Huub's 366 Favorite Documentary Films (JP+LUC)
by huubvanderput | created - 28 Jan 2012 | updated - 12 Aug 2012 | PublicA list of my favorite documentary films. From all-time classics like 'Grey Gardens' (1975) and 'Salesmen' (1968) to contemporary beauties like 'Born into Brothels' (2004) and 'Marwencol' (2010). From Good-Subject-Bad-Movie films like 'Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price' (2005) and 'Project Grizzly' (1996) to straight forward rhetorical propaganda films like 'Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement' (2007) to 'Triumph des Willens' (1935).
I just love documentary films!
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1. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,297 | Gross: $0.03M
2. Gimme Shelter (1970)
GP | 91 min | Documentary, Music, Thriller
When three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts
Votes: 12,899 | Gross: $0.25M
3. 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: 5,710
4. The Beales of Grey Gardens (2006)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary
Utilizing hours of unseen archival footage, The Beales is a new take on the women of Grey Gardens.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles | Stars: Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Edith Bouvier Beale, Albert Maysles, David Maysles
Votes: 1,342
5. Gates of Heaven (1978)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Lucille Billingsley, Zella Graham, Cal Harberts, Dan Harberts
Votes: 6,298
6. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)
PG-13 | 91 min | Documentary, Biography
A cinematic portrait of the life and career of the infamous American execution device designer and holocaust denier.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Fred A. Leuchter Jr., Robert Jan Van Pelt, David Irving, Caroline Leuchter
Votes: 5,780 | Gross: $0.50M
7. Standard Operating Procedure (2008)
R | 116 min | Documentary, Crime, War
Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Megan Ambuhl Graner, Javal Davis, Ken Davis, Anthony Diaz
Votes: 4,115 | Gross: $0.23M
8. Tabloid (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Crime
A documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Joyce McKinney, Peter Tory, Troy Williams, Jackson Shaw
Votes: 7,285 | Gross: $0.68M
9. The Fog of War (2003)
PG-13 | 107 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Robert McNamara, John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon
Votes: 25,060 | Gross: $4.20M
10. 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: 25,994 | Gross: $1.21M
11. Vernon, Florida (1981)
Not Rated | 55 min | Documentary
A documentary on the eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Albert Bitterling, Roscoe Collins, George Harris, Joe Payne
Votes: 3,588
12. State Legislature (2007)
217 min | Documentary
The day-to-day activities of the Idaho Legislature during an entire session.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 141
13. Meat (1976)
112 min | Documentary
mid 70's documentary that shows how livestock are raised, sold, and processed in the United States.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 216
15. Missile (1988)
115 min | Documentary
Follows the 4315th Training Squadron of the Strategic Air Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where Air Force officers are trained to man the Launch Control Centers for the ... See full summary »
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 165
16. Blind (1987)
132 min | Documentary
Shows the educational programs and daily life of students in kindergarten through the 12th grade at the Alabama School for the Blind. The School is organized around the effort to educate ... See full summary »
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 144
17. Essene (1972)
86 min | Documentary
Daily life in a Benedictine monastery.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 203
18. Juvenile Court (1973)
144 min | Documentary
An unobtrusive and naturalistic examination of the goings-on of a children's court, Memphis Juvenile Court 616.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 303
19. Law and Order (1969 TV Movie)
81 min | Documentary
Also known as The Greater Good, this series of vignettes focuses on the day-to-day work of Kansas City, Missouri police covers the range of circumstances they encounter and the variety of ... See full synopsis »
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Star: Richard Nixon
Votes: 389
20. Primate (1974)
105 min | Documentary
This film casts a forensic observational eye over researchers working with primates. After a time watching it is possible to wonder which ones of these two sets of primates is the more strange.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 263
21. Public Housing (1997)
200 min | Documentary
Renowned documentarian Frederick Wiseman takes an intimate and nuanced look at the Ida B. Wells housing project in the south side of Chicago, Illinois.
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Star: Helen Finner
Votes: 281
22. The Store (1983)
118 min | Documentary
A look at the employees and shoppers at the Neiman-Marcus department in Dallas, Texas during the holiday season.
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Stars: Art Buchwald, Lady Bird Johnson
Votes: 324
23. Welfare (1975)
167 min | Documentary
WELFARE shows the nature and complexity of the welfare system in sequences illustrating the staggering diversity of problems that constitute welfare: housing, unemployment, divorce, medical... See full summary »
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 621
24. Hospital (1970 TV Movie)
84 min | Documentary
An intimate look at the daily activities of medical staff and patients in New York's Metropolitan Hospital.
