My favorite documentary films
by xallmer | created - 22 Oct 2013 | updated - 23 Oct 2013 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Home (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 118 min | Documentary, Family
With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked.
Director: Yann Arthus-Bertrand | Stars: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glenn Close, Jacques Gamblin
Votes: 23,042
2. Cosmos (1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
Stars: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
Votes: 43,887
3. Through the Wormhole (2010–2017)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole will explore the deepest mysteries of existence - the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. What are we made of? What was there ... See full summary »
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Sean Carroll, Michio Kaku, Kip Thorne
Votes: 18,423
4. Root of All Evil? (2006 TV Movie)
90 min | Documentary
Richard Dawkins' highly critical documentary attacks the pulsing heart of all mainstream religion- faith; with special focus on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Contains repeated ... See full summary »
Director: Russell Barnes | Stars: Yousef Al-Khattab, Richard Dawkins, Ted Haggard, Richard Harries
Votes: 3,865
5. The End of God? A Horizon Guide to Science and Religion (2010 TV Movie)
59 min | Documentary
From creationists of America to the physics working with the Large Hadron Collider, the movie traces expansion of scientific knowledge and asks a question - whether there was still a place for God in the modern world.
Director: Naomi Law | Stars: Thomas Dixon, Anthony Aguirre, Michael Behe, Colin Blakemore
Votes: 63
6. L'odyssée de l'espèce (2003 TV Movie)
270 min | Documentary
Documentary presenting the evolution of first species that eventually became humans. It shows how their lives could look like, along with evolutions of certain animals they met on their way.
Directors: Jacques Malaterre, Javier G. Salanova | Stars: Charles Berling, Pere Arquillué, Peter Batakliev, Léa-Marie Cantin
Votes: 351
7. Walking with Monsters (2005)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary
The final installment in the "Walking with" series is a 90-minute documentary about the evolution of life before the dinosaurs.
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Edward Gero
Votes: 2,407
8. Religulous (2008)
R | 101 min | Documentary, Comedy, War
Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.
Director: Larry Charles | Stars: Bill Maher, Tal Bachman, Jonathan Boulden, Steven Burg
Votes: 60,230 | Gross: $13.00M
9. Food Matters (2008)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary
Food Matters examines how the food we eat can help or hurt our health. Nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists weigh in on such topics as organic food, food safety, raw foodism, and nutritional therapy.
Directors: James Colquhoun, Carlo Ledesma | Stars: Vicky Blewitt, Ian Brighthope, Jerome Burne, Phillip Day
Votes: 4,805
10. Forks Over Knives (2011)
PG | 90 min | Documentary
Examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.
Director: Lee Fulkerson | Stars: Lee Fulkerson, Matthew Lederman, Alona Pulde, T. Colin Campbell
Votes: 12,688
11. Food, Inc. (2008)
PG | 94 min | Documentary, News
An unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
Director: Robert Kenner | Stars: Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Votes: 52,183 | Gross: $4.42M
12. Earthlings (2005)
95 min | Documentary
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Director: Shaun Monson | Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Votes: 19,790
13. GasLand (2010)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary
An exploration of the fracking petroleum extraction industry and the serious environmental consequences involved.
Director: Josh Fox | Stars: Josh Fox, Dick Cheney, Pete Seeger, Richard Nixon
Votes: 11,103 | Gross: $0.03M
14. Money as Debt (2006)
47 min | Documentary, Animation
The monetary systems practiced through modern banking.
Director: Paul Grignon | Star: Bob Bossin
Votes: 489
15. The Story of Stuff (2007)
21 min | Animation, Short
For most of the world, consumption has been the unquestioned duty of every individual. Then garbage activist Annie Leonard brought her two-hour lecture to Free Range who helped her turn it ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Fox | Star: Annie Leonard
Votes: 378
16. There's No Tomorrow (2012)
35 min | Documentary, Animation, Short
Peak oil has been reached; alternative fuels only a short-term patch; current growth is unsustainable - we have to scale back.
Director: Dermot O'Connor | Star: Amy Penston
Votes: 65
17. Chimpanzee (2011)
G | 78 min | Documentary, Family
Meet adorable young chimp Oscar and his fellow mayhem-creating buddies, who see the world as their playground. Full of curiosity, joy and a love for mimicking others, these are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the jungle.
