Some Good Documentaries
by akhanz | created - 30 May 2012 | updated - 1 week ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. 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: 148,719 | Gross: $21.58M
2. 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: 132,380 | Gross: $119.19M
3. 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: 7,281 | Gross: $0.68M
4. 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: 60,238 | Gross: $13.00M
5. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Director: Ari Folman | Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ori Sivan
Votes: 60,397 | Gross: $2.28M
6. Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror.
Director: Morgan Spurlock | Stars: Morgan Spurlock, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Daryl Isaacs
Votes: 6,071 | Gross: $0.38M
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: 76,825 | Gross: $24.54M
8. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,207 | Gross: $23.81M
9. 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: 59,944 | Gross: $77.44M
10. 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: 27,511 | Gross: $6.71M
11. Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998 TV Movie)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Documentary focusing on the career of pro wrestler Bret Hart & his controversial exit from the WWF.
Director: Paul Jay | Stars: Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, Blade Hart
Votes: 4,449
12. Downfall (2004)
R | 156 min | Biography, Drama, History
Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler
Votes: 375,113 | Gross: $5.51M
13. Che: Part One (2008)
Not Rated | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1956, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and a band of Castro-led Cuban exiles mobilize an army to topple the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Julia Ormond, Benicio Del Toro, Oscar Isaac, Pablo Guevara
Votes: 47,945 | Gross: $1.80M
14. Che: Part Two (2008)
Not Rated | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1967, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara leads a small partisan army to fight an ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia, South America.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Demián Bichir, Rodrigo Santoro, Benicio Del Toro, Catalina Sandino Moreno
Votes: 35,046
15. Malcolm X (1992)
PG-13 | 202 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee
Votes: 102,001 | Gross: $48.17M
16. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,210 | Gross: $4.42M
17. 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: 10,825 | Gross: $30.58M
18. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
An exploration of the life and work of Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, former Marine and military strategist, who was responsible for the publication of secret government documents that revealed the truth behind America's involvement in Vietnam.
Directors: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith | Stars: Peter Arnett, Ben Bagdikian, Ann Beeson, John Dean
Votes: 2,421 | Gross: $0.45M
19. The God Who Wasn't There (2005)
62 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Did Jesus exist? This film starts with that question, then goes on to examine Christianity as a whole.
Director: Brian Flemming | Stars: Sam Harris, Robert M. Price, Richard Carrier, Earl Doherty
Votes: 5,052
20. 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: 4,988 | Gross: $1.22M
21. Why We Fight (2005)
PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary, History, War
Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.
Director: Eugene Jarecki | Stars: Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman, John Ashcroft
Votes: 10,232 | Gross: $1.44M
22. Control Room (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.
Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Samir Khader, Josh Rushing, George W. Bush, Hassan Ibrahim
Votes: 5,262 | Gross: $2.59M
23. The Road to Guantanamo (2006)
R | 95 min | Drama, War
Part drama, part documentary, The Road to Guantánamo focuses on the Tipton Three, a trio of British Muslims who were held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge.
Directors: Mat Whitecross, Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Riz Ahmed, Farhad Harun, Waqar Siddiqui, Arfan Usman
Votes: 11,473 | Gross: $0.32M
24. Waiting for Armageddon (2009)
Not Rated | 74 min | Documentary
America's 50-million strong Evangelical community is convinced that the world's future is foretold in Biblical prophecy - from the Rapture to the Battle of Armageddon. This astonishing ... See full summary »
Directors: Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, Franco Sacchi | Stars: Gary Bauer, Chip Berlet, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter
Votes: 389 | Gross: $0.01M
25. What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole (2006)
PG | 156 min | Documentary, Drama
Interviews with scientists and authors, animated bits, and a storyline involving a deaf photographer are used in this docudrama to illustrate the link between quantum mechanics, neurobiology, human consciousness and day-to-day reality.
Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente | Stars: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, Barry Newman, Armin Shimerman
Votes: 2,921 | Gross: $0.14M
26. 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: 25,045 | Gross: $4.20M
27. Saving Face (2012)
Not Rated | 40 min | Documentary, Short, Drama
Plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad returns to his native Pakistan to help those left horribly scarred by acid attacks.
Directors: Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy | Stars: Sarkar Abbas, Mohammad Jawad
Votes: 1,511
28. A Jihad for Love (2007)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds.
Director: Parvez Sharma | Stars: Muhsin Hendricks, A.K. Hoosen, Mazen, Abdellah Taïa
Votes: 713 | Gross: $0.11M
29. The Island President (2011)
PG | 101 min | Documentary
After bringing democracy to his country, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, takes up the fight to keep his homeland from disappearing under the sea.
Director: Jon Shenk | Star: Mohamed Nasheed
Votes: 1,249 | Gross: $0.08M
30. The Invisible War (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
Director: Kirby Dick | Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca, Jessica Hinves
Votes: 7,083 | Gross: $0.07M
31. Secrets of Mary Magdalene (2006 Video)
Not Rated | 48 min | Documentary
Secrets of Mary Magdalene strips away the veils of history to reveal the flesh and blood woman who served as Jesus' foremost apostle and possibly the love of his life. Based on the ... See full summary »
Director: Rob Fruchtman | Stars: Marisa Berenson, Spartok Genev, Tsvetomiva Stefanova
Votes: 97
32. Secrets of Angels, Demons and Masons (2005 Video)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
Separating fact from fiction, Secrets of Angels, Demons & Masons is the ultimate guide to the secret societies of Dan Brown's thrillers. Based on Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer's ... See full summary »
Directors: Simon Cox, Rob Fruchtman | Star: John Cullum
Votes: 86
33. What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A fictional photographer's quest to spiritually rediscover herself is interspersed with documentary footage of scientists and theologians discussing the philosophical aspects of quantum physics.
Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente | Stars: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, John Ross Bowie, Robert Bailey Jr.
Votes: 13,846 | Gross: $10.94M
34. 5 Broken Cameras (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, War
A documentary on a Palestinian farmer's chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi | Stars: Emad Burnat, Soraya Burnat, Mohammed Burnat, Yasin Burnat
Votes: 6,636 | Gross: $0.11M
35. Out of the Ashes (2010)
86 min | Documentary, Sport
Against a backdrop of war and poverty, Out of the Ashes, traces the extraordinary journey of a team of young, Afghan men, as they chase a seemingly impossible dream, shedding new light on a... See full summary »
Directors: Tim Albone, Lucy Martens, Leslie Knott | Stars: Hasti Gul Abid, Taj Malik Aleem, Harsha Bhogle, Geoffrey Boycott
Votes: 230
36. These Birds Walk (2012)
Not Rated | 71 min | Documentary, Drama, News
A poor runaway boy and a reluctant ambulance driver in Karachi. Their two lives come together through a dying humanitarian upon whom so much of their daily lives depend.
Directors: Omar Mullick, Bassam Tariq | Stars: Shehr Ali, Qayyum Bhai, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Asad Ghori
Votes: 370 | Gross: $0.01M
37. The Vietnam War (2017)
TV-MA | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
A comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
Stars: Peter Coyote, Huy Duc, James Willbanks, Duong Van Mai Elliott
Votes: 27,964
38. The Untold History of the United States (2012–2013)
TV-MA | 58 min | Documentary, History, War
Oliver Stone 's re-examination of under-reported events in American history.
Stars: Oliver Stone, Alan Shearman, Jim Ward, André Sogliuzzo
Votes: 9,700
39. 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: 2,082
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