My Top 40 Documentaries
by DVIUS | created - 08 Dec 2015 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicI have picked my 25(ish) all-time favourite documentaries watched so far. All have made my list for various reasons and they all resonate with me in different ways.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Biggie & Tupac (2002)
R | 108 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls and the East Coast/West Coast, hip-hop/rap rivalry that culminated in late 1996 and early 1997.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Nick Broomfield, Russell Poole
Votes: 5,012 | Gross: $0.09M
2. Facing Ali (2009)
R | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.
Director: Pete McCormack | Stars: George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, George Foreman, Joe Frazier
Votes: 3,775
3. Thrilla in Manila (2008 TV Movie)
100 min | Documentary, Sport
A detailed examination of the intense rivalry between the two heavyweight boxing champions, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.
Director: John Dower | Stars: Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier, Thomas Hauser, Muhammad Ali
Votes: 923
4. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
Documentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Oliver O'Grady, Thomas Doyle, Adam, Jeff Anderson
Votes: 10,831 | Gross: $30.58M
5. 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: 52,229 | Gross: $4.42M
6. The Devil Came on Horseback (2007)
85 min | Documentary
A documentary that exposes the genocide raging in Darfur, Sudan as seen through the eyes of a former U.S. marine who returns home to make the story public.
Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg | Stars: Nicholas Kristof, Brian Steidle
Votes: 1,622 | Gross: $0.13M
7. 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: 51,457 | Gross: $0.87M
8. Religulous (2008)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg
Votes: 60,251 | Gross: $13.00M
9. 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: 148,769 | Gross: $21.58M
10. 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: 37,581 | Gross: $0.68M
11. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: John Beard, Tim Belden, Barbara Boxer, George W. Bush
Votes: 20,119
12. Overnight (2003)
R | 82 min | Documentary
A documentary on the rise and stumble of Troy Duffy, the bartender-cum-filmmaker who was swept up by Miramax's Harvey Weinstein to turn his script for The Boondock Saints into a feature film.
Directors: Tony Montana, Mark Brian Smith | Stars: Troy Duffy, Jeffrey Baxter, Chris Brinker, Jake Busey
Votes: 4,664
13. Mugabe and the White African (2009)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
An intimate and moving account of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming injustice and brutality.
Directors: Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson
Votes: 981 | Gross: $0.00M
14. Armadillo (2010)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, War
Danish soldiers are sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for 6 months, to help stabilize the country against the Taliban. They're stationed on Armadillo military base in Helman province. Unlike other war movies, this is the real deal - no actors.
Director: Janus Metz
Votes: 10,332 | Gross: $0.01M
15. Waiting for Superman (2010)
PG | 111 min | Documentary
An examination of the current state of education in America today.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Charles Adams, Jonathan Alter, Robert Balfanz, Harriet Ball
Votes: 11,635 | Gross: $6.41M
16. 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: 6,630
17. 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: 75,873 | Gross: $1.61M
18. The Pipe (2010)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Drama
What do people do, when the law prevents them from protecting themselves? Documentary film on the small Irish village that stood up to Big Oil.
Director: Risteard O'Domhnaill | Stars: Bertie Ahern, Mary Corduff, Willie Corduff, Maura Harrington
Votes: 250
19. Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
TV-14 | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary feature exploring the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable, ... See full summary »
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Bobby Fischer, David Edmonds, Anthony Saidy, Susan Polgar
Votes: 7,402
20. 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: 50,474 | Gross: $0.89M
21. The Art of the Steal (2009)
Unrated | 101 min | Documentary
Documentary that follows the struggle for control of Dr. Albert C. Barnes' 25 billion dollar collection of modern and post-impressionist art.
