Best Documentary Movies of the 1970s

1. 1
   Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii 1972

   Directed by Adrian Maben · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Tubi TV
   7.6

   8.1 · 240 votes
2. 2
   The Last Waltz 1978

   Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Kanopy
   7.3

   7.7 · 326 votes
3. 3
   Woodstock 1970

   Directed by Michael Wadleigh
   7.2

   7.6 · 306 votes
4. 4
   Let It Be 1970

   Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg · Streaming on Disney Plus
   7.2

   7.7 · 186 votes
5. 5
   F for Fake 1973

   Directed by Orson Welles · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
   7.2

   7.4 · 385 votes
6. 6
   Elvis: That's the Way It Is 1970

   Directed by Denis Sanders · Streaming on YouTube Free, Howdy
   7.2

   8.1 · 100 votes
7. 7
   Pumping Iron 1977

   Directed by George Butler · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
   7.0

   7.2 · 559 votes
8. 8
   Gimme Shelter 1970

   Directed by Albert Maysles · Streaming on HBO Max, Cinemax
   7.0

   7.4 · 202 votes
9. 9
   Harlan County U.S.A. 1976

   Directed by Barbara Kopple · Streaming on HBO Max
   7.0

   7.6 · 125 votes
10. 10
    Grey Gardens 1976

    Directed by Ellen Giffard · Streaming on HBO Max, Shout! Factory TV, YouTube Free
    7.0

    7.3 · 261 votes
11. 11
    Powers of Ten 1977

    Directed by Charles Eames
    6.9

    7.7 · 88 votes
12. 12
    Hearts and Minds 1974

    Directed by Peter Davis · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Mometu
    6.9

    7.6 · 96 votes
13. 13
    Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii 1973

    Directed by Marty Pasetta · Streaming on Cineverse, Tubi TV
    6.9

    8.2 · 51 votes
14. 14
    Hitler: A Career 1977

    Directed by Joachim Fest · Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy
    6.8

    7.4 · 88 votes
15. 15
    Land of Silence and Darkness 1971

    Directed by Werner Herzog · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, The Roku Channel
    6.7

    7.5 · 78 votes
16. 16
    The Battle of Chile: Part I 1975

    Directed by Patricio Guzmán · Streaming on OVID
    6.7

    7.6 · 62 votes
17. 17
    21 Up 1977

    Directed by Michael Apted
    6.7

    7.4 · 79 votes
18. 18
    7 Plus Seven 1970

    Directed by Michael Apted · Streaming on BritBox
    6.7

    7.3 · 90 votes
19. 19
    That's Entertainment! 1974

    Directed by Jack Haley Jr.
    6.7

    7.4 · 74 votes
20. 20
    Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend 1973

    Directed by Wu Shih · Streaming on HBO Max
    6.7

    8.2 · 33 votes
21. 21
    News from Home 1976

    Directed by Chantal Akerman · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    6.6

    7.1 · 95 votes
22. 22
    Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview 1971

    Directed by Michael Rothery · Streaming on FlixFling, IndieFlix, Plex
    6.6

    8.5 · 24 votes
23. 23
    The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner 1974

    Directed by Werner Herzog · Streaming on Philo, The Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV
    6.6

    7.2 · 73 votes
24. 24
    The Battle of Chile: Part III 1979

    Directed by Patricio Guzmán
    6.6

    7.6 · 42 votes
25. 25
    Elvis on Tour 1972

    Directed by Pierre Adidge
    6.6

    7.5 · 46 votes
26. 26
    La Soufrière: Waiting for an Inevitable Catastrophe 1977

    Directed by Werner Herzog · Streaming on Philo, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV
    6.6

    7.2 · 66 votes
27. 27
    Daguerréotypes 1978

    Directed by Agnès Varda · Streaming on Criterion Channel, DocAlliance Films
    6.5

    7.3 · 55 votes
28. 28
    George Carlin: Again! 1978

    Directed by Marty Callner · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free
    6.5

    7.5 · 42 votes
29. 29
    George Carlin: On Location at USC 1977

    Directed by Marty Callner · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home Free, Pluto TV
    6.5

