Best biography, western, war, & documentary shows on Netflix, ranked.
Your next watch, decided. Every show ranked by quality — not popularity. No more arguing about what to watch tonight — share a WatchList with your partner.
- #497#497
NetflixGodless
2017– · Series · 1 seasonWestern · Action · Drama
3 EmmysIn the 1880s American West, murderous outlaw gang leader Frank Griffin hunts for ex-protege Roy Goode. Frank's chase leads him to La Belle, New Mexico--a town inhabited, after a mining disaster, almost entirely by women.
Netflix - #796#796
NetflixDavid Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
2020 · Movie · 1h 23mDocumentary · Biography
3 EmmysThe story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.
Netflix - #896#896
NetflixPrime VideoMan on Wire
2008 · Movie · 1h 34mDocumentary · Biography · Crime
1 OscarA 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".
NetflixPrime Video - #1594#1594
NetflixTo Kill a Tiger
2023 · Movie · 2h 8mDocumentary
Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.
Netflix - #2193#2193
NetflixThe Elephant Whisperers
2022 · Movie · Tamil · 41mDocumentary
1 OscarBomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.
Netflix - #2692#2692
Netflix1917
2019 · Movie · 1h 59mWar · Action · Drama
3 OscarsApril 6th, 1917. As an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.
Netflix - #2792#2792
NetflixWinter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
2015 · Movie · 1h 42mDocumentary · History
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.
Netflix - #2992#2992
NetflixThe Forgotten Battle
2021 · Movie · Dutch · 2h 4mWar · Action
In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies, impacting not only their freedom but also that of others.
Netflix - #3191#3191
NetflixAmerican Factory
2019 · Movie · 1h 50mDocumentary
1 OscarIn post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class...
Netflix - #3591#3591
NetflixJim Gaffigan: Obsessed
2014 · Movie · 1hDocumentary · Comedy
Jim Gaffigan bursts back on the scene with this eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special. Dubbed the "King of Clean Comedy" by The Wall Street Journal, Jim's obsession with all things food comes to fruition on "Obsessed" as he ta...
Netflix - #5390#5390
NetflixChef's Table
2015–2024 · Series · 7 seasonsDocumentary · Biography
Chef's Table goes inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world's most renowned international chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their lives, talents and passion from their piece of culinary ...
Netflix - #6089#6089
NetflixCity of Joy
2016 · Movie · 1h 14mDocumentary · Crime · Drama
This film follows the first class of students at a remarkable leadership center in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region often referred to as "the worst place in the world to be a woman." These women have been through...
Netflix - #6589#6589
NetflixFound
2021 · Movie · 1h 37mDocumentary · Drama
The story of three American teenage girls-each adopted from China-who discover they are blood-related cousins on 23andMe. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront the burning questions they have about their lost h...
Netflix - #6688#6688
NetflixPrime VideoThe Queen of Versailles
2012 · Movie · 1h 40mDocumentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic...
NetflixPrime Video - #7388#7388
NetflixSecret Mall Apartment
2025 · Movie · 1h 31mDocumentary
In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside a busy mall and lived there for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than a prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all in...
Netflix - #9188#9188
NetflixThey'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018 · Movie · 1h 38mDocumentary · Biography
In the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles, he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018), in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last ...
Netflix - #9587#9587
NetflixUnknown: The Lost Pyramid
2023 · Movie · 1h 23mDocumentary · History
In the sands of Saqqara, two of the world's most famous Egyptologists, Dr. Zahi Hawass and his protege and rival, Dr. Mostafa Waziri race with their teams against the clock to see who will make the biggest discovery.
Netflix - #10087#10087
NetflixThe Wrecking Crew
2008 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · History
A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.
Netflix - #10187#10187
NetflixPrime VideoImage of Victory
2023 · Movie · Hebrew · 2h 8mWar · Drama · History
In 1948, Hassanin joins a platoon going to Palestine to liberate farmers. While documenting their mission, Hassanin's values are tested and both sides re-evaluate what they understand about war.
