Best Documentary Movies of the 2020s

1. 1
   Break the Silence: The Movie 2020

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

   9.1 · 188 votes
2. 2
   Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me 2022

   Directed by Alek Keshishian · Streaming on Apple TV
   8.2

   8.4 · 623 votes
3. 3
   The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo 2020

   Directed by Carlos Pérez Osorio · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.8 · 246 votes
4. 4
   David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet 2020

   Directed by Alastair Fothergill · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.4 · 473 votes
5. 5
   Squid Game: Making Season 2 2025
   8.0

   8.3 · 462 votes
6. 6
   Ennio 2022

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

   8.3 · 392 votes
7. 7
   BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA 2022

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

   8.8 · 168 votes
8. 8
   BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky 2020

   Directed by Caroline Suh · Streaming on Netflix
   7.9

   8.2 · 534 votes
9. 9
   Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry 2021

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

   8.2 · 351 votes
10. 10
    My Octopus Teacher 2020

    Directed by Pippa Ehrlich · Streaming on Netflix
    7.8

    7.9 · 1.1K votes
11. 11
    Friends: The Reunion 2021

    Directed by Ben Winston · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.7

    7.8 · 1.4K votes
12. 12
    Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions 2020

    Directed by Taylor Swift · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.7

    8.5 · 179 votes
13. 13
    Thriller 40 2023

    Directed by Nelson George
    7.7

    8.7 · 129 votes
14. 14
    20 Days in Mariupol 2023

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

    8.1 · 325 votes
15. 15
    No Other Land 2024

    Directed by Basel Adra
    7.7

    8.0 · 363 votes
16. 16
    Rite Here Rite Now 2024

    Directed by Tobias Forge · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kanopy, YouTube Free
    7.6

    9.0 · 95 votes
17. 17
    Miss Americana 2020

    Directed by Lana Wilson · Streaming on Netflix
    7.6

    7.8 · 662 votes
18. 18
    Rubius X 2022

    Directed by Pedro Ample
    7.6

    8.5 · 144 votes
19. 19
    ariana grande: excuse me, i love you 2020

    Directed by Paul Dugdale · Streaming on Netflix
    7.6

    7.9 · 383 votes
20. 20
    The Rescue 2021

    Directed by Jimmy Chin · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.6

    8.0 · 284 votes
21. 21
    Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story 2024

    Directed by Ian Bonhôte · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.6

    8.1 · 228 votes
22. 22
    Seaspiracy 2021

    Directed by Ali Tabrizi · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.8 · 484 votes
23. 23
    The Greatest Night in Pop 2024

    Directed by Bao Nguyen · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.9 · 318 votes
24. 24
    Making Squid Game: The Challenge 2023

    Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    8.0 · 239 votes
25. 25
    BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas 2023

    Directed by Yoon Dong Oh · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    7.5

    8.4 · 123 votes
26. 26
    The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion 2020

    Directed by Marcus Raboy · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.4

    8.1 · 175 votes
27. 27
    Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience 2026

    Directed by Paul Dugdale · Streaming on Hulu
    7.4

    9.1 · 69 votes
28. 28
    Flee 2021

    Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen · Streaming on Tubi TV
    7.4

    7.7 · 421 votes
29. 29
    Shawn Mendes: In Wonder 2020

    Directed by Grant Singer · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.1 · 160 votes
30. 30
    The Remarkable Life of Ibelin 2024

    Directed by Benjamin Ree · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.1 · 166 votes
31. 31
    Morat: Balas Perdidas 2021

    Directed by Carlos Sánchez
    7.4

    9.1 · 67 votes
32. 32
    The Social Dilemma 2020

    Directed by Jeff Orlowski · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    7.5 · 1.9K votes
33. 33
    A Child of My Own 2026

    Directed by Maite Alberdi · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.6 · 86 votes
34. 34
    STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 2023

    Directed by Davis Guggenheim · Streaming on Apple TV
    7.4

    7.8 · 261 votes
35. 35
    The Mole Agent 2020

    Directed by Maite Alberdi · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.4

    7.8 · 270 votes
36. 36
    Money Heist: The Phenomenon 2020

    Directed by Luis Alfaro · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.1K votes
37. 37
    Avicii - I'm Tim 2024

    Directed by Henrik Burman · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    8.1 · 130 votes
38. 38
    EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert 2026

    Directed by Baz Luhrmann · Streaming on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+
    7.3

    8.2 · 112 votes
39. 39
    Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts 2022

    Directed by Joe Pearlman · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.3

    7.3 · 3.6K votes
40. 40
    To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb 2023

    Directed by Christopher Cassel · Streaming on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
    7.3

    7.7 · 234 votes
41. 41
    The Alpinist 2021

    Directed by Peter Mortimer · Streaming on Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus
    7.3

    7.8 · 189 votes
42. 42
    Heroes: Silence and Rock & Roll 2021

    Directed by Alexis Morante
    7.3

    8.4 · 88 votes
43. 43
    Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition 2026

    Directed by Malcolm Venville
    7.2

    8.5 · 77 votes
44. 44
    NAZA 2026

    Directed by Yuval Abraham
    7.2

    8.1 · 108 votes
45. 45
    Athlete A 2020

    Directed by Bonni Cohen · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.5 · 297 votes
46. 46
    Disclosure 2020

    Directed by Sam Feder · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.8 · 153 votes
47. 47
    Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) 2021

    Directed by Questlove · Streaming on Disney Plus, Hulu
    7.2

    7.6 · 236 votes
48. 48
    The Velvet Queen 2021

    Directed by Marie Amiguet · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex
    7.2

    7.9 · 139 votes
49. 49
    Fire of Love 2022

    Directed by Sara Dosa · Streaming on Disney Plus, Hulu
    7.2

    7.5 · 274 votes
50. 50
    The Cigarette Surfboard 2024

    Directed by Ben Judkins
    7.2

    9.9 · 35 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
   The Great Warning 2024

   Directed by Juan Carlos Salas Tamez · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Plex, Plex Channel
   6.7

   9.4 · 22 votes
3. 3
   Ado SPECIAL LIVE "Shinzou" in Cinema 2025

   Directed by Toshihito Hirose
   6.7

   9.6 · 18 votes
4. 4
   Mountain Girl 2024

   Directed by Michael Bud
   6.6

   9.9 · 13 votes
5. 5
   Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story 2021

   Directed by Mary O'Leary · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla, Fandango at Home Free
   6.5

   9.4 · 13 votes
6. 6
   Making of Lord of the Flies 2026

   Directed by Lisa Marie Russo · Streaming on Netflix
   6.4

   9.5 · 11 votes
7. 7
   LINKIN PARK: UNSHATTER 2026

   Directed by Joe Hahn
   6.5

   9.2 · 13 votes
8. 8
   Me Time 2022

   Directed by Ayla Yildiz
   6.5

   9.2 · 13 votes
9. 9
   Band of Brothers: Legacy 2026

   Directed by Chase Millsap · Streaming on HBO Max
   6.5

   8.7 · 19 votes
10. 10
    Sadio Mané - Made in Senegal 2020

    Directed by Mehdi Benhadj-Djilali · Streaming on Tubi TV
    6.5

    9.1 · 13 votes