Must See Documentaries
by sbray27 | created - 09 Mar 2015 | updated - 5 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Zeitgeist (2007 Video)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, History
Mythology and belief in society today, presenting uncommon perspectives of common cultural issues.
Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Chogyam Trungpa, Jordan Maxwell, George Carlin, Bill Hicks
Votes: 50,374
2. Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008 Video)
Not Rated | 123 min | Documentary, History, War
Zeitgeist: Addendum attempts to locate the root causes of the pervasive social corruption, while also offering a solution.
Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows, John Perkins, George Carlin
Votes: 18,691
3. Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)
Not Rated | 161 min | Documentary
A feature length documentary work which presents a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society.
Director: Peter Joseph | Stars: Peter Joseph, Robert Sapolsky, Gabor Maté, Richard Wilkinson
Votes: 18,743
4. The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, who took his own life at the age of 26.
Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Aaron Swartz, Tim Berners-Lee, Cindy Cohn, Gabriella Coleman
Votes: 18,040 | Gross: $0.05M
5. We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary
A documentary on the workings and beliefs of the self-described "hacktivist" collective, Anonymous.
Director: Brian Knappenberger | Stars: Anon2World, Anonyops, Julian Assange, Aaron Barr
Votes: 10,421
6. Craigslist Joe (2012)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Adventure
In a time when America's economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century's new town square: Craigslist.
Director: Joseph Garner | Stars: Joseph Garner, Kristos Andrews, Gina Keatley, Michael Kuciak
Votes: 3,844
7. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,226 | Gross: $4.42M
8. Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup (2009 Video)
Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
An exploration of the viewpoint that the September 11, 2001 attacks were planned by the United States government.
Director: Dylan Avery | Stars: Osama bin Laden, Johnelle Bryant, George W. Bush, Laura Bush
Votes: 3,737
9. Loose Change: Final Cut (2007 Video)
80 min | Documentary, History, Mystery
Loose Change Final Cut sets out to prove the official story of 9/11 - 'that the impact of two planes flying into two World Trade Center towers and the resulting fires caused three World ... See full synopsis »
Director: Dylan Avery | Stars: Dylan Avery, Mahmoud Ahmad, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Hamza Al-Ghamdi
Votes: 2,506
10. Zero: An Investigation Into 9/11 (2007)
104 min | Documentary
ZERO has one central thesis: the official version of the events surrounding 9/11 can not be true. This documentary explores the latest evidence and witness testimonies.
Directors: Franco Fracassi, Francesco Trento | Stars: Tim Sparke, Nafeez Mossadeq Ahmed, Brian Clark, Dario Fo
Votes: 739
11. Louis Theroux: Extreme Love - Autism (2012 TV Movie)
58 min | Documentary
Louis travels to DLC Warren in New Jersey, an innovative autism school.
Director: Jamie Pickup | Stars: Louis Theroux, Josephine Engelhardt, Matt Fernandez, Mary Ingrassia
Votes: 1,438
12. The Cove (2009)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Director: Louie Psihoyos | Stars: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Votes: 51,452 | Gross: $0.87M
13. 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: 68,830 | Gross: $3.29M
14. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 148,760 | Gross: $21.58M
15. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,398 | Gross: $119.19M
16. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,831 | Gross: $24.54M
17. The Imposter (2012)
R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
Director: Bart Layton | Stars: Adam O'Brian, Nicholas Barclay, Carey Gibson, Bryan Gibson
Votes: 50,467 | Gross: $0.89M
18. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,742 | Gross: $3.23M
19. Cropsey (2009)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Crime, Horror
Realizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
Directors: Barbara Brancaccio, Joshua Zeman | Stars: Joshua Zeman, Barbara Brancaccio, Bill Ellis, Dorothy D'Eletto
Votes: 9,203 | Gross: $0.05M
20. Killer Legends (2014)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and the true stories that may have inspired them.
Director: Joshua Zeman | Stars: Rachel Mills, Joshua Zeman, Stephen Winick, James Presley
Votes: 3,534
21. Pearl Jam Twenty (2011)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, History, Music
A documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Cameron Crowe
Votes: 8,186 | Gross: $0.45M
22. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
R | 127 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings
Votes: 43,872 | Gross: $14.36M
23. West of Memphis (2012)
R | 147 min | Documentary, Crime
An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Michael Baden
Votes: 10,956 | Gross: $0.31M
24. Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (2011)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary
An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.
