Documentary films have been around since the dawn of the film industry, but what is a documentary? A documentary is a non-fiction story that is told primarily through the eyes of the subject or through interviews with those who know the subject material well. Great documentaries tell incredible stories while tugging at the heartstrings of their viewers. Over the years, there have been some remarkable documentaries created on everything from murder trials to inside looks at the animal kingdom.

With over 100 years of film, it can be hard to determine what the top documentaries are. While there are many must-watch documentaries that do not enjoy the same audience size as fictional films, there are quite a few that have actually seen mainstream success. As the industry continues to grow, bringing compelling stories to the masses, mainstream success serves to aid the genre.

Updated on May 2, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: This list has been updated to include more great documentary recommendations and to reflect CBR's current formatting standards.

This article discusses sensitive topics, including murder, suicide, animal injury, and gun violence.

40 Grey Gardens Utilizes Direct Cinema

Grey Gardens follows the day-to-day life of two reclusive women; Big Edie and Little Edie (mother/daughter), who live Grey Gardens, a rundown mansion in New York. The pair used to be part of the affluent lifestyle of their wealthy Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton before their home fell into despair. They manage to survive in the Grey Gardens despite no running water, an infection of fleas and the home being inhabited by raccoons and cats.

Big Edie and Little Edie were the aunt and cousin to the United States First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis, which garnered even more interest in their story. The documentary came to be after stories in the National Enquirer and New York Magazine brought light to the situation the women were facing. Many cited the film's use of direct cinema, having the women tell their story and capturing their reality with little to no interaction with the filmmakers.

39 Harlan County U.S.A. Depicts The Brookside Strike Of 1973

Harlan County U.S.A. tells the story of the "Brookside Strike," a strike in 1973 of coal miners in Kentucky against the Eastover Coal Company's Brookside Mine which was owned by the Duke Power Company. The documentary depicts how the workers took a stand against harsh working conditions in the mines, as well as picketing outside the New York Stock Exchange to make their voices heard. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1977.

Director Barbara Kopple intended to go and cover the strike but ended up following the subjects and their families for four years. She was able to capture the rough conditions the miners faced both in the mines and while striking. At one point in the film, the miners are shot at while striking. It is a heartbreaking film to watch, especially when several subjects with black lung disease give their interviews, which underscores the personal pain and sacrifice many made to fight for their rights as workers.

Harlan County U.S.A. is currently streaming on Max.

38 The War Game Is The Only Fictional Film To Win Best Documentary Feature

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1967, The War Game is a rather unique documentary. It follows a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain and how its aftermath plays out in the country and the rest of the world. The film's runtime is only 47 minutes, but it caused controversy from the start. BBC was reluctant to air it on television at first, even though they produced the film.

While the film is a documentary, it is entirely fictional but shot in the vein of a news program covering the war. This made it a controversial win at the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and the Academy ended up changing the eligibility requirements after it won, The War Game now stands as the only fictional film to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, a unique distinction in the history of the Academy.

The War Game is currently unavailable to stream.

37 Hearts and Minds Takes A Close Look At The United States' Involvement in The Vietnam War

Hearts and Minds is yet another documentary following the Vietnam War. The film takes a close look at the United States' role in the war and how it proved to be, and still is to many, controversial. The film's title is based on a quote from United States President Lyndon B. Johnson: "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live out there."

Hearts and Minds captured the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1975 and it was released during the Vietnam War, and the war ended mere weeks after the film picked up the award. It had a tough road to release and was actually held up by a restraining order from Walt Rostow, a security advisor to President Johnson, who worried that his image would be damaged by his interview in the film.

Hearts and Minds is currently streaming on Max.

36 13th Explores The United States Prison System

Directed by Ava DuVernay, 13th is a complex look at the prison system of the United States. It also explores how racial inequality played a role in how the United States prison system came to be as we know it today. One of the best Netflix documentaries of all time, 13th is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery in the United States but allowed for a loophole that criminalized black Americans and forced them to penal labor in prisons.

The documentary was seen as a powerful look at how race played a huge role in the prison system after the end of the American Civil War. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and won 3 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Despite being released in 2016, it received a surge in viewership after the George Floyd protests in 2020.

13th is currently streaming on Netflix.

35 Roger & Me Was The Directorial Debut Of Documentary Legend Michael Moore

Roger & Me was the directorial debut of documentary legend Michael Moore. The documentary follows Moore as he seeks to interview General Motors CEO Roger Smith after General Motors closes several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, Moore's hometown. Along the way, Moore interviews several autoworkers and finds that most have an extremely unpopular view of Smith, which leads Moore to try to interview him.

