Best documentary shows on Max, ranked.
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- #1100

Planet Earth
2006– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Family
4 EmmysBest Documentary SeriesA 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 Attenbo...
MAX - #1894

Capturing the Friedmans
2003 · Movie · 1h 47mDocumentary · Biography · Crime
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
MAX - #2293

Cameraperson
2016 · Movie · 1h 42mDocumentary · Biography · History
Exposing her role behind the camera, Kirsten Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation of the power of the camera.
MAX - #2993
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
2024 · Movie · 1h 44mDocumentary · Biography
Reeve's rise to becoming a film star follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability ri...
MAX - #5691
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off
2022 · Movie · 2h 15mDocumentary · Biography · Sport
Follows famous skater Tony Hawk's personal life, career and relationship with skateboarding, including never-before-seen footage and unprecedented access to Hawk, along with interviews with figures from the skateboarding world.
MAX - #5891

Grey Gardens
1976 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary · Comedy · Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Ca...
MAX - #6891
Escape from Kabul
2021 · Movie · 1h 13mDocumentary · History
Features never-before-seen archival footage of the historic confrontation at Kabul airport, from the U.S. withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan through the subsequent evacuation of Afghan citizens after the Taliban seized the ...
MAX - #9289
After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News
2020 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary
A look at the ongoing threat caused by the phenomenon of "fake news" in the U.S., focusing on the real-life consequences that disinformation, conspiracy theories and false news stories have on the average citizen.
MAX - #10089
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
2013 · Movie · Japanese · 1h 58mDocumentary
Follows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
MAX - #10388
MythBusters
2003–2018 · Series · 15 seasonsDocumentary · Mystery · Reality
The Mythbusters use science (and explosions) to answer every shower thought ever. From testing the myth that coke and pop rocks can explode your stomach, to recreating historical weapons to see how they worked.
Disney+MAXHulu - #10688

Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda
2011–2023 · Series · 9 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
Through re-enactments, discussions with investigation teams, and interviews with victims' families and other involved persons, the show highlights Lt. Joe Kenda's successes with his 387 homicide case history and 92% solution rate.
MAXHulu - #13386
The Case Against 8
2014 · Movie · 1h 49mDocumentary · Biography
A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.
MAX - #14285
One to One: John & Yoko
2025 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · Biography
Set in 1972 New York, this documentary explores John and Yoko's world amid a turbulent era. Centered on the One to One charity concert for special needs children, it features unseen archives, home movies, and restored footage.
MAX - #15085
Valentine Road
2013 · Movie · 1h 29mDocumentary · Crime
On February 12, 2008 in Oxnard, California, eighth-grade student Brandon McInerney shot his classmate Larry King twice in the back of the head during first period. When Larry died two days later, his murder shocked the nation. Was...
MAXPrime Video - #15285
Conan O'Brien Must Go
2024– · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · Comedy
2 EmmysAfter years of conversations with listeners from across the world on his podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend (2018), Conan O'Brien sets off on an epic journey to connect with some of his dedicated followers in person.
MAX - #15684

Floyd Norman: An Animated Life
2016 · Movie · 1h 34mDocumentary · Biography
Animator. Storyman. Troublemaker. At 80 years old, see how Disney Legend Floyd Norman, the first African-American animator at Disney, continues to impact animation and stir up "trouble" after the company forced him to retire at ag...
MAX - #16483
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling
2018– · SeriesDocumentary · Biography · Comedy
1 EmmyJudd Apatow presents an emotional two-part in-depth look at the life, career and complex internal struggles of his loving mentor, the influential stand-up comedian and actor Garry Shandling, based on Shandling's personal diaries.
MAX - #18781

Friends: The Reunion
2021 · Movie · 1h 44mDocumentary · Biography · Comedy
"Friends (1994)" reunion special hosted by James Corden in which the main cast revisit the sets of the original show, meet with celebrity guests, do table reads and re-enactments of episodes, and share behind-the-scenes footage.
MAX - #21978
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
2019– · SeriesDocumentary · Crime
Teen Michelle Carter's actions shocked a nation - but what really happened behind closed doors? This HBO special showcases the prosecution's point of view and alternately the defense's. Which side do you fall on?
MAX - #22278
Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking
2010 · Movie · 1h 17mDocumentary · Comedy
Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher tells her raw and intoxicating true story in this documentary based on her hit stage production. Touching on stardom, mental illness, addiction and more, the actress recounts her peaks and valleys with...
MAX - #22777

