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The 86 Best Netflix Documentaries and Docuseries
Last updated: March 9, 2021
Ever since Making A Murderer debuted in 2015, introducing the world to the Avery and Dassey families and defining what would make for water-cooler TV in the streaming era, Netflix has been pushing out compelling documentary series and documentary movies one after the other. While at first the service debuted a new, compelling doc every few months, but now it’s a matter of weeks before the world is once again caught up in a wild tale of corruption, murder, and mystery, most often populated with extremely colorful characters. Or blown away by an Oscar-worthy look at some of the most interesting corners of life around the globe.
But which are the most compelling documentaries and bingeable documentary series on the streaming service?
To help answer that question, we went through every Netflix original documentary and documentary series, collected the most critically acclaimed, and ranked them by Tomatometer. Our criteria was simple: To be included, the series had to be Fresh and have accrued reviews from more than 10 critics. Where there were ties, the title with more reviews ranked higher.
In the list, you’ll discover some famous series that dominated headlines and captured the zeitgeist upon their release, 2020’s big conversation-starter Tiger King among them. You’ll also discover that Netflix documentaries cover subjects far beyond death and trials and fascinating cold cases. Want to see what it takes to make it as a young athlete? Press play on Cheer and Last Chance U. Looking for some foodie inspiration? Ugly Delicious and Salt Fat Acid Heat should satisfy. Looking for a profile of someone fascinating? Try Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, Gaga: Five Foot Two, or Tig. After insights into some of the biggest issues facing the world today? Turn to Ava DuVernay’s 13th and Oscar-winner American Factory.
The latest additions include the critically acclaimed series Immigration Nation and Pretend It’s a City, travel adventure series Down to Earth with Zac Efron, intriguing documentaries about LGBTQ+ icons Disclosure and Mucho Mucho Amor, news-making features including Athlete A and The Social Dilemma, and much more. Where do they rank in our list of the best documentaries and docuseries Netflix has to offer? Find out below.
What’s your favorite Netflix documentary? Let us know in the comments.
Take me to Docuseries | Take me to Documentary Movies
Best Netflix Docuseries
Adjusted Score: 67134%
Critics Consensus: Don't F**k With Cats offers an intriguing tale, but questionable intent and muddled storytelling make it a hard sell for anyone but true crime completists.
Adjusted Score: 69387%
Critics Consensus: Compelling interviews and a slick style help Fear City entertain, but those already familiar with the case will find few new insights.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 71932%
Critics Consensus: Brevity may be the soul of wit, but digging a little deeper could only help History of Swear Words - a show that almost lives up to its name and host, but falls a little f-king short.
Starring: Nicolas Cage
Adjusted Score: 70641%
Critics Consensus: Host David Farrier's empathetic curiosity keeps Dark Tourist from feeling too exploitative -- though shallow observations about its macabre destinations often leave something to be desired.
Starring: David Farrier
Adjusted Score: 71518%
Critics Consensus: Zac Efron's earnest exploration certainly comes off as Down to Earth, but the show's lack of focus undermines its important environmental message.
Adjusted Score: 74745%
Critics Consensus: Though Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer succumbs to the sensational side of true crime, it paints a fascinating, chilling portrait of a killer and the city he terrorized.
Adjusted Score: 74889%
Critics Consensus: The Innocent Man will satisfy true crime aficionados looking for a slickly packaged mystery, but viewers seeking a more probing deconstruction of the justice system may come away disappointed.
Starring: John Grisham
Adjusted Score: 79930%
Critics Consensus: Though it takes on one too many side quests on its journey through video game history, High Score has enough nostalgia to entertain players of all ages.
Starring: Charles Martinet
Adjusted Score: 69062%
Critics Consensus: Though it can't help but feel a little incomplete given the circumstances, The Killer Inside crafts a compelling overview of a series of tragic events.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 70857%
Critics Consensus: Chelsea Does manages to investigate some meaningful topics, but the show's polarizing namesake is also its greatest liability.
