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92 best biographical documentaries movies to watch - a good movie to watch, biographical, documentaries, 92 best biographical documentaries movies to watch.

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The Best Biographical Documentaries Ever Made — IndieWire Critics Survey

David ehrlich.

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Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post).

This past weekend saw the release of “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda,” the latest in a recent string of impressively strong and commercially successful biographical documentaries (other recent standouts include “RBG” and “Won’t You Be my Neighbor?”).

This week’s question: What is the best biographical documentary ever made?

Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Freelance for The Village Voice, /Film

The best and arguably most important documentaries ever made are complimentary pieces by Joshua Oppenheimer, “The Act of Killing” (2013) and “The Look of Silence (2015). They’re set against the backdrop of Indonesia’s 1965-66 genocide, believed to be sponsored by the C.I.A., but they’re each rooted in the lives of singular subjects and their diametrically opposed journeys.

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The cleansing, of an estimated three million ethnic Chinese, changed the face of the nation in terrifying ways, created a longstanding socio-political status quo that deifies its perpetrators while continuing to villainize its victims to this day. The first film, “The Act of Killing,” follows mass murderer Anwar Congo over the course of seven years, exploring the personal cognitive dissonance that permeates the culture around him. Congo, an avowed American film fan, re-enacts each of his many killings in stylized manner akin to the genre films he grew up on. Though as he reflects on his actions through a lens of cinema, his bizarre cinematic journey results in the peeling back of the layers of his humanity until he’s forced, as if by something within, to face up to what he’s done.

Its sequel, “The Look of Silence,” tells the story of traveling optometrist Adi Rukun, Oppenheimer’s guide during the production of the first film. Adi sits across from the various people responsible for the murder of his brother in ’65-’66, from local prison guards to people at the highest levels of government in an attempt to find closure. All it would take is those responsible for the massacre owning up to their deeds fifty years after the fact, but the collective dissonance and cultural justifications for the genocide prevent Adi, his blind father (who keeps re-living the horrors of the past) and his culture at large from healing.

Both films feel like impossible feats of filmmaking; watching them feels like being dangerously privy to the darkest parts of the human soul. They are, however, explorations of character, time and place that feel necessary for any person or culture trying to reckon with their past.

Christopher Campbell (@thefilmcynic), Nonfics, Film School Rejects, Thrillist

The best biographical documentaries that mostly look back on a life tend to be based on books. The top three are: “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” about Hollywood mogul Robert Evans; “Life Itself,” about film critic Roger Ebert, and “Man on Wire,” about high-wire legend Philippe Petit. Each of those also benefit from their subjects being alive at the time of filming (or most of the filming) to add an extra level or chapter to the story — even Evans manages to give his story a little extra simply by narrating his own life. I also highly recommend “The Internet’s Own Boy,” which is impressive for how quickly it was made following subject Aaron Swartz’s death.

But the greatest biographical documentaries for me are the two films about Aileen Wuornos made by Nick Broomfield. The first one, “Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer,” is more about her life leading up to the making of the film, told through interviews as well as her murder trial. The second doc, “Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer,” revisits Wuornos as she’s about to be executed. Both documentaries also, as most of Broomfield’s do, contain an autobiographical element on the part of the filmmaker. And between the two of them, we see Broomfield as a more complex character than ever before, particularly as he’s dealing with the fate of Wuornos and the documentarian/subject relationship. It’s a fascinating twofer in that way, and emotionally difficult to come to terms with as a viewer.

Max Weiss (@maxthegirl), Baltimore Magazine

Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle), Freelance for FreshFiction, SassyMamaInLA

Carl Broughton II(@Carlislegendary), Editor-in-chief for thefilmera.com

The documentary will always be relevant not because it is about a music artist with immense talent dying young, but because of the underlying problems that led to her death. The toxic relationship with her boyfriend, the drugs, and the mental problems she suffered due to the prior mentioned subjects are things we are still tackling as a society. Amy Winehouse will always be a prime example of what happens when we make a spectacle and joke of serious problems. “Amy” is a little longer than 2 hours, but by the time it is over you not only feel you got her full story, but come out appreciating what she did for the music world. Overall Amy is the perfect documentary to showcase that people accept the love they think they deserve.

Deborah Krieger (@debonthearts) BUST Magazine, Paste Magazine

Pedro Strazza (@pedrosazevedo), B9

What it stands from the documentary for me, though, is the way it reveals the truth (or at least the version that it is trying to build) about the real Cássia, fighting some generalizations and prejudices that were made about the singer even on the wake of her death. Killed by a sudden heart attack that latter was attributed to an excess of work load (she did one hundred shows in seven months, according to her manager), Eller’s decease at the time was falsely linked to drugs by some news magazines, which contributed to a legal dispute about the fate of her son, Francisco – it was the musician’s wish that his caring would be assumed by her partner, Maria Eugênia, if anything happened, but the parents of the biological father tried to intervene. This way, it’s fascinating to me how “Cássia” in the end poses itself as some sort of justice corrector of mistakes made in the past, a feeling that in my judgment is present on the best productions of the genre.

Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks), Film School Rejects, Birth.Movies.Death., Chicago Reader

Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui), /Film

For the 40 years that they had been married, artist Noriko Shinohara lived in the shadow of her husband Ushio Shinohara, a gifted artist whose use of boxing gloves in his art had him declared one of the most promising artists of the ’70s New York art scene. But as the elderly couple struggles to make their rent while Ushio bemoans his feverish glory days, Noriko begins to tire of always supporting the genius. She starts telling her story through her alter ego “Cutie,” a talented and abused young artist whose life plays out in surreal illustrations which are sprinkled throughout Zachary Heinzerling’s documentary. “Cutie and the Boxer” is a touching and slightly tragic portrait of a pair of artists whose love has been defined and hindered by art. It’s a beautiful little example of how behind every “brilliant artist,” there’s a just as brilliant woman.

Kristen Lopez (@Journeys_Film), Culturess, The Young Folks

Director Kurt Kuenne started out making a documentary about his best friend, Andrew Bagby and his murder. What Kuenne ended up doing was memorializing his best friend and Bagby’s young son who never knew his father. There’s a lot of sadness that runs throughout the film that, at times, makes you hurt. You hurt at what could have been, at what will never be known. In the end, all that’s left is what remains on-screen, family and friends telling the audience (and Zachary himself) about the man Andrew Bagby was. It’s a story that will make you cry because the guy sounded so average, he could have been anyone and it’s a shame that the circle of death that swirled around him is what made him famous. But, at the same time, if these tragic events had never happened, audiences would never know his name. It’s a movie that leaves you with questions not just about the nature of life and death, parentage and paternity, but how film narrative creates immortality.

Sean Mulvihill (@NotSPMulvihill), FanboyNation.com

Completely removed from any hopes of working within the modern studio system and knowing that his legacy is secure thanks to a critical reevaluation, the Brian De Palma shown in “De Palma” is a filmmaker with plenty of entertaining stories and no need to play nice. The result is a film that takes into the creative process of a great filmmaker, rife with amusing anecdotes about his famous collaborators and moments of earnest reflection about his critical and commercial flops.

Of course, almost all biographical documentaries have an element of hagiography to them. These are the type of movies that would exist without having some kind of myth to build upon, and “De Palma” only bucks this trend because Paltrow and Baumbach allow Brian De Palma to build his own myth in his own words without inserting their own commentary on their subject’s claims. When compared to the similar and saccharine portrait of a filmmaking legend, “Spielberg,” “De Palma” stands out so much because it takes on the unvarnished attitude of its subject, becoming a perfect reflection and distillation of his body of work. It’s that style that pulls De Palma devotees, like myself, further and further into the film. He’s talented. He’s prickly. He’s egotistical. He’s one of cinema’s greatest. Holy mackerel!

Ethan Warren (@ethanrawarren), Bright Wall/Dark Room

Emily Sears (@emily_dawn), Birth.Movies.Death., Fandor

Joel Mayward (@joelmayward), Cinemayward.com, Freelance

The film’s title reminds us that we often leave an art gallery or museum through their gift shop with an expectation to buy a trinket to remind us of our experience. The art is not simply there to be enjoyed and appreciated; it is now a commodity to be purchased and consumed. Whether we like it or not, our consumer culture defines value monetarily. This is nothing new; for hundreds of years and across divergent cultures, artists have needed wealthy patrons to fund projects. What is new is how technology, social media, marketing, and the American economic system have all intensified this process. Bizarre, subversive, and often hilarious, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” questions and critiques celebrity culture, capitalism, and Western culture itself in the best way: by making interesting art and inviting us to consider it.

Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@chrisreedfilm), Hammer to Nail/Film Festival Today

In that spirit, I’d like to go back over 20 years and cast my ultimate vote for Ruth Ozeki Lounsbury’s 1996 “Halving the Bones,” which similarly challenges the conventions of documentary filmmaking. In the movie, Lounsbury traces her family history on the maternal side, following the titular bones (those of her grandmother) on their journey from Japan to America, a trip that allows her to revisit the immigrant saga of her mother, as well as her own life as a biracial woman. Mixing real archival footage with reenactments – all blended together in one exciting whole – Lounsbury creates an evocative and poignant tribute to her foremothers, and to her own indomitable will as cineaste and historian.

Daniel Joyaux (@thirdmanmovies), Freelance for Vanity Fair, The Verge, MovieMaker Magazine, and The Independent

“Jane” gets all of this in a way that overwhelms me. The restored and color-corrected footage (shot by Hugo Van Lawick in the ’60s and ’70s) is simply gorgeous, and the Philip Glass score that emotes it is powerful. There’s a final, climactic montage where the score reaches operatic heights, and those flickering images moved me to watery eyes both times I saw the film. One of my critic friends didn’t like “Jane” because he said it devolved into hagiography and never mentioned the valid criticisms of her work. Maybe he’s right, I don’t know. I’ll embarrassingly admit I knew very little about Goodall before seeing the film. But I also think the relative success or failure of “Jane” as a perfect portrayal of its subject misses the point. Regardless of how well it embodies great journalism, it absolutely embodies great cinema.

