TOP DOCUMENTARY MOVIES: 2000-2024
Thought-Provoking. Provocative. Controversial. Fascinating.
A choice of 590 outstanding documentaries, released between 2000 and 2024.
This list is in random order and purely subjective.
A choice of 590 outstanding documentaries, released between 2000 and 2024.
This list is in random order and purely subjective.
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590 titles
- DirectorAlan LoweryJohn PilgerStarsJohn PilgerStuart EwenMelvin GoodmanThought-provoking documentary on war propaganda: how governments manipulate the facts and how most media let them get away with it.
- DirectorChristopher CasselStarsJ. Robert OppenheimerKai BirdEllen BradburyExploring how one man's brilliance, hubris and relentless drive changed the nature of war forever.
- DirectorMstyslav ChernovStarsMstyslav ChernovEvgeniy MaloletkaLiudmyla AmelkinaAs the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.
- DirectorDaniel RoherStarsAlexei NavalnyYulia NavalnayaChristo GrozevFollows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.
- DirectorErin AxelmanSam EilertsenStarsPeter BeinartJeremy Ben-AmiNoam ChomskyWhen two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns. Their stories reveal a deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity.
- DirectorJames HanlonGédéon NaudetJules NaudetStarsTony BenatatosYusuf Baran BilgicJamal BraithwaiteA real life documentary following the events of September 11 from an insider's view, through the lens of James Hanlon and two French filmmakers who were in Manhattan that one day.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsPhilippe PetitJean François HeckelJean-Louis BlondeauA look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreGeorge W. BushBen AffleckMichael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after 9/11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- DirectorTim HetheringtonSebastian JungerStarsThe Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat TeamJuan 'Doc RestrepoDan KearneyA year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanTells the story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.
- DirectorShaunak SenStarsSalik RehmanMohammad SaudNadeem ShehzadAmidst the darkening backdrop of Delhi's apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.
- DirectorAlex PritzStarsNeidinha BandeiraBitaté Uru Eu Wau WauWhen a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsCarlota AndrésInés AndrésJosé AndrésA chronicle of how Andrés and his nonprofit rebuilds nations in the wake of disaster, providing healthy food to those affected.
- DirectorJon AlpertStarsDelirisFreddyRobertA relentless ride through the streets and prisons of Newark, New Jersey's largest city, and desperate fight to survive the deadliest enemy ever to attack America.
- DirectorSacha JenkinsStarsLouis ArmstrongSteve AllenErnie AndersonFollow the life and legacy of the master and so-called founding father of jazz, America's first pop star, and cultural ambassador.
- DirectorLisa CortesStarsLittle RichardRalph HarperNewt CollierThe life and career of Little Richard, the one-of-a-kind rock 'n' roll icon who shaped the world of music.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsDavid BowieTrevor BolderKen FordhamA cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey. From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen, and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.
- DirectorSam WrenchStarsTaylor SwiftMike MeadowsMax BernsteinExperience the Eras Tour concert, performed by the one and only Taylor Swift.
- DirectorBeyoncéMark RitchieEd BurkeStarsBeyoncéBlue Ivy CarterDiana RossBeyoncé in performance at her record-breaking RENAISSANCE World Tour and the creative mastermind behind it.
- DirectorMarie AmiguetVincent MunierStarsVincent MunierSylvain TessonTwo men explore the high-altitude wilderness of Tibet with many cameras, filming wildlife from a respectful distance and searching for the rare snow leopard.
- DirectorMargaret BrownStarsTheodore ArthurGary AutreyChris DavisFollows descendants of the survivors from the Clotilda, the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States, as they reclaim their story.
- DirectorRobert GreeneStarsJoe EldredMike ForemanEd GavaganA group of survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests battle for justice.
- DirectorAlonso RuizpalaciosStarsMónica Del CarmenRaúl BrionesMaría Teresa Hernández CañasTwo professional actors undergo an immersive process to find out what it takes to be a cop in Mexico City.
- DirectorTraci CurryStanley NelsonStarsArthur HarrisonCarlos RocheTyrone LarkinsThis unnervingly vivid dive into the 1971 uprising from Emmy® winning director Stanley Nelson sheds new light on the enduring violence and racism of the prison system and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later.
- DirectorJeremy WorkmanStarsMatt GreenFor over six years, and for reasons he can't explain, Matt Green, 37, has been walking every block of every street in New York City - a journey of more than 8,000 miles. THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET tells the story of one man's unusual personal quest and the unexpected journey of discovery, humanity, and wonder that ensues.