Starring: Chelsea Handler
Adjusted Score: 82193%
Critics Consensus:
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 75613%
Critics Consensus: Though The Family's open ended-ness undermines its impact, it manages to craft a compelling picture of a shocking truth.
Starring: Jeff Sharlet
Adjusted Score: 83302%
Critics Consensus:
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 81464%
Critics Consensus: Evil Genius makes up for a lack of conviction and nuance with an intriguing sense of discovery and plenty of entertaining insanity.
Starring:
Synopsis: Stories from survivors fuel an examination of how convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and power to carry... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Lisa Bryant
Adjusted Score: 85062%
Critics Consensus: Challenger: The Final Flight doesn't uncover any new information, but intimate interviews elevate its well-crafted, heartbreaking retelling of an avoidable national tragedy
Starring:
Synopsis: Exonerated after spending nearly two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, Steven Avery filed suit against... [More]
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 85411%
Critics Consensus: A fascinating time capsule that doesn't draw many conclusions, Trial by Media considers the consequences of broadcasting high-profile court cases.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 93743%
Critics Consensus: A bizarre true crime story you have to see to believe, Tiger King is a messy and captivating portrait of obsession gone terribly wrong.
Adjusted Score: 94474%
Critics Consensus: If Pretend It's a City can't quite live up to its central duo's creative clout, it's still a delight to see their love for their city - and one another -- in full bloom.
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Adjusted Score: 90576%
Critics Consensus: Investigating an outrageous but true story with restraint, Murder Among the Mormons is entertaining true-crime pulp and a fascinating examination of a community.
Adjusted Score: 92450%
Critics Consensus: Wormwood's real-life mystery unfolds in hypothetical tendrils guided by Errol Morris' singular vision and style that will keep viewers engaged despite the four-hour run time.
Directed By: Errol Morris
Adjusted Score: 90675%
Critics Consensus: Dogs is a kindhearted series that offers viewers a glimpse of several extraordinary canines and the people they orbit, resulting in a hopeful celebration of humanity and its best friend.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 94834%
Critics Consensus: A cornucopia of visual wonder and environmental advocacy, Our Planet's breathtaking cinematography explores more of this beautiful, blue marble while presenting an urgent call to action to its inhabitants.
Starring: David Attenborough
Adjusted Score: 97473%
Critics Consensus: The Staircase -- in its newly expanded form -- offers a gripping, detailed depiction of the complex justice system, even if the overall narrative lacks objectivity.
Starring:
Directed By: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade
Synopsis: This Netflix original series follows college football teams that aren't major programs and don't get much national attention. After a... [More]
Adjusted Score: 95643%
Critics Consensus: Flint Town dives deep into an essential subject matter with admirable objectivity while presenting candid -- and hard-hitting -- personal testimonials.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 95725%
Critics Consensus: Bobby Kennedy for President crafts a poignant, nuanced view of a political process and a human being.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 98252%
Critics Consensus: The Vietnam War revisits a dark chapter in American history with patience, grace, and a refreshing -- and sobering -- perspective informed by those who fought.
Starring: Peter Coyote
Adjusted Score: 96364%
Critics Consensus: With an inspirational troupe of teens and willingness to engage in the tougher trials facing the sport today, Cheer perfectly captures the highs and lows of what it takes to be a cheerleader.
Starring: Monica Aldama
Adjusted Score: 98057%
Critics Consensus: The Keepers draws on riveting, real-life terror to expose long-buried secrets -- and tells a brilliantly assembled story along the way.
Starring:
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 99654%
Critics Consensus: Five Came Back tells an inspiring story to captivating effect, offering viewing that should appeal to historians and film buffs in equal measure.
Starring: Meryl Streep
Adjusted Score: 100778%
Critics Consensus: Wild Wild Country succeeds as an intriguing examination of a forgotten piece of American history that must be seen to be believed.
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 100068%
Critics Consensus: Salt Fat Acid Heat distinguishes itself from other cooking programs with Samin Nosrat's approachable and educational teaching style, celebrating the essential ingredients of a good meal with an international perspective.
