Favorite Documentaries
by WilliamGalindo | created - 22 Mar 2011 | updated - 17 Mar 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while... See full summary »
Director: Tamra Davis | Stars: Jean Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofberger
Votes: 2,479 | Gross: $0.26M
2. Catfish (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Young filmmakers document their colleague's budding online friendship with a young woman and her family which leads to an unexpected series of discoveries.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman | Stars: Nev Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, Angela Wesselman-Pierce
Votes: 43,708 | Gross: $3.23M
3. Beautiful Losers (2008)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Music
This documentary follows the lives and careers of a collective group of Do-it-yourself artists and designers who inadvertently affected the art world.
Directors: Aaron Rose, Joshua Leonard | Stars: Julian Bennett Holmes, Thomas Campbell, Shepard Fairey, Jo Jackson
Votes: 1,420 | Gross: $0.06M
4. The Universe of Keith Haring (2008)
90 min | Documentary
A portrait of New York artist Keith Haring.
Director: Christina Clausen | Stars: Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Julia Gruen, Kim Hastreiter
Votes: 468
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: 27,485 | Gross: $6.71M
6. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder
Votes: 132,235 | Gross: $119.19M
7. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,769 | Gross: $24.54M
8. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 148,535 | Gross: $21.58M
9. Super Size Me (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary
While examining the influence of the fast food industry, Morgan Spurlock personally explores the consequences on his health of a diet of solely McDonald's food for one month.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh
Votes: 113,054 | Gross: $11.53M
10.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
Andy Warhol: A Documentary
(2006)
TV-14 | 240 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Ric Burns unearths rarely seen footage and offers keen observations on the life and artistic influence of Andy Warhol.
Director: Ric Burns | Stars: Laurie Anderson, Irving Blum, DeVeren Bookwalter, Marlon Brando
Votes: 421
11. We Were Here (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
Directors: David Weissman, Bill Weber | Stars: Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark, Eileen Glutzer
Votes: 2,276
12. Until the Light Takes Us (2008)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Music
Interviews and news footage explore the rise of black metal music in Norway in the 1990s, including artists who were involved in suicide, murder and arson.
Directors: Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell | Stars: Fenriz, Varg Vikernes, Euronymous, Hellhammer
Votes: 6,662 | Gross: $0.12M
13. American Hardcore (2006)
R | 100 min | Documentary, History, Music
The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
Director: Paul Rachman | Stars: Greg Ginn, Ian MacKaye, James Drescher, Lucky Lehrer
Votes: 3,593 | Gross: $0.28M
14. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 37,902 | Gross: $2.55M
15. Hell House (2001)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
Each Halloween, youth members of Trinity Church, Texas construct a 'Hell House'; a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon, presented in the form of a haunted house, seen by over 10,000 visitors each year.
Director: George Ratliff | Stars: Aria Adloo, Ashley Adloo, Amy Allred, Gabriel Allred
Votes: 1,720
16. Quebrando o Tabu (2011)
PG-13 | 80 min | Documentary
Documentary uncovering the failure of the UN sanctioned war on drugs.
Directors: Fernando Grostein Andrade, Cosmo Feilding-Mellen | Stars: Fran Boyd Andrews, Brenda Blom, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter
Votes: 1,024
17. The Queen of Versailles (2012)
PG | 100 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Lorraine Barrett, June Downs
Votes: 13,691 | Gross: $2.40M
18. Chariots of the Gods (1970)
G | 92 min | Documentary
Based on Erich Von Daniken's book purporting to prove that throughout history aliens have visited earth.
Director: Harald Reinl | Stars: Heinz-Detlev Bock, Klaus Kindler, Christian Marschall, Aleksandr Kazantsev
Votes: 1,737 | Gross: $25.95M
19.
National Geographic Explorer (1985– )
Episode:
Science of Dogs
(2007)
Documentary, History
National Geographic looks at dogs and investigates how humans have taken an active role in shaping their appearance and behavior through selective breeding.
Director: Jackie Mow | Stars: Gregory Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre, Mike Christman, Trey Fondon
Votes: 93
20. The War Room (1993)
PG | 96 min | Documentary, History
A documentary of the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.
Directors: Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: James Carville, George Stephanopoulos, Heather Beckel, Paul Begala
Votes: 4,426 | Gross: $0.90M
21. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an American documentary that chronicles Australian Joe Cross's 60-day journey across the United States, where he embarks on a juice-only fast in a quest to reclaim his health.
Directors: Joe Cross, Kurt Engfehr | Stars: Joe Cross, Amy Badberg, Merv Cross, Virginia Cross
Votes: 8,904
22. Exporting Raymond (2010)
PG | 86 min | Documentary, Comedy
A documentary on Phil Rosenthal's experiences during the making of "Voroniny," the Russian-language version of "Everybody Loves Raymond".
Director: Phil Rosenthal | Stars: Phil Rosenthal, Peter Boyle, Stanislav Duzhnikov, Eldar
Votes: 1,935 | Gross: $0.08M
23. Life Itself (2014)
R | 121 min | Documentary, Biography
The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.
Director: Steve James | Stars: Roger Ebert, Chaz Ebert, Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese
Votes: 16,225 | Gross: $0.81M
24. An Honest Liar (2014)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.
Directors: Tyler Measom, Justin Weinstein | Stars: James Randi, Penn Jillette, Teller, Ray Hyman
Votes: 10,484 | Gross: $0.12M
25. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,331 | Gross: $1.34M
26. Salesman (1969)
G | 91 min | Documentary, Drama
Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Paul Brennan, Charles McDevitt, James Baker, Raymond Martos
Votes: 5,692
27. Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Ricky Jay is a world-renowned magician, author, historian and actor (often a mischievous presence in the films of David Mamet and Paul Thomas Anderson) -- and a performer who regularly ... See full summary »
Director: Molly Bernstein | Stars: Ricky Jay, Winston Simone, Dick Cavett, David Mamet
Votes: 1,003 | Gross: $0.15M
28. Don't Blink (2015)
82 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Robert Frank revolutionized photography and independent film. He documented the Beats, Welsh coal miners, Peruvian Indians, The Stones, London bankers, and the Americans. This is the bumpy ... See full summary »
Director: Laura Israel | Stars: Robert Frank, Sid Kaplan, June Leaf, William S. Burroughs
Votes: 422
29. The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)
Not Rated | 932 min | Documentary, History
A comprehensive history of the medium and art of motion pictures.
Stars: Mark Cousins, Juan Diego Botto, Aleksandr Sokurov, Norman Lloyd
Votes: 4,810
30. HyperNormalisation (2016)
166 min | Documentary
Adam Curtis explains how, at a time of confusing and inexplicable world events, politicians and the people they represent have retreated in to a damaging over-simplified version of what is happening.
Director: Adam Curtis | Stars: Adam Curtis, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Victor Gotbaum
Votes: 7,337
31. Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup (2009 Video)
Unrated | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
An exploration of the viewpoint that the September 11, 2001 attacks were planned by the United States government.
Director: Dylan Avery | Stars: Osama bin Laden, Johnelle Bryant, George W. Bush, Laura Bush
Votes: 3,730
32. Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable (2018)
90 min | Documentary
A documentary about an important American still photographer who captured New York City in the 1960s (his work there is said to have influenced the TV show Mad Men) and later the West in Texas and Los Angeles.
Director: Sasha Waters Freyer | Stars: Geoff Dyer, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Susan Kismaric, Erin O'Toole
Votes: 200
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