Documentaries
by nelsonphillipio | created - 13 May 2012 | updated - 12 Jul 2015 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Life in a Day (2011)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary shot by film-makers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the twenty-fourth of July, 2010.
Directors: Tegan Bukowski, Loressa Clisby, Kevin Macdonald, Hiroaki Aikawa, Natalia Andreadis, Jack Attridge, Cristina Bocchialini, Zillah Bowes, Andrea Dalla Costa, Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, Alejo Crisóstomo, Sócrates Cuadri, Ayman El Gazwy, Shawn Gadberry, Seth Grant, Jane Haubrich, Soma Helmi, Jennifer M. Howd, Clementine Isaac, Aditya Kolli, Gabor Kukucska, Francesco La Regina, Frederic Lumiere, Marek Mackovic, Zuqy Cruz Marquez, Linda Matarasso, Kevin McMahon, Joseph Michael, Joaquin Montalvan, Lilit Movsisyan, Emmanuelle Pickett, Christopher Redmond, Alejandro Romeo, Alaa Sheikh Hassan, Marcus Tedenryd | Stars: Hiroaki Aikawa, Cindy Baer, Teagan Bentley, Ester Brym
Votes: 15,561 | Gross: $0.25M
2. A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy
A humorous look at life for a loser in love.
Director: Chris Waitt | Stars: Aleksandra Boyarskaya, Danielle McLeod, Olivia Trench, Chris Waitt
Votes: 3,856
3. Postcards from the Future: The Chuck Palahniuk Documentary (2003)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
With two new books and two controversial tour, fans can easily say that 2003 proved to be a landmark year for the best selling author Chuck Palahniuk. But what many people don't know, is ... See full summary »
Directors: Joshua Chaplinsky, Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer | Stars: Cori Armes, Alisa Behr, Carla J. Behr, Nikki Behr
Votes: 266
4. Boxers and Ballerinas (2004)
84 min | Documentary
Shot in three countries over a two year period, Boxers and Ballerinas explores the US-Cuba conflict through the eyes of four youths--a boxer and a ballerina in Havana and Santiago de Cuba and a boxer and a ballerina exiled in Miami.
Directors: Mike Cahill, Brit Marling
Votes: 218
5. Super High Me (2007)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Comedy
Stand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both.
Director: Michael Blieden | Stars: Brian Unger, Gary Cohan, Robert Gore, Sean Tabibian
Votes: 13,141
6. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on rap music and its rise to global prominence.
Directors: Ice-T, Andy Baybutt | Stars: Ice-T, Dr. Dre, Chuck D, Snoop Dogg
Votes: 3,620 | Gross: $0.29M
7. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,082 | Gross: $0.07M
8. Bukowski: Born into This (2003)
R | 130 min | Documentary, Biography
Documentary on Charles Bukowski, author of 'Notes of a Dirty Old Man', 'Love Is a Dog from Hell', and the autobiographical novels, 'Women', 'Hollywood', and 'Post Office'.
Director: John Dullaghan | Stars: Charles Bukowski, Bono, John Bryan, Linda Lee Bukowski
Votes: 3,641 | Gross: $0.30M
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: 50,383 | Gross: $0.89M
10. Freakonomics (2010)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary
A collection of documentaries that explores the hidden side of human nature through the use of the science of economics.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki, Morgan Spurlock | Stars: James Ransone, Tempestt Bledsoe, Morgan Spurlock, Melvin Van Peebles
Votes: 7,731 | Gross: $0.10M
11. Room 237 (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary
An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).
Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan
Votes: 23,104 | Gross: $0.26M
12. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 37,981 | Gross: $2.55M
13. Shepard & Dark (2012)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, Biography
Shepard & Dark is the remarkable story of a friendship in letters.
Director: Treva Wurmfeld | Stars: Sam Shepard, Johnny Dark, O-Lan Jones, Scarlett Jones
Votes: 204 | Gross: $0.01M
14. 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: 72,849 | Gross: $3.97M
15. The Missing Picture (2013)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
Rithy Panh uses clay figures, archival footage, and his narration to recreate the atrocities Cambodia's Khmer Rouge committed between 1975 and 1979.
Director: Rithy Panh | Stars: Randal Douc, Jean-Baptiste Phou
Votes: 3,511 | Gross: $0.05M
16. 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: 18,031 | Gross: $0.05M
17. 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: 72,361 | Gross: $2.07M
18. Teenage (I) (2013)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, History
Teenagers did not always exist. In this living collage of rare archival material, filmed portraits, and voices lifted from early 20th Century diary entries, a struggle erupts between adults and adolescents to define a new idea of youth.
Director: Matt Wolf | Stars: Jena Malone, Ben Whishaw, Julia Hummer, Jessie T. Usher
Votes: 879 | Gross: $0.02M
19. After Tiller (2013)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
This thought provoking, sometimes troubling documentary examines the personal and ethical imperatives that drive abortion providers to continue in the face of often dangerous legal and personal harassment.
Directors: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson | Stars: George Tiller, Warren Hern, Leroy Carhart, Susan Robinson
Votes: 1,118 | Gross: $0.07M
20. The Armstrong Lie (2013)
R | 124 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Lance Armstrong, Reed Albergotti, Betsy Andreu, Frankie Andreu
Votes: 7,889 | Gross: $0.38M
21. Dark Days (2000)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary
A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.
Director: Marc Singer | Star: Marc Singer
Votes: 7,176 | Gross: $0.43M
22. Nostalgia for the Light (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary about two different searches conducted in the Chilean Atacama Desert: one by astronomers looking for answers about the history of the cosmos, and one by women looking for the remains of loved ones killed by Pinochet's regime.