Director: Frederick Wiseman | Stars: Eugene Friedman, Stanley Friedman, Robert Schwartz
Votes: 547
25. High School (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside Northeast High School as a fly on the wall to observe the teachers and how they interact with the students.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 2,241
26. Titicut Follies (1967)
Unrated | 84 min | Documentary
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater where people stay trapped in their madness.
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Votes: 5,114
27. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
G | 90 min | Documentary, History
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Jean Clottes, Julien Monney, Jean-Michel Geneste
Votes: 17,797 | Gross: $5.23M
28. Echoes From a Somber Empire (1990)
91 min | Documentary
Documentary examining Bokassa's rule in the Central African Republic using the testimony of witnesses and visits to key sites.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Michael Goldsmith, Werner Herzog, Augustine Assemat, David Dacko
Votes: 728
29. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
G | 99 min | Documentary
Film-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Scott Rowland, Stefan Pashov, Doug MacAyeal
Votes: 19,263 | Gross: $0.94M
30. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,949 | Gross: $3.17M
31. Lessons of Darkness (1992 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 54 min | Documentary, War
This film surveys the disaster of the Kuwaiti oil fields in flames, with little narration and scarcely any interviews. Hell on Earth is presented in such transcendent visions and music that one can only be fascinated by it.
Director: Werner Herzog | Star: Werner Herzog
Votes: 6,756
32. Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
German-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Dieter Dengler, Werner Herzog, Eugene Deatrick
Votes: 6,838
33. The White Diamond (2004)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Engineers attempt daring journey above Guyanese rainforest canopy with airship prototype. Adventure fraught with risks, as previous expedition ended tragically. This is a unique story of exploring uncharted jungle from the air.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Graham Dorrington, Dieter Plage, Adrian de Schryver
Votes: 4,955
34. Wheel of Time (2003)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: The Dalai Lama, Lama Lhundup Woeser, Takna Jigme Sangpo, Matthieu Ricard
Votes: 2,739
35. Aliens of the Deep (2005)
G | 100 min | Documentary, Family
James Cameron teams up with NASA scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge, a submerged chain of mountains that band the Earth and are home to some of the planet's most unique life forms.
Directors: James Cameron, Steven Quale | Stars: James Cameron, Anatoly M. Sagalevitch, Genya Chernaiev, Victor Nischeta
Votes: 3,423 | Gross: $8.97M
36. 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: 3,601 | Gross: $0.28M
37. Amsterdam Global Village (1996)
245 min | Documentary
This four hour documentary looks for the exotic in the everyday life observed in just one city, the filmmaker's own Amsterdam.
Director: Johan van der Keuken | Star: Julika Marijn
Votes: 157
38. ...and the Pursuit of Happiness (1986 TV Movie)
80 min | Documentary
After acknowledging his own immigrant background, Malle, tries to present the range of immigrant experiences in the US during the 1980's. In an attempt to be comprehensive, the film ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Franklin Chang-Diaz, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Lenwood Johnson, Boris Lyoskin
Votes: 523
39. Apocalypse: The Rise of Hitler (2011)
108 min | Documentary, History, War
Chronicles Hitler's life as a failed painter and far-right activist up to his election as Chancellor of Germany, leading to his relentless rise to power, culminating in the beginning of World War II.
Stars: Richard Lintern, Mathieu Kassovitz, Doug Rand
Votes: 2,039
40. Ashes and Snow (2005)
62 min | Documentary, Drama
Exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals.
Director: Gregory Colbert | Stars: Patrick Disanto, Laurence Fishburne, Jeanne Moreau, Enrique Rocha
Votes: 4,397
41. Life (2009)
TV-G | 43 min | Documentary
David Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth. From giving an overview of the challenges facing life to hunting the deep sea and various major evolutionary groups of creatures.
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, David Attenborough, Doug Allan, Roger Munns
Votes: 42,829
42. Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds (2010)
94 min | Documentary
This documentary features state-of-the-art camera technology used to focus on what humans cannot see with the naked eye.
Stars: Richard Hammond, Edgar D. Mitchell, Jürg Schweizer, Dany Kistler
Votes: 736
43. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004)
R | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, News
Two documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district.