Starring: Samin Nosrat
Directed By: Caroline Suh
Adjusted Score: 100228%
Critics Consensus: As emotional as it is illuminating, Diagnosis' deep dives into the lives of patients navigating complicated health care systems is at once harrowing and hopeful.
Starring: Dr. Lisa Sanders
Adjusted Score: 100628%
Critics Consensus: An intimate portrait of medical professionals that explores triumphs and complications in equal measure, Lenox Hill is as engrossing as it is eye opening.
Synopsis: There's a cliche that says "the rich get richer," and while that may be true it's not always done through... [More]
Starring:
Adjusted Score: 101496%
Critics Consensus: A rare and expansive look into the consequences of unfettered power, Immigration Nation is a powerful, harrowing indictment of the current state of American immigration.
Starring:
Synopsis: James Beard Award-winning chef David Chang stars in this travelogue that sends him on a journey to culinary hot spots... [More]
Starring: Dave Chang
Best Netflix Documentary Movies
#45
Adjusted Score: 74566%
Critics Consensus: Gaga: Five Foot Two offers an absorbing glimpse of its superstar subject's backstage life, albeit one weakened by inconsistent focus and a dearth of performance footage.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Chris Moukarbel introduces the woman behind the performer, the costumes, the glitz and the glamour.... [More]
Directed By: Chris Moukarbel
#44
Adjusted Score: 57723%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After comic Tig Notaro is diagnosed with stage II breast cancer, she creates a poignant stand-up set that becomes legendary... [More]
Starring: Tig Notaro
#43
Adjusted Score: 67517%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 2004, 16-year-old Cyntoia Denise Brown was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, for murdering a 43-year-old man who picked her up... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Daniel H. Birman
#42
Adjusted Score: 79773%
Critics Consensus: Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell sets itself apart from other documentaries about its late subject by focusing on his life outside the spotlight.
Synopsis: In the wake of the Notorious B.I.G.'s landmark induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and ahead of... [More]
Directed By: Emmett Malloy
#41
Adjusted Score: 79633%
Critics Consensus: Absorbing, unpredictable, and overall compelling, Voyeur is a singularly unusual -- and utterly memorable -- documentary experience.
Synopsis: Gay Talese investigates Gerald Foos, a Colorado motel owner who spies on his guests. Using a carefully constructed platform in... [More]
Starring: Gay Talese
#40
Adjusted Score: 84666%
Critics Consensus: Perhaps at penalty for being overtly conventional, Pelé rewards fútbol fans with incredible archival footage of a king on the field while peripherally examining his relationship with Brazil's politics.
Synopsis: This documentary feature tells the story of iconic footballer Pelé, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he attained.... [More]
Starring: Pelé
#39
Adjusted Score: 51983%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus shed light on Florida's amateur porn industry through the experiences of five young women... [More]
Starring: Ivan H. Itzkowitz III
#38
Adjusted Score: 84046%
Critics Consensus: Quincy presents an undeniably entertaining overview of its subject's remarkable life and career, albeit one that may leave some viewers wishing it had dug a little deeper.
Synopsis: An intimate look at the life of Quincy Jones, a music industry giant and winner of 27 Grammys.... [More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 87392%
Critics Consensus: American Murder: The Family Next Door chillingly unravels a brutal true crime story using the near-constant connectedness of the digital era.
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Jenny Popplewell
#36
Adjusted Score: 86278%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Top athletes and insiders discuss the Paralympic Games and how it impacts a global understanding of disability, diversity and excellence.... [More]
#35
Adjusted Score: 87152%
Critics Consensus: Clear-eyed and comprehensive, The Social Dilemma presents a sobering analysis of our data-mined present.
Synopsis: Tech experts sound the alarm on the dangerous human impact of social networking.... [More]
Directed By: Jeff Orlowski
#34
Adjusted Score: 88038%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring: Blackpink
Directed By: Caroline Suh
#33
Adjusted Score: 87052%
Critics Consensus: The Great Hack offers an alarming glimpse of the way data is being weaponized for political gain -- and what it might mean for future elections.
