Best war & documentary shows streaming, ranked.

Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose comrades have been killed in action.

Follow Jeremy Clarkson as he attempts to run a farm in the countryside.

A fresh new approach to the global lockdown and the uplifting stories that have come out of it. People all over the world have had the chance to engage with nature like never before.

A comprehensive look at the Bush Administration's conduct of the Iraq war and its occupation of the country.

A 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".

A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.

Documentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.

Nathan Fielder uses his business degree and life experiences to, in unorthodox ways, help real small businesses turn a profit.

A look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.

The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert.

Follows the life of beloved actor and advocate Michael J. Fox, exploring his personal and professional triumphs and travails, and what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.

Digging through the vast collection of his father's home videos, a young man reconstructs the unthinkable story of his boyhood and exposes vile abuse passed through generations.

A documentary that utilizes hundreds of hours of audio that Marlon Brando recorded over the course of his life to tell the screen legend's story.

A group of activists risk their lives fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Chechnya.

Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

This 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.

After he is diagnosed with ALS, former professional football player Steve Gleason begins making a video diary for his unborn son, as he, his wife, and their friends and family work to raise money for ALS patients as his disease pr...

The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters.

A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.

Documentary film that focuses on the period beginning with the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.

Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.

While the Egyptian revolution of 2011 is underway, surgeon turned comedian Bassem Youssef airs a television show that makes him popular to his countrymen but disliked by the government.

Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.

The story of Z Channel, one of the first U.S. pay cable stations and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974 in LA, their eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

A raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar's struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a life-altering illness.

A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.

German-American Dieter Dengler discusses his service as a U.S. naval pilot in the Vietnam War. Dengler also revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of the Viet Cong, recreating many events for the camera.

The Velvet Underground explores the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll.

The bizarre untold truth behind the greatest con in music history - Milli Vanilli.

The anonymous activists who exposed ISIS atrocities in Raqqa. Follows their undercover operations, exile, and risks taken to reveal the ruthless realities under ISIS rule.

Journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault, seeking to prosecute the high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case, exposing Japan's outdated judicial and societal systems.

This documentary examines unidentified aerial phenomenon. With testimony from high-ranking government officials, and NASA Astronauts, Senator Harry Reid says it "makes the incredible credible."

A behind the scenes chronicle of how clash of vision, bad creative decisions, lack of interest and really bad weather plagued the disastrous production of the infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).

A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.

Spellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.

It honors the heroes of the 100th Bomb Group.

Facing an incurable diagnosis, two poet lovers embark on a poignant yet unexpectedly humorous exploration of love, mortality, and life's moments.

In the late 1980s, the Detroit Red Wings worked to finally break their decades long Stanley Cup drought by extracting players from the Soviet Union, and in the process, changed the way North American hockey is played.

A series featuring detailed accounts on how notable crimes and diseases were solved through forensic science.

A thorough overview and dissection of the subgenre of 'folk horror, ' with contributions from many of the major creators and clips from cinema all over the world.

An intimate portrait of Paul McCartney's trajectory after The Beatles, as he and his wife Linda form Wings.

In 1988, Deaf students at Gallaudet University protested until the school appointed its first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan, marking a pivotal moment for Deaf rights and representation.

An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.

Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.

In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men, emerges India's only newspaper run by Dalit women. Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, redefining what it means to be powerful.

A thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.

An affectionate portrait of a group of women who, after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and evacuation, returned to the exclusion zone surrounding the nuclear power plant and have resided there - semi-officially, for years.

A look at the 30-year career of The Grateful Dead.

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.

Dramatized reconstruction of real-life air disasters, along with interviews with aviation experts and eyewitnesses.

A collection of expertly photographed phenomena with no conventional plot. The footage focuses on the relationship between nature, humanity, and technology.

Seventy years after WWII, Oskar Gröning, one of the last surviving members of the SS, goes on trial as an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embark on a grueling quest to motorbike from London to New York. Going east through Europe, Asia and then to Alaska, they experience different cultures and have to overcome the elements and advers...

A chronicle of the events surrounding a 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge reservation in S. Dakota where two FBI agents were killed.

The case of Judy Malinowski, a young mother who suffered debilitating burns after being set on fire by a man she had dated.

The filmed account of a large Canadian rock festival train tour boasting major acts like Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Band.

Fox Rich fights for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year sentence in prison.

Docuseries following the FIA Formula One World Championship across multiple seasons.

Following the career of singer Sinéad O'Connor through her rise to fame and how her iconoclastic personality led to her exile from the pop mainstream.

The story of the rise to glory of boxer Joe Calzaghe.

On-ice enforcers struggle to rise through the professional ranks of the world's most prestigious hockey league, only to be confronted with a new found fight for the existence of the role itself.

Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most impactful children's series in TV history. From the iconic furry characters to the songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed our world.

An account of a notable sexual assault that took place in Steubenville, Ohio in 2012, and the role that social media played in the crime and on the community.

The incredible true story of early childhood teachers and friends, The Wiggles, who rock 'n' rolled their way into the hearts of millions around the globe in one of the greatest entertainment stories of all time.

Recounts the events of world War II in color.

