Best Documentary Movies on Netflix in the US

1. 1
   The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo 2020

   Directed by Carlos Pérez Osorio · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.8 · 246 votes
2. 2
   David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet 2020

   Directed by Alastair Fothergill · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.4 · 473 votes
3. 3
   BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky 2020

   Directed by Caroline Suh · Streaming on Netflix
   7.9

   8.2 · 534 votes
4. 4
   My Octopus Teacher 2020

   Directed by Pippa Ehrlich · Streaming on Netflix
   7.8

   7.9 · 1.1K votes
5. 5
   Apollo 11 2019

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

   7.9 · 737 votes
6. 6
   13th 2016

   Directed by Ava DuVernay · Streaming on Netflix
   7.7

   7.8 · 819 votes
7. 7
   HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé 2019

   Directed by Beyoncé · Streaming on Netflix
   7.6

   8.0 · 356 votes
8. 8
   Miss Americana 2020

   Directed by Lana Wilson · Streaming on Netflix
   7.6

   7.8 · 662 votes
9. 9
   ariana grande: excuse me, i love you 2020

   Directed by Paul Dugdale · Streaming on Netflix
   7.6

   7.9 · 383 votes
10. 10
    Seaspiracy 2021

    Directed by Ali Tabrizi · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.8 · 484 votes
11. 11
    Icarus 2017

    Directed by Bryan Fogel · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.6 · 868 votes
12. 12
    The Greatest Night in Pop 2024

    Directed by Bao Nguyen · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.9 · 318 votes
13. 13
    Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom 2015

    Directed by Evgeny Afineevsky · Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    7.9 · 329 votes
14. 14
    Making Squid Game: The Challenge 2023

    Streaming on Netflix
    7.5

    8.0 · 239 votes
15. 15
    Shawn Mendes: In Wonder 2020

    Directed by Grant Singer · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.1 · 160 votes
16. 16
    Virunga 2014

    Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    7.9 · 242 votes
17. 17
    The Remarkable Life of Ibelin 2024

    Directed by Benjamin Ree · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.1 · 166 votes
18. 18
    Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret 2014

    Directed by Keegan Kuhn · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    7.6 · 535 votes
19. 19
    The Social Dilemma 2020

    Directed by Jeff Orlowski · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    7.5 · 1.9K votes
20. 20
    The Edge of Democracy 2019

    Directed by Petra Costa · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    7.7 · 390 votes
21. 21
    A Child of My Own 2026

    Directed by Maite Alberdi · Streaming on Netflix
    7.4

    8.6 · 86 votes
22. 22
    John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid 2015

    Directed by Rhys Thomas · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.7 · 290 votes
23. 23
    Money Heist: The Phenomenon 2020

    Directed by Luis Alfaro · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.1K votes
24. 24
    Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond 2017

    Directed by Chris Smith · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.5 · 757 votes
25. 25
    Avicii - I'm Tim 2024

    Directed by Henrik Burman · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    8.1 · 130 votes
26. 26
    Period. End of Sentence. 2018

    Directed by Rayka Zehtabchi · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.7 · 263 votes
27. 27
    Man on Wire 2008

    Directed by James Marsh · Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel
    7.3

    7.4 · 1K votes
28. 28
    Gaga: Five Foot Two 2017

    Directed by Chris Moukarbel · Streaming on Netflix
    7.3

    7.4 · 609 votes
29. 29
    Athlete A 2020

    Directed by Bonni Cohen · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.5 · 297 votes
30. 30
    Disclosure 2020

    Directed by Sam Feder · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.8 · 153 votes
31. 31
    Rising Phoenix 2020

    Directed by Ian Bonhôte · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    8.1 · 102 votes
32. 32
    Creating The Queen's Gambit 2021

    Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.8 · 141 votes
33. 33
    What Happened, Miss Simone? 2015

    Directed by Liz Garbus · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.4 · 402 votes
34. 34
    Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful 2025

    Directed by Cristina Costantini · Streaming on Netflix
    7.2

    7.9 · 124 votes
35. 35
    American Murder: The Family Next Door 2020

    Directed by Jenny Popplewell · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.3 · 781 votes
36. 36
    The Deepest Breath 2023

    Directed by Laura McGann · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.6 · 195 votes
37. 37
    Moonage Daydream 2022

    Directed by Brett Morgen · Streaming on Netflix, Kanopy
    7.1

    7.4 · 287 votes
38. 38
    Emicida: AmarElo - It's All for Yesterday 2020

    Directed by Fred Ouro Preto · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    8.6 · 60 votes
39. 39
    Schumacher 2021

    Directed by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.3 · 488 votes
40. 40
    14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible 2021

    Directed by Torquil Jones · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.3 · 409 votes
41. 41
    Meru 2015

    Directed by Jimmy Chin · Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, JustWatch TV Free
    7.1

    7.4 · 272 votes
42. 42
    Stutz 2022

    Directed by Jonah Hill · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.5 · 226 votes
43. 43
    Chasing Coral 2017

    Directed by Jeff Orlowski · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    7.7 · 138 votes
44. 44
    Selena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy 2025

    Directed by Isabel Castro · Streaming on Netflix
    7.1

    8.9 · 47 votes
45. 45
    Tell Me Who I Am 2019

    Directed by Ed Perkins · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    7.4 · 276 votes
46. 46
    Racionais MC's: From the Streets of São Paulo 2022

    Directed by Juliana Vicente · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    8.3 · 65 votes
47. 47
    Take Care of Maya 2023

    Directed by Henry Roosevelt · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    7.6 · 136 votes
48. 48
    The White Helmets 2016

    Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    7.4 · 220 votes
49. 49
    American Factory 2019

    Directed by Steven Bognar · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    7.2 · 541 votes
50. 50
    Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord 2021

    Directed by Michael Schmitt · Streaming on Netflix
    7.0

    7.5 · 165 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. Streaming data by JustWatch.

1. 1
   Mon Laferte, I Love You 2024

   Directed by Camila Grandi · Streaming on Netflix
   6.9

   8.9 · 33 votes
2. 2
   Depeche Mode: M 2025

   Directed by Luis Fernando Frías de la Parra · Streaming on Netflix, Kanopy
   6.8

   8.2 · 44 votes
3. 3
   Springsteen on Broadway 2018

   Directed by Thom Zimny · Streaming on Netflix
   6.7

   7.9 · 50 votes
4. 4
   Squid Game in Conversation 2025

   Streaming on Netflix
   6.6

   8.4 · 27 votes
5. 5
   Rockstar: DUKI from the End of the World 2025

   Directed by Alejandro Hartmann · Streaming on Netflix
   6.6

   8.1 · 35 votes
6. 6
   Marty, Life Is Short 2026

   Directed by Lawrence Kasdan · Streaming on Netflix
   6.6

   8.0 · 33 votes
7. 7
   The Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders 2023

   Directed by María José Cuevas · Streaming on Netflix
   6.7

   7.7 · 50 votes
8. 8
   Making of Lord of the Flies 2026

   Directed by Lisa Marie Russo · Streaming on Netflix
   6.4

   9.5 · 11 votes
9. 9
   Bad Boys 2014

   Directed by Zak Levitt · Streaming on Netflix
   6.6

   7.7 · 41 votes
10. 10
    Living with Leopards 2024

    Directed by Alex Parkinson · Streaming on Netflix
    6.6

    7.6 · 47 votes