The 10 best political documentaries of all time, according to me.

by MehdiTaba | created - 11 Apr 2022 | updated - 11 Apr 2022 | Public
 Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etc
  • Instant Watch Options
  • Genres
  • Movies or TV
  • IMDb Rating
  • In Theaters
  • Release Year
  • Keywords



IMDb user rating (average) to
Number of votes to »




Reset
Release year or range to »




































































































1. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama

72 Metascore

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: 148,759 | Gross: $21.58M

2. Hearts and Minds (1974)

R | 112 min | Documentary, History, War

68 Metascore

A startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.

Director: Peter Davis | Stars: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Ngo Dinh Diem, John Foster Dulles

Votes: 6,110 | Gross: $0.03M

3. Attica (2021)

TV-MA | 116 min | Documentary, History

87 Metascore

This unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later.

Directors: Traci Curry, Stanley Nelson | Stars: Arthur Harrison, Carlos Roche, Tyrone Larkins, George Che Nieves

Votes: 3,081

4. The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015)

90 min | Documentary

After her dad shifts his politics from left to right, his daughter tries to understand what happened.

Director: Jen Senko | Stars: Glenn Beck, Eric Boehlert, David Brock, Noam Chomsky

Votes: 1,381

5. The Panama Deception (1992)

91 min | Documentary, History, War

A film about the true reasons for the 1989 US invasion of Panama and big media complicity in these activities.

Director: Barbara Trent | Stars: Elizabeth Montgomery, Carlos Cantú, Diviana Ingravallo, Abraham Alvarez

Votes: 1,167 | Gross: $0.31M

6. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War

67 Metascore

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

7. 13th (2016)

TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History

81 Metascore

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales

Votes: 37,682

8. The Dissident (2020)

PG-13 | 119 min | Documentary, Crime, Thriller

81 Metascore

When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.

Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Jamal Khashoggi, Omar Abdulaziz, Irfan Fidan, Recep Kiliç

Votes: 30,482

9. The Fog of War (2003)

PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History

87 Metascore

The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.

Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Robert McNamara, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon

Votes: 25,052 | Gross: $4.20M

10. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

R | 106 min | Documentary, Crime, History

82 Metascore

Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.

Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Brian Keith Allen, Moazzam Begg, Christopher Beiring

Votes: 16,805 | Gross: $0.27M



Recently Viewed