camera by his side.
Star: Ed Stafford
Votes: 522
39. Ed Stafford: First Man Out (2019– )
TV-14 | Reality-TV
Expect blood, tears and heart-in-mouth action as explorer Ed Stafford takes on the best explorers in the world in a battle across Discovery's screens in order to be the First Man Out - a show in which survival is only half the battle.
Stars: Ed Stafford, Andrew Wood, Gary Humphrey, E.J. Snyder
Votes: 373
40. Ed Stafford: Left For Dead (2017– )
Reality-TV
Explorer Ed Stafford has just 10 days to escape from some of the planet's most extreme environments.
Stars: Ed Stafford, Andrew Wood
Votes: 226
41. Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford (2013– )
Documentary
Ed Stafford attempts to survive alone on a Desert island for 60 days. With no clothes, no knife or anything except his camera, an emergency satellite phone and an emergency medical kit.
Stars: Ed Stafford, Chris Ryan
Votes: 1,066
42. Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (2013– )
Documentary, Adventure
A British urbanite follows in the footsteps of various individuals, who against all odds, have willingly forsaken the luxuries and lifestyle of the modern world, for a less-than-ordinary life in the wilderness.
Stars: Ben Fogle, Ian Usher, Vanessa Anderson, Mickey Cofer
Votes: 663
43. Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild (2017– )
Documentary
Ben revisits some of the people that he encountered in Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (2013) to see how they have been getting on since he first met them.
Star: Ben Fogle
Votes: 78
44. Ben Fogle: Make a New Life in the Country (2020– )
60 min | Documentary
Ben Fogle meets some adventurous Brits who have given up their city jobs and moved to the countryside for a better life.
Star: Ben Fogle
Votes: 19
45. Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild UK (2015–2021)
60 min | Documentary
In this series Ben stays closer to home, as he visits more people who have chosen to live outside the norms of society, living in wild and remote locations in the United Kingdom.
Stars: Ben Fogle, Clive Owen, Reuben Owen, Amanda Owen
Votes: 35
46. Ben Fogle's Lost Worlds (2022)
90 min | Documentary
Following on from the success of his documentary visiting Chernobyl, Ben Fogle travels to a trio of locations around the world to explore them and to uncover their stories.
Star: Ben Fogle
Votes: 33
47. Long Way Up (2020)
TV-14 | 519 min | Documentary, Adventure, Reality-TV
Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman travel on electric Harley-Davidsons 13,000 miles through Central and South America.
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin, David Alexanian
Votes: 5,129
48. Long Way Round (2004–2010)
TV-PG | 32 min | Documentary, Adventure
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embark on a grueling quest to motorbike from London to New York. Going east through Europe, Asia and then to Alaska, they experience different cultures and have to overcome the elements and adversity.
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian, Russ Malkin
Votes: 15,287
49. The Wolfpack (2015)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Biography
Confined in an apartment from a New York housing project, the six Angulo brothers learned everything they know about the world through watching films and spend their time reenacting their favorite movies with intricate homemade costumes.
Director: Crystal Moselle | Stars: Mukunda Angulo, Narayana Angulo, Susanne Angulo, Bhagavan Angulo
Votes: 13,518 | Gross: $1.30M
50. The Staircase (2004–2018)
TV-MA | 629 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001.
Stars: Michael Peterson, David Rudolf, Ron Guerette, Martha Ratliff
Votes: 27,235
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