Worth Seeing: Documentaries

by HiroshimaUnicorn | created - 28 May 2013 | updated - 04 Dec 2015 | Public

Documentaries, movies of history, series and such.

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1. Tarnation (2003)

Unrated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography

87 Metascore

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

2. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)

Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, History

73 Metascore

Footage shot by a group of Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement in the United States is edited together by a contemporary Swedish filmmaker.

Director: Göran Hugo Olsson | Stars: Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Abiodun Oyewole

Votes: 2,498 | Gross: $0.26M

Beautiful and strong, a must-see!

3. Paris Is Burning (1990)

R | 78 min | Documentary

82 Metascore

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: 17,611 | Gross: $3.78M

4. Waltz with Bashir (2008)

R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography

91 Metascore

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: 60,415 | Gross: $2.28M

5. Until the Light Takes Us (2008)

Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Music

54 Metascore

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: 6,687 | Gross: $0.12M

6. Bully (I) (2011)

PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary

74 Metascore

A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.

Director: Lee Hirsch | Stars: Alex Libby, Lona Johnson, Kelby Johnson, Bob Johnson

Votes: 10,543 | Gross: $4.04M

7. Good Hair (2009)

PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Comedy

72 Metascore

Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.

Director: Jeff Stilson | Stars: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton, Tanya Crumel

Votes: 6,214 | Gross: $4.16M

8. The Yes Men Fix the World (2009)

87 min | Documentary, Comedy

71 Metascore

Troublemaking duo Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, posing as their industrious alter-egos, expose the people profiting from Hurricane Katrina, the faces behind the environmental disaster in Bhopal, and other shocking events.

Directors: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, Kurt Engfehr | Stars: Reggie Watts, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Richard Ebeling

Votes: 5,207 | Gross: $0.19M

9. Grey Gardens (2009 TV Movie)

TV-PG | 104 min | Biography, Drama

The lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith, aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Director: Michael Sucsy | Stars: Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ken Howard

Votes: 11,215

10. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime

85 Metascore

Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.

Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta

Votes: 68,829 | Gross: $3.29M

11. The Victorians (2009– )

59 min | Documentary

Jeremy Paxman, presenter of the BBC's current affairs program Newsnight examines the life and times of the Victorian era. In the first program he focuses on the styles of Victorian artists ... See full summary »

Stars: Jeremy Paxman, Ian Maine, Alasdair Bruce, Conrad Varley

Votes: 73

12. Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007)

R | 126 min | Action, Biography, Drama

74 Metascore

The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world in 1206.

Director: Sergei Bodrov | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Amadu Mamadakov, Khulan Chuluun, Honglei Sun

Votes: 49,193 | Gross: $5.70M

13. Metal Evolution (2011–2014)

Documentary, Music

Metal Evolution is broken down into episodes about a different piece of metal history. The series includes interviews with and about Alice Cooper, Slash, Lemmy, Rob Zombie, members of ... See full summary »

Stars: Sam Dunn, Scott Ian, Bruce Dickinson, Deena Weinstein

Votes: 2,652

14. Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005)

R | 96 min | Documentary, Music

73 Metascore

An examination of the heavy metal music subculture that tries to explain why, despite the longevity and popularity of the genre, fans are marginalized and ridiculed for their passion.

Directors: Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, Jessica Joy Wise | Stars: Tom Araya, Gavin Baddeley, Blasphemer, Randy Blythe

Votes: 12,484

15. Commune (2005)

Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary

74 Metascore

A documentary on the Black Bear Ranch Commune, an alternative living community founded in 1968 in the remote North Californian wilderness.

Director: Jonathan Berman | Stars: Mahaj Seeger, Peter Coyote, Cedar Seeger, Mel Kramer

Votes: 430

16. Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011)

R | 89 min | Documentary, Comedy, Music

64 Metascore

A documentary on Conan O'Brien's comedy tour of the U.S. and Canada after leaving The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009) and severing his relationship with NBC.

Director: Rodman Flender | Stars: Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Vivino

Votes: 6,841 | Gross: $0.27M

17. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)

PG | 80 min | Documentary, Biography

71 Metascore

The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash.

Directors: Constance Marks, Philip Shane | Stars: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Oz, Bill Barretta

Votes: 7,221 | Gross: $0.30M



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