Directors: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman | Stars: Kochi, Avijit Halder, Shanti Das, Manik
Votes: 18,006 | Gross: $3.41M
44. Brother's Keeper (1992)
R | 104 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
This compelling documentary details the strange-but-true murder trial of Delbert Ward, accused of the mercy killing of his brother in rural upstate NY. This real-life murder mystery won the Audience Award at Sundance.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward, Walt Geisler
Votes: 4,284 | Gross: $1.31M
45. Buck (2011)
PG | 88 min | Documentary
An examination of the life of acclaimed 'horse whisperer' Buck Brannaman, who recovered from years of child abuse to become a well-known expert in the interactions between horses and people.
Director: Cindy Meehl | Stars: Buck Brannaman, Gary Myers, Bibb Frazier, Betty Staley
Votes: 3,432 | Gross: $4.02M
46. Burden of Dreams (1982)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary
A documentary following German auteur Werner Herzog as he deals with difficult actors, bad weather and getting a boat over a mountain, all in an effort to make his film Fitzcarraldo (1982).
Director: Les Blank | Stars: Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Votes: 8,144
47. Bus 174 (2002)
R | 122 min | Documentary, Crime
On June 12, 2000, a young man with a gun took the passengers aboard Bus 174 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hostage. This documentary examines the event itself, the resulting media frenzy, the police response, and the perpetrator's background.
Directors: José Padilha, Felipe Lacerda | Stars: Sandro do Nascimento, Rodrigo Pimentel, Luiz Eduardo Soares, Anonymous
Votes: 8,624 | Gross: $0.22M
48. 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: 27,148 | Gross: $3.12M
49. 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: 43,748 | Gross: $3.23M
50. Chelsea on the Rocks (2008)
R | 89 min | Documentary
Chelsea on the Rocks celebrates the personalities and artistic voices that have emerged from the legendary residence, the Chelsea Hotel, in the heart of New York. Once considered an ... See full summary »
Director: Abel Ferrara | Stars: Ira Cohen, Gerald Busby, Stanley Bard, Quentin Crisp
Votes: 495 | Gross: $0.01M
51. Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
R | 118 min | Documentary, Crime, History
The story of how Miami became the cocaine capital of the United States in the early 1980's and the police officers who turned the tide on crime.
Director: Billy Corben | Stars: Jon Roberts, Al Sunshine, Sam Burstyn, Mickey Munday
Votes: 14,095 | Gross: $0.15M
52. David Frost Interviews Richard Nixon (1977 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, History
Originally broadcast in May of 1977, this series of interviews between Sir David Frost and U.S. President Richard Nixon, delves into the various controversies of Nixon's presidency, ... See full summary »
Director: Jorn H. Winther | Stars: David Frost, Richard Nixon
Votes: 452
53. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
Director: Kurt Kuenne | Stars: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby
Votes: 40,750 | Gross: $0.02M
54. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
Documentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.
Director: Amy Berg | Stars: Oliver O'Grady, Thomas Doyle, Adam, Jeff Anderson
Votes: 10,832 | Gross: $30.58M
55. Relics: Einstein's Brain (1994)
65 min | Documentary
A Japanese Professor goes to the USA to uncover the mystery surrounding Einstein's Brain after his death.
Director: Kevin Hull | Stars: William S. Burroughs, Kenji Sugimoto
Votes: 188
56. F for Fake (1973)
PG | 89 min | Documentary
A documentary about fraud and fakery.
Directors: Orson Welles, Gary Graver, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach | Stars: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, François Reichenbach, Elmyr de Hory
Votes: 18,310
57. 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: 8,921
58. General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (1974)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
A documentary on the military dictator of Africa's Uganda.
Director: Barbet Schroeder | Stars: Idi Amin, Fidel Castro, Golda Meir
Votes: 2,020
59. Gonzo (2008)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A portrait of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp, Joe Cairo, David Carlo
Votes: 8,506 | Gross: $1.25M
60. Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies (1993)
Not Rated | 52 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Documentary about notorious punk rock performer GG Allin.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: GG Allin, Merle Allin, Brian Unk Hunter, Shireen Kadivar
Votes: 3,523
61. Hearts and Minds (1974)
R | 112 min | Documentary, History, War
A startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.
Director: Peter Davis | Stars: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Ngo Dinh Diem, John Foster Dulles
Votes: 6,114 | Gross: $0.03M
62. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)
R | 96 min | Documentary
Documentary that chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget, and casting problems--nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director.