Luiz Gustavo (@luizgvt), Cronico de Cinema

But he knows that that’s the path to make João Bérnard in nothing but an echo, a shadow of itself, in the film. To know someone like him is, actually, to know what touched him deeply. That’s why, as we learn about his life and work, we’re also walking through the movies that he loved the most: Lubitsch’s “The Shop Around the Corner”, Mankiewicz’s “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” and, of course, Ray’s “Johnny Guitar”. It is very hard not to fall in love with these movies, like the title foreshadows. The final line, a frase used by João Bénard da Cost when writing about Kiarostami’s “Taste of Cherry”, encapsulates the whole spirit of this very delicate film: “Fundamental é a vida. A vida continua sempre. É de vida que fala este filme de morte” (“Life is fundamental. Life goes on forever. It is about life that this movie of death speaks of”). After watching this documentary, those words will haunt you forever.

Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film), Freelance

Miyazaki’s grumpy, humorous, and at times bleak observations about the world are interspersed with archival footage from his early days in animation. “Kingdom” is as much a documentary about the studio itself, as it is about the man at the center of it and those who, through their complementing talents, have been part of his remarkable creative life. With Takhata’s recent passing, the final minutes of the film now serve as a heartwarming eulogy to his friendship with Miyazaki and his own breathtaking oeuvre.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE.

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The 15 Best Celebrity Documentaries, Ranked

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From having your personal life exposed to the entire world to being harassed and followed by strangers, being a celebrity is surely not a walk in the park. While being a huge name in the industry will likely oftentimes get one special treatment wherever they go, it also comes with some disadvantages.

Still, celebrity documentaries are one of the best ways to highlight someone's legacy , allowing admirers to look back at some of the most memorable moments in the lives and careers of their favorite icons. All of these carefully explore the life of well-known celebrities, shining a light on their very human aches, as well as on all things that make them who they are. From tragic but powerful stories of talented vocalists like Amy to admiring tales of skilled filmmakers like Spielberg , this is a ranking of 15 of the best celebrity documentaries and where to stream them.

15 'Halftime' (2022)

Director: amanda micheli.

Following the life and career of Jennifer Lopez, Halftime is an intimate portrait of the superstar , focusing on Lopez's performance at the Super Bowl LIV halftime and her very well-received movie Hustlers . Needless to say, it is a must-watch for all the actress' long-time admirers.

What makes Halftime a compelling watch is the way it depicts the career evolution of one of the major pop singers still working today ( Lopez has also starred in numerous films), shining a light on the singer's charismatic performance skills that are quite present in her powerhouse shows, as well as on Lopez's dedication and determination as an artist. What's more? This doc is surely equal parts inspiring — after all, anyone would love to have JLo's self-confidence.

Watch on Netflix

14 'Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields' (2023)

Director: lana wilson.

Brooke Shields in the Pretty Baby documentary

Among the best documentaries about famous people is 2023's Pretty Baby , which serves as an at times disturbing but very necessary outlook inside the actor, model, and icon Brooke Shields ' early life and her bizarre, predatory treatment in the film industry, which is incredibly upsetting to witness.

While the actress' name has obviously been relevant for years, the awful Hollywood treatment she underwent from a very young age may not be as obvious to everyone; Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is an intense one-season docuseries makes for a binge-watchable show and helps audiences understand what's wrong with the industry — this, of course, by following Shields as she goes from a sexualized young girl to a woman discovering and embracing her power.

Watch on Hulu

13 'Cobain: Montage of Heck' (2015)

Director: brett morgen.

An animated picture of Kurt Cobain leaving an house in 'Cobain Montage of Heck'

The authorized 2015 documentary directed by Brett Morgen premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to great results (it features a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes ). It follows the late singer Kurt Cobain through his early days in Aberdeen to his rise and later downfall with the grunge band Nirvana .

Cobain: Montage of Heck focuses on depicting Cobain as humanly as possible, shining a light on the side of the artist that was unseen by the public and balancing out the sad moments with a few lighter ones. Although it features some heartbreaking moments, Cobain is a stylized documentary that is a great watch especially if viewers are looking into getting to know the famous artist better .

Kurt Cobain Montage of Heck

Watch on Amazon Prime

12 'Miss Americana' (2020)

Taylor Swift playing piano with her cat in 'Miss Americana'

Surely all Taylor Swift fans have heard of Miss Americana and watched it by now. Still, it is an entertaining and enlightening watch even for those who aren't particularly the biggest fans of the artist's music. The absorbing film follows the singer-songwriter over the course of several years of her career.

What stands out in Miss Americana is mainly the way it deals with the struggles that the pop star has gone through over time, shedding a powerful light on her troubling experience with an eating disorder (which can serve as comfort for people who also experienced it). The 2020 feature is honest, raw, and revealing, making for an absorbing, better-than-average documentary. Her most recent film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , has become one of the highest-grossing documentaries earning over $248 million .

Miss Americana

11 'selena gomez: my mind and me' (2022), director: alek keshishian.

Much like Miss Americana , My Mind and Me offers audiences an intimate look inside a popular pop singer's stardom, redefining it entirely. Selena Gomez is, of course, the star of this touching documentary which exposes the highs and lows of her motivational, bumpy, transformative, and highly emotional six-year journey.

Depicting the reach of a new peak in her career and the complications in Gomez's life, this enthralling documentary is guaranteed to provide food for thought and raise mental health awareness. What it arguably does best is shine a light on the famous actor/singer's experiences with anxiety and bipolar, inspiring and prompting viewers who find themselves in the same situation to ask for help.

Watch on Apple TV+

10 'Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé' (2019)

Directors: beyoncé, ed burke.

Beyoncé during rehearsals in 'Homecoming'

This well-executed Netflix documentary and must-see concert film depicts Beyoncé 's celebrated performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and serves as an in-depth, intimate outlook that showcases the singer's emotional journey from creative concept to cultural movement. It is widely considered one of the best concert movies of all time.

Highlighting Black pride throughout (quotes from distinguished Black creatives are often seen in the movie) Homecoming is a beautifully done documentary that is guaranteed to astonish its viewers , including those who aren't proper fans of the beloved worldwide artist. With a tremendous dedication to her craft and masterclass live perfomance skills, Beyoncé has undoubtedly and understandably risen to the top artists who ever graced the stage — Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé just proves it.

9 'Spielberg' (2017)

Director: susan lacy.

close-up of Steven Spielberg on set in Spielberg

While most people are familiar with Indiana Jones , Jaws , and Jurassic Park by filmmaker Steven Spielberg , this must-watch documentary provides cinephiles, particularly fans of his work, an even more revealing behind-the-scenes outlook inside his interesting life and remarkable achievements. All in all, it chronicles Spielberg's story in a truly compelling and captivating manner.

On top of this, Spielberg features some well-known faces — colleagues of the director, including Martin Scorsese , George Lucas , and Daniel Craig , discuss the classic movies that made the iconic filmmaker rise to fame and become one of the most influential and iconic masters at his field to date. Without a doubt, this 2017 celebrity documentary about Spielberg is the perfect pick for those who love cinema .

Watch on Max

8 'Tina' (2021)

Director: t. j. martin, daniel lindsay.

Featuring Tina Turner as herself, Tina is an intriguing documentary that showcases the singer's personal records, including never-seen-before footage, audio tapes, and personal photos. In this must-see music documentary, the queen of Rock n' Roll opens up about her life, struggles, traumas, and inspiring survival through it all.

Unfortunately, though, and to many people's dismay, Turner has sadly passed this year. Tina is a piece of media many may find themselves turning to for comfort; it helps audiences look back on her astonishing legacy and celebrate the powerhouse that Turner was by capturing the legend's charismatic personality and electrifying concert performances. For another great film that reflects on Turner's impressive career, the biographical drama What's Love Got to Do With It starring Oscar-winner Angela Bassett is also a great pick.

7 'Whitney' (2018)

Director: kevin macdonald.

Whitney Houston sitting and smiling in 'Whitney'

Whitney is a moving feature directed by Kevin Macdonald that examines the artist's life and career by compiling a bunch of never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances, and interviews with the people who knew the beloved singer best.

No doubt that Whitney Houston was one of the most talented artists alive; she was also one of the most memorable — her most recent biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody , is proof that her footprint in the music industry endures. A much better film than its biopic counterpart, this compelling documentary invites audiences inside the mind of an icon, depicting the highs and lows of an unforgettable legacy and successfully introducing the legendary singer's story to viewers who were not familiar with it.

6 'Pamela, a Love Story' (2023)

Director: ryan white.

Pamela Anderson with her hair up during the '90s in 'Pamela, a Love Story'

After decades of turmoil, the ever-charming pop culture icon Pamela Anderson reflects on the gigantic turn her life took when her voice was taken away from her. The documentary, directed by Ryan White and produced by her son Brandon Thomas Lee , also includes never-seen-before footage as well as personal journal entries dating several years back.

Pamela, a Love Story is undoubtedly a crucial watch for those who are keen on getting an inside look at the actress and model's life. It is honest, sweet, and human — and more importantly, Anderson's story is finally told by the only person who should be telling it: herself , making Pam & Tommy almost unwatchable . The touching documentary, which inspires viewers with Anderson's bravery and positivism and reclaims her narrative after enduring years of ridicule and disrespect, will undoubtedly change many people's perspectives on the unforgettable Baywatch icon.

Pamela: A Love Story

5 'jane fonda in five acts' (2018).

A younger Jane Fonda in 'Jane Fonda in Five Acts'

Directed by Susan Lacy , the personal Jane Fonda in Five Acts delivers just what it promises: insight into the remarkable life and career of Jane Fonda — n Hollywood actor who was blacklisted after being donned 'Hanoi Jane' — showcasing the controversies that surrounded the actress, as well as the political activism Fonda was often involved in. Thesee were mostly civil rights and women's rights.

