Best Documentaries since 2000
by bombadda | created - 05 May 2013 | updated - 28 May 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Africa (2013)
TV-PG | 51 min | Documentary
Africa, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.
Stars: David Attenborough, Simon Blakeney, Bill Rudolph, Justine Evans
Votes: 17,120
2. Life (2009)
TV-G | 43 min | Documentary
David Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth. From giving an overview of the challenges facing life to hunting the deep sea and various major evolutionary groups of creatures.
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, David Attenborough, Doug Allan, Roger Munns
Votes: 42,814
3. Human Planet (2011)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
Stars: John Hurt, Roger Munns
Votes: 27,795
4. 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: 42,707
5. 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: 220,284
6.
Natural World (1983– )
Episode:
Living with Baboons
(2012)
Documentary
The wild Hamadryas Baboons of Ethiopia have a friend in biologist Mat Pines, they even pick the nits from his hair. He's been studying and living with them for five years in the remote and ... See full summary »
Director: Rob Sullivan | Stars: David Attenborough, Mat Pines
Votes: 21
7. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
G | 99 min | Documentary
Film-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Scott Rowland, Stefan Pashov, Doug MacAyeal
Votes: 19,254 | Gross: $0.94M
8. 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: 8,601 | Gross: $0.41M
9. The Yes Men Fix the World (2009)
87 min | Documentary, Comedy
Troublemaking duo Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, posing as their industrious alter-egos, expose the people profiting from Hurricane Katrina, the faces behind the environmental disaster in Bhopal, and other shocking events.
Directors: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, Kurt Engfehr | Stars: Reggie Watts, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Richard Ebeling
Votes: 5,207 | Gross: $0.19M
10. Ross Kemp on Gangs (2005– )
Documentary, Crime
A look at the street gangs of El Salvador. The Documentary Film follows Ross as he meets gang members, accompanies the police on raids and experiences the everyday tragedies of gang-life.
Stars: Ross Kemp, Dmitry Rumyantsev, Sergey Maluta, Andre Standing
Votes: 1,029
11. 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: 10,420
12. GasLand (2010)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary
An exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
Director: Josh Fox | Stars: Josh Fox, Dick Cheney, Pete Seeger, Richard Nixon
Votes: 11,105 | Gross: $0.03M
13. 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: 75,787 | Gross: $1.61M
14. The Elephant in the Living Room (2010)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Take a journey deep inside the fascinating world where wild exotic animals are kept as household pets.
Director: Michael Webber | Stars: Tim Harrison, Terry Brumfield, Russ Clear, Casey Craig
Votes: 1,116
16. The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)
104 min | Documentary
BC's illegal marijuana trade industry has evolved into a business giant, dubbed by some involved as 'The Union', Commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually. With up to 85% of 'BC ... See full summary »
Director: Brett Harvey | Stars: Adam Scorgie, Chris Bennett, Steve Bloom, Renee Bojee
Votes: 7,833
17. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,975 | Gross: $4.31M
18. 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
19. 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: 51,448 | Gross: $0.87M
20. Earth (2007)
G | 90 min | Documentary
Feature-length version of the documentary TV series Planet Earth (2006), following the migration paths of four animal families.
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield | Stars: James Earl Jones, Patrick Stewart, Anggun, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 14,743 | Gross: $38.05M
21. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,215 | Gross: $23.81M
22. 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: 52,223 | Gross: $4.42M
23. Nature's Great Events (2009)
49 min | Documentary, Family
This exploration of the planet's most breathtaking natural events follows vast migrations, huge ocean convergences, powerful weather systems and mighty floods.
Stars: David Attenborough, Joe Stevens, Shane Moore, Owen Newman
Votes: 3,373
24. 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: 50,456 | Gross: $0.89M
25. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,681 | Gross: $2.96M
26. 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: 72,452 | Gross: $2.07M
27. 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: 72,911 | Gross: $3.97M
28. 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
29. Secret Life of Dogs (2013 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Special uncovers how the true success of the canine species is our mutually beneficial relationship.
Director: Barny Revill | Star: Martin Clunes
Votes: 187
30. Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows Dr. Penny Patterson's current scientific study of Koko, a gorilla who communicates through American Sign Language.