Roger & Me was a powerful piece showing how the actions of a company can severely harm one city, as Moore points out that the auto plants were the main source of the economy of Flint growing up. After the plants were closed, crime steadily increased and, as shown in the film, the Nightline crew has their production van stolen. The documentary introduced viewers to Moore, who built a phenomenal career in documentaries and visited Flint for many of them later on.

Roger & Me is available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Google Play Movies.

34 The Times Of Harvey Milk Follows Milk And The Aftermath Of His Assassination

The Times of Harvey Milk follows the political career of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay supervisor of San Francisco. The film documents Milk's rise to prominence in the political field, becoming an LGBTQ symbol, and his assassination in 1978. It also explores the trial of Dan White, who assassinated Milk along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

The United States Library of Congress selected The Times of Harvey Milk for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012. It is often considered one of the greatest documentaries to follow the life of a political figure, especially one as important as Milk was during his time. Dan White committed suicide one year before the film released, and director Rob Epstein left that fact out of the film in order to keep the focus on Milk and his legacy.

The Times Of Harvey Milk is currently streaming on Max.

33 The Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat Is Only 50 Seconds

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat was created by the Lumière brothers in 1895. The silent film is only 50 seconds long and depicts a train arriving at a station in La Ciotat, France in one single shot. It is considered one of the first films to be screened for an audience when it premiered in 1896.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat is often tied to a legend among film circles that, when it was screened to the audience, many ran in fear that the train would come through the screen. This account has been disputed by several historians, but many at the time did marvel at the film. The short's impact on the history of film can't be understated. Many consider it the first motion picture, or the earliest one to be remembered in the medium.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat can currently be seen on YouTube.

32 Capturing The Friedmans Is Controversial Due To Decisions By Its Director

Directed by Andrew Jarecki, Capturing the Friedmans follows the lives of the Friedman family, a seemingly normal middle-class family. The family is thrust into controversy when patriarch Arnold and his youngest son Jesse are investigated under suspicion of child molestation. The film documents various interviews with the Friedmans and several young students who visited their home for computer classes.

This great crime documentary proved to be controversial not just because of its subject matter, but for several choices that Jarecki made in the film. First, Jarecki did not specifically state whether the Friedmans were guilty or not, leaving it ambiguous. Jarecki also stated during production that he thought the Friedmans were falsely accused, even though both Arnold and Jesse were charged with various crimes. Jarecki left out some footage in the film as well, such as a tearful confession of guilt that Jesse made on television to further the argument that Jesse was indeed guilty.

Capturing the Friedmans is currently streaming on Max.

31 Fahrenheit 9/11 Is The Highest Grossing Documentary Of All-Time

Fahrenheit 9/11 explores director Michael Moore's view on the state of America after the tragic 9/11 attacks in 2001. Moore presents his opinion that the administration of United States President George W. Bush used the attacks to push forward its agenda to start wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It is considered one of the most controversial documentaries ever made.

Despite winning the Palme d'Or, the highest award of the Cannes Film Festival, Fahrenheit 9/11 met intense scrutiny regarding its accuracy and claims about the United States government. Despite the controversies, it was an unprecedented success and still stands as the highest-grossing documentary film of all time at $222 million.

Fahrenheit 9/11 is currently streaming on Peacock.

30 Summer of Soul Brings Viewers Back To The Harlem Cultural Festival In 1969

Summer of Soul is one of the best music documentaries of all time. It follows the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969. The festival took place over six weeks in the summer of 1969 and celebrated Black history. It features performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and B.B. King.

The documentary was directed by Questlove in his directorial debut. Most of the footage was in a basement where it sat for more than 50 years, and the documentary introduced the festival to a new generation of viewers after many had never heard of it. Summer of Soul won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2022.

Summer of Soul is currently streaming on Hulu.

29 Sans Soleil Was An Experimental Documentary Film

Sans Soleil is a French documentary by director Chris Marker. The film has footage Marker shot from various parts of the world; including Japan, Iceland and Africa, that is edited in a collage format. The documentary is considered to be an experimental film -- it celebrates culture and nature, exploring how each person perceives the world differently.

Sans Soleil contains no synchronized sound and the scenes are only connected by a female narrated voiceover reading letters that may or may not be fictional. The documentary has since been added to the Criterion Collection and is considered a must-watch for fans of the documentary genre.