This brilliant, put-together documentary assuredly excels at painting a lively portrait of one of the most compelling public figures in pop culture — it is an introspective, insightful and tender look inside Fonda's life that displays her intense journey through the years and will possibly fascinate everyone remotely interested in her work.

4 'I Am Divine' (2013)

Director: jeffrey schwarz.

Drag queen Divine seating on the sofa in 'I Am Divine'

I Am Divine is all about how Divine, also known as Harris Glenn Milstead , became John Water 's cinematic muse (starring in his highly controversial film Pink Flamingos , which is regarded as one of the grimiest movies of all time ) and an internationally beloved, exuberant drag queen. The biographical film depicts a part of the life and career of the pop phenomenon.

This engaging portrait of the extravagant and complex personality behind the cinematic figure is a touching film that celebrates the life of a very kind-natured man with poignancy and humor, highlighting the hugely influential figure that Divine was and how his existence continues to bring solace to those who relate to him .

Watch on Kanopy

3 'Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind' (2018)

Director: marina zenovich.

Robin Williams in 'Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind'

The late Robin Williams was one of the most famous comical and dramatic actors ever, as well as a fan favorite by global audiences. In this fun and intimate documentary, moviegoers get to sneak peek inside his mind while exploring and consequently celebrating his extraordinary life and career that has undoubtedly touched many.

Marina Zenovich's Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is never short on emotion. It feels like a warm hug throughout — one so tight and intimate that it may pain viewers sometimes — especially fans of the iconic personality. The documentary perfectly tackles the many complexities of the beloved comedian that has touched many while tenderly reflecting on the brilliant man's life.

2 'Amy' (2015)

Director: asif kapadia.

A collage of many Amy Winehouse pictures in 'Amy'

Amy is a 2015 British Oscar-winning documentary that features rare home videos and interviews with the talented singer's circle of close friends and family. Directed by Asif Kapadia , this highly-rated A24 movie depicts Amy Winehouse 's journey throughout the years, from a young aspiring singer to a troubled but undeniably talented star.

Amy is assuredly a very enlightening, deeply personal feature as it carefully portrays one of the greatest singers of a generation , never once denigrating its subject but celebrating her life instead. Although heartbreaking and hard to watch at times, Amy is powerfully executed and well-presented, offering audiences a tough but necessary outlook on the life of one of the most celebrated artists even today. Mark Ronson , a long-time friend and producer who worked with Winehouse , finds the documentary to be "respectful" to the late singer.

1 'Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story' (2017)

Director: alexandra dean.

Hedy Lamarr in 'Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story'

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr story , directed by Alexandra Dean , thoroughly showcases the life of a classic Hollywood movie star who was hailed as the most glamorous and beautiful in the entire world. While Lamarr 's beauty was undeniable, her outstanding true talents were often tragically obscured by her looks (and likely still are today).

Very few people knew about the actress' inherent scientific intellect; thanks to this documentary, Hedy Lamarr is seen through a different lens, and a way more accurate one. No doubt, Dean's captivating biography isn't afraid to go into details. In fact, Bombshell incites audiences into realizing just how intelligent and underappreciated Lamarr was in electronics, celebrating her almost nonexistent legacy in the field.

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The 20 best documentaries on Hulu

From cultural commentary to animated marvels, there's plenty to love about these titles streaming on Hulu.

As far as cinema goes, documentaries are one of the most fascinating, wide-reaching genres out there. For any cinephile who's looking to add more docs to their must-watch list, look no further than Hulu . The streaming service has plenty of true-to-life films that cover many areas of interest, whether you're seeking out scintillating thrillers, artistic gems, or sentimental reflections on history. Here are the 20 best documentaries on Hulu.

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015)

HBO/Courtesy Everett Collection

In Pakistan, more than 1,000 women are murdered every year in the name of honor. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness , tells a 19-year-old woman’s story of surviving an honor killing attempt perpetrated by her father and uncle. The 2016 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short, The Girl in the River is the rare piece of art that actually prompts change.

During her Oscar acceptance speech, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announced that after viewing the film, the Prime Minister of Pakistan intended to change the country’s laws surrounding honor killings. Obain-Chinoy summed up her remarks by saying “That is the power of film,” and it’s one of the reasons why A Girl in the River is one of the most powerful films around. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness : Hulu

Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Ask Dr. Ruth (2019)

Dr. Ruth Westheimer is one of America’s most enigmatic media figures. An orphaned Holocaust survivor turned sexual therapist, Westheimer became a media darling in the ‘80s thanks to her radio and television shows, and her regular recommendation that her viewers “get some.” Ryan White’s documentary joins Westheimer as she prepares to turn 90, then doubles back to examine her past, and to contemplate how she arrived here.

As EW’s reviewer writes , “the doc’s heart lies in one simple truth that emerges through White’s framing of her story — that Dr. Ruth’s compassion and capacity for empathy stemmed from her own deep loss.” — Ilana Gordon

Where to watch Ask Dr. Ruth : Hulu

EW grade: B ( read the review )

Director: Ryan White

Cast: Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Bad Reputation (2018)

magnolia pictures

Joan Jett doesn’t give a damn about her bad reputation, but in this music documentary, the rocker’s artistry and legacy precedes her. A thorough history of the musician’s life, the film flashes back to Jett’s years performing with the Runaways and the Blackhearts, before chronicling her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015. A real musician’s musician, Bad Reputation isn’t just an opportunity to get to know Jett, but also a chance to hear from the myriad performers she’s influenced.

As an EW writer puts it in his interview with Jett, the film features a number of friends and musicians, “including Dave Grohl, Miley Cyrus, Iggy Pop, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, [who] speak with nothing but love and admiration for the Queen of Rock and Roll.” —I.G.

Where to watch Bad Reputation : Hulu

Director: Kevin Kerslake

Cast: Joan Jett

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years (2016)

Filmmaker Ron Howard spearheaded this 2016 documentary, which traces the Beatles ' career from the early- to mid-'60s through unforgettable archival footage. Electric performances and private offstage moments document the unparalleled star quality of the four members and their meteoric rise to fame, from the band's debut on American radio to the iconic 1965 Shea Stadium show.

Keeping the documentary true to life was paramount to the filmmakers, who worked with both surviving Beatles ( Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr ) and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison ( Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison). By the end of The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years , the group's palpable cultural influence is sure to stick with spectators. — Devan Herenda

Where to watch The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years : Hulu

Director: Ron Howard

Blackfish (2013)

While some documentaries try to stay as objective as possible, Blackfish has a clear-cut point of view, and it's certainly not in favor of SeaWorld. The film centers on animal captivity at the controversial theme park, specifically an incident in which Tilikum, an aggressive orca, killed three people including a SeaWorld trainer.

It further explores how the company would seek out killer whales and why being held captive in the park fed their hostility. For those concerned with the inhumane treatment of animals, this is a tough but essential watch, one that has led to ramifications for SeaWorld since the film's initial release. — Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Blackfish : Hulu

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

The Capote Tapes (2019)

Truman Capote may have been acclaimed for his writing, but the author is also known for not leaving the drama on the page. A Southerner who was once embraced by the wives of New York City high society, Capote managed to ruin his social standing and closest friendships by publishing the womens’ most scandalous affairs and secrets in a novel he was workshopping.

The Capote Tapes tells Truman’s complete story, from his childhood friendship with Harper Lee to his writing achievements and issues with alcoholism to his epic parties and eventual ouster from the New York social scene. Given that Ryan Murphy ’s most recent Feud season covers Capote’s downfall, now is the perfect time to get the author’s biography in its entirety. —I.G.

Where to watch The Capote Tapes : Hulu

Director: Ebs Burnough

The Cove (2009)

Like Blackfish , The Cove is one of the most well-known animal rights documentaries hoping to inspire its viewers to speak out against the depicted abuses. We follow a former dolphin trainer named Ric O'Barry, who has become a fierce advocate against hunting the sea creatures and slaughtering those that go unsold. In its most effective moments, the Oscar-winning documentary presents footage so horrifying you cannot help but react.

"Its images of blood in the water are worth a thousand preachy words," EW's critic wrote in 2009 . "The movie forces you to ask: Are some creatures really too sensitive and beautiful to kill?" — K.J.

Where to watch The Cove : Hulu

EW grade: B+ ( read the review )

Director: Louie Psihoyos

Enemies of the State (2020)

IFC Films/courtesy Everett Collection

Those looking for an easy and comfortable viewing experience won’t find it in Enemies of the State . A documentary about a family’s battle after accusing the United States government of framing their son for possessing child pornography, Enemies of the State is a circuitous drive to an inconclusive destination — but even so, it’s an incredibly interesting trip. A story about paranoia, conspiracy theories, and the lengths to which people will go to avoid confronting painful realities, Enemies of the State might not be a 100% satisfying watch, but it’s still worth your time. —I.G.

Where to watch Enemies of the State : Hulu

Director: Sonia Kennebeck

Fire of Love (2022)

Burning desire has never been quite so literal. This Oscar-nominated nature documentary tells the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, French volcanologists who made a name for themselves in the '70s and '80s with their stunning reels of volcanic eruptions.

The film weaves in the Kraffts' own love story with some of the most dazzling archival footage of fire and ash ever captured, made all the more stunning when you remember it was filmed decades ago. Miranda July's lyrical narration brings what EW's critic calls a "hushed awe and diaristic intimacy" to the film, making the Kraffts' story all the more bittersweet. — K.J.

Where to watch Fire of Love : Hulu

EW grade: A– ( read the review )

Director: Sara Dosa

Flee (2021)

As he prepares for a new stage of life with his soon-to-be husband, Amin Nawabi opens up for the first time about his experience as a child refugee emigrating from Afghanistan to Denmark in this acclaimed documentary. Nawabi's harrowing expedition, which is recreated through affecting animation, saw him separate from family members for protection and form a whole new life.