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield | Star: Tim Allen
Votes: 6,363 | Gross: $28.97M
18. What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004)
Not Rated | 109 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A fictional photographer's quest to spiritually rediscover herself is interspersed with documentary footage of scientists and theologians discussing the philosophical aspects of quantum physics.
Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente | Stars: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, John Ross Bowie, Robert Bailey Jr.
Votes: 13,847 | Gross: $10.94M
19. What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole (2006)
PG | 156 min | Documentary, Drama
Interviews with scientists and authors, animated bits, and a storyline involving a deaf photographer are used in this docudrama to illustrate the link between quantum mechanics, neurobiology, human consciousness and day-to-day reality.
Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente | Stars: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, Barry Newman, Armin Shimerman
Votes: 2,921 | Gross: $0.14M
20. Countdown to Zero (2010)
PG | 91 min | Documentary
A documentary about how the likelihood of nuclear weapons (or fissile materials) usage has increased due to the rise of terrorism and lack of safeguards and verification.
Director: Lucy Walker | Stars: Graham Allison, James Baker III, Bruce Blair, Tony Blair
Votes: 2,314 | Gross: $0.27M
21.
Horizon (1964– )
Episode:
How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?
(2009)
Documentary
In a Horizon special, naturalist Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world is heading for a population crisis. In his lengthy career, Sir David has watched the human population ... See full summary »
Director: Helen Shariatmadari | Stars: David Attenborough, Norman Borlaug, Molly Brown, Danny Davis
Votes: 169
22. The Future of Food (2004)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade.
Director: Deborah Koons Garcia | Stars: Charles Benbrook, Grace Booth, George W. Bush, Ignacio Chapela
Votes: 1,433 | Gross: $0.08M
23. The Age of Stupid (2009)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, History, News
A future archivist looks at old footage from the year 2008 to understand why humankind failed to address climate change.
Director: Franny Armstrong | Stars: Pete Postlethwaite, Jehangir Wadia, Alvin DuVernay, Layefa Malini
Votes: 4,702
24. Inside Job (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Documentary, Crime
Takes a closer look at what brought about the 2008 financial meltdown.
Director: Charles Ferguson | Stars: Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Votes: 78,910 | Gross: $4.31M
25. Sicko (2007)
PG-13 | 123 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Tucker Albrizzi, Tony Benn, George W. Bush
Votes: 76,813 | Gross: $24.54M
26. Darwin's Nightmare (2004)
107 min | Documentary
A documentary on the effect of fishing the Nile perch in Tanzania's Lake Victoria. The predatory fish, which has wiped out the native species, is sold in European supermarkets, while starving Tanzanian families have to make do with the leftovers.
Director: Hubert Sauper | Stars: Elizabeth 'Eliza' Maganga Nsese, Raphael Tukiko Wagara, Dimond Remtulia, Marcus Nyoni
Votes: 5,660 | Gross: $0.20M
27. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,004 | Gross: $2.67M
28. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,956 | Gross: $1.33M
29. Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (2010)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is an American documentary that chronicles Australian Joe Cross's 60-day journey across the United States, where he embarks on a juice-only fast in a quest to reclaim his health.
Directors: Joe Cross, Kurt Engfehr | Stars: Joe Cross, Amy Badberg, Merv Cross, Virginia Cross
Votes: 8,915
30. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
R | 127 min | Documentary, Crime, History
An examination of the social costs of corporate interests pursuing profits at the expense of the public good.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings
Votes: 43,855 | Gross: $14.36M
31. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Not Rated | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Edward Asner, Pat Benatar, Jerry Brown, Johnny Carson
Votes: 41,413 | Gross: $1.72M
32. Powaqqatsi (1988)
G | 99 min | Documentary, Music
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Christie Brinkley, David Brinkley, Patrick Disanto, Pope John Paul II
Votes: 8,870 | Gross: $0.59M
33. Naqoyqatsi (2002)
PG | 89 min | Documentary, Music
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Director: Godfrey Reggio | Stars: Belladonna, Marlon Brando, Elton John, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Votes: 6,235 | Gross: $0.13M
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