Director: Don Argott | Stars: Julian Bond, David D'Arcy, Richard Feigen, Richard H. Glanton
Votes: 2,494 | Gross: $0.54M
22. 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: 72,479 | Gross: $2.07M
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: 10,958 | Gross: $0.31M
24. 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
25. Zero Days (2016)
PG-13 | 116 min | Documentary
A documentary focused on Stuxnet, a piece of self-replicating computer malware that the U.S. and Israel unleashed to destroy a key part of an Iranian nuclear facility, and which ultimately spread beyond its intended target.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: David Sanger, Emad Kiyaei, Eric Chien, Liam O'Murchu
Votes: 10,423 | Gross: $0.10M
26. Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
Not Rated | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
During the final days of the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbled. An unlikely group of heroes emerged as Americans and South Vietnamese took matters into their own hands.
Director: Rory Kennedy | Stars: Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Stuart Herrington, Juan Valdez
Votes: 4,099 | Gross: $0.47M
27. Oklahoma City (2017)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Documents the beliefs and experiences of Timothy McVeigh in the lead-up to his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which claimed 168 lives.
Director: Barak Goodman | Stars: Janet Beck, Alan Berg, Jim Botting, Bill Buford
Votes: 2,959
28. The Red Pill (2016)
TV-14 | 108 min | Documentary
The Red Pill chronicles filmmaker Cassie Jaye's journey following the mysterious and polarizing Men's Rights Movement. The Red Pill explores today's gender war and asks the question "what is the future of gender equality?"
Director: Cassie Jaye | Stars: Cassie Jaye, Paul Elam, Attila Vinczer, Dean Esmay
Votes: 12,050
29. The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
TV-14 | 119 min | Documentary, Crime
The story of Theranos, a multi-billion dollar tech company, its founder Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest self-made female billionaire, and the massive fraud that collapsed the company.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Alex Gibney, Elizabeth Holmes, Dan Ariely, Roger Parloff
Votes: 15,210
30. Icarus (2017)
TV-MA | 120 min | Documentary, Sport
When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin, Grigory Rodchenkov
Votes: 54,732
31. Only the Dead (2015)
TV-MA | 77 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Australian journalist Michael Ware's experiences in Iraq during the 2003 war and after.
Directors: Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware | Stars: Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Michael Ware
Votes: 3,476
32. Virunga (2014)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, War
A team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas.
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel | Stars: André Bauma, Emmanuel de Merode, Mélanie Gouby, Rodrigue Mugaruka Katembo
Votes: 12,260
33. Apollo 11 (I) (2019)
G | 93 min | Documentary, History
A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins.
Director: Todd Douglas Miller | Stars: Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Deke Slayton
Votes: 27,227 | Gross: $9.04M
34. The Dissident (2020)
PG-13 | 119 min | Documentary, Crime, Thriller
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: 30,483
35. The Seven Five (2014)
R | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Meet the dirtiest cop in NYC history. Michael Dowd stole money and dealt drugs while patrolling the streets of 80s Brooklyn.
Director: Tiller Russell | Stars: Mike Dowd, Ken Eurell, Walter Yurkiw, Chickie
Votes: 6,278 | Gross: $0.01M
36. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)
TV-MA | 62 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of himself killing kittens.
Stars: Deanna Thompson, John Green, Claudette Hamlin, Anna Yourkin
Votes: 62,299
37. Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky | Stars: His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Said Ismagilov, Bishop Agapit, Archbishop Petro Malchuk
Votes: 20,639
38. Last Breath (2019)
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary
A deep sea diver is stranded on the seabed with 5 minutes of oxygen and no hope of rescue. With access to amazing archive this is the story of one man's impossible fight for survival.
Directors: Richard da Costa, Alex Parkinson | Stars: Duncan Allcock, Kjetil Ove Alvestad, Stuart Anderson, Glenn Brunskill
Votes: 7,318
39. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)
TV-14 | 92 min | Documentary
Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.
Director: Joshua Rofé | Stars: Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, John Thamm
Votes: 6,758
40. 9/11: Four Flights (2021)
TV-14 | 86 min | Documentary
American 11, United 175, American 77, and United 93 tells the riveting and emotional human stories of those aboard each doomed jetliner.
Stars: Michelle Cottom, Deborah Lloyd, Kenny Nacke, Barbara Olson
Votes: 273
41. 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: 2,762
Tell Your Friends