Documentaries
by chizel | created - 03 Jan 2014 | updated - 15 Jun 2020 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Planet Earth (2006)
TV-PG | 538 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti Johnston
Votes: 219,231
2. The Victorians (2009– )
59 min | Documentary
Jeremy Paxman, presenter of the BBC's current affairs program Newsnight examines the life and times of the Victorian era. In the first program he focuses on the styles of Victorian artists ... See full summary »
Stars: Jeremy Paxman, Ian Maine, Alasdair Bruce, Conrad Varley
Votes: 73
3. Dawkins: Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life (2012– )
Not Rated | 47 min | Documentary
Ideas about the soul and the afterlife, of sin and God's purpose have shaped human thinking for thousands of years. Religious rituals remain embedded in the major events of our lives. In ... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Dawkins, Ricky Gervais
Votes: 611
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: 3,862
5. The Genius of Charles Darwin (2008– )
60 min | Documentary
In this three-part series Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary scientist and bestselling author, takes us on a journey of discovery. How does evolution work? How do we know it's true - and why... See full summary »
Stars: Richard Dawkins, The Naked Cowboy, Steven Pinker
Votes: 999
6. Seven Ages of Britain (2010)
59 min | Documentary
Traces 2,000 years of Britain's history through the arts - both as objects that have often played a decisive part in events and as marvels of their age.
Stars: David Dimbleby, Gwendoline Christie, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin
Votes: 109
7. Journey of Life (2005– )
300 min | Documentary
The 5 x 60 minute programs cover the story of evolution, from the beginning of time to where we find ourselves today - the individual program titles being Seas Of Life, Land Grab, Airborne, Living Together and Human Life.
Star: Steve Leonard
Votes: 128
8. Born to Be Wild (2011)
G | 40 min | Documentary, Short, Adventure
This heartwarming film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them-saving endangered species one life at a time.
Director: David Lickley | Stars: Birute Galdikas, Daphne Sheldrick, Morgan Freeman, Chris Fries
Votes: 3,139 | Gross: $25.89M
9. Under the Sea 3D (2009)
G | 41 min | Documentary, Short
An underwater look at the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea and the Indo-Pacific areas and the impact of global warming on the oceans.
Director: Howard Hall | Stars: Jim Carrey, Zozo Kahramana
Votes: 1,924 | Gross: $36.15M
10. Polar Bears: A Summer Odyssey (2012)
TV-G | 46 min | Documentary
Polar Bears in Hudson Bay struggle in a green world. Up close and Personal, originally shot all on native 3D.
Director: Sarah Robertson | Star: David Suzuki
Votes: 332
11. Chasing Ice (2012)
PG-13 | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.
Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang | Stars: James Balog, Svavar Jónatansson, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone
Votes: 8,851 | Gross: $1.33M
12. 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: 52,134 | Gross: $4.42M
13. One Life (I) (2011)
TV-PG | 85 min | Documentary, Family
Focuses on the cyclical journey taken by all living creatures, from birth to having youngsters of their own.
Directors: Michael Gunton, Martha Holmes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Koert-Jan de Bruijn
Votes: 2,696
14. To the Arctic 3D (2012)
G | 40 min | Documentary, Short
A journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home.
Director: Greg MacGillivray | Stars: Meryl Streep, Leanne Allison, Karsten Heuer, Bjorne Kvernmo
Votes: 1,129 | Gross: $14.55M
15. March of the Penguins (2005)
G | 80 min | Documentary, Family
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family.
Director: Luc Jacquet | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules Sitruk
Votes: 59,864 | Gross: $77.44M
16. 20,000 Days on Earth (2014)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, Drama, Music
Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000th day on the planet Earth.
Directors: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard | Stars: Nick Cave, Susie Bick, Warren Ellis, Darian Leader
Votes: 11,948 | Gross: $0.28M
17. Salt (I) (2009)
Not Rated | 28 min | Documentary, Short
A documentary film on photographer Murray Fredericks' extreme journey's to capture the heart of the world's most featureless landscape on Lake Eyre, South Australia.