Director: Barbet Schroeder | Stars: Koko, Penny Patterson, Saul Kitchener, Carl Pribram
Votes: 944
31. Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters (2011)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary
A documentary that captures the greatest world record Tetris players as they prepare for the Classic Tetris World Championship. From the days of Thor Aackerlund and his historic victory at ... See full summary »
Director: Adam Cornelius | Stars: Thor Aackerlund, Dain Anderson, Sebastian Blanco, Matt Buco
Votes: 1,597
32. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,045 | Gross: $2.67M
33. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.
Directors: Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov | Stars: Werner Herzog, Gennady Soloviev, Anatoly Blumei, Gennady Tiganov
Votes: 8,929 | Gross: $0.34M
34. 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: 7,083 | Gross: $0.07M
35. The Interrupters (2011)
Unrated | 125 min | Documentary, Crime
A year in the life of a city grappling with urban violence.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Tio Hardiman, Ameena Matthews, Toya Batey, Cobe Williams
Votes: 3,616 | Gross: $0.28M
36. Tabloid (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Crime
A documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Joyce McKinney, Peter Tory, Troy Williams, Jackson Shaw
Votes: 7,284 | Gross: $0.68M
37.
The Universe (2007–2015)
Episode:
Beyond the Big Bang
(2007)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, History
The universe began with a massive expansion, billions and billions of years ago, and it continues to expand with every passing second. The idea that the universe, and man's very existence, ... See full summary »
Director: Luke Ellis | Stars: David Ackroyd, Maxie Santillan Jr., Brian Greene, Geoffrey Landis
Votes: 193
38. The Universe (2007–2015)
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, History
This educational show explores many scientific questions and topics about the universe (Big Bang, the Sun, the planets, black holes, other galaxies, astrobiology etc.) through latest CGI, data and interviews with scientists.
Stars: Erik Thompson, Alex Filippenko, Laura Danly, Clifford V. Johnson
Votes: 5,931
39.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
The Death of the Oceans?
(2010)
Unrated | Documentary
Sir David Attenborough reveals the findings of an investigation into what is happening to our oceans, and looks at whether it is it too late to save their remarkable biodiversity.
Director: Peter Oxley | Stars: David Attenborough, W. Jeffrey Bolster, Julian Caley, Matt Camisa
Votes: 30
40.
Nova (1974– )
Episode:
Hunting the Hidden Dimension
(2008)
TV-G | 60 min | Documentary
A look at fractal geometry, and how it is found just about everywhere in everything, and how the mathematics of fractals can be used to model and measure such things as mountains, ... See full summary »
Directors: Bill Jersey, Michael Schwarz | Stars: Ralph Abraham, Loren Carpenter, Dana Cartwright, Hayden Christensen
Votes: 178
41. When Björk Met Attenborough (2013 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 48 min | Documentary
Award-winning musician Björk and legendary broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough have admired each other's work for years but this is the first time they have discussed their ... See full summary »
Director: Louise Hooper | Stars: David Attenborough, Björk, Andy Cavatorta, Henry Dagg
Votes: 301
42. 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: 128,699
43. Ghosts of Cité Soleil (2006)
85 min | Documentary, Action, Drama
Documents the violent lives of gang leaders in Haiti's worst slum, focusing on two brothers loyal to then-President Aristide.
Directors: Asger Leth, Milos Loncarevic | Stars: Winson '2Pac' Jean, Wyclef Jean, James 'Bily' Petit Frère, Éleonore 'Lele' Senlis
Votes: 1,909 | Gross: $0.05M
44. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,894 | Gross: $3.17M
45. Life in the Undergrowth (2005)
50 min | Documentary
David Attenborough's ground-breaking exploration of a group of organisms that are vast in number, yet often too small to be noticed: the invertebrates.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 3,846
46. First Life (2010)
59 min | Documentary
David Attenborough goes back in time to investigate the origins of life.
Stars: David Attenborough, Justin Marshall, Jean-Bernard Caron, Mary Droser
Votes: 1,767
47. Terra (2015 TV Movie)
98 min | Documentary
A visually stunning documentary that reflects human's relationship to other species on Earth as humanity becomes more and more isolated from Nature.
Directors: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Michael Pitiot | Star: Vanessa Paradis
Votes: 2,006
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