NetflixPrime Video - #10587#10587
NetflixPrime VideoRaise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins
2019 · Movie · 1h 33mDocumentary
RAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS tells the story of media firebrand Molly Ivins, six feet of Texas trouble who took on the Good Old Boy corruption wherever she found it.
NetflixPrime Video - #10987#10987
NetflixTurning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
The series chronicles the creation of the atomic bomb and the spread of nuclear arms over the following decades. It continues past the dissolution of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin's ascent and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Netflix - #11487#11487
NetflixCamp Confidential: America's Secret Nazis
2021 · Movie · 36mDocumentary · Animation
At the height of WWII, a group of young Jewish refugees are sent to a secret POW camp near Washington, D.C. The recent refugees soon discover that the prisoners are no other than Hitler's top scientists.
Netflix - #11886#11886
NetflixDolemite Is My Name
2019 · Movie · 1h 58mBiography · Comedy · Drama
Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon.
Netflix - #12686#12686
NetflixStay on Board: The Leo Baker Story
2022 · Movie · 1h 12mDocumentary
Follows celebrated competitive skating icon Leo Baker as they try to make space for themselves in the gendered world of pro sports and build a more inclusive skate culture, which leads them to doing the punkest thing imaginable.
Netflix - #13186#13186
NetflixLead Me Home
2021 · Movie · 39mDocumentary
More than 500,000 people are homeless in the US. A few of these real-life stories give the audience a rare, in-depth look at the scale, scope, and diversity of the problem while questioning uninformed attitudes and outmoded policies.
Netflix - #13486#13486
NetflixLenox Hill
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography
An intimate look at the lives of four doctors - two brain surgeons, an emergency room physician, and a Chief Resident OBGYN - as they navigate the highs and lows of working at the renowned Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Netflix - #14485#14485
NetflixThe Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
2020– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Filmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the tragic death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured horrific abuse by his mother and her boyfriend, along with the fractured and complex systems that failed to protect him.
Netflix - #14885#14885
NetflixJoshua: Teenager vs. Superpower
2017 · Movie · 1h 19mDocumentary
When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, teenager Joshua Wong decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.
Netflix - #15185#15185
NetflixEl Chapo
2017–2018 · Series · Spanish · 3 seasonsBiography · Crime · Drama
A look at the life of notorious drug kingpin, El Chapo, from his early days in the 1980s working for the Guadalajara Cartel, to his rise to power during the '90s as the head of the Sinaloa Cartel and his ultimate downfall in 2016.
Netflix - #15885#15885
NetflixSunderland 'Til I Die
2018–2024 · Series · 3 seasonsDocumentary
Highlights the unfailing passion Sunderland residents have for their beloved football club, taking viewers through the highs and lows of SAFC's 2017-18 season in the Championship following its relegation the previous year.
Netflix - #16185#16185
NetflixRather
2023 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary · Biography
For decades, Dan Rather delivered the news with authenticity, integrity and courage. RATHER chronicles his rise to prominence, sudden and dramatic public downfall, and redemption and re-emergence as a voice of reason to a new gene...
Netflix - #18084#18084
NetflixJamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was...
2024 · Movie · 1h 8mDocumentary · Comedy
A stand-up special with Jamie Foxx performing before an Atlanta crowd. Containing songs and anecdotes, the main topic is his time away from the limelight while undergoing a medical emergency in 2023.
Netflix - #20982#20982
NetflixThe Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
2018 · Movie · 2h 4mWar · Drama · Romance
In the aftermath of World War II, a writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war. Then she learns the secret they are afraid to reveal.
Netflix - #21582#21582
NetflixStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
2018 · Movie · 1h 55mDocumentary · Biography
This documentary chronicles the life of Polish-American artist Stanislav Szukalski (1893-1987) from his early years in Chicago, to his time in Poland and Los Angeles, and his artistic and political contributions to the world.
