Best Documentary Movies of All Time

1. 1
   Nude 2017

   Directed by Tony Sacco · Streaming on MovieSphere+
   8.3

   9.3 · 174 votes
2. 2
   Break the Silence: The Movie 2020

   Directed by Park Jun-soo · Streaming on Rakuten Viki
   8.2

   9.1 · 188 votes
3. 3
   Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me 2022

   Directed by Alek Keshishian · Streaming on Apple TV
   8.2

   8.4 · 623 votes
4. 4
   The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo 2020

   Directed by Carlos Pérez Osorio · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.8 · 246 votes
5. 5
   David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet 2020

   Directed by Alastair Fothergill · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.4 · 473 votes
6. 6
   One Direction: This Is Us 2013

   Directed by Morgan Spurlock · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Plex, Plex Channel
   8.1

   8.2 · 1.1K votes
7. 7
   Night and Fog 1956

   Directed by Alain Resnais · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
   8.0

   8.3 · 594 votes
8. 8
   Baraka 1992

   Directed by Ron Fricke · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home Free
   8.0

   8.2 · 729 votes
9. 9
   Squid Game: Making Season 2 2025
   8.0

   8.3 · 462 votes
10. 10
    Senna 2010

    Directed by Asif Kapadia
    8.0

    8.1 · 1.3K votes
11. 11
    Bring the Soul: The Movie 2019

    Directed by Park Jun-soo · Streaming on Kocowa
    8.0

    8.3 · 463 votes
12. 12
    Stop Making Sense 1984

    Directed by Jonathan Demme · Streaming on JustWatch TV Free, JustWatch TV Plus
    8.0

    8.4 · 401 votes
13. 13
    Burn the Stage: The Movie 2018

    Directed by Park Jun-soo
    7.9

    8.3 · 436 votes
14. 14
    Human 2015

    Directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.9

    8.4 · 316 votes
15. 15
    Ennio 2022

    Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, JustWatch TV Free, Brew
    7.9

    8.3 · 392 votes
16. 16
    Everybody’s Everything 2019

    Directed by Sebastian Jones
    7.9

    8.4 · 311 votes
17. 17
    BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA 2022

    Directed by Park Jun-soo · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.9

    8.8 · 168 votes
18. 18
    The Salt of the Earth 2014

    Directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado · Streaming on YouTube Free
    7.9

    8.1 · 699 votes
19. 19
    BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky 2020

    Directed by Caroline Suh · Streaming on Netflix
    7.9

    8.2 · 534 votes
20. 20
    BTS World Tour: Love Yourself in Seoul 2019

    Directed by Son Sung-deuk
    7.9

    8.2 · 462 votes
21. 21
    Samsara 2011

    Directed by Ron Fricke · Streaming on Kanopy, Pluto TV, Plex
    7.9

    8.1 · 717 votes
22. 22
    O.J.: Made in America 2016

    Directed by Ezra Edelman
    7.8

    8.4 · 268 votes
23. 23
    Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father 2008

    Directed by Kurt Kuenne · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, JustWatch TV Free, JustWatch TV Plus
    7.8

    8.1 · 616 votes
24. 24
    Free Solo 2018

    Directed by Jimmy Chin · Streaming on Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV
    7.8

    7.9 · 1.6K votes
25. 25
    Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry 2021

    Directed by R.J. Cutler · Streaming on Apple TV
    7.8

    8.2 · 351 votes
26. 26
    For Sama 2019

    Directed by Waad al-Kateab
    7.8

    8.2 · 321 votes
27. 27
    Paris Is Burning 1991

    Directed by Jennie Livingston · Streaming on HBO Max, Shout! Factory TV, YouTube Free
    7.8

    8.0 · 574 votes
28. 28
    My Octopus Teacher 2020

    Directed by Pippa Ehrlich · Streaming on Netflix
    7.8

    7.9 · 1.1K votes
29. 29
    The Cove 2009

    Directed by Louie Psihoyos · Streaming on Philo, The Roku Channel, Kanopy
    7.8

