Documentaries Ranked
by eriklysaker | created - 27 Dec 2019 | updated - 10 Oct 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Vietnam War (2017)
TV-MA | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
A comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
Stars: Peter Coyote, Huy Duc, James Willbanks, Duong Van Mai Elliott
Votes: 27,972
2. They Shall Not Grow Old (II) (2018)
R | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Thomas Adlam, William Argent, John Ashby, Attwood
Votes: 38,455 | Gross: $17.96M
3. Before the Flood (2016)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, News
A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
Director: Fisher Stevens | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ban Ki-moon, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mike Brune
Votes: 28,860
4. 13th (2016)
TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales
Votes: 37,670
5. Spielberg (2017 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 147 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.
Director: Susan Lacy | Stars: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Butler
Votes: 8,304
6. Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)
TV-PG | 81 min | Documentary, Music
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
Director: Morgan Neville | Stars: Keith Richards, Anthony DeCurtis, Steve Jordan, Tom Waits
Votes: 3,666
7. Quincy (2018)
TV-MA | 124 min | Documentary, Biography
An intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America.
Directors: Alan Hicks, Rashida Jones | Stars: Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clarence Avant
Votes: 5,159
8. Kon-Tiki (1950)
Approved | 77 min | Documentary
A documentary about the Kon-Tiki expedition of the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
Director: Thor Heyerdahl | Stars: Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Watzinger, Erik Hesselberg, Knut Haugland
Votes: 2,808
9. 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: 72,433 | Gross: $2.07M
10. Sad Hill Unearthed (2017)
86 min | Documentary
A documentary following film fans working to restore the set of the climatic graveyard scene from the iconic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
Director: Guillermo de Oliveira | Stars: Ennio Morricone, James Hetfield, Joe Dante, Clint Eastwood
Votes: 1,831
11. American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
60 min | Documentary, History
Explore the Kennedy family's rise to power and how personal relationships within the Kennedy dynasty shaped national and global events from the Cold War to the Wall Street crash.
Stars: Martin Sheen, Evan Thomas, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Barbara Perry
Votes: 511
12. Bravehearts (2012)
108 min | Documentary
A documentary about youth politicians changes radically when a terrorist commits Utøya-massacre of 69 party kids while filming.
Director: Kari Anne Moe | Stars: Henrik Wangberg, Sana El Morabit, Johanne Butenschøn Lindheim, Haakon Vedum
Votes: 306
13. Girl Rising (2013)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, Drama
This film follows 9 girls from Haiti, Nepal, Ethiopia, India, Egypt, Peru, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan on their journey to education.
Director: Richard Robbins | Stars: Amina, Azmera, Arindol Bagchi, Rekha Banerjee
Votes: 1,278
14.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
(2006)
TV-14 | Documentary, Biography, History
Annie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting. It was not until she traveled to Japan with her mother after her sophomore year that she discovered her interest in taking photographs.
Director: Barbara Leibovitz | Stars: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Graydon Carter, Hillary Clinton, George Clooney
Votes: 566
15. The Rolling Stones Olé, Olé, Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America (2016)
TV-14 | 105 min | Documentary, Music
Rocknroll concert doc following the Stones on their 2016 tour, culminating in their historic stop in Havana, Cuba.
Director: Paul Dugdale | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
Votes: 1,356
16. Drone (II) (2014)
78 min | Documentary, History, War
The documentary is about the covert CIA drone war. Through voices on both sides of this new technology, the film reveals crucial information about the drone war in Pakistan and offers unique insights into the nature of drone warfare.
Director: Tonje Hessen Schei | Stars: Brandon Bryant, Zubair Rehman, John Bellinger III, Mark Mazzetti
Votes: 754
17. Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking (2012)
125 min | Documentary
A look at Tarantino's career from the beginning, with interviews from co-workers, critics, stars and master filmmakers alike as well as a tribute to his greatest collaborator, Sally Menke.
Stars: Rosanna Arquette, Lawrence Bender, Robert Forster, Richard N. Gladstein
Votes: 283
18. Doing Good (2016)
99 min | Documentary, Biography
Margreth Olin has filmed 22 persons i their meeting with the well known voluntary healer Joralf Gjerstad. For 65 years more than 50.000 has gone to him to be healed from illnesses and ill-doings. He has never asked for a penny for this.
Director: Margreth Olin | Stars: Anna Maja Andersen, Jim Rune Antonsen, Kristiane Nerdrum Bøgwald, Knut Martin Folkestad
Votes: 275
19. Western Stars (2019)
PG | 83 min | Documentary, Music
Live concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from his album 'Western Stars'.
Directors: Bruce Springsteen, Thom Zimny | Stars: Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen
Votes: 1,970
20. Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
TV-MA | 83 min | Documentary, Music
A portrait of singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Director: Grant Singer | Stars: Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Evan A. Dunn
Votes: 2,222
21. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
PG-13 | 118 min | Documentary, History, Music
Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
Director: Questlove | Stars: Dorinda Drake, Barbara Bland-Acosta, Darryl Lewis, Ethel Beatty
Votes: 13,873
22. Echo in the Canyon (2018)
PG-13 | 82 min | Documentary, Music
A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
Director: Andrew Slater | Stars: Lou Adler, Fiona Apple, The Beach Boys, Beck
Votes: 4,005 | Gross: $3.33M
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