Directors: Michael Angus, Murray Fredericks
Votes: 155
18. 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: 6,356 | Gross: $28.97M
19. The Last Lions (2011)
PG | 88 min | Documentary, Family
Fifty years ago there were close to half-a-million lions in Africa. Today there are around 20,000. To make matters worse, lions, unlike elephants, which are far more numerous, have ... See full summary »
Director: Dereck Joubert | Star: Jeremy Irons
Votes: 4,370 | Gross: $0.64M
20. Frozen Planet (2011–2012)
TV-PG | 333 min | Documentary
Focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
Stars: David Attenborough, Alec Baldwin, Chadden Hunter, Michael Kelem
Votes: 32,874
21. African Cats (2010)
G | 89 min | Documentary, Adventure
Meet Mara, an endearing lion cub striving to be like her mother; Sita, a cheetah and single mother of five; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion.
Directors: Keith Scholey, Alastair Fothergill | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Stewart
Votes: 6,717 | Gross: $15.42M
22. Bears (I) (2014)
G | 78 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary that follows an Alaskan bear family as its young cubs are taught life's most important lessons.
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, Adam Chapman | Star: John C. Reilly
Votes: 7,081 | Gross: $17.77M
23. 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: 12,671
24. Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008)
PG-13 | 105 min | Documentary, Sport
An examination of America's win-at-all-cost culture from the perspective of bodybuilding and performance enhancing drugs, as it focuses on a pair of siblings chasing their dream.
Director: Chris Bell | Stars: Chris Bell, Mike Bell, Mark Bell, Hank Aaron
Votes: 13,800 | Gross: $0.31M
25. Dirty Wars (2013)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill is pulled into an unexpected journey as he chases down the hidden truth behind America's expanding covert wars.
Director: Rick Rowley | Stars: Jeremy Scahill, Nasser Al Aulaqi, Saleha Al Aulaqi, Muqbal Al Kazemi
Votes: 9,393 | Gross: $0.38M
26. Citizenfour (2014)
R | 114 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden.
Director: Laura Poitras | Stars: Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Jacob Appelbaum
Votes: 57,874 | Gross: $2.80M
27. These Amazing Shadows (2011)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.
Directors: Paul Mariano, Kurt Norton | Stars: Jeff Adachi, James H. Billington, Robin Blaetz, Brooks Boliek
Votes: 1,754
28. 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: 23,030
29. TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard (2013)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary
An intellectual freedoms documentary based around the interpersonal triumphs, and defeats of the three main characters against the largest industry in the known universe. The media industry.
Director: Simon Klose | Stars: Gottfrid Svartholm, Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Peter Althin
Votes: 13,922
30. Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky | Stars: His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Said Ismagilov, Bishop Agapit, Archbishop Petro Malchuk
Votes: 20,571
31. Life in a Day (2011)
PG-13 | 95 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary shot by film-makers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the twenty-fourth of July, 2010.
Directors: Tegan Bukowski, Loressa Clisby, Kevin Macdonald, Hiroaki Aikawa, Natalia Andreadis, Jack Attridge, Cristina Bocchialini, Zillah Bowes, Andrea Dalla Costa, Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, Alejo Crisóstomo, Sócrates Cuadri, Ayman El Gazwy, Shawn Gadberry, Seth Grant, Jane Haubrich, Soma Helmi, Jennifer M. Howd, Clementine Isaac, Aditya Kolli, Gabor Kukucska, Francesco La Regina, Frederic Lumiere, Marek Mackovic, Zuqy Cruz Marquez, Linda Matarasso, Kevin McMahon, Joseph Michael, Joaquin Montalvan, Lilit Movsisyan, Emmanuelle Pickett, Christopher Redmond, Alejandro Romeo, Alaa Sheikh Hassan, Marcus Tedenryd | Stars: Hiroaki Aikawa, Cindy Baer, Teagan Bentley, Ester Brym
Votes: 15,550 | Gross: $0.25M
32. Planet Earth II (2016)
TV-G | 298 min | Documentary
David Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
Stars: David Attenborough, Chadden Hunter, Michael J. Sanderson, Ed Charles
Votes: 156,938
33. 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: 78,770 | Gross: $4.31M
34. Deep Web (2015)
TV-MA | 90 min | Documentary
A feature documentary that explores the rise of a new Internet; decentralized, encrypted, dangerous and beyond the law; with particular focus on the FBI capture of the Tor hidden service Silk Road, and the judicial aftermath.