Director: Jon Foy | Stars: Justin Duerr, Marc Duerr, Kevin Riley, Abby Miller
Votes: 2,314 | Gross: $0.01M
25. Must Read After My Death (2007)
73 min | Documentary
A grandmother dies and leaves behind hours of secret film and audio recordings as well as an envelope with the words "Must read after my death", which reveal a dark history for her family to discover.
Director: Morgan Dews
Votes: 197
26. That's Not Funny (2014)
90 min | Documentary, Comedy, History
That's Not Funny is an examination of the history of taboo subjects and controversy in comedy, and one comedy fan's heartfelt and passionate defense of an art form.
Director: Mike Celestino | Star: Mike Celestino
Votes: 116
27. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,133 | Gross: $3.12M
28. Mistaken for Strangers (2013)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music
Tom Berninger chronicles his time spent on the road as a member of the tour crew for The National, the rock & roll band fronted by his brother, Matt.
Director: Tom Berninger | Stars: Tom Berninger, Matt Berninger, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf
Votes: 4,607 | Gross: $0.14M
29. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby
Votes: 40,726 | Gross: $0.02M
30. Erasing David (2010)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
Director David Bond finds out how much private companies and government know about him by attempting to disappear. Tracked by two ruthless private investigators, his chilling journey forces him to contemplate the loss of privacy.
Directors: David Bond, Melinda McDougall | Stars: Frank M. Ahearn, David Bond, Phil Booth, Cameron Gowlett
Votes: 420
31. The Blue Planet (2001)
TV-G | 49 min | Documentary
Mammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans.
Stars: David Attenborough, Pierce Brosnan, Peter Scoones
Votes: 42,716
32. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
Stars: Andrew Jarecki, Robert Durst, J. Patrick Burns, Dick DeGuerin
Votes: 51,678
33. Planet Earth (2006)
TV-PG | 49 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti Johnston
Votes: 220,327
34. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
TV-PG | 43 min | Documentary
An exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Emerson, Keythe Farley, Piotr Michael
Votes: 128,729
35. Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (2010)
88 min | Documentary
In this comprehensive cosmology series Stephen Hawking looks at the entire universe, from the Big Bang to the end of time.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Hawking, Melissa Ricci, Christopher Goh
Votes: 5,550
36. The Emperor's New Clothes (2015)
Unrated | 101 min | Documentary
A look at the growing disparity between different economic classes.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Russell Brand, Geraint Anderson, Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Paul Belmondo
Votes: 1,402
37. Making a Murderer (2015–2018)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
Filmed over a 10-year period, Steven Avery, a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.
Stars: Steven Avery, Dolores Avery, Laura Nirider, Allan Avery
Votes: 102,865
38. Citizenfour (2014)
R | 114 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Jacob Appelbaum
Votes: 57,989 | Gross: $2.80M
39. Deep Web (2015)
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary
A feature documentary that explores the rise of a new Internet; decentralized, encrypted, dangerous and beyond the law; with particular focus on the FBI capture of the Tor hidden service Silk Road, and the judicial aftermath.
Director: Alex Winter | Stars: Ross Ulbricht, James Chaparro, Nicolas Christin, Cindy Cohn
Votes: 9,639
40. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,794 | Gross: $5.23M
41. Blackfish (2013)
PG-13 | 83 min | Documentary
A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Stars: Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Votes: 72,457 | Gross: $2.07M
42. Dinosaur 13 (2014)
PG | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary about the discovery of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever found.
Director: Todd Douglas Miller | Stars: Stan Adelstein, Lanice Archer, Robert Bakker, Philip Currie
Votes: 3,982
43. Planet Earth II (2016)
TV-G | 50 min | Documentary
David Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
Stars: David Attenborough, Chadden Hunter, Gordon Buchanan, Elizabeth White
Votes: 158,285
44. Tickled (2016)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve | Stars: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David Starr, Kevin Clarke
Votes: 20,730 | Gross: $0.61M
45. The Pyramid Code (2009)
45 min | Documentary
The Pyramid Code is a documentary series of 5 episodes that explores the pyramid fields and ancient temples in Egypt as well as ancient megalithic sites around the world looking for clues ... See full summary »
Stars: Sally Jennings, Abd'el Hakim Awyan, John Anthony West, Carmen Boulter
Votes: 839
46. Ancient Impossible (2014– )
60 min | Documentary, History
From the modern aircraft carrier to colossal Egyptian monuments, Ancient Impossible on H2 travels back in time to reveal the real story behind our world's so-called modern technological achievements.