Exposes how Christian Nationalism has become the most powerful anti-democratic force in America. Leaders join forces to defend our country from this march to fascism, but American citizens seem unaware of the threat.

A look at the music career of musician James Brown beginning with his first hit song, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956.

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema's most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary. After decades of watching Kane Hodder on screen, get ready to meet the man behind the mask in To Hell and Back - an uniquely human story about one of cinema's most vicious monsters.

The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.

A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage.

Raw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.

In this scandalous political thriller, an investigation into a chemical spill spirals into an indictment of the entire system meant to protect drinking water, revealing cover-ups at the highest levels of government.

Here's a little story they're about to tell... Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of the band, Beastie Boys, and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend and collaborator, Spike Jonze.

An exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre.

The absorbingly cinematic Ascension explores the pursuit of the "Chinese Dream." This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

The Lancaster Bomber, synonymous with the Dambusters and night raids on Nazi Germany.

Executive transvestite Eddie Izzard takes his show to San Francisco to give a brief history of pagan and Christian religions, the building of Stonehenge, the birth of the Church of England ...

A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.

An extraordinary look into the political career of Imelda Marcos, this documentary tells a cautionary tale of a powerful leader whose questionable sense of reality divided the Philippines.

California Typewriter is a story about people whose lives are connected by typewriters. The film is a meditation on creativity and technology featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard, David McCullough and others.

An intimate look at the singer-songwriter's journey, navigating life on the road, on stage, in the streets and at home, while creating her debut album.

The story of the Australian exploitation genre cinema of 1970s and 80s.

Fred Beckey is the legendary American "Dirtbag" mountaineer whose name is spoken in hushed tones around campfires. This rebel climber's pioneering ascents and lifestyle form an iconic legacy that continues to inspire generations.

Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her.

The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film that follows the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers.

Documentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top auction houses.

A documentary feature about the troubled heart and soul of Michael Hutchence, lead singer and songwriter of INXS.

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.

Follow the life and legacy of the master and so-called founding father of jazz, America's first pop star, and cultural ambassador.

This documentary features never-before-seen footage revealing the extraordinary life, and iconic entertainment career, of June Carter Cash; including interviews with the remarkable woman herself, as well as her family, fans and fr...

The Australian Mens Cricket Team has been rocked by a cheating scandal, and now they must rebuild their culture and reclaim their status as the world's number one side.

A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.

A documentary centering on the daily life of actor Val Kilmer, featuring never-before-seen footage spanning 40 years.

The documentary takes a look at the history, and current activism against voter suppression; barriers to voting that most people don't even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.

This educational show explores many scientific questions and topics about the universe (Big Bang, the Sun, the planets, black holes, other galaxies, astrobiology etc.) through latest CGI, data and interviews with scientists.

Follows the story of baseball megastar Reggie Jackson as he contemplate his legacy as one of the first iconic black athletes, a pioneer in the fight for dignity, respect, and a seat at the table.

Documentary covering the growth and subsequent overexposure of the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the early 90s

Allan Carr built his bombastic reputation producing the hit movie GREASE and Broadway sensation LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, but it all came crashing down after he conceived the notorious 1989 Academy Awards.

Behind-the-scenes look at Springsteen's creative process with full performances from The E Street Band, in-studio footage, and never-before-seen archival material.

This film explores the rise of comedy icon Lucille Ball, her relationship with Desi Arnaz, and how their groundbreaking sitcom "I Love Lucy" forever changed Hollywood, cementing her legacy long after her death in 1989.

Travel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.

The origin story behind one of Broadway's most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when "tradition" was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were ev...

Steve Glew spent the 1990s smuggling rare pez dispensers into the USA from Eastern Europe, making millions of dollars. It was all magical until his arch-nemesis, The Pezident decided to destroy him.

The Apology explores the lives of former "comfort women", the more than 200,000 girls forced into sexual slavery during World War II. Today, they fight for reconciliation and justice as they struggle to make peace with the past.

This documentary on Judy Blume and the generations of readers who have sparked to her work examines her impact on pop culture and the occasional controversies over her frankness about puberty and sex.

The exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.

Enter the Clones of Bruce dives into the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, otherwise known as Bruceploitation.

With one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960s folk rock music scene in her early twenties.

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as the voice of her people.

Explores the life and legacy of iconic funnyman John Candy, who died of a heart attack in 1994, at age 43.

Three friends dream up the Compaq portable computer at a Texas diner in 1981, and soon find themselves battling mighty IBM for PC supremacy. Their improbable journey altered the future of computing and shaped the world we now know.

Master of Dark Shadows reveals the fascinating impact of the ground-breaking Gothic drama Dark Shadows and award-winning filmmaker Dan Curtis.

The story of the fighter plane and pilots that helped win the Battle of Britain in World War II.

Through never before-seen archive material, interviews with celebrities, industry insiders, rabid fans and the Kids In The Hall themselves.

The story of a group of 1980s punk artists who started organizing and playing desert shows that later inspired Burning Man, Coachella, and Lollapalooza.

The true story of Jean Dominique, a Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist.

A look at the world through the eyes of the tiniest creatures and witness the extraordinary things they do to survive.