    7.6 · 37 votes
30. 30
    A Grin Without a Cat 1977

    Directed by Chris Marker · Streaming on OVID, DocAlliance Films
    6.5

    8.0 · 27 votes
31. 31
    Marjoe 1972

    Directed by Howard Smith · Streaming on fuboTV, Philo, AMC+
    6.5

    7.6 · 35 votes
32. 32
    The Concert for Bangladesh 1972

    Directed by Saul Swimmer
    6.5

    7.9 · 27 votes
33. 33
    Pictures of the Old World 1972

    Directed by Dušan Hanák · Streaming on DocAlliance Films
    6.5

    7.8 · 29 votes
34. 34
    Welfare 1975

    Directed by Frederick Wiseman · Streaming on Kanopy
    6.5

    7.4 · 41 votes
35. 35
    The Who: The Kids Are Alright 1979

    Directed by Jeff Stein · Streaming on YouTube Free
    6.5

    7.3 · 46 votes
36. 36
    Gates of Heaven 1978

    Directed by Errol Morris · Streaming on Philo, AMC Plus, AMC+
    6.5

    6.8 · 117 votes
37. 37
    Jimi Hendrix 1973

    Directed by Joe Boyd
    6.5

    7.7 · 29 votes
38. 38
    Bugs Bunny Superstar 1976

    Directed by Larry Jackson
    6.4

    7.3 · 39 votes
39. 39
    Winter Soldier 1972

    Directed by Rusty Sachs · Streaming on Kanopy, OVID
    6.4

    7.8 · 24 votes
40. 40
    Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris 1971

    Directed by Terence Dixon · Streaming on Kanopy, Criterion Channel, MUBI
    6.4

    7.1 · 49 votes
41. 41
    Italianamerican 1974

    Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel
    6.4

    6.8 · 84 votes
42. 42
    That's Entertainment, Part II 1976

    Directed by Gene Kelly
    6.4

    7.0 · 46 votes
43. 43
    ABBA: The Movie 1977

    Directed by Lasse Hallström · Streaming on Howdy
    6.4

    6.7 · 94 votes
44. 44
    The Disenchantment 1976

    Directed by Jaime Chávarri
    6.4

    7.2 · 36 votes
45. 45
    The Making of Star Wars 1977

    Directed by Robert Guenette
    6.4

    7.1 · 41 votes
46. 46
    Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania 1972

    Directed by Jonas Mekas · Streaming on DocAlliance Films, Eternal Family
    6.4

    7.0 · 47 votes
47. 47
    The Seasons 1975

    Directed by Artavazd Peleshian
    6.4

    6.9 · 51 votes
48. 48
    Directed by John Ford 1971

    Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
    6.4

    7.0 · 42 votes
49. 49
    General Idi Amin Dada 1974

    Directed by Barbet Schroeder · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.3

    7.0 · 39 votes
50. 50
    ¡Qué Viva México! 1979

    Directed by Sergei Eisenstein · Streaming on Kanopy, Fawesome, Tubi TV
    6.3

    6.8 · 56 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
   Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps 1979

   Directed by Neil Young
   6.3

   7.8 · 16 votes
2. 2
   The Beatles at Shea Stadium 1977

   Directed by Robert Precht
   6.3

   7.9 · 14 votes
3. 3
   Heartworn Highways 1976

   Directed by James Szalapski · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, Kino Film Collection
   6.3

   7.7 · 17 votes
4. 4
   Bukowski at Bellevue 1970

   Streaming on Kanopy, Fandor, Cineverse
   6.3

   8.0 · 11 votes
5. 5
   Renaldo and Clara 1978

   Directed by Bob Dylan
   6.3

   7.9 · 11 votes
6. 6
   Janis 1974

   Directed by Howard Alk
   6.3

   7.6 · 15 votes
7. 7
   The United States of America 1975

   Directed by James Benning
   6.2

   7.8 · 11 votes
8. 8
   Dearest Executioners 1977

   Directed by Basilio Martín Patino
   6.2

   7.8 · 11 votes
9. 9
   Filming Othello 1979

   Directed by Orson Welles
   6.3

   7.5 · 16 votes
10. 10
    Scared Straight! 1978

    Directed by Arnold Shapiro
    6.2

    7.5 · 14 votes