Netflix - #21682#21682
NetflixHeadspace Guide to Meditation
2021– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Animation
Over the course of eight animated episodes, Andy Puddicombe—former Buddhist monk and co-founder of the globally beloved Headspace meditation app—takes viewers through the benefits and science behind meditation.
Netflix - #22281#22281
NetflixThe Law According to Lidia Poët
2023– · Series · Italian · 2 seasonsBiography · Crime · Drama
In late 19th-century Turin, Lidia Poët, fights against everything and everyone to get what is rightfully hers: to be enrolled in the official register of lawyers. Nothing could stop her dream of becoming the first female lawyer in...
Netflix - #22581#22581
NetflixAlma Matters: Inside the IIT Dream
2021– · Series · HindiDocumentary
In a "nation of middle-class" the IIT dream involves clearing the world's toughest public exam for guaranteed lifelong success. Life is not an exam though. It's a hustle, one that nobody trains them for. The result? Eternal tumult.
Netflix - #22881#22881
NetflixPatton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping
2016 · Movie · 1h 5mDocumentary · Comedy
1 EmmyPatton Oswalt takes the stage in San Francisco, where he talks about San Franciscans, the difficulties of being PC, fatherhood, his worst stand up experience, and the worlds most horrific Birthday Clown.
Netflix - #23481#23481
NetflixNumber 24
2024 · Movie · Norwegian · 1h 51mWar · Biography · Drama
Young apprentice Gunnar Sønsteby from Rjukan decides to resist Nazi-Germany on the day of the invasion to later become the leader of the "Oslo-gang" carrying out countless daring acts of sabotage making him Norway's greatest war h...
Netflix - #23581#23581
NetflixMission Blue
2014 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary · Drama
Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries.
Netflix - #23681#23681
NetflixNobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
2017 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary
The courtroom and publicity battles between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media explode in a sensational trial all about the limits of the First Amendment and the new no holds barred nature of celebrity life in an internet dominated society.
Netflix - #24481#24481
NetflixTYSON
2026– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
Explores Mike Tyson's rise as a boxing champion, his personal struggles including incarceration, substance abuse, and controversies, and his eventual redemption looking at his polarizing life through the lens of his growth and mat...
Netflix - #25880#25880
NetflixSinatra: All or Nothing at All
2015– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography
SINATRA: All or Nothing at All is an up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. Told in his own words from hours of archived interviews, along with commentary from those closest t...
Netflix - #25980#25980
NetflixThe Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
The 2004 Red Sox team broke an 86-year drought, overcame a 3-0 series deficit and won the franchise's first World Series title since 1918. A historic comeback by the team that lifted one of baseball's longest curses.
Netflix - #26480#26480
NetflixThe Gospel According to André
2018 · Movie · 1h 33mDocumentary
This intimate portrait for André Leon Tally, a fixture in the world of fashion, takes viewers on a journey from André’s roots growing up to becoming one of the most influential tastemakers and fashion curators of our times.
Netflix - #27080#27080
NetflixJOY
2024 · Movie · 1h 55mBiography · Drama · History
3 trailblazers: a young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative surgeon face opposition from the church, state, media, and medical establishment in their pursuit of the world's first 'test tube baby,' Louise Joy Brown.
Netflix - #28679#28679
NetflixJack Whitehall: Travels with My Father
2017–2021 · Series · 5 seasonsDocumentary · Comedy
Follows Jack Whitehall as he embarks on the trip of a lifetime with his father, Michael. The two set off on a journey across South East Asia to partake in a series of adventures, mishaps and escapades with two very different persp...
Netflix - #29479#29479
NetflixAmerican Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
2023– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime · History
Follows the tragedy in which terrorists detonated a bomb at the Boston Marathon's finish line; they carried out the attack by placing two homemade pressure-cooker bombs that resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries.
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