Best Documentary Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Documentary Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: realistic, serious, suspense, melancholic, disturbing and unusual plot structure. Plot: runaway, society, catastrophe, mentor, art, suprisingly clever, brutality, storytelling, life philosophy and betrayal. Genre: Documentary, Comedy and War. Country: USA, UK and Canada.
Best Documentary Movies
TOP Movies: Project Nim (2011), The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006), City of Ghosts (2017), The Road to Guantanamo (2006), 42nd Street Forever, Volume 1 (2005), Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010), Hamilton, One Shot to Broadway (2017), Peace One Day (2004), The Fluffy Movie (2014), Tom Segura: Completely Normal (2014), Polar Bears: Ice Bear (2013), Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018), 89 (2017), Sleepless Nights Stories (2011), Bianca Beauchamp: All Access (2007), Jackass 3.5 (2011), Tigers of the Snow (1997), I Am Bolt (2016), Russell Peters: Outsourced (2006), Without Gorky (2011).
List of Best Movies
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured like a human child. ...
Style:
thought provoking, touching, captivating, psychological, sad ...
Plot:
chimpanzee, fish out of water, experiment gone awry, confined, society, power relations, teaching the ways of the world, captivity, human nature, animal training, human animal relationship, archive footage ...
Time:
70s, 21st century, 90s, 20th century, contemporary ...
Place:
usa, new york
Is relevant ?
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 71 min.
Story:
In her first comedy special post-health scare, Sarah Silverman shares a mix of fun facts, sad truths and yeah-she-just-went-there moments.
Style:
live comedy
Plot:
topical humor, liberalism, hospital bed, left wing, twitter, toilet humor, pun, sperm, satire, stand up special, sexual humor, abortion ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK, Austria, Netherlands
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema offers an introduction into some of Žižek's most exciting ideas on fantasy, reality, sexuality, subjectivity, desire, materiality and cinematic form. Whether he is untangling the famously baffling films of ...
Style:
intellectual, psychological, humorous, captivating, talky ...
Plot:
filmmaking, cause and meaning, social relations, society, artists and showbiz, monologue, philosopher, film history, philosophy, human nature, parents and children, sexual relations ...
Time:
21st century, contemporary, 20th century
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 79 min.
Story:
A look at the rise and fall of the subversive skateboarding magazine Big Brother, which rose to prominence in the mid-1990s and had a profound effect on the skating subculture with its unfiltered approach.
Plot:
skateboarding, skateboard, urination, female nudity, drug use, jackass, pornography, feces, alcohol, publishing, male nudity, defecation ...
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Documentary, War
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
With unprecedented access, this documentary follows the extraordinary journey of “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently”—a group of anonymous citizen journalists who banded together after their homeland was overtaken by ISIS—as they risk their ...
Style:
rough, disturbing, semi documentary, exciting, tense
Audience:
boys' night, chick flick
Plot:
journalist, life risking, investigation, youth, risk, escape, society, danger, runaway, rivalry, investigative, exile ...
Time:
contemporary, 21st century, 2010s
Place:
germany, turkey, syria
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, War
Country: UK
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Part drama, part documentary, The Road to Guantánamo focuses on the Tipton Three, a trio of British Muslims who were held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge.
Style:
rough, disturbing, realistic, suspenseful, serious ...
Plot:
terrorism, pow, muslim, injustice, u.s. army, warning, life is a bitch, dishonesty, rage, couples, crimes, danger ...
Time:
contemporary, 2000s, year 2001, year 2003, year 2004 ...
Place:
cuba, latin america, afghanistan, pakistan, middle east ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
DVD consisting of only movie trailers (grindhouse, horror, kung-fu, etc...)
Plot:
exploitation, compilation
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 69 min.
Story:
Created by Mike Stoklasa of Red Letter Media, "The Phantom Menace Review" is a thoroughly informative, in-depth look at George Lucas's "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", told from the perspective of an elderly ...
Style:
funny, parody
Plot:
serial killer, threat, phantom, titanic, obsessed fan, filmmaker, absurd humor, essay, internet, prostitute, star wars
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 225 min.
Story:
No overview found.
Plot:
actor, filmmaker, interview, film producer, looking at the camera, entertainment industry, bespectacled male, writers, movie actor, movie actress, film history, filmmaking ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Country: UK
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
A drama-documentary presented by Alan Yentob, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role.
Style:
sincere, thought provoking, disturbing, semi autobiographical
Plot:
painter, art, painting, famous painting, obsession, mental illness, anguish, depression, genius, loneliness, artist
Time:
19th century
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
It’s the hit musical that changed Broadway forever and brought the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda to the attention of legions of fans across the world. A story of how a group of mavericks made an unlikely marriage of hip-hop and history to create ...
Style:
educational
Plot:
music history, playwright, broadway, historical figure, theatre play, music
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
The story of Jeremy Gilley's attempts to persuade the global community via the United Nations to sanction officially a day without conflict; a ceasefire day; a global day of Peace.
Style:
serious, realistic, sincere, uplifting
Plot:
politics, against the odds, anti war, lobbyist, state affairs, obsessive quest, hopes, society, follow your dream, 9/11, battles, un ...
Time:
21st century, contemporary, september 11 2001
Place:
africa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Stand-up comic Gabriel Iglesias delights audiences during his sold-out "Unity Through Laughter" tour, which spans more than 400 cities in 23 countries. During his set, Iglesias -- nicknamed "Fluffy" -- pounces on topics like ...
Style:
concert film, realistic, humorous, witty, not serious ...
Plot:
performer's life, artists and showbiz, friends, society, on the road, cross country, theater, profanity
Time:
contemporary, 21st century
Place:
usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 74 min.
Story:
An original stand-up comedy special written and performed by comedian Tom Segura.
