RYANS GUIDE TO DOCUMENTERIES
by ryanehailey | created - 28 Apr 2015 | updated - 28 Mar 2023 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary (1997)
PG | 98 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Twenty-four contestants compete in an endurance/sleep deprivation contest in order to win a brand new Nissan Hardbody truck. The last person to remain standing with his or her hand on the ... See full summary »
Director: S.R. Bindler | Stars: Sid Allen, Brent Baskin, Greg Cox, J.C. Crum
Votes: 2,478 | Gross: $0.49M
2. Audience of One (2007)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
A documentary following a Pentecostal minister who receives a vision from God to create an epic science fiction movie based on the biblical story of Joseph, sending him and his followers on a journey of extreme faith.
Director: Mike Jacobs | Stars: Richard Gazowsky, Pietro Manigrasso
Votes: 305
3. American Pimp (1999)
R | 87 min | Documentary
Street pimps, all of them African-American, discuss their lives and work: getting started, being flamboyant, pimping in various U.S. cities, bringing a woman into their group, taking a ... See full summary »
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: John S. Dickson, Antonio Fargas, Heidi Fleiss, L. Hammond
Votes: 2,369 | Gross: $0.29M
4. I Think We're Alone Now (2008)
Not Rated | 61 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Two individuals, Jeff and Kelly, claim to be in love with the 80's pop singer Tiffany.
Director: Sean Donnelly | Stars: Kelly McCormick, Tiffany, Jeff Turner
Votes: 1,626
5. Dig! (2004)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Anton Newcombe, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Joel Gion, Matt Hollywood
Votes: 6,689 | Gross: $0.13M
6. The Overnighters (2014)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Drama
Broken, desperate men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor risks everything to help them.
Director: Jesse Moss | Stars: Jay Reinke, Andrea Reinke, Alan Mezo, Shelly Schultz
Votes: 2,552 | Gross: $0.11M
7. 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: 50,440 | Gross: $0.89M
8. Marjoe (1972)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
This Oscar-winning documentary explores the life of one-time child evangelist and faith healer Marjoe Gortner. The son of professional evangelists, Gortner was preaching on the Southern tent-revival circuit by the age of 3.
Directors: Sarah Kernochan, Howard Smith | Stars: Agnes Benjamin, Marjoe Gortner, Vernon Gortner, Sarah Kernochan
Votes: 1,744
9. The Rock-afire Explosion (2008)
Not Rated | 72 min | Documentary
A cult fan-favorite documentary that explores the rise and fall of Showbiz Pizza Place, its animatronic rock band, and the origins of Chuck E. Cheese.
Director: Brett Whitcomb | Stars: Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter, Travis Schafer, Mike Scherpenberg
Votes: 456
10. 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: 7,340 | Gross: $0.56M
11. 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: 37,577 | Gross: $0.68M
12. The Backyard (2002)
Unrated | 80 min | Documentary
Lightbulbs, fire, barbed wire, mousetraps, staple guns, thumbtacks and glass are weapons of choice in The Backyard. This undercover documentary takes you deep into the controversial arena ... See full summary »
Director: Paul Hough | Stars: The Lizard, Mario Ponce, Chaos, Paul Hough
Votes: 667
13. 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
14. Dwarves Kingdom (2014)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary, News
Dwarves Kingdom is a documentary film about a theme park featuring performances by little people with dwarfism who live in a fantasy recreation of a magical empire. Built by a wealthy ... See full summary »
Director: Matthew Salton | Star: Gao Yan
Votes: 20
15. Let the Fire Burn (2013)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
A history of the conflict of the City of Philadelphia and the Black Liberation organization, MOVE, that led to the disastrously violent final confrontation in 1985.
Director: Jason Osder | Stars: Birdie Africa, Ramona Africa, Wilson Goode, William Brown III
Votes: 1,454 | Gross: $0.06M
16. Salesman (1969)
G | 91 min | Documentary, Drama
Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Paul Brennan, Charles McDevitt, James Baker, Raymond Martos
Votes: 5,708
17. Don't Look Back (1967)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.
Director: D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: Bob Dylan, Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez
Votes: 10,010
18. This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary
Kirby Dick's exposé about the American movie ratings board.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Kirby Dick, Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan
Votes: 28,620 | Gross: $0.30M
19. 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: 7,177 | Gross: $0.43M
20. Beyond the Mat (1999)
R | 102 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A heartfelt documentary focusing on the day-to-day lives of professional wrestlers, some on the rise, some on the wane, and others fighting for their lives.
Director: Barry W. Blaustein | Stars: Terry Funk, Mick Foley, Jake Roberts, Barry W. Blaustein
Votes: 9,475 | Gross: $2.05M
21. 12 O'Clock Boys (2013)
TV-MA | 76 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Pug, a young boy growing up on a combative West Baltimore block, finds solace in a group of illegal dirt bike riders known as The 12 O'Clock Boys.
Director: Lotfy Nathan | Stars: Coco, Pug, Funmi Sodipo, Steven
Votes: 1,545 | Gross: $0.04M
22. Into the Abyss (2011)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Richard Lopez, Michael Perry, Damon Hall
Votes: 17,352 | Gross: $0.22M
23. The Bridge (I) (2006)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Filmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
Director: Eric Steel | Stars: Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley
Votes: 12,215 | Gross: $0.18M
24. 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: 68,819 | Gross: $3.29M
25. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson
Votes: 25,934 | Gross: $1.21M
26. 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: 61,873 | Gross: $3.17M
27. 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: 28,016 | Gross: $7.83M
28. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
PG | 103 min | Documentary
A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson
Votes: 6,629
29. The Beaver Trilogy (2000)
83 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
In 1979, filmmaker Trent Harris visits the small town of Beaver, Utah to film a talent show. Impressed by a performer called Groovin' Gary, he recreates Gary's act in 1981 with Sean Penn and in 1985 with Crispin Glover.
