The best documentary lists
Every list here comes from the same 548 hand-picked documentaries, ranked by my own favourites first and then by what IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes audiences and critics make of them.
By subject
The 36 Best Cult & Psychology Documentaries36 documentaries
The 22 Best Scam Documentaries22 documentaries
The 38 Best Tech Documentaries38 documentaries
The 56 Best True Crime Documentaries56 documentaries
The 52 Best Political Documentaries52 documentaries
The 28 Best War Documentaries28 documentaries
The 33 Best Adventure & Survival Documentaries33 documentaries
The 56 Best Sport Documentaries56 documentaries
The 24 Best Nature Documentaries24 documentaries
The 21 Best Food Documentaries21 documentaries
The 16 Best Science Documentaries16 documentaries
The 22 Best Economics Documentaries22 documentaries
The 40 Best Art Documentaries40 documentaries
The 28 Best Music Documentaries28 documentaries
The 31 Best Life Story Documentaries31 documentaries
The 31 Best Drug Documentaries31 documentaries
The 14 Best Sex Documentaries14 documentaries
By mood
The 57 Best Funny Documentaries57 documentaries- The 80 Best Feel-good Documentaries80 documentaries
- The 149 Best Gripping Documentaries149 documentaries
- The 104 Best Harrowing Documentaries104 documentaries
- The 102 Best Infuriating Documentaries102 documentaries
- The 88 Best Mind-blowing Documentaries88 documentaries
- The 21 Best Breathtaking Documentaries21 documentaries
- The 82 Best Weird Documentaries82 documentaries
Topics
The 96 Best Netflix Original Documentaries96 documentaries
The 42 Best Car & Motorsport Documentaries42 documentaries
The 8 Best Wine Documentaries8 documentaries
The 11 Best Wrongful Conviction Documentaries11 documentaries
- The 14 Best Mountain Documentaries14 documentaries
The 13 Best Ocean Documentaries13 documentaries
- The 8 Best Space Documentaries8 documentaries
- The 14 Best Documentaries About Filmmaking14 documentaries
The 10 Best Psychedelic Documentaries10 documentaries
The 9 Best Drug Cartel Documentaries9 documentaries
The 9 Best Hacking & Leaks Documentaries9 documentaries
The 8 Best Startup Documentaries8 documentaries
The 11 Best Internet Culture Documentaries11 documentaries
- The 14 Best All-Archive Documentaries14 documentaries
The 8 Best Electronic Music Documentaries8 documentaries
- The 34 Best Family Documentaries34 documentaries
- The 25 Best Documentaries About Religion25 documentaries
Picks
If you liked…
12 Documentaries Like Tiger King to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Making a Murderer to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like The Tinder Swindler to Watch Next12 documentaries
12 Documentaries Like Fyre to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Wild Wild Country to Watch Next12 documentaries
12 Documentaries Like The Jinx to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Don't F**k with Cats to Watch Next12 documentaries
10 Documentaries Like The Social Dilemma to Watch Next10 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Free Solo to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Icarus to Watch Next12 documentaries
8 Documentaries Like Blackfish to Watch Next8 documentaries- 11 Documentaries Like My Octopus Teacher to Watch Next11 documentaries
12 Documentaries Like Planet Earth II to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like The Last Dance to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Formula 1: Drive to Survive to Watch Next12 documentaries
10 Documentaries Like Searching for Sugar Man to Watch Next10 documentaries
8 Documentaries Like Amy to Watch Next8 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Three Identical Strangers to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like The Imposter to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like American Murder: The Family Next Door to Watch Next12 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Going Clear to Watch Next12 documentaries
12 Documentaries Like Dear Zachary to Watch Next12 documentaries
11 Documentaries Like Jiro Dreams of Sushi to Watch Next11 documentaries
- 11 Documentaries Like Inside Job to Watch Next11 documentaries
- 12 Documentaries Like Senna to Watch Next12 documentaries
Directors
- Alex Gibney Documentaries, Ranked12 documentaries
- Errol Morris Documentaries, Ranked11 documentaries
Werner Herzog Documentaries, Ranked9 documentaries
Adam Curtis Documentaries, Ranked7 documentaries
- Joe Berlinger Documentaries, Ranked7 documentaries
Louis Theroux Documentaries, Ranked6 documentaries
- Chris Smith Documentaries, Ranked5 documentaries
Laura Poitras Documentaries, Ranked5 documentaries
- Michael Moore Documentaries, Ranked5 documentaries
Brett Morgen Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries- Bruce Sinofsky Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
Jehane Noujaim Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries- Jimmy Chin Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
- Morgan Neville Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
Nick Broomfield Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
Steve James Documentaries, Ranked4 documentaries
Agnès Varda Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Albert Maysles Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Amy J. Berg Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
- Andrew Jarecki Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
- Asif Kapadia Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Chris Hegedus Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
D. A. Pennebaker Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries- David Maysles Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Eugene Jarecki Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
- Jeff Orlowski Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Ken Burns Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Kevin Macdonald Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Kirby Dick Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Liz Garbus Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Mads Brügger Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Matt Tyrnauer Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Rory Kennedy Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Stanley Nelson Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Wim Wenders Documentaries, Ranked3 documentaries
Awards
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