Exterminate All the Brutes
2021– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · History
Through time, into the darkest hours of humanity, the documentary deconstructs the making and masking of history, digging deep into the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism, from America to Africa and its imp...
MAX - #24875
Bleed Out
2018 · Movie · 1h 28mDocumentary · Drama · Romance
After a routine partial hip replacement operation leaves his mother in a coma with permanent brain damage, what starts as a son's video diary becomes a citizen's investigation into the future of American health care. Using underco...
MAX - #25974
George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin
1994 · Movie · 46mDocumentary · Biography · War
3 EmmysProduced and narrated by George Stevens Jr., this short documentary uses footage taken by his father when he was in the Army Signal Corps and follows American troops from D-Day in June 1944 to the end of the European war.
MAX - #26374
Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals
2023– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
Let Us Prey examines the pain of survivors' IFB members Ruthy Heiler, Kathy Durbin and Amanda Householder. Tell their stories of abuse at the hands of church leaders and the violence, manipulation and alleged cover-ups by other me...
MAX - #26574
The History of Comedy
2017–2018 · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · Comedy · History
Utilizing archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends and scholars, this is the history of not only what makes us laugh, but how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout hist...
MAX - #26774
State of Play: Trophy Kids
2013 · Movie · 1h 47mDocumentary
From the director of Bigger Stronger Faster comes an intense look at overbearing parents in sports. The film asks the question "Do we want what's best for our children? Or do we just want them to be the best?" Parts of this film w...
MAX - #26874
Inventing David Geffen
2012 · Movie · 1h 55mDocumentary · Biography · History
David Geffen's far-reaching influence - as agent, manager, record industry mogul, Hollywood and Broadway producer, and philanthropist - has helped shape American popular culture for the past four decades. Notoriously press and cam...
MAX - #27274
100 Years of Warner Bros.
2023– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · History
100 Years of Warner Bros. takes a historical look at the legacy of one of America's leading studios. The documentary explores the origin, evolution and endurance of Warner Bros. - from a family affair to a global juggernaut.
MAX - #27573

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin
2021–2022 · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Follows the Remnant Fellowship Church, exploring the fame and power of its leader Gwen Shambling Lara as a diet guru and church leader, and the truth behind her carefully-curated image, detailing the church's controversial practices.
MAX - #27673
Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words
2014 · Movie · 1h 11mDocumentary
On Aug. 9, 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon became the first American president to resign from office. From 1971 to 1973, he had secretly recorded his private conversations, purportedly for the purpose of historical record, but in the ...
MAX - #27873
I (Almost) Got Away With It
2010–2016 · Series · 8 seasonsDocumentary · Crime · Mystery
Murders, drug dealers, bank robbers or jail escapees. The stories are different, but the motive is always the same: to stay out of prison. See what pushed these fugitives to their crimes, how they changed their identities, evaded ...
MAXHulu - #28373

The Nightclub: Stories from Turkish Nightlife
2019–2021 · Series · Turkish · 1 seasonDocumentary
Although the pavilions operating under the name of casinos, taverns and entertainment centers meet approximately 80% of the Ankara entertainment sector and feed the provincial economy remarkably, they are not widely accepted as le...
MAX - #28473
Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery
2024 · Movie · 1h 40mDocumentary
Cullen Hoback investigates the origins of Bitcoin and its anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, exploring the potential of this cryptocurrency on the global financial system and who could hold immense power if it became mainstream.
MAX - #29473
Icahn: The Restless Billionaire
2022 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · Biography
Explores the fascinating contradictions at the heart of the famed financier, Carl Icahn. Amassing close to $20 billion dollars over the last half century and at the forefront of some of the most legendary business deals of our times.
MAX - #29872
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not
2025 · MovieDocumentary
From his Saturday Night Live beginnings to a string of classic comedies, Chevy Chase has always had huge comedic range. He is also a complex and contradictory human being. Featuring revealing interviews with those closest to him, this documentary digs into the talent, flaws, and humanity that shaped an icon.
MAX - #30172