Flee is a gripping meditation on identity and the undeniable power and catharsis of sharing your story, as Nawabi's intimate recollections are finally revealed. The film also made Oscar history as the first film to receive nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature, and Best Animated Feature all in the same year. — D.H.

Where to watch Flee : Hulu

Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Free Solo (2018)

Documentaries centered on single-minded people continue to be subjects of fascination for audiences and filmmakers alike. One such case is this tense Oscar-winning doc about rock climber Alex Honnold and his determination to conquer the El Capitan rock formation at Yosemite National Park via free solo climb, which is to say, without any ropes to protect him.

While Honnold's efforts are gripping to behold, we also get a fascinating glimpse into what it means to love a person who is constantly putting himself in harm's way, as seen through the eyes of his girlfriend Sanni, whose perspective adds even higher stakes to Honnold's perilous journey to the clouds. As EW's critic writes , "What makes it more than just ghoulish voyeurism is how it paints a surprisingly rich character study of a young man and the obsession that drives him." — K.J.

Where to watch Free Solo : Hulu

Directors: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Fyre Fraud (2019)

This true crime documentary details how entrepreneur Billy McFarland organized the infamous Fyre Festival, a supposedly luxurious music event in the Bahamas that cost attendees thousands and boasted endorsements from celebrities like rapper Ja Rule , Kendall Jenner , and Bella Hadid. Upon arrival, however, guests found that their accommodations were nothing close to glamorous.

Instead, the festival consisted of unorganized travel protocols, cold cheese sandwiches for dinner, and a limited amount of shelter. Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda. — D.H.

Where to watch Fyre Fraud : Hulu

Directors: Jenner Furt and Julia Willoughby Nason

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

This thought-provoking examination of the systemic oppression against Black Americans is made all the more powerful by its central figure: James Baldwin . Our narrative anchor is the influential writer's perspective on racism being intrinsically linked to the soul of America, as evidenced during the tumultuous civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond. In Baldwin's words, "It is entirely up to the American people whether or not they are going to face and deal with and embrace this stranger whom they maligned so long."

The poetically assembled film delves into several facets of racism in the 20th-century, from segregation to harmful portrayals in the media to the prison-industrial complex. "It's impossible not to think: The more things change, the more they stay the same," EW's critic writes of the film . "It's enough to make you weep." — K.J.

Where to watch I Am Not Your Negro : Hulu

EW grade: A– ( read the review )

Director: Raoul Peck

Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (2023)

Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Another music documentary about a woman named Joan, Joan Baez ’s I Am a Noise helps invoke the spirit of Boston’s folk scene in the early ‘60s, where Baez began her 60-year-long career as a musician and activist. Thought provoking and self-reflective, I Am a Noise digs into Baez’s past traumas, including her issues with her father, and her tumultuous romantic relationship with Bob Dylan .

A story told personally and beautifully thanks to the subject’s artwork, home videos, therapy tapes, interviews, diary entries, and more, it took three directors (Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle, and Karen O'Connor) to tell one beautiful and introspective story about a singer, her voice, and her journey towards healing herself. —I.G.

Where to watch Joan Baez: I Am a Noise : Hulu

Directors: Miri Navasky, Maeve O'Boyle, Karen O'Connor

Cast: Joan Baez

Love, Gilda (2018)

Gilda Radner was the first person chosen to join the cast of NBC ’s new late night experiment, Saturday Night Live , and one of the first cast members to capture the country’s heart. Radner passed away from ovarian cancer in May of 1989 at only 42-years-old, but her comedy — starting with her performance in Toronto’s original cast of Godspell , all the way to her film roles — has served as inspiration for subsequent generations of comedians and audiences.

Radner’s story, told in her own words, intercut with interviews from some of comedy’s biggest names, is a beautiful tribute to her life and the cancer community she left behind. As EW’s critic writes , “ Love, Gilda is penetrating, painful, and personal. It’s also bittersweet considering how it ends – how we know it must end. But for an hour and a half at least, the sorely-missed Radner feels alive again.” — I.G.

Where to watch Love, Gilda : Hulu

Director: Lisa D'Apolito

Cast: Amy Poehler , Melissa McCarthy , Bill Hader , Maya Rudolph , Lorne Michaels , Jordan Walker-Perlman, Cecily Strong , Martin Short , Laraine Newman , Chevy Chase , Paul Shaffer , Stephen Schwartz , Andrew Alexander

Minding the Gap (2018)

Director Bing Liu reflects on his adolescent years for Minding the Gap , capturing the skateboarding culture in the Illinois Rust Belt region, where he and friends Zack Mulligan and Keire Johnson faced economic struggles as they transitioned into adulthood. Amid memories of childhood abuse and strained relationships, skating was a cathartic outlet for the trio, whose most revealing moments appear through flashback footage and more recent recordings.

Liu's gritty coming-of-age film tugs at the heartstrings of audiences, with EW's review calling it an embodiment of "youthful escapism, personal expression, and the cold realization that you can't stay a kid forever." — D.H.

Where to watch Minding the Gap : Hulu

Director: Bing Liu

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023)

Brooke Shields spent her formative years as a young actress and model being sexualized by directors, audiences, and the media. Decades later, Shields is taking back control of her narrative in the form of a two-part documentary series. The story of who Brooke Shields is — the Lolita of the ‘80s, the daughter of an alcoholic, a former Ivy Leaguer, a survivor of postpartum depression — is laid out clearly by Shields in her own words, with help from her celebrity friends and loved ones.

A vulnerable and insightful look into child stardom by one of the few actors who survived it, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is a documentary for anyone who likes peering into all the garbage hidden behind Hollywood’s glamour. — I.G.

Where to watch Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields : Hulu

Director: Lana Wilson

Cast: Brooke Shields

Summer of Soul (2021)

Many of us associate 1969 with the "Summer of Love" thanks to Woodstock, but that pivotal year was also the "Summer of Soul" thanks to a lesser-known but equally impactful music event: the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. With powerful performances by B.B. King, Nina Simone, the 5th Dimension, and Stevie Wonder to name a few, Ahmir " Questlove " Thompson's Oscar-winning documentary explores how the gathering honored Black artistry, marked a cultural movement, and continues to ripple through music today.

As EW critic writes , "The interviews are their own historical document, though it's the visceral thrill of being inside all those archival clips — the flick of Simone's wrist, an ecstatic face in the crowd — that makes Summer of Soul comes most fully alive, somehow both as fresh as yesterday and as far away as the moon." — D.H.

Where to watch Summer of Soul : Hulu

Director: Questlove

Too Funny to Fail (2017)

The Dana Carvey Show had the potential to be ABC ’s next big hit in 1996. The sketch comedy show — Dana Carvey ’s first gig since leaving SNL — was created by Carvey and Robert Smigel and had the foresight to cast both Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert in their first TV gigs. But the show tanked, defying all expectations, losing advertisers by the week and creating tensions between the cast and network over content and tone.

If you like I Think You Should Leave , you’ll love The Dana Carvey Show , and the history behind the series’ rise and fall, as told by the people who lived through it, is both fascinating and deeply funny. —I.G.

Where to watch Too Funny to Fail : Hulu

Director: Josh Greenbaum

Cast: Dana Carvey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel

Three Identical Strangers (2018)

Falling somewhere between true crime and drama, this documentary is one you'll have to see to believe. The film shares how triplets who were separated at birth — Robert Shafran, Edward Galland, and David Kellman — randomly find one another during the early-1980s. They soon gain media fame for their unique reunion story, and the brothers grow even closer as they open an East Coast restaurant.

Tragedy eventually befalls the siblings, however, when they discover that their childhood separation story is even more complex than it originally appeared. The documentary was all the rage at Sundance in 2018, and a miniseries adaptation starring Ben Stiller is currently in the works. — D.H.

Where to watch Three Identical Strangers : Hulu

EW grade: A ( read the review )

Director: Tim Wardle

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Jiro Ono, left, and Yoshikazu Ono in Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The 66 best documentaries of all time

Get real with our ranked list of the best documentaries of all time, from groundbreaking political exposés to culture-changing concerts

We’re living in the era of peak documentary. That’s different from a golden age of documentary, mind you. Yes, with the content avalanche of streaming services, it seems like film studios are churning out more docs than ever before, and that’s produced quite a few good ones. But the rush has also created a visual and narrative sameness, with many docs having all the artfulness of a corporate training video.

All that is to say that creating a truly great, lasting documentary requires a lot more than stringing together a few talking heads with bits of archival footage. The best docs don’t just tell true stories: they aim to make us understand the world around us and the people who live in it, and sometimes even rethink our ideas of ourselves. From David Byrne in an oversized suit to Andy Warhol staring at the Empire State Building for eight hours, here are our picks for the best documentaries ever made.

Written by Joshua Rothkopf, Cath Clarke, Tom Huddleston, David Fear, Dave Calhoun, Phil de Semlyen, Andy Kryza, David Ehrlich and Matthew Singer

Recommended:

✅ The 20 best movies based on true stories 🎸 The 19 best musical documentaries to rock out to 🤘 10 unforgettable concert films to watch from home 🔥 The 100 best movies of all-time

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Best documentaries of all time

1. shoah (1985).

The past is never past; in bringing the Holocaust to life in his towering nine-and-a-half-hour masterpiece, director Claude Lanzmann would stick solely to the present. Shoah is composed of the reflections of Polish survivors, bystanders and, most uneasily, the perpetrators. The memories become living flesh, and an essential part of documentary filmmaking finds its apotheosis: the act of testifying. Our top choice was an obvious one.

2. Sans Soleil (1983)

Documentaries

Chris Marker's enthralling, globehopping essay is perhaps the finest first-person documentary, one that can leave you rivetingly unmoored. Ostensibly, we're following a world traveler as he journeys between locations, from San Francisco to Africa, from Iceland to Japan. A female narrator speaks over the images as if they were letters home ("He wrote me...") even though the episodes play out right in front of us. Each viewer is bound to have their own favorites: The playful, near-subliminal opening shot of three Icelandic girls walking down a rural road; the Japanese temple dedicated to cats (a very Marker place to visit); the illuminating aside on Hitchcock's Vertigo. The doc feels like a diary that's being written, reread and transposed to celluloid simultaneously, reinventing itself from moment to moment. You'll be mesmerized.

