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
The 25 Best Netflix Documentaries to Watch Right Now
From serious investigative journalism to lessons in the basics of modern society, documentaries and docuseries on Netflix have it all.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
The 45 Best Movies of All Time, Ranked
Cinema's greatest films combine artistry with lasting popular influence. Here are 45 movies that perfectly balance both sides of that equation.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
10 Best Mockumentary Movies in Different Genres, Ranked
The Blair Witch Project is a horror pioneer while Drop Dead Gorgeous is an influential comedy. The best mockumentaries revolutionize their genre.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.
Roger & Me
Ex-journalist Michael Moore demands answers when General Motors suddenly closes the doors of all its auto plants in the Flint, Michigan, the city where he grew up. With over 30,000 people out of work, Flint is economically devastated, and Moore aims to track down General Motors CEO Roger Smith to make him answer for his actions.
- Director
- Michael Moore
- Release Date
- December 20, 1989
- Cast
- Michael Moore
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Production Company
- Dog Eat Dog Films
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.
The Times of Harvey Milk
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
- Director
- Rob Epstein
- Release Date
- September 20, 1985
- Cast
- Harvey Fierstein
- Writers
- Rob Epstein
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Where to watch
- Max
33 The Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat Is Only 50 Seconds
Top 10 Best Movies With Extremely Long Runtimes
While a longer runtime can lead to a bored audience, these great films held the attention of viewers for hours on end.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.
The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat
A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform.
- Director
- Auguste Lumière , Louis Lumière
- Release Date
- January 26, 1896
- Runtime
- 50 seconds
- Filming Locations
- Gare de La Ciotat
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.
Capturing the Friedmans
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
- Release Date
- May 30, 2003
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Where to watch
- HBO 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.
Fahrenheit 9/11
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
- Release Date
- June 25, 2004
- Cast
- Michael Moore , George W. Bush , Ben Affleck , Stevie Wonder , Donald Rumsfeld
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Production Company
- Dog Eat Dog Films
- Streaming
- Tubi , Peacock , Pluto TV
30 Summer of Soul Brings Viewers Back To The Harlem Cultural Festival In 1969
10 Must-Watch Music Documentaries
Music biopics offer an intimate look into the lives of superstars, like Kurt Cobain and Beyoncé.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.
Summer of Soul
Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
- Release Date
- July 2, 2021
- Director
- Questlove
- Cast
- Dorinda Drake , Barbara Bland-Acosta , Darryl Lewis , Al Sharpton
- Runtime
- 1 hour 58 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Production Company
- Mass Distraction Media, RadicalMedia, Vulcan Productions, Concordia Studio, Play/Action Pictures, LarryBilly Productions
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.
Sans Soleil
A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.
- Release Date
- March 2, 1983
- Director
- Chris Marker
- Runtime
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Writers
- Chris Marker
- Artists
- Amilcar Cabral, Florence Delay, Arielle Dombasle, Riyoko Ikeda, Charlotte Kerr, Kim Novak, Alexandra Stewart, James Stewart, Bin Akao, David Coverdale, Chris Marker
- Production Company
- Argos Films
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.
The Thin Blue Line
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
- Studio
- American Playhouse
- Release Date
- August 25, 1988
- Director
- Errol Morris
- Runtime
- 1 hour 41 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Writers
- Errol Morris
- Artists
- Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson, Marshall Touchton, Dale Holt, Sam Kittrell, Hootie Nelson, Dennis Johnson, Floyd Jackson, Edith James, Dennis White, Don Metcalfe, Emily Miller, R.L. Miller, Elba Carr, Michael Randell, Melvyn Carson Bruder
- Production Company
- American Playhouse, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Program Development Company Productions Inc.
27 Don’t Look Back Follows Bob Dylan's 1965 British Tour
82 Bob Dylan Comic Book References
We pay tribute to Bob Dylan's 82nd birthday by spotlighting 82 times that comic books have referenced Bob Dylan over the years.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.
Don’t Look Back
Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.
- Release Date
- February 24, 1968
- Director
- D.A. Pennebaker
- Cast
- bob dylan
- Runtime
- 1 hour 36 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Writers
- D.A. Pennebaker
- Artists
- Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez, Alan Price, Tito Burns, Donovan, Derroll Adams, Jones Alk, Howard Alk, Chris Ellis, Terry Ellis, Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg, John Mayall, Brian Pendleton
- Production Company
- Leacock-Pennebaker
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.
Salesman
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.
- Release Date
- December 11, 2021
- Runtime
- 1 hour 31 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Developer
- Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin
- Artists
- Paul Brennan, Charles McDevitt, James Baker, Raymond Martos, Kennie Turner, Melbourne I. Feltman, Margaret McCarron
- Production Company
- Maysles Films
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+.
O.J.: Made in America
A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- Release Date
- May 20, 2016
- Director
- Ezra Edelman
- Cast
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Muhammad Ali
- Runtime
- 7 hours 47 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Production Company
- ESPN Films, Laylow Films
24 Grizzly Man Is An Astonishing Look At A Man Who Lives Amongst Grizzly Bears
10 Best Women-Directed Documentaries
From Fire of Love to My Octopus Teacher, women directors are responsible for some of the best and most impactful documentaries.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.
Grizzly Man
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.
- Release Date
- September 30, 2005
- Director
- Werner Herzog
- Runtime
- 1 hour 43 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Writers
- Werner Herzog
- Characters By
- Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog
- Production Company
- Lions Gate Films, Discovery Docs, Real Big Production
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.
March of the Penguins
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
- Release Date
- July 22, 2005
- Director
- Luc Jacquet
- Cast
- Morgan Freeman , Romane Bohringer , Charles Berling
- Runtime
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Writers
- Luc Jacquet , Michel Fessler , Jordan Roberts
- Production Company
- National Geographic Films, Bonne Pioche, Wild Bunch
22 Won't You Be My Neighbor? Gives Insight Into Fred Rogers' Life
30 Saddest Movies That Will Break Your Heart
Whether a film depicts tragic real-life events or the demise of a beloved character, some movies manage to truly break the viewers' hearts.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.
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host Fred Rogers.
- Release Date
- June 8, 2018
- Director
- Morgan Neville
- Cast
- Fred Rogers , François Clemmons , Yo-Yo Ma
- Runtime
- 1 hour 35 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Awards Won
- Critics Choice Award, National Board of Review, Gotham Awards, Dorian Awards, Golden Trailer Award
- Production Company
- Impact Partners, Independent Lens, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
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.
Man on Wire
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
- Release Date
- August 29, 2008
- Director
- James Marsh
- Cast
- Philippe Petit , Jean François Heckel , Jean-Louis Blondeau
- Runtime
- 1 hour 34 minutes
- Main Genre
- Documentary
- Production Company
- Discovery Films, BBC Storyville, UK Film Council
- Writers
- Philippe Petit