Sans Soleil is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

28 Thin Blue Line Was Instrumental In Getting Randall Adams Off Death Row

Thin Blue Line follows the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams, who was wrongly convicted in the 1976 shooting of Dallas police officer Robert Wood. It's one of the best crime documentaries out there, and it proved to be instrumental in overturning Adams’ conviction in 1989.

Thin Blue Line's status as a documentary proved controversial, since several of the film’s scenes were reenacted. Critics of the genre felt that reenactment could not stand in a documentary, and as a result, the film was not nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1989 despite its success.

Thin Blue Line is currently streaming on AMC+ and Tubi.

27 Don’t Look Back Follows Bob Dylan's 1965 British Tour

Don’t Look Back covers music legend Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England. Various scenes also show Dylan flashing lyrical cue cards for the camera. The film features appearances from other famous musicians, including Donovan, Joan Baez and Alan Price. One of the best music documentaries of all time, Don't Look Back is an intimate ode to an influential musician who went on to win a Nobel Prize in Literature due to the power of his lyrics.

Despite the documentary being an enormous success and agreed upon as one of the best in the genre, one person who was not a fan of the film was ironically Dylan himself, who claimed that he was not paid for the documentary. It was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the United States National Film Registry in 1998.

Don’t Look Back is currently streaming on Max.

26 Salesman Was Inspired By The Filmmakers' Past As Door-To-Door Salesmen

Salesman follows four door-to-door salesmen who travel across the United States selling Bibles. The Bibles themselves are expensive, 50 dollars (roughly $410 in 2023), and the salesmen’s clientele is mostly lower-class families, which makes for a daunting task.

Salesman was directed by Albert & David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, and the Maysles brothers handled the production side while sending footage throughout the production to Zwerin for review. The Maysles had previously been door-to-door salesmen themselves, selling brushes and encyclopedias.

Salesman is currently streaming on Max.

25 O.J.: Made In America Shows The Downfall Of O.J. Simpson

O.J.: Made in America follows the turbulent life of former football player O.J. Simpson. The documentary spans from Simpson's football career to his trial for the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, as well as his imprisonment for a Las Vegas robbery. Few crime documentaries offer this level of detail for such an intricate case while sticking closely to facts rather than assumptions.

O.J.: Made in America is also juxtaposed with the Watts Riots and the entire Rodney King video to highlight the tensions of race between the Black community and the Los Angeles police department. The documentary was part of ESPN's 30 for 30 and was the longest one ever produced. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2017, making it the longest film to be nominated and win an award.

O.J.: Made in America is currently streaming on ESPN+.

24 Grizzly Man Is An Astonishing Look At A Man Who Lives Amongst Grizzly Bears

Directed by the legendary director Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man tells the story of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. Treadwell studied grizzly bears and wished to live among them, but in 2003 Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed in a grizzly bear attack.

Herzog used Treadwell's own footage from the last 5 years of his life, as well as filmed interviews with people who knew him, in order to tell his story in the documentary. Herzog was able to uncover the last footage Treadwell shot, which had the audio of his death in it, but Herzog did not use it in the documentary, although he was filmed listening to it.

Grizzly Man is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

23 March Of The Penguins Is One Of The Highest-Grossing Documentaries Ever

March of the Penguins, narrated in English by Morgan Freeman, is a nature documentary that follows the yearly journey of emperor penguins in Antarctica. The penguins must travel from the ocean to the breeding grounds and, if successful, must survive a tough journey.

The documentary won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards in 2006. It is also one of the highest-grossing documentaries ever made, making $127 million at the box office. A sequel, March of the Penguins 2, released 12 years later on Hulu.

March of the Penguins is available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Google Play Movies.

22 Won't You Be My Neighbor? Gives Insight Into Fred Rogers' Life

Won't You Be My Neighbor? explores the life of Fred Rogers, who was the creator and host of the famous children's program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Besides examining Rogers' life, it also looks at the legacy that he left behind on television and in society.

Fred Rogers was one of the most important figures in the history of television, as evidenced by his show lasting 33 years. The documentary sparked a renewed interest in Rogers 15 years after his death and is currently the 12th-highest-grossing documentary of all-time.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? is currently streaming on Netflix.

21 Man On Wire Shows The Death-Defying Stunt In The 1970s

Man on Wire chronicles the death-defying stunt of Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist, in 1974. Petit completed a high-wire walk across the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, making eight passes over 45 minutes before being arrested.

The film is based on Petit's book To Reach the Clouds, which was released in 2002. Many critics commended the structure of the documentary, with suspense akin to a heist film before depicting the walk. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2009 and was featured on many critics' top ten lists for 2008.

Man on Wire is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.