Best Documentary Films of All Time
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Best Documentary Films of All Time

Documentaries have the power to change minds, start conversations, and alter the course of history. These are the most powerful, beautiful, and important documentary films ever made.

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01
Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

A deeply moving portrait of Fred Rogers — the gentle television icon whose radical message of kindness and acceptance touched generations of American children.

Steady·Score +15
02
M

Making a Murderer

Netflix's true-crime series about Steven Avery's conviction sparked a national conversation about justice, corruption, and the reliability of the criminal justice system.

Steady·Score +14
03
Amy

Amy

Asif Kapadia's devastating portrait of Amy Winehouse — the extraordinary voice destroyed by addiction and celebrity scrutiny — won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Steady·Score +11
04
Planet Earth II (BBC)

Planet Earth II (BBC)

Sir David Attenborough's landmark nature documentary series used cutting-edge cinematography to bring the natural world into living rooms with staggering intimacy.

Steady·Score +11
05
I Am Not Your Negro

I Am Not Your Negro

James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript about Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. — told through Raoul Peck's visually stunning adaptation.

Steady·Score +10
06
The Last Dance

The Last Dance

ESPN's definitive 10-part documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' dynasty remains the most-watched sports documentary ever produced.

Steady·Score +9
07
The Act of Killing

The Act of Killing

Joshua Oppenheimer's surreal masterpiece asks Indonesian death squad leaders to reenact their atrocities in the style of Hollywood genre films — deeply disturbing.

Steady·Score +9
08
Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

An intimate portrait of 85-year-old Jiro Ono and his relentless, lifelong pursuit of the perfect piece of sushi — a meditation on mastery and obsession.

Steady·Score +8
09
Free Solo

Free Solo

Oscar-winning documentary following Alex Honnold's astonishing ropeless free solo climb of El Capitan — the most nail-biting 90 minutes in documentary history.

Steady·Score +4
10
Searching for Sugar Man

Searching for Sugar Man

The extraordinary story of Rodriguez — a forgotten Detroit musician whose music secretly made him a legend in apartheid-era South Africa without his knowledge.

Steady·Score +4
11
Super Size Me

Super Size Me

Morgan Spurlock's experiment eating only McDonald's for 30 days ignited a global conversation about fast food culture and corporate responsibility in nutrition.

Steady·Score +4
12
1

13th

Ava DuVernay's devastating exploration of racial inequality in America through the lens of the 13th Amendment — one of the most important films of the decade.

Steady·Score +1
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