Directors: Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper, Eleanor Coppola | Stars: Dennis Hopper, Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, George Lucas
Votes: 23,243 | Gross: $1.32M
63. Hells Angels Forever (1983)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
What starts off as a squadron of American daredevil bombers in World War II, branded by society as renegades, turns into a revealing ride into the world of honor, violence, and undying passion for motorcycles on the road.
Directors: Richard Chase, Leon Gast, Kevin Keating, Don Kelly | Stars: Sandy Alexander, Ray Archuleta, Sonny Barger, Scott Barnes
Votes: 233
64. Helvetica (2007)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.
Director: Gary Hustwit | Stars: Manfred Schulz, Massimo Vignelli, Rick Poynor, Wim Crouwel
Votes: 8,172 | Gross: $0.20M
65. Home (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, Family
With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glenn Close, Jacques Gamblin
Votes: 23,053
66. Hoop Dreams (1994)
PG-13 | 170 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.
Director: Steve James | Stars: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates
Votes: 28,032 | Gross: $7.83M
67. How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Documentary
How Bruce Lee Changed the World explores the amazing multitude of ways that Bruce Lee - the first international Asian superstar - has influenced pop culture.
Director: Steve Webb | Stars: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Chan, Margaret Cho, Raymond Chow
Votes: 615
68. I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)
Not Rated | 39 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
A portrait of the acting craft of John Cazale and a tour through the movies that defined a generation.
Director: Richard Shepard | Stars: John Cazale, Steve Buscemi, Sam Rockwell, Al Pacino
Votes: 1,962
69. I'm Still Here (I) (2010)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.
Director: Casey Affleck | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Antony Langdon, Carey Perloff, Larry McHale
Votes: 23,907 | Gross: $0.41M
70. In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.
Director: Jessica Yu | Stars: Henry Darger, Dakota Fanning, Larry Pine, Frier McCollister
Votes: 2,246 | Gross: $0.41M
71. Johnny Cash: The Last Great American (2004 TV Movie)
59 min | Biography
Documentary profiling the life of the legendary country music star Johnny Cash, who died in 2003, featuring contributions from his family and fellow musicians.
Director: Chris Rodley | Stars: June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, Jack Clement, Elvis Costello
Votes: 108
72. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Edward Asner, Pat Benatar, Jerry Brown, Johnny Carson
Votes: 41,522 | Gross: $1.72M
73. Last Train Home (2009)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Drama
A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.
Director: Lixin Fan | Stars: Changhua Zhang, Yang Zhang, Suqin Chen, Qin Zhang
Votes: 3,717 | Gross: $0.29M
74. Lost in La Mancha (2002)
R | 89 min | Documentary
Terry Gilliam's doomed attempt to get his film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), off the ground.
Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe | Stars: Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Tony Grisoni
Votes: 11,999 | Gross: $0.73M
75. Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)
PG | 105 min | Documentary, Family, Music
The students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.
Director: Marilyn Agrelo | Stars: Heather Berman, Emma Therese Biegacki, Eva Carrozza, Evangelina Carrozzo
Votes: 3,552 | Gross: $8.12M
76. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 28,010
77. March of the Penguins (2005)
G | 80 min | Documentary, Family
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Director: Luc Jacquet | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules Sitruk
Votes: 59,966 | Gross: $77.44M
78. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Music
The iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo
Votes: 20,354 | Gross: $1.22M
79. Microcosmos (1996)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
A documentary on insect life in meadows and ponds.
Directors: Claude Nuridsany, Marie Pérennou | Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Jacques Perrin
Votes: 11,656 | Gross: $1.57M
80. Monster Camp (2007)
TV-14 | 81 min | Documentary, Fantasy
Welcome to Monster Camp, the true story about a world where people transform into creatures, heroes, and monsters to escape their daily lives. In the vein of Lord of the Rings, World of ... See full summary »
Director: Cullen Hoback | Star: Maisy Kay
Votes: 645
81. Nanking (2007)
R | 88 min | Biography, History, War
Through readings of historical account by actors and the testimony of survivors, the events of the Nanjing Massacre are recounted.
Directors: Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman | Stars: Hugo Armstrong, Rosalind Chao, Stephen Dorff, John Getz
Votes: 3,589 | Gross: $0.16M
82. Nanook of the North (1922)
Passed | 78 min | Documentary
In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.