Synopsis: The dark world of data exploitation is uncovered through the unpredictable personal journeys of players on different sides of the... [More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 88983%
Critics Consensus: As informative as it is entertaining, Get Me Roger Stone offers a close-up look at the right-wing gadfly who helped shape the 2016 presidential election.
Synopsis: Roger Stone, known as a master in the dark arts of politics, plants the seeds that allow businessmen and moguls... [More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 90100%
Critics Consensus: Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold pays tribute to an American literary legend with a richly personal perspective that should thrill devotees while enlightening newcomers.
Synopsis: Actor and director Griffin Dunne uses a treasure trove of archival footage to chronicle Joan Didion's influential career.... [More]
Directed By: Griffin Dunne
#30
Adjusted Score: 91662%
Critics Consensus: What Happened, Miss Simone? is a compelling -- albeit necessarily incomplete -- overview of its complex subject's singular artistic legacy and fascinating life.
Synopsis: Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty,... [More]
Directed By: Liz Garbus
#29
Adjusted Score: 92137%
Critics Consensus: Taking the long view in its look at a military family's emotional journey allows Father Soldier Son to offer a uniquely moving perspective on the effects of war.
Synopsis: Wounded in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Brian Eisch and his sons set off on a journey of love, loss and... [More]
Starring:
#28
Adjusted Score: 95937%
Critics Consensus: Miss Americana provides an engaging if somewhat deliberately opaque backstage look at a pop star turned cultural phenomenon.
Synopsis: Pop singer Taylor Swift reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage.... [More]
Directed By: Lana Wilson
#27
#26
Adjusted Score: 92588%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring: Sanjay Gupta
Directed By: Sam Rega
#25
Adjusted Score: 93915%
Critics Consensus: Icarus is eye-opening viewing for professional sports enthusiasts, yet it should also prove thoroughly gripping even for filmgoers who might not necessarily be drawn to the subject.
Synopsis: When filmmaker Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian... [More]
Directed By: Bryan Fogel
#24
Adjusted Score: 96383%
Critics Consensus: Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese lives up to its unwieldy title with a delightfully unorthodox look at a pivotal period in its subject's career.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Martin Scorsese chronicles the troubled spirit of America in 1975 along with the joyous music that Bob Dylan performed... [More]
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
#23
Adjusted Score: 97217%
Critics Consensus: Fyre smolders with agonizing tension when a party in paradise goes awry, but this slickly assembled documentary reserves its greatest horror for damning observations about the dangers of wealth.
Synopsis: The history of the Fyre Music Festival, from its creation through its unraveling.... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Chris Smith
#22
Adjusted Score: 93691%
Critics Consensus: Harrowing and heartbreaking, One of Us offers an intimate, revealing glimpse inside a notoriously private community and those who would dare defy it.
Synopsis: ... [More]
Starring: Unknown Actor
Directed By: Rachel Grady
#21
Adjusted Score: 96518%
Critics Consensus: It may not get as personal as some viewers might have hoped, but Becoming offers an uplifting look at a pivotal moment in its subject's public life.
Synopsis: Former first lady Michelle Obama discusses her life, hopes and connections with others.... [More]
Directed By: Nadia Hallgren
#19
Adjusted Score: 96405%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: David Attenborough discusses humanity's impact on nature and the actions we can take to save the planet.... [More]
Starring: David Attenborough
#18
Adjusted Score: 96323%
Critics Consensus: By exposing the corrupt systems which enabled him, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator paints a disturbing -- and necessary -- portrait of the cycles of abuse endured by countless followers of the charlatan at its center.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Eva Orner examines the dramatic rise and fall of hot yoga founder, Bikram Choudhury. Orner covers many of the... [More]
Directed By: Eva Orner
#17
Adjusted Score: 99272%
Critics Consensus: American Factory takes a thoughtful -- and troubling -- look at the dynamic between workers and employers in the 21st-century globalized economy.
