Top 20 documentaries
by herbmumford | created - 21 Mar 2012 | updated - 6 months ago | PublicMy favorite documentaries
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Bed Stuy: Do or Die (2011)
80 min | Documentary
A group of Volunteers work the tough inner city streets of New York, saving lives on an old disused ambulance.
Director: Daniel Bishop
2. Tower (2016)
TV-14 | 82 min | Documentary, Animation, Crime
Animation, testimony, and archival footage combine to relate the events of August 1, 1966 when a gunman opened fire from the University of Texas clock tower, killing 16 people.
Director: Keith Maitland | Stars: Monty Muir, Violett Beane, Cole Bee Wilson, Aldo Ordoñez
Votes: 8,291 | Gross: $0.09M
3. The Cruise (1998)
PG-13 | 76 min | Documentary
Timothy "Speed" Levitch, an eccentric New York City tour bus guide, takes tourists around the island of Manhattan and shares an archive of beautifully distorted information about the city.
Director: Bennett Miller | Star: Timothy 'Speed' Levitch
Votes: 1,934 | Gross: $0.24M
4. Marwencol (2010)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Fantasy
Documentary about Mark Hogancamp. After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard. Inspired the movie Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Director: Jeff Malmberg | Stars: Mark Hogancamp, Emmanuel Nneji, Edda Hogancamp, Tom Neubauer
Votes: 3,705 | Gross: $0.11M
5. Song of the Cicada (2022)
75 min | Documentary
In the coastal town of Galveston, Texas, Dale Carter lives as a mortician in his Victorian home with his protege and friend. Over the course of a decade, this observational documentary ... See full summary »
Directors: Aaron Weiss, Robert Weiss | Star: Dale Carter
6. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) (2007)
Unrated | 85 min | Documentary
An examination of corruption and class warfare in Brazil as told through the stories of a wealthy businessman, a plastic surgeon who assists kidnapping victims and a politician whose income relies on a frog farm.
Director: Jason Kohn
Votes: 1,202 | Gross: $0.11M
7. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,950 | Gross: $3.17M
8. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,841 | Gross: $3.29M
9. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Mark Alpiger, Adam Wood
Votes: 37,583 | Gross: $0.68M
10. In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.
Director: Jessica Yu | Stars: Henry Darger, Dakota Fanning, Larry Pine, Frier McCollister
Votes: 2,246 | Gross: $0.41M
11. Shake Hands with the Devil (2007)
R | 112 min | Drama, History, War
The story of General Romeo Dallaire's frustrated efforts to stop the madness of the Rwandan Genocide, despite the complete indifference of his superiors.
Directors: Jennifer Capraru, Roger Spottiswoode | Stars: Roy Dupuis, Owen Sejake, James Gallanders, Michel Ange Nzojibwami
Votes: 3,699
12. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,538 | Gross: $0.33M
13. Finders Keepers (I) (2015)
R | 82 min | Documentary
A story about fame, addiction and a custody battle over a man's leg.
Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel | Stars: John Wood, Shannon Whisnant, Mark Hamilton, Lisa Whisnant
Votes: 2,800 | Gross: $0.04M
14. Shangri-La (2019)
TV-MA | 43 min | Documentary, Music
This four-part docu-series focusses on creative conversation and the emotional side of music-making, using legendary music producer and Def Jam Records co-founder Rick Rubin's iconic Malibu, CA studio as the backdrop.
Stars: Rick Rubin, Rowan Smyth, David Pluebell, Ezra Koenig
Votes: 291
15. Senna (2010)
PG-13 | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neyde Senna
Votes: 75,909 | Gross: $1.61M
16. The House I Live In (2012)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary
From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, a penetrating look inside America's criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Eugene Jarecki, David Simon, Shanequa Benitez, William Julius Wilson
Votes: 5,396 | Gross: $0.21M
17. Crip Camp (2020)
R | 106 min | Documentary, History
Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Directors: James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham | Stars: James Lebrecht, Lionel Je'Woodyard, Joseph O'Conor, Ann Cupolo Freeman
Votes: 8,240
18. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 79,006 | Gross: $4.31M
19. Collective (2019)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians and led to the deaths of innocent citizens.
Director: Alexander Nanau | Stars: Dan Alexandru Condrea, Liviu Iolu, Razvan Lutac, Mirela Neag
Votes: 13,449
20. Dusty & Stones (2022)
83 min | Documentary
Two struggling country music singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Swaziland journey to Texas determined to win big at a battle of the bands.
Director: Jesse Rudoy | Stars: Gazi 'Dusty' Simelane, Lindokuhle 'Stones' Msibi
Votes: 28
21. R21 AKA Restoring Solidarity (2022)
71 min | Documentary, History, War
An undelivered letter written by a Japanese activist that was lost on its way, has been found by a Palestinian filmmaker after 30 years.
Director: Mohanad Yaqubi
Votes: 10
Tell Your Friends