Director: Alex Winter | Stars: Ross Ulbricht, James Chaparro, Nicolas Christin, Cindy Cohn
Votes: 9,631
35. Icarus (2017)
TV-MA | 120 min | Documentary, Sport
When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin, Grigory Rodchenkov
Votes: 54,530
36. The Great Indian Railway (1995 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Documentary
A puffing steam train climbs into the Himalaya, a rolling rumble echoes over the holy waters of the Ganges, an astonishing five million commuters rush daily through the Bombay Victoria ... See full summary »
Director: William Livingston
Votes: 32
37. The Hunt (II) (2015)
TV-PG | 445 min | Documentary
The fascinating relationship between predators and their prey, and the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death.
Stars: David Attenborough, Jamie McPherson, Huw Cordey, Damien Boisseau
Votes: 4,356
38. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2004)
R | 85 min | Documentary, Biography, News
Two documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district.
Directors: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman | Stars: Kochi, Avijit Halder, Shanti Das, Manik
Votes: 17,973 | Gross: $3.41M
39. Andrew Marr's History of the World (2012)
Documentary, History
Andrew Marr's History of the World is a 2012 BBC documentary television series presented by Andrew Marr that covers 70,000 years of world history from the beginning of human civilisation, ... See full summary »
Stars: Andrew Marr, Pierre Marais, Joe Vaz, Aubrey Shelton
Votes: 1,400
40. The World at War (1973–1974)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary, History, War
A groundbreaking 26-part documentary series narrated by the actor Laurence Olivier about the deadliest conflict in history, World War II.
Stars: Laurence Olivier, Averell Harriman, Anthony Eden, Albert Speer
Votes: 28,365
41. Tiny Giants 3D (2014)
44 min | Documentary, Short, Adventure
A short about what happens under and around us. A chipmunk and a small mouse go on an adventure; they grow and learn about life and its obstacles.
Director: Mark Brownlow | Star: Stephen Fry
Votes: 826
42. Tickled (2016)
R | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Journalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve | Stars: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, David Starr, Kevin Clarke
Votes: 20,541 | Gross: $0.61M
43. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,689 | Gross: $0.49M
44. Deep Sea (2006)
G | 41 min | Documentary, Short
A 3-D digital exploration of the ocean's depths and its creatures.
Director: Howard Hall | Stars: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet
Votes: 1,833 | Gross: $46.56M
45. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
PG | 96 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Votes: 85,126 | Gross: $23.81M
46. They Shall Not Grow Old (II) (2018)
R | 99 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Thomas Adlam, William Argent, John Ashby, Attwood
Votes: 38,360 | Gross: $17.96M
47. Our Planet (2019–2023)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
Explores and unravels the mystery of how and why animals migrate, showing some of the most dramatic and compelling stories in the natural world through spectacular and innovative cinematography.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 50,556
48. Night on Earth (2020)
TV-PG | 290 min | Documentary
This nature series' new technology lifts night's veil to reveal the hidden lives of the world's creatures, from lions on the hunt to bats on wings.
Stars: Alessandra Mastronardi, Samira Wiley, Beren Saat
Votes: 4,896
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