3. The Thin Blue Line (1988)

We now take it for granted that documentaries employ re-creations of events, borrow the narrative thrust of fiction and tiptoe into the realm of the poetic. When Errol Morris introduced those techniques into his true-crime tale of a murdered Dallas police officer, however, the effect was galvanizing—and undeniably game-changing. Structured like a whodunit thriller, Morris's case study proved that documentaries could become popular hits, and ended up exonerating an innocent man. But the filmmaker was also crafting a meta-statement about the concept of truth itself, and it treats what could have been a typical investigative film into a real-life Rashomon . He'd pushed the nonfiction form into bold, exciting territory: Once he'd crossed that line, a legion of other filmmakers followed.

4. Night and Fog (1955)

Any discussion of Holocaust documentaries must include Alain Resnais's sober, deeply affecting half-hour short. A survivor, Jean Cayrol, authored the omnipresent narration, spoken in detached tones over imagery of an empty and decrepit Auschwitz decades after the ovens cooled. Resnais's camera glides over the landscape as if searching for clues to an unsolvable mystery, while photographs of Nazi medical experiments and their sickening results attest to atrocities that can't possibly be fathomed in full. The film has the feel of a ghost story where the dead, despite their eerie silence, beckon the living to preserve their memory. It will move you to tears—and beyond.

5. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

Very often, we're reminded of the virtues of looking honestly and openly, without judgment. And if a documentary can do this, it's special. But there must be room for social justice, central to the impulse to pick up a camera in the first place. Barbara Kopple's staggeringly dense record of a Kentucky coal-mine strike is the ultimate example of crusading art: a chronicle of personal pain and sacrifice as ingrained as the soot in these workers' palms. Duke Power Company drove its employees to the brink of ruination, an existence plagued by black-lung disease, insufficient wages and squalid housing. When productivity ground to a halt, pickers found themselves targeted by armed thugs. Kopple captures it all, bringing the drama to a head while finding room for the rich local culture of bluegrass.

6. Dont Look Back (1967)

Fans of Bob Dylan will always treasure the way this movie captures their hero at his pop-messiah apex, but even those who don't dig Mr. Zimmerman recognize D.A. Pennebaker's portrait as a groundbreaking work. It invented the fly-on-the-wall rockumentary, following the singer-songwriter as he lounges in hotel rooms and banters with buddies; the illusion of having an all-access pass to a musician's inner life starts here. But the doc's true significance lies in the way it nails a celebrity culture that was just starting to become cannibalistic. Reporters attack Dylan, rabid fans want a piece of him, and everything is reduced to an info-overload blur. The times would be a-changin' for both the media and this 26-year-old messenger very soon.

7. The War Game (1965)

A masterpiece of what-if storytelling, Peter Watkins's chilling featurette depicts the aftermath of a British nuclear war from a you-are-there perspective. Using scientific research, government statistics, and testimonies on the damage done in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Watkins presents manufactured scenes of suburban mayhem under the guise of an emergency news report. Fires rage, children expire, and England is turned into a barren wasteland; no one had used the fake-documentary format to such an extent before, or with such urgency since. Originally made for the BBC, Watkins's wake-up call was quickly banned by the network for being too harsh, yet it still nabbed a Best Documentary Oscar in 1966. Forty-five years later, it remains a high mark for employing vrit styles to construct something much more perverse and profound than your typical cautionary tale.

8. Nanook of the North (1922)

Today, Robert Flaherty's arctic slice of life is criticized: His Inuit subjects, made curious by the bulky camera, couldn't help but act a little. Scenes of igloo building and parenting were staged. Our strapping hero, accustomed to hunting with a gun, was gently urged to revert to his ancestors' spears. (He was also asked to pretend that a female friend of the director was his onscreen wife.) These points are not quibbles. But the greater truth of Flaherty's groundbreaking study can't be denied: Forevermore, documentaries would be committed to the social notion of bringing distant cultures closer (however compromised). So if we wish Nanook were more truthful, it's because it makes us want to better understand the world, a profound achievement for cinema.

9. Roger & Me (1989)

Michael Moore made his spectacular debut with this enraging look at the closing of a GM plant in Flint, Michigan. It's a comic cri de coeur against auto-industry exec Roger Smith, who Moore hilariously attempts to confront about Flint's economic downturn. But it's also an affectionate look at the director's depressed hometown: On his journey, he talks with such colorful characters as Bob Eubanks ("Flint's most famous native son") and Rhonda Britton, an eccentric neighbor who sells rabbits for "pets or meat." A brash and brazen new talent had clearly arrived.

10. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The modernizing Soviet Union swirled around filmmaker Dziga Vertov, who, working with his brilliant editor wife, Elizaveta, decided to capture chaotic urban life in Ukraine. There would be no script, no sound, so hostile was Vertov to narrative. Instead, he would turn his "kino eye" into a hungry maw, one that would cheerfully devour men and women at work, gnashing the image into innovative split-screen and double exposures, breaking the bonds of time and causality. His avant-garde movie, still a stunning piece of futurism, was the entire spirit of the revolution condensed to a single hour. It will inspire as long as there are eyes to watch.

11. Salesman (1968)

Follow a quartet of real-life Willy Lomans as they peddle Bibles to working-class stiffs, in the Maysles brothers' bleak picture of the American dream circa the late '60s. No film has better captured the drudgery and desperation of the men who live day to day, dollar to dollar, door to door.

12. Grizzly Man (2005)

Werner Herzog's "ecstatic truth" methodology—in which reporting the facts is secondary to finding deeper emotional undercurrents—is on full display in his portrait of Timothy Treadwell, a wildlife enthusiast killed by a bear he adored. Nature and chaos, obsession and madness—the auteur's thematic preoccupations are all here, in a form that's somehow more moving than Herzog's fictional counterparts.

13. Hearts and Minds (1974)

It's naïve to think that any documentary can stop a war, but if one decisively damned an outcome, it's Peter Davis's mighty, merciless take on Vietnam. A fatuous American general destroys his own credibility ("The Oriental doesn't put the same high price on life as does the Westerner") while we watch the graves being dug.

14. Crumb (1994)

In this one-of-a-kind portrait, Terry Zwigoff takes us deep into the home life of underground comic artist Robert Crumb. Though known for his salacious images of plump females, Crumb comes off as one of the more normal people onscreen alongside troubled siblings Max and Charles. Zwigoff's film never condescends—this is a dysfunctional family we all can empathize with.

15. Apollo 11 (2019)

Todd Douglas Miller’s jaw-dropping space odyssey straps viewers to the side of the thundering Apollo 11 rocket as it careers into, and beyond, the Earth’s atmosphere in a spectacular doc that makes great use of hitherto unseen NASA footage. The mission, of course, successfully plonked two Americans on to the Moon’s surface and then unplonked them again, thereby winning that leg of the space race with the Soviet Union, but there’s nothing triumphalist in Miller’s thrilling recreation – just a lot of quiet professionalism, teamwork and fearless men in helmets. When it gets into space and the 70mm footage does its thing, it makes you wish you’d actually followed up on that childhood ambition to become an astronaut.

16. Titicut Follies (1967)

Frederick Wiseman's no-holds-barred look at the horrors inside a prison for the criminally insane set the standard for vrit indictments, and not even a 24-year ban on public screenings stopped Wiseman from forcing accountability. Those who praise the power of the camera to effect change rightfully consider this a landmark.

17. 13TH (2016)

Ava DuVernay’s searing, righteously angry doc – named after the slavery-abolishing Thirteenth Amendment – argues that incarceration has become the new slavery in America. And with a wildly disproportionate Black prison population and corporations using it for free labour, the evidence is irrefutable. DuVernay’s line-up of experts (including activists and historians like Angela Davis and Henry Louis Gates Jr) presents it with ferocious clarity. 13th is essential viewing: one of those eye-opening documentaries that will change the way you see the world in an instant, even if the world stubbornly refuses to change in its wake.

18. Stop Making Sense (1984)

No band balanced surrealism and funkiness quite like Talking Heads, and Jonathan Demme manages to capture them at the absolute zenith of their abilities. All things considered, it’s probably still the greatest concert film ever, as memorable for the aesthetics – the famous big suit, frontman David Byrne’s flippy-floppy dance moves – as the musical virtuosity.

19. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)

This spellbinding behind-the-scenes doc by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper dishes all the dirt about the making of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979). Bad weather, heart attacks, temperamental stars and a ballooning budget—it's amazing a turkey didn't result. For that, Coppola would have to wait until One from the Heart.

20. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

Only an unrelenting homophobe could come away unmoved by Rob Epstein's Academy Award--winning documentary about the groundbreaking San Francisco politician assassinated by a bigoted colleague. It's both an angry film and a compassionate one—a true watershed in the gay-rights struggle.

21. Lake of Fire (2006)

Filmed in dramatically crisp black and white yet far from didactic, Tony Kaye's landmark examination of the smoldering battleground of abortion leaves no conviction untested. Renowned libertarians reveal uncertain hearts; pro-lifers squirm in the cool eye of the lens. Kaye shows it all, as well as footage of the procedure itself; we must watch it.

22. Paris Is Burning (1991)

Along with Madonna’s ‘Vogue,’ Jennie Livingston’s landmark documentary brought drag culture into the mainstream, and critics have been debating its impact ever since. Did exposing a transgender, predominantly Black and Latinx scene to straight, white audiences help or hurt the queer community at large? Does it matter that Livingston herself was a white outsider? What of the minority filmmakers who’d documented the ballroom world before her but couldn’t find funding, distribution or press attention? All those questions are worth asking, even 30 years later. But the discussion surrounding Paris is Burning does not diminish the vitality of the film itself – on its own, it remains a testament to lives lived out loud and the power of allowing marginalised people to speak for themselves.