Synopsis: In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant. Early... [More]
Starring: Sherrod Brown
#16
Adjusted Score: 97998%
Critics Consensus: While it may raise more questions than it ultimately answers, Tell Me Who I Am unravels a real-life horror story to devastating effect.
Synopsis: A teenager wakes up from a coma after surviving a motorcycle accident.... [More]
Directed By: Ed Perkins
#15
Adjusted Score: 101563%
Critics Consensus: 13th strikes at the heart of America's tangled racial history, offering observations as incendiary as they are calmly controlled.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's... [More]
Directed By: Ava DuVernay
#14
Adjusted Score: 100625%
Critics Consensus: Disclosure engrossingly illuminates the history and effects of the way transgender lives are depicted onscreen -- and outlines how much progress still needs to be made.
Synopsis: A look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of this on American culture.... [More]
Directed By: Sam Feder
#13
#12
Adjusted Score: 100274%
Critics Consensus: Like the cheekily named store at this documentary's center, Circus of Books proves there are countless stories below the surface if we're only willing to look.
Synopsis: In 1976 a couple take over an adult book store, and the store becomes the biggest distributor of gay porn... [More]
Directed By: Rachel Mason
#11
Adjusted Score: 103994%
Critics Consensus: A galvanizing glimpse behind the scenes of a pivotal election, Knock Down the House should prove engrossing for viewers of all political persuasions.
Synopsis: A young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner's daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada, and a... [More]
Starring: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Directed By: Rachel Lears
#10
Adjusted Score: 94748%
Critics Consensus: A heartwarming look at the way a meaningful bond can transcend just about any barrier, this documentary will leave you asking your friends to come and see My Octopus Teacher with you.
Synopsis: A diver swims with an octopus that lives in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa.... [More]
Starring: Craig Foster
#9
Adjusted Score: 82086%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1973, baseball lover and actor Bing Russell, father of Kurt Russell, starts an independent, single-A team composed of players... [More]
#8
Adjusted Score: 97694%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Six ambitious student actors audition for the prestigious August Wilson Monologue Competition, culminating in a riveting final round on Broadway.... [More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 100944%
Critics Consensus: Chasing Coral offers a breathtakingly beautiful look at some of the Earth's most incredible natural wonders while delivering a sobering warning about their uncertain future.
Synopsis: Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. Divers, photographers and scientists set out on an ocean... [More]
Starring: Andrew Ackerman
Directed By: Jeff Orlowski
#6
Adjusted Score: 102358%
Critics Consensus: In telling one couple's story, A Secret Love pays understated yet powerful tribute to a lifetime of choices and sacrifices made in the name of enduring devotion.
Synopsis: A former baseball player keeps her lesbian relationship a secret from her family for seven decades.... [More]
Starring: Pat Henschel
Directed By: Chris Bolan
#5
Adjusted Score: 102663%
Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses -- as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.
Synopsis: Reporters from The Indianapolis Star expose Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts.... [More]
#4
Adjusted Score: 103091%
Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.
Synopsis: Puerto Rican astrologer and psychic Walter Mercado discusses his life, career and post-fame seclusion.... [More]
Starring: Walter Mercado
#3
Adjusted Score: 102326%
Critics Consensus: Shirkers uses one woman's interrogation of a pivotal personal disappointment to offer affecting observations on creativity, lost opportunity, and coming to terms with the past.
Synopsis: In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singapore's first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Sandi Tan
#2
Adjusted Score: 104168%
Critics Consensus: Dick Johnson Is Dead celebrates a life with bittersweet humor and grace, offering a deeply resonant perspective on mortality in the bargain.
Synopsis: A filmmaker and her elderly father stage his death in various ways to help them face his inevitable demise.... [More]
Starring: Dick Johnson
Directed By: Kirsten Johnson
#1
Adjusted Score: 105167%
Critics Consensus: As entertaining as it is inspiring, Crip Camp uses one group's remarkable story to highlight hope for the future and the power of community.
Synopsis: A groundbreaking summer camp galvanizes teens who have disabilities.... [More]
Thumbnail images courtesy of Netflix.
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