It's Bad For Ya, Carlin's Emmy-nominated 14th and final HBO special from March of 2008 features Carlin's noted irreverent and unapologetic observations on topics ranging from death, religion, bureaucracy, patriotism, overprotected...

Spans six decades as le Carré gives his final and most personal interview, interrupted with rare archival footage and dramatic anecdotes. It is set against the stormy Cold War backdrop that extends into the present day.

A fly-on-the-wall insight into the world of trauma cleaning through the journey of larger-than-life business owner Sandra Pankhurst and the workers at Melbourne's Specialised Trauma Cleaning Services.

Cult musician Swamp Dogg and housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty have turned their suburban LA home into an artistic haven. They journey through the turbulent music business, forming a special friendship transcending eras.

Jonas Mekas chronicled life via diary films over 70+ years, from his 1949 NYC arrival until 2019. The Lithuanian exile shaped avant-garde cinema while building indie film institutions. "Fragments of Paradise" delves into his archives

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness.

George Carlin brings his comedy stylings to the Beacon theater in New York City. He rants about Abortion, The death penalty, prison farms, fart jokes, free floating hostility and words.

Back from war in Afghanistan, a young British soldier struggling with depression and PTSD finds a second chance in the Amazon rainforest when he meets an American scientist, and together they foster an orphaned baby ocelot.

As the front man of the Clash from 1977, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before.

Zeitgeist: Addendum attempts to locate the root causes of the pervasive social corruption, while also offering a solution.

The groundbreaking and often game-changing reporting of legendary foreign correspondent and author Robert Fisk is profiled in the latest from acclaimed documentarian Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze).

A tribute to one of Britain's biggest TV stars, telling the story of Caroline Flack's life.

A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.

Two friends leave their routine lives, travel to stunning remote places, make friends, experience triumphs and setbacks on their journey of self-discovery through real-life adventures.

Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Astor, Ford and Morgan. Their names are part of history and synonymous with the American dream. These men transformed every industry they touched: oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobiles, and fin...

In the early 1930s, Orson Welles ascends to unprecedented stardom while President Franklin Delano Roosevelt navigates a nation in crisis. As WWII begins, an American boy visits abroad, and an American soldier enlists in the army.

Documentary about the two big resources in the North Atlantic, fish and oil, and the impact of their exploitation on the environment in various countries on both sides of the Atlantic.

In an unremarkable office space, a select group of aging engineers find themselves at the leading edge of discovery. Fighting outdated technology and time, Voyager's flight-team pursues humankind's greatest exploration.

A documentary about discriminatory hiring practices concerning women directors in Hollywood, and an inspiring conversation with those who have succeeded against all odds.

A profile of legendary funk/R&B icon Rick James capturing the peaks and valleys of his storied career to reveal a complicated and rebellious soul, driven to share his talent with the world.

An in-depth look at legendary punk band The Stooges.

A filmmaker unearths a pervasive history of multigenerational trauma in her Italian-American family. As decades of secrets, home-movies, and long-avoided conversations surface, a family once bound by tradition forges a new path fo...

The story of Don Letts, the iconic cultural mover and shaker, filmmaker, musician and raconteur.

App developers lured a massive labor force by promising flexible hours with no offices or bosses-but with gig workers from Uber, Amazon, Lyft and more in front of the camera, the human cost of disruption runs deep.

It influences elections and sways outcomes-gerrymandering has become a hot-button political topic and symbol for everything broken about the American electoral process. But there are those on the front lines fighting to change the...

Filmmaker and omnivore John Papola, together with his vegetarian wife Lisa, offer up a timely and refreshingly unbiased look at how farm animals are raised for our consumption. With unprecedented access to large-scale conventional...

Follows the resurgence of Cirque du Soleil after the most difficult period in its history.

The strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia, who rocketed to prosperity and prominence in the 1990s, served a decade in prison, and became an unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement.

A portrait of the life and career of one of comedy's most iconic figures, Gilbert Gottfried.

Exposing Muybridge tells the story of trailblazing 19th-century photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who changed the world with his camera. Muybridge set the course for the development of cinema when he became the first photographer t...

After bringing democracy to his country, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, takes up the fight to keep his homeland from disappearing under the sea.

Capturing the experiences of Afghanistan's women under the Taliban since they took control of Kabul.

Filmmaker Matthew Heineman examines the state of the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno face off in a no-holds-barred competition for the title of Mr. Olympia in this critically-acclaimed film that made Schwarzenegger a household name.

Looking at the former congresswoman's courage and perseverance in the aftermath of the 2011 assassination attempt that left her partially paralyzed and with a language impairment, aphasia.

A contemplative odyssey across our planet, looking at the simple and extraordinary ways that dogs influence our daily lives.

Legendary comic Carlin comes back to the Beacon theater to angrily rant about airport security, germs, cigars, angels, children and parents, men, names, religion, god, advertising, Bill Jeff and minorities.

The real story behind the myth of American icon Robert 'Evel' Knievel and his legacy.

Director Paul Saltzman returns to India as he reminiscences his time with the Beatles while they were on a spiritual retreat under the mentorship of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968.