23. Gimme Shelter (1970)

It’s probably an oversimplification to describe The Rolling Stones’ disastrous free concert at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California on December 6, 1969, as the event that killed the ’60s utopian dream for good, but Albert and David Maysles’ documentary makes it clear why it’s remembered as exactly that. The brothers’ emotionally-removed, cinéma vérité approach makes it come across like a waking nightmare – especially for Mick Jagger, who’s shown watching the footage of the band’s biker security guards murdering a Black audience member with a look of shell-shocked horror across his face.

24. Hoop Dreams (1994)

Steve James's chronicle of two inner-city Chicago kids obsessed with basketball balances a microscopic look at their lives with a macro-examination of the social forces around them. It's less about what happens on the court than how class, race and community affect everything off the blacktop.

25. Collective (2020)

In a just world, this gripping Romanian doc would have beaten Netflix’s cutesy The Octopus Teacher to Oscar glory. Then again, if it were a just world this exposé of state-sponsored corruption probably wouldn’t exist. Surprisingly, it is a team of sports journalists who uncover a medical scandal that needlessly cost the lives of dozens of victims of Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub in 2015. In the spirit of all good conspiracy thrillers, they tug on a thread that leads to the higher echelons of government. This startling, Spotlight -like thriller is a local story with sadly universal resonance.

26. High School (1968)

Frederick Wiseman's examination of a Philadelphia school is so subtle in its social critique that you might think it's merely about education. But remember what was going on in America at the time: Suddenly, the authority figures stamping out individualism and the frustrated kids being force-fed bankrupt values don't seem so innocuous.

27. Empire (1964)

It's eight hours of the Empire State Building in a single shot, with no sound. But call Andy Warhol's minimalist masterpiece "boring" at your own peril. The sunlight fades. A Manhattan evening blooms. Architecture becomes mythic. Warhol's notion of iconic repetition gains power. Admit it: You wish you had thought of this.

28. In the Year of the Pig (1968)

Premiering less than a year after the Tet Offensive, Emile de Antonio's scathing indictment of the Vietnam War excels at using the contradictory statements of the military brass, troops and politicians against them. Both Michael Moore and The Daily Show owe this muckraking screed a major debt.

29. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Whether or not you agree with his approach, Michael Moore has been right more often than not – and he’s never been more right than he was in diagnosing America’s gun addiction. Way back when school shootings didn’t all blend into one horrific blur, Moore was drilling into the root causes of the 1999 Columbine massacre in suburban Colorado, with a similar mix of righteous anger and irreverent humour that was then coming to flower on The Daily Show. The segment in which Moore escorts two shooting survivors to Kmart and demand refunds for the bullet fragments still lodged in their bodies is gonzo propaganda at its boldest.

30. “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat” (1896)

An essential piece of cinema history, the Lumire brothers' 50-second film is an unedited shot of a locomotive pulling into a provincial French station. It's often credited as the first movie exhibited for a paying audience; several spectators reportedly dove for cover, convinced the train would break through the screen. Even at this early date, the impact of cinema was enormous.

31. Man on Wire (2008)

On an early, gray morning in August 1974, tightrope-walker Philippe Petit stepped out into an impossible void, the space between the Twin Towers, and danced for an hour. No other film, fictional or otherwise, more fully restores—poetically, with antic humor—our city's loss as does James Marsh's stunner.

32. The Gleaners & I (2000)

In her playful cine-essay, Agnès Varda reflects on the mythic French gleaners—field hands who traditionally clean up after harvests—and interviews homeless scavengers of the present day. Her thoughts on the passage of time and her own mortality turn a slight anthropological profile into a profound meditation on life.

33. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

Like most families, the Friedmans of Great Neck took video of themselves in their moments of joy and celebration. Unlike most clans, however, this one would be torn apart by sexual abuse, incest and a criminal conviction. They left the cameras rolling, even as their lives unraveled; director Andrew Jarecki shaped the found footage into a heartbreaker.

34. For Sama (2019)

Unrelenting, emotional, and visceral in a way that will leave you a little wobbly, this astonishing doc catapults you into Aleppo’s bomb-damaged buildings and dust-shrouded corridors to take shelter from Syrian and Russian air attacks alongside filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, her doctor husband and the young baby to whom the film is dedicated. Co-directed by Brit Edward Watts, it’s a tapestry of unforgettable moments and a shakycam memoir of life in a dying city. It’s not always easy viewing but the defiance and determination at its core is seriously inspiring to witness

35. Grey Gardens (1975)

Meet the Beales, "Big Edie" and "Little Edie," former socialites who live in a run-down mansion with lots of cats and no running water. This mesmerizing Maysles-brothers doc inspired a sequel consisting of unreleased footage, an HBO film and even a Broadway musical. Who knew that two isolationist eccentrics could so powerfully capture the public imagination?

36. Woodstock (1970)

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was the defining cultural event of the 1960s, and Michael Wadleigh’s chronicle of those three days of ‘peace and music’ solidified the concert as the apex of the hippie utopian dream. That part is mostly bullshit, of course – there were multiple sexual assaults, two deaths and numerous institutional lapses that put more attendees’ lives at risk. But goddamn, that performance footage. Rock’n’roll may currently be going the way of jazz, but Jimi Hendrix's scorching rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ will still singe your eyebrows.

37. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)

Dysfunction in rock ’n’ roll is nothing new. Most of the time, though, the public sees it play out in passive-aggressive press quotes, or the occasional onstage fistfight. In the case of metal giants Metallica, they opted to work out their growing interpersonal issues through group therapy – and, for reasons that can only be chalked up to the same hubris that had them squabbling over guitar solos and suing their own fans for piracy in the first place, allowed a documentary crew to film the proceedings. The result is a fascinating look at the alienating effects of massive success and what happens when an act gets so big it starts to operate more like a corporation than a band. It’s also hilarious: sure, there’s nothing funny about James Hetfield’s addiction problems, but the scene where drummer Lars Ulrich repeatedly screams ‘fuck!’ in his face is proof that This Is Spinal Tap wasn’t such a ‘mockumentary’ after all.

38. The Sorrow and the Pity (1969)

Sorrow and pity: perfectly reasonable reactions to the Holocaust. Yet Marcel Ophls's staggering indictment of French collaboration with Nazi Germany is after an emotion far more insidious—something close to shared national shame. A decade after the movie's initial release, it still couldn't be aired on Paris's televisions.

39. The Up Series (1964–2019)

Simple hook: Fourteen British schoolchildren would be interviewed every seven years, well into adulthood. Nine installments later, the late Michael Apted's frequently heartbreaking series still provides profound insight into the unpredictable paths that life can take.

40. Sherman's March (1986)

Ross McElwee wanted to make a feature retracing the destructive Civil War march of General William Tecumseh Sherman. But a traumatic breakup refocused things: He'd still follow the path, but would look for romantic attachment along the way. This strikingly perceptive doc is so intimate, it hurts.

41. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

Highway traffic swirls in time-lapse photography, the sun rises and sets, and swarms of people cruise up escalators like hot dogs on a conveyer belt. Viewers still debate whether Godfrey Reggio's "pure film" amounts to more than a fuzzy anti-industrial screed. But the shots—and Philip Glass's seismically important score—are hypnotic.

42. Burden of Dreams (1982)

Les Blank offers a warts-and-all look at the problems that plagued Werner Herzog's tow-the-boat-over-the-mountain epic, Fitzcarraldo . Inclement weather and a war between Peru and Ecuador ground filming to a halt—but egotistical star Klaus Kinski made all complications seem quaint.

43. Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Using animation to navigate the mental fog of war, Ari Folman’s groundbreaking film about searching for suppressed memories of his time as a teenage soldier in Lebanon gave documentarians a workaround for exploring subjects where archival footage and dramatic recreations won’t suffice. It’s already proven influential: 2021’s Flee took a similar approach to the refugee experience and was nominated in three Oscar categories, including both Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature.

44. Point of Order (1964)

Emile de Antonio tears into political fearmonger Senator Joseph McCarthy with righteous rage and footage of the infamous Army-McCarthy hearings. "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" lawyer Joseph Welch asked during the trials, and De Antonio's political epitaph provides the answer: Not a shred.

45. The Fog of War (2003)

Errol Morris loves giving kooks a forum, but with this collection of "lessons," the filmmaker ceded the spotlight to a much more divisive American figure: former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, the architect of the Vietnam War. What he doesn't say about his part in history is almost as telling as what he does.

46. Monterey Pop (1968)

The first major rock festival of the '60s gave birth to the first major concert film of the era, with D.A Pennebaker paying as much attention to a burgeoning sense of a counterculture as he does to the music itself (though the footage of the Who, Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire, to name three, is epochal). Something was indeed brewing; Pennebaker lets us see the pot being stirred.

47. The Battle of Chile (1975–79)

Patricio Guzmn's three-part doc offers a comprehensive, 360-degree view of Augusto Pinochet's rise to power, as seen through the eyes of everybody from Marxist peasants to the military brass who staged the coup. The combination of big-picture history lessons and newsreel immediacy continues to inspire lefty documentarians and frontline filmmakers.

48. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

A documentarian has a few options for tackling America's OxyContin crisis and the story of its first family, the Sacklers. Citizenfour director Laura Poitras picks the least obvious, but most impactful option. Skipping anything investigative or procedural, she instead adopts legendary New York photographer Nan Goldin, herself a recovering oxy addict, as a symbol of resistance to the Sackler's reputation-washing patronage of the arts. It's two enthralling stories for the price of one: a venal, vastly culpable family and the guerilla activist who takes the fight to them.