Director: Patricio Guzmán | Stars: Gaspar Galaz, Lautaro Núñez, Luís Henríquez, Miguel Lawner
Votes: 6,101
23. F for Fake (1973)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
A documentary about fraud and fakery.
Directors: Orson Welles, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach | Stars: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, Elmyr de Hory
Votes: 18,270
24. 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: 40,769 | Gross: $0.49M
25. Cutie and the Boxer (2013)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own.
Director: Zach Heinzerling | Stars: Ushio Shinohara, Noriko Shinohara, Alex Shinohara, Ethan Cohen
Votes: 4,736 | Gross: $0.20M
26. 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: 51,415 | Gross: $0.87M
27. Side by Side (2012)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.
Director: Christopher Kenneally | Stars: Derek Ambrosi, Michael Ballhaus, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Dion Beebe
Votes: 13,713 | Gross: $0.03M
28. 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: 3,845
29. Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (2014)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at James 'Whitey' Bulger, one of the most infamous criminals in American history.
Director: Joe Berlinger | Stars: Stephen Rakes, James 'Whitey' Bulger, Tommy Donahue, David Boeri
Votes: 3,157 | Gross: $0.08M
30. Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist (2014)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Documents Marco Pantani's battle with addiction after winning Tour de France and Giro d'Italia in 1998 until his death from cocaine poisoning six years later.
Director: James Erskine | Stars: Greg LeMond, Bradley Wiggins, Evgeni Berzin, Piotr Ugrumov
Votes: 2,065
31. Happiness (II) (2013)
80 min | Documentary, Drama, Family
In 1999, King Jigme Wangchuck approved the use of television and Internet throughout the largely undeveloped nation of Bhutan, assuring the masses that rapid development was synonymous with... See full summary »
Director: Thomas Balmès | Stars: Peyangki, Kinley Om, Ap Kinley Dorji, Aum Thinley Dolma
Votes: 310
32. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,932
33. Chimpanzee (2011)
G | 78 min | Documentary, Family
Meet adorable young chimp Oscar and his fellow mayhem-creating buddies, who see the world as their playground. Full of curiosity, joy and a love for mimicking others, these are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the jungle.
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield | Star: Tim Allen
Votes: 6,363 | Gross: $28.97M
34. Particle Fever (2013)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary
As the Large Hadron Collider is about to be launched for the first time, physicists are on the cusp of the greatest scientific discovery of all time -- or perhaps their greatest failure.
Director: Mark Levinson | Stars: David Kaplan, Fabiola Gianotti, Sherwood Boehlert, Joel Hefley
Votes: 7,582 | Gross: $0.87M
35. Life Itself (2014)
R | 121 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese
Votes: 16,245 | Gross: $0.81M
36. Naked Ambition (2014)
7 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
An inside look at the famous Naked Cowboy of Times Square.
Director: Sofian Khan | Stars: Cindy Fox, The Naked Cowboy
Votes: 10
37. 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: 4,604 | Gross: $0.14M
38. The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)
80 min | Documentary, Sport
In 1973, Hollywood actor Bing Russell starts an independent minor league baseball team in Portland consisting of outcasts and misfits, and turns them into unlikely overnight success.
Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way | Stars: Lou Russell, Kurt Russell, Ken Wheeler, Todd Field
Votes: 4,575
39. The Dog (I) (2013)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Adventure, Biography
A documentary portrait of the late John Wojtowicz, whose attempted robbery of a Brooklyn bank to finance his lover's gender-reassignment surgery was the real-life inspiration for Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
Directors: Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren | Stars: John Wojtowicz, Carmen Bifulco, Jeremy Bowker, Liz Debbie Eden
Votes: 977 | Gross: $0.04M
40. Sonic Highways (2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, Music
Sonic Highways commemorates the Foo Fighters 20th anniversary by documenting the eight-city recording odyssey that produced their latest, and eighth, studio album.
Stars: Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett
Votes: 3,757
41. American Interior (2014)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
In 1792, John Evans, a farmhand from Snowdonia travelled to America to discover whether there was a Welsh-speaking Native American tribe walking the Great Plains. Over 200 years later, ... See full summary »
Directors: Dylan Goch, Gruff Rhys | Stars: Matthew Batten, Cory Spotted Bear, Keith Bear, Edwin Benson
Votes: 129
42. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,533 | Gross: $0.02M
43. I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Caroll Spinney has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
Directors: Dave LaMattina, Chad N. Walker | Stars: Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Debra Spinney
Votes: 1,700 | Gross: $0.01M
44. The Wolfpack (2015)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Biography
Confined in an apartment from a New York housing project, the six Angulo brothers learned everything they know about the world through watching films and spend their time reenacting their favorite movies with intricate homemade costumes.
Director: Crystal Moselle | Stars: Mukunda Angulo, Narayana Angulo, Susanne Angulo, Bhagavan Angulo
Votes: 13,509 | Gross: $1.30M
45. Amy (III) (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Russell Brand
Votes: 54,915 | Gross: $8.41M
46. Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World (2015)
PG | 87 min | Documentary, Biography, Family
On one day, in one city, the world comes together to grant one 5 year old cancer patient his wish. Batkid Begins looks at the 'why' of this flash phenomenon.
Director: Dana Nachman | Stars: Miles Scott, Eric Johnston, Nick Scott, Natalie Scott
Votes: 1,784 | Gross: $0.07M
47. Tig (2015)
TV-14 | 95 min | Documentary, Biography
The personal Biography of Tig Notaro, a Stand-up comedian who was diagnosed with cancer.
Directors: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York | Stars: Stephanie Allynne, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Jennifer Bliss
Votes: 2,856
48. 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: 19,309 | Gross: $1.16M
49. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,410 | Gross: $1.34M
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