Stars: Alan Gilchrist, Bill Graves, Darius Arya, James Dean
Votes: 215
47. Quest for the Lost Civilization (1998)
151 min | Documentary, History, Mystery
Graham Hancock is a bestselling author and journalist who specializes in ancient civilizations. He explores, amongst other things, the submerged Yonaguni monument off the coast of Japan, Easter Island, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the pyramids of Egypt and looks at astronomical alignments.
Stars: Graham Hancock, Santha Faiia, Robert Schoch, John Anthony West
Votes: 265
48. Where to Invade Next (2015)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Comedy
To learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Johnny Fancelli, Christina Fancelli, Lorena Lardini
Votes: 25,706 | Gross: $3.82M
49. Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (2000)
24 min | Documentary
A self-help guide which applies the teachings of philosophers to dealing with life's everyday problems.
Star: Alain de Botton
Votes: 334
50. Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018)
TV-MA | 48 min | Documentary, Crime
The extraordinary story of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.
Stars: Trey Borzillieri, Jerry Clark, Jason Wick, Lamont King
Votes: 31,020
51. The Staircase (2004–2018)
TV-MA | 629 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001.
Stars: Michael Peterson, David Rudolf, Ron Guerette, Martha Ratliff
Votes: 27,223
52. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy, featuring interviews with him on death row.
Stars: Stephen Michaud, Bob Keppel, Kathleen McChesney, Ward Lucas
Votes: 32,929
53. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
TV-MA | 55 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
College student and tourist Elisa Lam vanishes, leaving behind all of her possessions in her hotel room. The Cecil Hotel grows in infamy.
Votes: 19,999
54. Sins of Our Mother (2022)
TV-14 | 47 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
When Lori Vallow's kids vanished, the search for them unearthed a trail of suspicious deaths, a new husband who shared her doomsday views - and murder.
Stars: Colby Ryan, Janis Cox, Kelsee Ryan, Justin Lum
Votes: 7,484
55. My Octopus Teacher (2020)
TV-G | 85 min | Documentary, Drama
A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.
Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed | Stars: Craig Foster, Tom Foster
Votes: 63,853
56. Record Safari (2020)
102 min | Documentary, Music
Follow Alex Rodriguez across America as he discovers and curates records for Coachella Music Festival's on-site record store while in the process meeting and swapping stories with fellow collectors and musicians.
Director: Vincent Vittorio | Stars: Ant, Plain Ole Bill, Rebecca Birmingham, Steven Blush
Votes: 65
57. The Lost Leonardo (2021)
PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Mystery
The mystery surrounding the Salvator Mundi, the first painting by Leonardo da Vinci to be discovered for more than a century, which has now seemingly gone missing.
Director: Andreas Koefoed | Stars: Mohammad Bin Salman, Doug Patteson, Jerry Saltz, Robert K. Wittman
Votes: 2,760
58. The Rescue (2021)
PG | 107 min | Documentary, Action, Mystery
A chronicle of the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Bancha Duriyapunt, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Anan Surawan, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun
Votes: 20,623 | Gross: $1.06M
59. Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
After losing his memory in an accident, Alex Lewis trusts his twin brother, Marcus, to tell him about his past only to discover that he's hiding a dark secret about their childhood.
Director: Ed Perkins | Stars: Andrew Caley, Alex Lewis, Marcus Lewis, Evan Milton
Votes: 16,805
60. Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire (2021– )
Documentary, Crime, History
Exposing the truths behind the mystery of the Ghost Train Fire at Sydney's iconic Luna Park, Caro Meldrum-Hanna returns for a ground-breaking three-part investigation.
Stars: Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Patrick Begley, Jason Holman, Mark Cairncross
Votes: 825
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