49. F for Fake (1973)

Here's yet more evidence that Orson Welles didn't just disappoint after Citizen Kane . Toward the end of his working career, the feisty director mounted this sly, quietly groundbreaking study of the art of lying, one that flits from hoaxer Clifford Irving to Welles's own fake alien invasion, The War of the Worlds.

50. Dig! (2004)

Oasis vs Blur. Michael Jackson vs Prince. Biggie vs Tupac. All great artistic rivalries, but in terms of sheer entertainment value, none of them has shit on The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Director Ondi Timoner spent seven years tracking the divergent careers of the two then-little-known psych-rock compatriots, as the former signed to a major label and built an international following and the latter engaged in persistent self-sabotage, eroding their relationship from mutual admiration to bitter resentment. There are onstage fistfights, drugs, arrests, broken sitars and dialogue that would've been cut from This Is Spinal Tap for being too ridiculous. It’s a masterclass in rock’n’roll insanity populated with characters you couldn’t make up, because no one would believe they could exist.

51. Triumph of the Will (1935)

Reality is always shaped by the documentarian—even the most respectful one makes a choice with every shot. Here, then, is cinema's grandest piece of propaganda, to remind us not only of the terror of fascism but of the power of the image. Leni Riefenstahl would never escape the legacy of her Nuremberg rally.

52. The Look of Silence (2015)

Joshua Oppenheimer's 2012 documentary The Act of Killing was a radical, disquieting thing: a bizarre forum for Indonesia's genocidal leaders (still feared 50 years after their anti-Communist purge) to recreate their murders as fantasy skits. This unforgettable follow-up, anchored by the presence of an emboldened optician haunted by his brother’s death, is even more staggering.

Looking for more documentaries?

Check out the 19 best documentaries on netflix.

Dive into reality from the comfort of your couch with our select list of the best documentaries on Netflix streaming

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The 30+ Best Biography TV Shows

The world of television has seen numerous great biographies, with each show exploring the life of an extraordinary individual. The best biography shows not only focus on bringing to life the stories of prominent figures from history but also capture the essence of their personalities, beliefs, and ideologies. This genre offers a glimpse into real-life dramas that have shaped societies, inspired generations, and changed the course of history.

These stellar biography TV shows immerse viewers in spellbinding tales by showcasing characters, themes, and powerful narratives. From historical icons to contemporary influencers, these shows provide an insightful look at the challenges faced by these individuals while highlighting their unprecedented achievements. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, they deliver an intimate understanding of the forces that molded some of the greatest biographies ever told.

Among these outstanding biographical TV shows are critically acclaimed series such as John Adams, American Crime Story, and Anne Frank: The Whole Story. Each of these remarkable productions offer enrapturing portrayals that resonate deeply with audiences. For instance, John Adams is a gripping account of one of America's founding fathers that earned a record-breaking 13 Emmy Awards; meanwhile, American Crime Story presents hair-raising recreations of infamous criminal cases like O.J. Simpson's trial; lastly, Anne Frank: The Whole Story is a heartwarming adaptation based on Anne’s diary that illuminates her courageous spirit during World War II.

Biography TV shows hold a special place in our hearts for their ability to transport us back in time through immersive storytelling and engaging portrayals. They describe human resilience and determination through transformative narratives that stand out among other genres. As viewers continue to explore this captivating realm of television programming, they will undoubtedly uncover more tales that offer insight into humanity's most fascinating stories.

Watch This Show If You Love : The Wizard of Lies (Movie), Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Money Heist (TV series), House of Cards (US tv series) Why Should I Stream? Madoff is a riveting miniseries that delves into the mind of financial conman Bernie Madoff, responsible for one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. With Richard Dreyfuss in the lead role, the show presents a mesmerizing portrayal of the man behind the scandal – from his rise to power as Wall Street's golden boy to his ultimate downfall as a convicted fraudster. Critics laud its engrossing storytelling approach and compelling character study.

Premiered : February 3, 2016

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American Crime Story

Watch This Show If You Love : Law & Order True Crime, Mindhunter, The People vs O.J. Simpson, Fargo (TV series), Dirty John Why Should I Stream? American Crime Story offers a fascinating exploration of high profile criminal cases in recent history. With exceptional acting performances and meticulous attention to detail, this anthology series delves deep into both the legal proceedings and sensational media coverage surrounding each case. Critics praise its ability to humanize key players while examining the societal issues that influence these crimes.

Premiered : February 2, 2016

Anne Frank: The Whole Story

Watch This Show If You Love : Schindler's List (movie), Life is Beautiful (movie), Holocaust (miniseries), World War 2 in Colour (documentary series), The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film) Why Should I Stream? Anne Frank: The Whole Story is a poignant retelling of the life of a young girl hiding from Nazi persecution during World War II. Based on her diary entries, this television film captures her daily fears and dreams with authenticity and sensitivity. With strong performances from its ensemble cast, this heartrending adaptation serves as a tribute to Anne Frank's resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Premiered : 2001

American Masters

Watch This Show If You Love : Behind the Music, Biography, In Their Own Words, Ken Burns: America's Storyteller, The Defiant Ones Why Should I Stream? This award-winning documentary series examines the lives and works of influential artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers from various eras. It provides a comprehensive look into their creative processes, personal struggles, and achievements that shaped the cultural landscape.

Premiered : June 23, 1986

Watch This Show If You Love : Band of Brothers, The Pacific, The Crown, Wolf Hall, Sons of Liberty Why Should I Stream? The miniseries John Adams brings to life the story of one of America's founding fathers through an incredible adaptation of David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography. Its outstanding production values, including authentic costumes and sets, transport viewers back in time to witness pivotal moments in early American history. Paul Giamatti's performance as John Adams earned him accolades for his portrayal of a complex political figure determined to secure independence for his country.

Premiered : March 16, 2008

Watch This Show If You Love : Breaking Bad, El Chapo TV series), Queen of the South TV series), Ozark TV series), ZeroZeroZero Why Should I Stream? Narcos dives into the complex world of drug trafficking and law enforcement in Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s. This gripping series humanizes both criminals and those pursuing them while examining the social conditions that gave rise to such figures as Pablo Escobar. Its mix of real-life events and fictionalized elements makes for an intense viewing experience that's both informative and entertaining.

Premiered : August 28, 2015

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The 64 Best Documentaries of All Time

These essential films document crime, celebrity, the justice system, and more.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction. If you disagree, well, let us direct you to the modern documentary. ( Tiger King , anyone?!?) The finest of the genre will teach you something new. For example: If you think you understand how the American justice system works, check out Ava DuVernay’s award-winning documentary 13.

You’ll find music-world documentaries featuring Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain along with a deep dive into New York’s ballroom scene. Eager for more of an adventure? Try Paris Is Burning and Free Solo. If you’re simply looking for a true-crime story, we’ve provided plenty of options here. (We highly recommend O.J: Made in America .)

Without further ado, here are the sixty-four best documentaries of all time, in no particular order.

Grizzly Man

Grizzly Man is a beautiful, harrowing film by director Werner Herzog about the life and death of Timothy Treadwell. He was killed—along with his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard—while camping in Alaskan brown-bear territory. Herzog intercuts interviews with Treadwell’s surviving friends and other locals from the area with footage shot by the survivalist himself. Treadwell had extensive video captured from his years of camping among the bears. It’s a must-watch.

Watch on Amazon Prime Video

Gates of Heaven

Errol Morris’s first-ever feature film examines the pet-cemetery business, featuring a peculiar family that operates one. He also interviews several grieving pet owners about their recent losses. It’s a strange but stirring movie that uses this odd subject matter to start some fascinating conversations about mortality.

Watch on YouTube

Encounters at the End of the World

In Encounters at the End of the World , Werner Herzog explores several research stations in Antarctica, interviewing the people who work there. Since most of us will never get to see our southernmost continent, the area Herzog navigates truly feels like an alien world. Complete with his signature narration, this really is one of the great documentaries about a captivating environment.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

This epic mountaineering doc stars the Nepali climber Nirmal Purja —and the team around him—as he attempts to scale all eight-thousand-meter peaks in the world. It’s a gripping story, sure, but the filmmaking makes you feel like you’re with Purja every step of the way. Hell, he and his team even rescue a stranded climber.

Watch on Netflix

Holy Hell is a chilling documentary about the filmmaker Will Allen, who embedded in the United States cult Buddhafield. The film looks at the cult's members with a uniquely personal and empathetic perspective that we haven’t seen in many other cult-themed documentaries.

Watch on Tubi

Shirkers is an investigative documentary that tracks something totally unexpected. It’s a road movie that the director and her friends shot in Singapore—before her American filmmaking mentor left the country with all of the 16mm film. Director Sandi Tan takes us on a sad but lovely journey, and it’s one of the best documentaries about young creativity ever made.

Jodorowsky’s Dune

We’ve seen documentaries about challenging film-production experiences, but what about a preproduction doc for a film that never saw the light of day? Jodorowsky’s Dune is an endlessly engrossing look at the development process through the eyes of cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. The director takes us through his conception of a massively ambitious Dune adaptation involving music from Pink Floyd, art from H.R. Giger, and what-if cast members such as Salvador Dalí, Mick Jagger, and Orson Welles.

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years

Eight Days a Wee k takes you back to the height of bowl-cut Beatlemania, with gorgeously restored archival footage of the band’s touring years—from the crew hitting the road in 1962 to the final concert in San Francisco in 1966.

Watch on Hulu

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

Even if you haven’t seen Jim Carrey’s performance as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon , this is an excellent behind-the-scenes film about Carrey’s process. He developed a deep relationship with the character and had trouble separating himself from it. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is a perfectly balanced combination of modern interviews, footage from the Man on the Moon set, and great moments from Kaufman’s career.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Alex Gibney’s documentary chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes’s former blood-testing company, Theranos, leading to fraud charges for the young founder. The film is a great examination not just of the ambitious entrepreneur behind Theranos but also of the employees, investors, whistleblowers, and journalists involved.