Director: Robert J. Flaherty | Stars: Allakariallak, Alice Nevalinga, Cunayou, Allegoo
Votes: 13,460
83. No End in Sight (2007)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, War
A comprehensive look at the Bush Administration's conduct of the Iraq war and its occupation of the country.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Campbell Scott, Gerald Burke, Ali Fadhil, Omar Fekeiki
Votes: 8,631 | Gross: $1.43M
84. Overnight (2003)
R | 82 min | Documentary
A documentary on the rise and stumble of Troy Duffy, the bartender-cum-filmmaker who was swept up by Miramax's Harvey Weinstein to turn his script for The Boondock Saints into a feature film.
Directors: Tony Montana, Mark Brian Smith | Stars: Troy Duffy, Jeffrey Baxter, Chris Brinker, Jake Busey
Votes: 4,664
85. 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: 18,161
86. Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000 TV Movie)
Unrated | 130 min | Documentary, Crime
The case of the West Memphis Three, its questionable circumstances and the parties involved are followed up years later.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Damien Wayne Echols, Melissa Byers, Norris Deajon, Tim Sullivan
Votes: 9,662
87. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)
Not Rated | 121 min | Documentary, Crime
A further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Gary Gitchell, Todd Moore, Dana Moore, Pam Hobbs
Votes: 10,875
88. Paris Is Burning (1990)
R | 78 min | Documentary
A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Director: Jennie Livingston | Stars: Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée
Votes: 17,627 | Gross: $3.78M
89. Presunto culpable (2008)
87 min | Documentary
Two young Mexican attorneys attempt to exonerate a wrongly convicted man by making a documentary. In the process, they expose the contradictions of a judicial system that presumes suspects guilty until proven innocent.
Directors: Roberto Hernández, Geoffrey Smith
Votes: 1,419
90. Project Nim (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Documentary
Tells the story of a chimpanzee taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child by a family in a brownstone on the upper West Side in the 1970s.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Nim Chimpsky, Stephanie LaFarge, Herbert Terrace, Wer LaFarge
Votes: 8,600 | Gross: $0.41M
91. Religulous (2008)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg
Votes: 60,253 | Gross: $13.00M
92. Second Skin (2008)
Unrated | 94 min | Documentary
An intimate, fascinating look at computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by the emerging, hugely popular genre of computer games.
Director: Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza | Stars: Dan Bustard, Ashley Esqueda, Andrew Monkelban, Nick Yee
Votes: 764
93. Senna (2010)
PG-13 | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Ayrton Senna, Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neyde Senna
Votes: 75,904 | Gross: $1.61M
94. Shine a Light (2008)
PG-13 | 122 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their "A Bigger Bang" tour.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
Votes: 12,302 | Gross: $5.36M
95. Shut Up & Sing (2006)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in the wake of singer Natalie Maines' anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert.
Directors: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck | Stars: Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, Clayton Allen
Votes: 4,991 | Gross: $1.22M
96. 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: 1,723 | Gross: $0.12M
97. Smash His Camera (2010)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary
A film centering on the life and work of Ron Galella that examines the nature and effect of paparazzi.
Director: Leon Gast | Stars: Floyd Abrams, Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, Joseph Basile, Harry Benson
Votes: 964 | Gross: $0.00M
98. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
Not Rated | 142 min | Documentary, Biography
The career and life of Stanley Kubrick is explored through pictures, clips from his films, his old home movies, comments from his colleagues and a narration by Tom Cruise.
Director: Jan Harlan | Stars: Katharina Kubrick, Malcolm McDowell, Stanley Kubrick, Barbara Kroner
Votes: 12,209
99. Miesten vuoro (2010)
81 min | Documentary
Finnish men in sauna, speaking straight from the heart.
Directors: Joonas Berghäll, Mika Hotakainen | Stars: Timo Aalto, Pekka Ahonen, Aarne Aksila, Mauno Alasuutari
Votes: 2,688
100. Tarnation (2003)
Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
Filmmaker Jonathan Caouette's documentary on growing up with his schizophrenic mother -- a mixture of snapshots, Super-8 film, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, and more - culled from nineteen years of his life.
Director: Jonathan Caouette | Stars: Jonathan Caouette, Renee Leblanc, Adolph Davis, Rosemary Davis
Votes: 6,710 | Gross: $0.59M
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