Top 30 Documentaries All Time
by brusty1 | created - 14 Sep 2015 | updated - 1 month ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,559 | Gross: $0.02M
2. 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: 19,347 | Gross: $1.16M
3. The Civil War (1990)
TV-14 | 76 min | Documentary, History, War
A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
Stars: David McCullough, Sam Waterston, Julie Harris, Jason Robards
Votes: 18,568
4. Give Up Tomorrow (2011)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
When a teenager from a political family in the Philippines is accused of a double murder, the country's entire judicial system is put to the test after years of alleged corruption.
Director: Michael Collins
Votes: 595
5. Roger & Me (1989)
R | 91 min | Documentary
After General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Roger B. Smith, Rhonda Britton, Fred Ross
Votes: 27,516 | Gross: $6.71M
6. 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: 27,138 | Gross: $3.12M
7. 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
8. 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: 68,833 | Gross: $3.29M
9. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Tony Brooks, Diana Davis, Terry Wood, Dick Clay
Votes: 18,154
10. Mark Twain (2001 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 212 min | Documentary, Biography
A biographical film about the acclaimed American humourist and author.
Director: Ken Burns | Stars: Keith David, Kevin Conway, Philip Bosco, Blythe Danner
Votes: 1,114
11. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre | Stars: Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, David Balliano
Votes: 6,475 | Gross: $0.09M
12. The Redemption of General Butt Naked (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Tells the story of Joshua Milton Blahyi - aka General Butt Naked - a brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia's horrific 14-year civil war. Today, the General has renounced his ... See full summary »
Directors: Daniele Anastasion, Eric Strauss | Stars: Joshua Milton Blahyi Jr., Janice Blahyi, Joshua Blahyi, Josie Blahyi
Votes: 287
13. Crumb (1994)
R | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Votes: 21,598 | Gross: $3.17M
14. 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: 25,969 | Gross: $1.21M
15. To Kill a Tiger (2022)
TV-MA | 128 min | Documentary
Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.
Director: Nisha Pahuja
Votes: 2,122
16. Incident at Oglala (1992)
PG | 89 min | Documentary, History
This film describes the events surrounding a 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge reservation in S. Dakota where two FBI agents were killed.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Robert Redford, Norman Zigrossi, Robert Sikma, Darelle 'Dino' Butler
Votes: 1,289 | Gross: $0.54M
17. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
Stars: Andrew Jarecki, Robert Durst, J. Patrick Burns, Dick DeGuerin
Votes: 51,714
18. The Cruise (1998)
PG-13 | 76 min | Documentary
Timothy "Speed" Levitch, an eccentric New York City tour bus guide, takes tourists around the island of Manhattan and shares an archive of beautifully distorted information about the city.
Director: Bennett Miller | Star: Timothy 'Speed' Levitch
Votes: 1,933 | Gross: $0.24M
19. Surfwise (2007)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Sport
Doug Pray explores the life of surfer Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz.
Director: Doug Pray | Stars: Juliette Paskowitz, David Paskowitz, Jonathan Paskowitz, Abraham Paskowitz
Votes: 1,641 | Gross: $0.27M
20. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
TV-PG | 214 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
The story of Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight boxing champion.
Director: Ken Burns | Stars: Jack Johnson, Keith David, Samuel L. Jackson, Adam Arkin
Votes: 1,691
21. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
TV-MA | 94 min | Documentary
A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).
Director: Chris Smith | Stars: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman, Peter Bonerz
Votes: 27,990
22. Louie Bluie (1985)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, Music
About the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Howard Armstrong, Ted Bogan, Yank Rachell, Ikey Robinson
Votes: 900
23. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997)
Not Rated | 165 min | Documentary, History
A reassessment of the tragedy at Waco that left 76 members of the Branch Davidian religious sect dead.
Director: William Gazecki | Stars: Dan Gifford, Jim Cavanaugh, Dick DeGuerin, Clive Doyle
Votes: 3,734
24. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,535 | Gross: $0.33M
25. 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: 10,957 | Gross: $0.31M
26. 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: 20,116
27. Baseball (1994–2010)
TV-PG | 104 min | Documentary, History, Sport
A documentary on the history of the sport with major topics including Afro-American players, player/team owner relations and the resilience of the game.
Stars: Daniel Okrent, George F. Will, John Chancellor, Doris Kearns Goodwin
Votes: 4,740
28. Sick (1997)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, performance artist Bob Flanagan shared his life and pain in his art, usually through sadomasochistic practices.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Bob Flanagan, Sheree Rose, Kathe Burkhart, Kirby Dick
Votes: 1,722 | Gross: $0.12M
29. Witch Hunt (2008)
Unrated | 91 min | Documentary, Crime
The story of several families who have their lives destroyed when their hometown is whipped into a frenzy by allegations of child molestation.
Directors: Don Hardy, Dana Nachman | Stars: Jack Cummings, Jackie Cummings, Allen Grafton, Ed Jagels
Votes: 1,070
30. Marwencol (2010)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Fantasy
Documentary about Mark Hogancamp. After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard. Inspired the movie Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Director: Jeff Malmberg | Stars: Mark Hogancamp, Emmanuel Nneji, Edda Hogancamp, Tom Neubauer
Votes: 3,705 | Gross: $0.11M
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