Watch on Max

Fire of Love

Fire of Love boasts some of the most epic archival footage of any documentary out there, recounting the love story of the volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft—who were pioneers of studying lava flows up close.

Watch on Hulu Watch on Disney+

Stories We Tell

Director Sarah Polley, who won a screenwriting Oscar for 2022’s Women Talking , turns the camera on herself and her family history for this 2012 documentary. The result is more profound and mind-blowing than you might expect. This is an absolute must-see—and it’s available for anyone to watch for free on YouTube Movies.

This explosive 2020 documentary provides an account of the FBI’s investigation and harassment of Martin Luther King Jr. in an attempt to lessen his influence on the civil-rights movement. It was all exposed in newly declassified documents—and MLK/FBI interviews with historians and figures involved in the situation.

Particle Fever

This incredible science documentary focuses on Switzerland’s Large Hadron Collider—where theoretical physicists attempt to get ambitious physics experiments up and running. Particle Feve r is a phenomenal achievement in communicating scientific theories, somehow making the process of following the collider’s experiments extremely thrilling and watchable.

Watch on The Roku Channel Watch on YouTube

March of the Penguins

Not only was March of the Penguins a legitimate cultural phenomenon when it debuted in 2005, it’s one of the greatest nature documentaries the world has ever seen, too. Seriously: Who thought the weird, waddling mating season of the penguin could make us tear up? Oh, and before we forget, March of the Penguins features the holy grail of a twenty-first-century documentary: narration by none other than Morgan Freeman.

Watch on Amazon Prime Video Watch on Apple TV+

When We Were Kings

Some sports buffs might disagree, but When We Were Kings is to Muhammad Ali as The Last Dance is to Michael Jordan. That is: If you need a reminder of the boxing legend’s greatness (both as an activist and an athlete), look no further than the day-by-day account of his trip to Kinshasa, Zaire, for the “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman.

Watch on The Criterion Channel

Minding the Gap

History will look kindly upon the Academy for giving Minding the Gap an Oscar nomination back in 2018. In filming his best friends over a period of twelve years, Bing Liu conceived a heartbreaking coming-of-age story that punches hard — and will stick with you for years after you’ve seen it (even if you remember it only for its stellar skateboarding photography). Or at least until Liu, who is primed to become a legitimate filmmaking star, premieres his next effort.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

If there’s one documentary on this list that will have you involuntarily bawling your eyes out, it’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The documentary profiles late children’s television star Fred Rogers , whose show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, affected millions of young (and old!) lives.

If you like it when your documentaries make you sweat , then hey, Free Solo will have you heading for the shower afterward. The film chronicles rock climber Alex Honnold’s ascent to the top of the treacherous El Capitan in Yosemite National Park ... without ropes, harnesses, any of that pesky protective stuff. So yeah! Watching Free Solo is the equivalent of sixty minutes of sitting in a sauna.

Watch on Disney+ Watch on Amazon Prime Video Watch on Hulu

The Last Waltz

Back in the seventies, Martin Scorsese captured Canadian rock group the Band’s final show. The performance included appearances from Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell, making for an all-timer of a concert film.

Watch on Amazon Prime Video Watch on Tubi

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COMMENTS

92 Best Biographical Documentaries Movies To Watch
92 Best Biographical Documentaries Movies To Watch. Sort By. The Accidental Twins (2024) 7.0. netflix. Biographical Documentaries. A serviceable documentary details-wise that doesn't quite live up to the monumental coincidence it's about. Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2023 "GIFT" at Tokyo Dome (2023) 8.0.
The Best Biographical Documentaries Ever
Christopher Campbell (@thefilmcynic), Nonfics, Film School Rejects, Thrillist. The best biographical documentaries that mostly look back on a life tend to be based on books. The top three are ...
The 100+ Best Biographical Documentary Series, Ranked
Vote up the best biography documentary shows and add any biographical documentary series that are missing. Latest additions: Icons Unearthed: Tom Cruise, Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose, Simone Biles: Rising. Help shape these rankings by voting on this list of The 100+ Best Biographical Documentary Series, Ranked. 1.
Top 50 Biography, Documentary Movies and TV Shows
A Storm Foretold. 2023 1h 30m. 7.7 (565) Rate. With Trump's political godfather, Roger Stone, as the film's central character the film documents how Trump's presidential period had to find its logical end point in The Storm at the Capitol. 6. Friends: The Reunion. 2021 1h 44m TV-14.
The 30 best documentaries on Netflix (September 2024)
To Kill a Tiger (2023) 'To Kill a Tiger'. Netflix. One of the best documentaries to premiere in 2022, To Kill a Tiger is a Canadian film that tells the story of one family's fight for justice ...
The Best Biographical Documentaries on Netflix
Here are the best biographical documentaries currently streaming on Netflix: 35. The Missing Picture. Year: 2015. Director: Rithy Panh. The task of chronicling the unimaginable is handled with ...
Biography
Oppenheimer: Destroyer of Worlds. 2023, Biography. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a remarkable figure in the annals of history, shaped the course of human knowledge and progress through his pivotal role in nuclear physics and the Manhattan Project. Born in New York City in 1904,... Watch now → ★ 7.86.
IMDb Top Biographic Documentaries
1. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. 2020 1h 23m PG. 8.9 (35K) Rate. TV Movie 72 Metascore. One man has seen more of the natural world than any other. This unique feature documentary is his witness statement. Director Alastair Fothergill Jonathan Hughes Keith Scholey Stars David Attenborough Max Hughes.
Top 50 Biography, Documentary Videos
A list of the best Biography, Documentary videos, as ranked by IMDb users, like you. Find something great to watch now. Menu. ... is the first full-length documentary film biography about one of the most ... See full summary » Director: Shems Friedlander | Star: Alexander Siddig. Votes: 751. 41. Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story (2004 Video)
Biographical Documentaries
From world leaders including Volodymyr Zelensky to icons of pop culture like Elizabeth Taylor or billionaires such as Elon Musk, BBC Select brings you the li...
10 Biographical Documentaries to Watch on Netflix Now That ...
Image via Netflix. This is the story of Pat Henschel and Terry Donohue, two former baseball players who have kept their relationship a secret for 70 years. Now in their 90s and having only ...
The 15 Best Celebrity Documentaries, Ranked
Director: Brett Morgen. Image via HBO. The authorized 2015 documentary directed by Brett Morgen premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to great results (it features a 97% score on Rotten ...
The 20 best documentaries on Hulu (September 2024)
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023) Brooke Shields in 'Pretty Baby'. Hulu. Brooke Shields spent her formative years as a young actress and model being sexualized by directors, audiences, and the ...
The 66 best documentaries of all time
11. Salesman (1968) Follow a quartet of real-life Willy Lomans as they peddle Bibles to working-class stiffs, in the Maysles brothers' bleak picture of the American dream circa the late '60s. No ...
The 82 Best Documentaries of All Time
The Janes (2022) Directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes, this film unravels the story of the Jane Collective, a group of fearless Chicagoans in the late '60s and early '70s who offered a ...
The 30+ Best Biography TV Shows, Ranked By Fans
Over 60 TV viewers have voted on the 30+ Best Biography TV Shows. Current Top 3: Madoff, American Crime Story, Anne Frank: The Whole Story ... American Experience PBS documentary series, History Channel documentaries, Biography Channel documentaries, National Geographic Channel documentaries Why Should I Stream?
100 Best-Reviewed Documentaries of All Time
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)97%. #20. Critics Consensus: A concise, entertaining documentary about the spectacular failure of Enron. Synopsis: This documentary explores the fall of the Enron Corporation, arguably the most shocking example of modern corporate corruption.
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Aired April 10, 2018 | 52 min. The shocking story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy college students who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924 to prove they were smart enough to get ...
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2018 1h 36m PG-13. 7.6 (38K) Rate. 81 Metascore. 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. Votes 38,397. 35. American Experience.
Biography documentaries
Watch and explore Biography documentaries online. Collection of educational, informative and free documentary films for you to enjoy.
The 20 best documentaries on YouTube to entertain and teach you
8. Flee. Nominated for three Academy Awards — Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature Film, and Best International Feature Film — Flee is a beautifully animated account of a man's flight from ...
The 64 Best Documentaries to Stream Now
Holy Hell. Holy Hell is a chilling documentary about the filmmaker Will Allen, who embedded in the United States cult Buddhafield. The film looks at the cult's members with a uniquely personal and ...

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The Accidental Twins (2024)

Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 2023 “GIFT” at Tokyo Dome (2023)

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)

Swan Song (2023)

American Symphony (2023)

Angle (2023)

The Missing Picture (2013)

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story (2020)

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

Fighting with My Family (2019)

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows (1998)

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

The Best Biographical Documentaries Ever Made — IndieWire Critics Survey

Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Freelance for The Village Voice, /Film

Christopher Campbell (@thefilmcynic), Nonfics, Film School Rejects, Thrillist

Max Weiss (@maxthegirl), Baltimore Magazine

Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle), Freelance for FreshFiction, SassyMamaInLA

Carl Broughton II(@Carlislegendary), Editor-in-chief for thefilmera.com

Deborah Krieger (@debonthearts) BUST Magazine, Paste Magazine

Pedro Strazza (@pedrosazevedo), B9

Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks), Film School Rejects, Birth.Movies.Death., Chicago Reader

Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui), /Film

Kristen Lopez (@Journeys_Film), Culturess, The Young Folks

Sean Mulvihill (@NotSPMulvihill), FanboyNation.com

Ethan Warren (@ethanrawarren), Bright Wall/Dark Room

Emily Sears (@emily_dawn), Birth.Movies.Death., Fandor

Joel Mayward (@joelmayward), Cinemayward.com, Freelance

Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@chrisreedfilm), Hammer to Nail/Film Festival Today

Daniel Joyaux (@thirdmanmovies), Freelance for Vanity Fair, The Verge, MovieMaker Magazine, and The Independent

Luiz Gustavo (@luizgvt), Cronico de Cinema

Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film), Freelance

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