Director: Trent Harris | Stars: Groovin' Gary, Sean Penn, Crispin Glover, Stefan Arngrim
Votes: 563
30. When We Were Kings (1996)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Sport
Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Director: Leon Gast | Stars: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown
Votes: 19,131 | Gross: $2.79M
31. 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: 4,663
32. How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2012)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Crime
Ten easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
Director: Matthew Cooke | Stars: 'Freeway' Ricky Ross, Susan Sarandon, David Simon, 50 Cent
Votes: 6,822 | Gross: $1.50M
33. Trekkies (1997)
PG | 86 min | Documentary, Comedy
Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of "Star Trek" and how the series from around America has affected and shaped their lives.
Director: Roger Nygard | Stars: Denise Crosby, Frank D'Amico, Barbara Adams, Denis Bourguignon
Votes: 5,040 | Gross: $0.62M
34. Burden of Dreams (1982)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
Director: Les Blank | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Votes: 8,132
35. Gates of Heaven (1978)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Lucille Billingsley, Zella Graham, Cal Harberts, Dan Harberts
Votes: 6,289
36. The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary
A year in the life of the White family, well known for Jesco White, the star of the "Dancing Outlaw" documentary.
Director: Julien Nitzberg | Stars: J. Parker Bazzle II, Big & Rich, Ponty's Camper, Derek Wayne Castle
Votes: 5,195
37. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)
R | 96 min | Documentary
Documentary that chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget, and casting problems--nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director.
Directors: Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper, Eleanor Coppola | Stars: Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, George Lucas
Votes: 23,225 | Gross: $1.32M
38. Tyson (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A mixture of original interviews, archival footage, and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.
Director: James Toback | Stars: Mike Tyson, Mills Lane, Trevor Berbick, Cus D'Amato
Votes: 12,933 | Gross: $0.89M
39. Jesus Camp (2006)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Votes: 28,775 | Gross: $0.90M
40. The Queen of Versailles (2012)
PG | 100 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Lorraine Barrett, June Downs
Votes: 13,701 | Gross: $2.40M
41. The Last Waltz (1978)
PG | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison
Votes: 20,150 | Gross: $0.32M
42. 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: 58,675 | Gross: $2.96M
43. 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: 23,113 | Gross: $0.26M
44. Young@Heart (2007)
PG | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on a chorus of senior citizens from Massachusetts who cover songs by Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, Sonic Youth, and other unexpected musicians.
Directors: Stephen Walker, Sally George | Stars: Joe Benoit, Helen Boston, Louise Canady, Elaine Fligman
Votes: 4,070 | Gross: $3.96M
45. Lost in La Mancha (2002)
R | 89 min | Documentary
Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground.
Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe | Stars: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Tony Grisoni
Votes: 12,000 | Gross: $0.73M
46. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
86 min | Documentary, History
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Director: Stanley Nelson | Stars: Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter, Stanley Clayton
Votes: 5,642
47. The Endless Summer (1966)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Sport
The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.
Director: Bruce Brown | Stars: Robert August, Michael Hynson, Lord James Blears, Bruce Brown
Votes: 6,216
48. The Fog of War (2003)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History
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: 25,048 | Gross: $4.20M
49. Gimme Shelter (1970)
GP | 91 min | Documentary, Music, Thriller
When three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts
Votes: 12,887 | Gross: $0.25M
50. 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: 19,334 | Gross: $1.16M
51. Winnebago Man (2009)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of - after cursing his way through a Winnebago sales video, Rebney's outrageously funny outtakes became an underground sensation and ... See full summary »
Director: Ben Steinbauer | Stars: Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Keith Gordon, Nick Prueher
Votes: 5,089 | Gross: $0.18M
52. 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: 72,897 | Gross: $3.97M
53. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,282 | Gross: $0.03M
54. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
G | 105 min | Documentary, Music
This documentary follows Justin Bieber with some footage of performances from his 2010 concert tour.
Director: Jon M. Chu | Stars: Justin Bieber, Boyz II Men, Miley Cyrus, Sean Kingston
Votes: 76,436 | Gross: $73.01M
55. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Arnold Friedman, Jesse Friedman, David Friedman, Elaine Friedman
Votes: 27,110 | Gross: $3.12M
56. Stevie (2002)
R | 140 min | Documentary
In 1995, director Steve James (of 'Hoop Dreams') returned to rural Southern Illinois to reconnect with Stevie Fielding, a troubled young boy to whom he had been an "Advocate Big Brother" ten years earlier.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Steve James, Stephen Fielding, Tonya Gregory, Bernice Hagler
Votes: 2,742 | Gross: $0.10M
57. Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians (2011)
PG | 92 min | Documentary
Holy Rollers follows the rise of arguably the largest and most well-funded blackjack team in America-made up entirely of churchgoing Christians. While they succeed in taking millions from ... See full summary »
Director: Bryan Storkel | Stars: Ben Crawford, Brad Currah, David Drury, Michael Scott Foster
Votes: 620
58. 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: 5,010 | Gross: $0.09M
59. Kurt & Courtney (1998)
R | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary on the life of Kurt Cobain and his relationship with Courtney Love.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: Courtney Love, Nick Broomfield, Kurt Cobain, Mari Earle
Votes: 7,355 | Gross: $0.44M
60. 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: 40,804 | Gross: $0.49M
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