Plot:
stand up comedian
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: Canada
Duration: 51 min.
Story:
An enthralling look at the Arctic's biggest predator on ice, capturing rarely-seen behavior, and featuring breathtaking cinematography shot over 12 months in the Canadian Arctic.
Plot:
polar bear, arctic, bear, killing an animal, bear cub, abandoned, abandonment, abandoned by mother, family abandonment, abandoned baby
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: Australia
Duration: 69 min.
Story:
The Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby is taking an anti-comedy stance in her newest special.
Plot:
sexual identity, lgbt, art, comedian, anger, female director, lesbian
Place:
tasmania, australia
Is relevant ?
742
Genre: Documentary, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
89 tells the incredible story of one of football’s greatest triumphs: when against all odds Arsenal snatched the Championship title from Liverpool at Anfield in the last minute of the last game of the 1988/89 season. It’s a universal tale of a ...
Style:
light, captivating, sentimental, sincere, exciting ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
soccer, sport team, football team, football, football player, playing football, sports history, archive footage, sport competition, sporting event, soccer fan, victory ...
Time:
20th century
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Director Jonas Mekas travels through New York nights, through apartments, studios, backstage rooms, galleries, bars, and clubs. Encountering old acquaintances like Ken and Flo Jacobs, Yoko Ono, friends, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Mr. ...
Plot:
drinking alcohol, drinking wine, lizard, poetry, wine drinking, tree, camera, drinking
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Documentary
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Documents the sub-culture of latex fetishism. ALL ACCESS offers a visit inside the private and public circles of a fetish icons. It follows Bianca Beauchamp through three days and three nights during one of the Montreal Fetish Weekend. A party at ...
Plot:
fetish, party, fetishism, backstage, nudity (full frontal - brief), sex, breasts, bondage, female nudity
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
Jackass 3.5 is a 2011 sequel to Jackass 3D, composed of unused footage shot during the filming of Jackass 3D and interviews from cast and crew
Style:
humorous, not serious, exciting, funny, parody ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
stupidity, danger, prank, goofy hero, young people, disorder, friends, vandalism, buddies, chaos, adaptation, police investigation ...
Time:
21st century, contemporary
Place:
usa, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 56 min.
Story:
There are only about 300 remaining Siberian Tigers in the wild, restricted to a section of far Eastern Russia, near the coast. Wildlife biologists risk life and limb to track the tiger and research its movements and habits. They sedate the animals ...
Plot:
animal death, tiger, endangered species, conservation, tranquilizer dart, russian, captivity
Place:
russia, siberia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A record of McKellen's one-man Broadway show about the Bard.
Style:
one man show
Plot:
lecture, filmed play
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
Fully authorized, access-all-areas feature doc on the hugely charismatic and globally adored Usain Bolt – officially the fastest man alive. With never-before-seen archive footage of his youth in Jamaica, through to original footage that will be ...
Plot:
track and field, jamaican, olympic athlete, world champion, rivalry, physical therapy, olympic gold medalist, olympics, champion, race, athlete, game ...
Time:
year 2016, year 2012, 2000s, 2010s, year 2015 ...
Place:
jamaica, beijing china, rio de janeiro
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 72 min.
Story:
Russell’s last DVD and CD, Outsourced, was taped before a sold out audience at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, and gives viewers and listeners an excellent overview of Russell’s comedic genius.
Plot:
comedian, stand up special, live performance, canadian humor
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK
Duration: 58 min.
Story:
Without Gorky is a personal journey into a powerful family tragedy. At the centre of the film are the conversations between the director, Cosima, and her grandmother, Mougouch. The whole family has been shaped by the legacy left by Cosima's ...
Plot:
artist, painter, suicide, genocide, armenian, family history, immigrants, armenian genocide, famous painting
Place:
armenia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 82 min.
Story:
Town Hall, New York City, 26 June 2000. An evening with Eddie Izzard in which he moves back and forth in time, with religion as the loose but constant theme.
Style:
realistic, not serious, witty, talky, concert film ...
Plot:
transvestism, performer's life, physical appearance, gender bending, artists and showbiz, society, theater, space travel, cross dressing, gender, monkey, helicopter ...
Time:
contemporary, 21st century, renaissance
Place:
new york, greece, britain, spain, persia ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
Everyone has a skeleton or two in his or her closet, but what about the director behind some of the most successful thrillers ever to hit the silver screen? Could M. Night Shyamalan be hiding a deep, dark secret that drives his macabre cinematic ...
Style:
serious
Plot:
interview, uncover truth, showbiz, filmmaking, conspiracy, crow, polaroid, water, filmmaker, ouija board, supernatural, artists and showbiz ...
Time:
contemporary, 21st century
Place:
pennsylvania, philadelphia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 64 min.
Story:
The crew have now set off to finish what as left over from Jackass 2.0, and in this version they have Wee Man use a 'pee' gun on themselves, having a mini motor bike fracas in the grocery mall, a sperm test, a portly crew member disguised ...
Style:
humorous, not serious, idiotic, parody, funny ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
profanity, chaos, danger, disorder, irresponsible, extreme sport, buddies, stupidity, nudity (full frontal - brief), prank, trick, justice ...
Time:
21st century, contemporary
Place:
usa, india, tokyo, canada
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.
Style:
thought provoking, serious, realistic, factual, psychological ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
judge, psychologist, deportation, negotiation, district attorney, crimes, justice, media, paparazzi, media circus, teenager, boyfriend girlfriend relationship ...
Time:
70s, 60s, 1960s
Place:
usa, europe, santa monica california, california, los angeles ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
A film collage tracing the story of the lives, loves, and deaths within the artistic community surrounding Jonas Mekas.
Style:
underground film, avant garde
Plot:
artist, autobiography
Is relevant ?
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