The 104 Best Harrowing Documentaries

104 documentaries

Hard to watch and hard to forget, so pick your moment.

Hard to watch and impossible to forget, so pick your moment. For Sama is a mother filming her daughter's first year in besieged Aleppo, and 20 Days in Mariupol won an Oscar. Dear Zachary is best seen knowing nothing at all.

Dear Zachary poster
1

Dear Zachary

2008 · 1h 34m

8.594%
For Sama poster
2

For Sama

2019 · 1h 40m

8.598%
The Act of Killing poster
3

The Act of Killing

2012 · 2h 39m

8.296%
20 Days in Mariupol poster
4

20 Days in Mariupol

2023 · 1h 34m

8.6100%
The Vietnam War poster
5

The Vietnam War

2017 · 10 eps

9.1
Amy poster
6

Amy

2015 · 2h 8m

7.896%
Capturing the Friedmans poster
7

Capturing the Friedmans

2003 · 1h 47m

7.697%
No Other Land poster
8

No Other Land

2024 · 1h 32m

8.2100%
Paradise Lost poster
9

Paradise Lost

1996 · 2h 30m

8.2100%
Three Identical Strangers poster
10

Three Identical Strangers

2018 · 1h 37m

7.696%
Grizzly Man poster
11

Grizzly Man

2005 · 1h 43m

7.893%
Restrepo poster
12

Restrepo

2010 · 1h 33m

7.497%
2000 Meters to Andriivka poster
13

2000 Meters to Andriivka

2025 · 1h 48m

8.494%
Honeyland poster
14

Honeyland

2019 · 1h 29m

8.0100%
Minding the Gap poster
15

Minding the Gap

2018 · 1h 33m

8.0100%
The Look of Silence poster
16

The Look of Silence

2014 · 1h 40m

8.297%
The Times of Harvey Milk poster
17

The Times of Harvey Milk

1984 · 1h 30m

8.296%
Beyond Utopia poster
18

Beyond Utopia

2023 · 1h 56m

7.9100%
Deliver Us from Evil poster
19

Deliver Us from Evil

2006 · 1h 41m

7.9100%
Waltz with Bashir poster
20

Waltz with Bashir

2008 · 1h 30m

8.097%
The Alabama Solution poster
21

The Alabama Solution

2025 · 1h 57m

7.8100%
Flee poster
22

Flee

2021 · 1h 29m

7.998%
Titicut Follies poster
23

Titicut Follies

1967 · 1h 24m

7.7100%
Streetwise poster
24

Streetwise

1984 · 1h 31m

8.292%
5 Broken Cameras poster
25

5 Broken Cameras

2011 · 1h 30m

7.996%
McQueen poster
26

McQueen

2018 · 1h 51m

7.799%
One Day in September poster
27

One Day in September

1999 · 1h 34m

7.897%
The Internet's Own Boy poster
28

The Internet's Own Boy

2014 · 1h 45m

8.093%
The Invisible War poster
29

The Invisible War

2012 · 1h 33m

7.699%
Deep Water poster
30

Deep Water

2006 · 1h 32m

7.896%
Hearts and Minds poster
31

Hearts and Minds

1974 · 1h 52m

8.290%
Taxi to the Dark Side poster
32

Taxi to the Dark Side

2007 · 1h 46m

7.5100%
How to Survive a Plague poster
33

How to Survive a Plague

2012 · 1h 49m

7.698%
Stranded poster
34

Stranded

2007 · 2h 7m

8.092%
The Alpinist poster
35

The Alpinist

2021 · 1h 33m

7.993%
Torn poster
36

Torn

2021 · 1h 32m

7.4100%

Know one that belongs here? Suggest a documentary

One documentary worth your time, every week

Plus the best new releases. One email, no spam, and you can leave whenever you like.