    8.0 · 704 votes
30. 30
    Won't You Be My Neighbor? 2018

    Directed by Morgan Neville
    7.8

    8.0 · 624 votes
31. 31
    Nirvana: Unplugged In New York 1993

    Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller
    7.7

    8.7 · 148 votes
32. 32
    Blackfish 2013

    Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
    7.7

    7.9 · 1.2K votes
33. 33
    Love Meetings 1965

    Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
    7.7

    8.2 · 301 votes
34. 34
    Searching for Sugar Man 2012

    Directed by Malik Bendjelloul · Streaming on Hulu, YouTube Free
    7.7

    7.9 · 1.1K votes
35. 35
    Koyaanisqatsi 1983

    Directed by Godfrey Reggio · Streaming on Pluto TV, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.7

    7.9 · 808 votes
36. 36
    Earthlings 2005

    Directed by Shaun Monson
    7.7

    8.1 · 348 votes
37. 37
    Friends: The Reunion 2021

    Directed by Ben Winston · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.7

    7.8 · 1.4K votes
38. 38
    Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions 2020

    Directed by Taylor Swift · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.7

    8.5 · 179 votes
39. 39
    Thriller 40 2023

    Directed by Nelson George
    7.7

    8.7 · 129 votes
40. 40
    20 Days in Mariupol 2023

    Directed by Mstyslav Chernov · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, PBS Documentaries
    7.7

    8.1 · 325 votes
41. 41
    Apollo 11 2019

    Directed by Todd Douglas Miller · Streaming on Netflix, Kanopy, History Vault
    7.7

    7.9 · 737 votes
42. 42
    13th 2016

    Directed by Ava DuVernay · Streaming on Netflix
    7.7

    7.8 · 819 votes
43. 43
    No Other Land 2024

    Directed by Basel Adra
    7.7

    8.0 · 363 votes
44. 44
    Jodorowsky's Dune 2013

    Directed by Frank Pavich · Streaming on YouTube Free, Tubi TV, Howdy
    7.7

    7.8 · 786 votes
45. 45
    Isle of Flowers 1989

    Directed by Jorge Furtado
    7.7

    8.2 · 242 votes
46. 46
    Citizenfour 2014

    Directed by Laura Poitras · Streaming on The CW, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free
    7.6

    7.7 · 1.5K votes
47. 47
    The Dawn Wall 2017

    Directed by Josh Lowell · Streaming on The CW
    7.6

    8.0 · 374 votes
48. 48
    Man with a Movie Camera 1929

    Directed by Dziga Vertov · Streaming on Brew, Kanopy, Fandango at Home Free
    7.6

    7.8 · 836 votes
49. 49
    HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé 2019

    Directed by Beyoncé · Streaming on Netflix
    7.6

    8.0 · 356 votes
50. 50
    Avicii: True Stories 2017

    Directed by Levan Tsikurishvili
    7.6

    8.0 · 363 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Elephant Mother 2024

   Directed by Jez Lewis
   6.7

   10.0 · 17 votes
2. 2
   Jennifer Lopez | iHeartRadio Music Festival 2011 2011
   6.7

   9.6 · 18 votes
3. 3
   Ado SPECIAL LIVE "Shinzou" in Cinema 2025

   Directed by Toshihito Hirose
   6.7

   9.6 · 18 votes
4. 4
   Salam Godzilla 2019

   Directed by Gilles Aubry
   6.6

   10.0 · 14 votes
5. 5
   Jennifer Lopez | All I Have 2016
   6.6

   9.7 · 16 votes
6. 6
   Last Temptation in Thailand 2007

   Directed by Gary Schmad
   6.6

   10.0 · 13 votes
7. 7
   Mountain Girl 2024

   Directed by Michael Bud
   6.6

   9.9 · 13 votes
8. 8
   The Night She Came Home!! 2013

   Directed by John Marsh
   6.6

   9.6 · 15 votes
9. 9
   Vajont 9 ottobre '63 1997
   6.6

   9.3 · 17 votes
10. 10
    Goin' Down to South Park 1999

    Directed by Richard Spiller
    6.6

    9.1 · 19 votes