My Favourite Documentaries
by humphy18 | created - 21 Dec 2010 | updated - 04 Apr 2023 | Public- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. 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: 37,569 | Gross: $0.68M
2. Free Solo (2018)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe
Votes: 77,280 | Gross: $17.54M
3. Touching the Void (2003)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Adventure, Drama
The true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron
Votes: 38,085 | Gross: $4.59M
4. American Movie (1999)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Comedy
Documentary about an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to finance his dream project by finally completing the low-budget horror film he abandoned years before.
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt
Votes: 19,322 | Gross: $1.16M
5. 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: 68,808 | Gross: $3.29M
6. Hoop Dreams (1994)
PG-13 | 170 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
Director: Steve James | Stars: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates
Votes: 28,008 | Gross: $7.83M
7. TT3D: Closer to the Edge (2011)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Sport
Motorcycle racers reveal their motivation to participate each year in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the most dangerous and deadliest event in the sport.
Director: Richard De Aragues | Stars: Guy Martin, Ian Hutchinson, John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop
Votes: 6,627
8. 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: 20,633 | Gross: $0.61M
9. 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: 50,419 | Gross: $0.89M
10. Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust (2013)
95 min | Music
For 30 years, the Cosmic Psychos have blazed a trail of empty beer cans and busted ear drums around the globe with their quintessential Australian drawl and pounding punk rock songs. With ... See full summary »
Director: Matt Weston | Stars: Raymond Ahn, Steve Albini, Mark Arm, Mario Borelli
Votes: 158
11. 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: 20,581 | Gross: $1.06M
12. All This Mayhem (2014)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Brothers Tas and Ben Pappas become the kings of professional skateboarding, but their hedonistic ways lead to a hard fall from grace.
Director: Eddie Martin | Stars: Tas Pappas, Ben Pappas, Tommy Caudill, Lance Conklin
Votes: 3,784
13. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Sport
Documentary about the pioneering 1970s Zephyr skating team.
Director: Stacy Peralta | Stars: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Jeff Ament
Votes: 13,354 | Gross: $1.29M
14. The Alpinist (2021)
PG-13 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography
Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. With no cameras and no margin for error, Leclerc's approach is the essence of solo adventure.
Directors: Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen | Stars: Marc-André Leclerc, Peter Mortimer, Alex Honnold, Jason Kruk
Votes: 14,369
15. 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: 10,948 | Gross: $0.31M
16. Undefeated (2011)
PG-13 | 113 min | Documentary, Sport
Chronicles three underprivileged students from inner-city Memphis and their volunteer coach who tries to help them beat the odds on and off the field.
Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin | Stars: Bill Courtney, O.C. Brown, Montrail 'Money' Brown, Chavis Daniels
Votes: 7,337 | Gross: $0.56M
17. Murderball (2005)
R | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Directors: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro | Stars: Joe Soares, Keith Cavill, Mark Zupan, Robert Soares
Votes: 10,457 | Gross: $1.52M
18. 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: 75,741 | Gross: $1.61M
19. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,881 | Gross: $3.97M
20. Waste Land (2010)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro is Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill, where men and women sift through garbage for a living. Artist Vik Muniz produces portraits of the workers and learns about their lives.
Directors: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, João Jardim | Star: Vik Muniz
Votes: 9,360 | Gross: $0.19M
21. 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: 43,739 | Gross: $3.23M
22. The Great Hip Hop Hoax (2013)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music
Scottish rappers Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain reinvent themselves as West Coast Homeboys after they were signed by Sony.
Director: Jeanie Finlay | Stars: Gavin Bain, Billy Boyd
Votes: 629
23. Unknown White Male (2005)
PG-13 | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
The true story of Doug Bruce who woke up on Coney Island with total amnesia. This documentary follows him as he rediscovers himself and the world around him.
Director: Rupert Murray | Stars: Doug Bruce, Rupert Murray
Votes: 1,068 | Gross: $0.12M
24. That Sugar Film (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Damon Gameau embarks on an experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body.
Director: Damon Gameau | Stars: Damon Gameau, Hugh Jackman, Milla Bakaitis, Richard Davies
Votes: 10,857
25. Anvil (2008)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Since 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
Director: Sacha Gervasi | Stars: Robb Reiner, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Tiziana Arrigoni, Scott Ian
Votes: 16,839 | Gross: $0.67M
26. Catching Hell (2011)
102 min | Documentary, Sport
After the Chicago Cubs blow an opportunity to reach the World Series in 2003, Cubs fans blame the team's misfortune on fellow fan Steve Bartman, who interfered with a foul ball and prevented Moises Alou from making a catch.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Dave Kaplan, Bob Costas, Dwight Evans
Votes: 1,717
27. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,248 | Gross: $11.53M
28. American Teen (2008)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
Director: Nanette Burstein | Stars: Hannah Bailey, Jake Tusing, Megan Krizmanich, Colin Clemens
Votes: 4,230 | Gross: $0.94M
29. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,794 | Gross: $0.49M
30. The Dawn Wall (2017)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
In an unbelievable story of perseverance, free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempt to scale the impossible 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan.
Directors: Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer | Stars: John Branch, Tommy Caldwell, Kevin Jorgeson
Votes: 21,225 | Gross: $1.08M
31. Man vs Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler (2015)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
If you ever played the game "Snake" on your early model Nokia cellphone, then you're familiar with "Nibbler," the original "snake" game. MAN VS SNAKE tells the story of Tim McVey (the gamer... See full summary »
Directors: Tim Kinzy, Andrew Seklir | Stars: Tim McVey, Walter Day, Dwayne Richard, Enrico Zanetti
Votes: 2,599
32. Heart of an Empire (2007)
Unrated | 113 min | Documentary
"Heart Of An Empire" is a documentary about the global Star Wars fan group and Stormtrooper costume enthusiasts known as the "501st".
Director: Jay Thompson | Stars: Scott Allen, Dave Anderson, Keith Arbeeny, Ashley Balch
Votes: 81
33. Sharkwater (2006)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
An investigation of sharks' importance to ecosystems and humankind's mass destruction of shark species worldwide.
Director: Rob Stewart | Stars: Rob Stewart, Paul Watson, Erich Ritter, Boris Worm
Votes: 5,033 | Gross: $0.85M
34. Marley (2012)
PG-13 | 144 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Jimmy Cliff
Votes: 14,485 | Gross: $1.41M
35. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)
PG | 80 min | Documentary, Biography
The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash.
Directors: Constance Marks, Philip Shane | Stars: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Oz, Bill Barretta
Votes: 7,218 | Gross: $0.30M
36. Project Nim (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary
Tells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Nim Chimpsky, Stephanie LaFarge, Herbert Terrace, Wer LaFarge
Votes: 8,599 | Gross: $0.41M
Tell Your Friends