Miss You Can Do It
2013 · Movie · 1h 15mDocumentary · Drama · Family
Miss You Can Do It chronicles Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, and eight girls with various physical and intellectual disabilities as the girls participate ...
MAX - #30672
Rita Lee: Mania de Você
2025 · Movie · Portuguese · 2h 2mDocumentary · Biography
Just before her departure, Rita Lee writes a farewell letter to her three children and her husband and musical partner, Roberto de Carvalho, in which she reflects on her life and joyfully celebrates her family. Her final moments a...
MAX - #31272
Murder Comes To Town
2014–2018 · Series · 5 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
"Things like that don't happen here," they always say. These are the shocking murder mysteries that haunt small town America. We'll discover the dark secrets that lie just beneath the outwardly wholesome surface of America's heart...
MAXHulu - #31572

Murder Calls
2017–2018 · Series · 3 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
With haunting, real-life 911 calls as its through-line, Murder Calls is true-crime storytelling taken to a new level. Each episode pivots on the contents and subtext of 911 calls, which investigators must decipher to uncover the t...
MAXPrime Video - #31672
Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store
2014 · Movie · 54mDocumentary · Comedy
Taped May 7 at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, the exclusive presentation features Carmichael's unique take on such topics as: poverty, wealth, crime, race, national tragedies, female empowerment and why talent is more important th...
MAX - #33071
Paul Anka: His Way
2024 · Movie · 1h 40mDocumentary · Biography · History
Born in Ottawa to immigrants, Anka exhibited early musical talent. At 16, he ambitiously headed to New York . Unlike other teen idols, he wrote his own songs. His multi-genre, multi-decade success resonates across generations.
MAX - #33571
Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life & Times of Katrina Gilbert
2014 · Movie · 1h 15mDocumentary
PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK: THE LIFE & TIMES OF KATRINA GILBERT tells the moving story of a year in the life of one mother whose daily struggles illuminate the challenges faced by more than 42 million American women and the 28 million c...
MAX - #33671
I Have Tourette's But Tourette's Doesn't Have Me
2005 · Movie · 27mDocumentary · Family
1 EmmyChildren with Tourette's Syndrome discuss the challenges of living with Tourette's, a misunderstood and often stigmatizing condition. They demonstrate some of their tics, and talk about their lives with tics including embarrassing...
MAX - #34970

90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
2017– · Series · 8 seasonsDocumentary · Reality
Couples who have applied for or received a K-1 visa "available uniquely to foreign fiancés of U.S. citizens", have 90 days to arrange for and have the marriage ceremony. The visa is not to give time "to decide IF" they will marry.
MAX - #35070
Expedition Files
2024– · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · Action · History
Josh Gates travels through history on a search to uncover new evidence and answers to the world's most captivating unexplained mysteries, and true stories that defy explanation, offering stunning revelations and surprising new ins...
MAXHulu - #35670

Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall
2013– · Series · 6 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
In each one-hour episode, Tamron Hall is joined by a core team of correspondents with extensive knowledge of law enforcement and a passion for storytelling. Series goes beyond the headlines to explore not only what happened, but w...
MAX - #36370
Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Explores the 2012 abduction of cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins in Evansdale, Iowa, featuring exclusive access, interviews, and new information surrounding the haunting case over seven years.
MAX - #36870
The Music in Me: The Leopards Take Manhattan - The Little Band That Roared
2008 · Movie · 30mDocumentary
Prepare for a fun-filled, emotional journey with 52 young musicians from a variety of backgrounds. Though they have no formal training, the Louisville Leopard Percussionists come together with the shared desire to learn how to pla...
MAX - #37170
Dark Light: The Art of Blind Photographers
2009 · Movie · 30mDocumentary · Biography
Can vision succeed where eyesight fails? Can a blind person make meaningful photographs? How can the creator appreciate his own work? This film explores the artistry and innovation of Pete Eckert, Bruce Hall, and Henry Butler, bli...
MAX - #37670
The Synanon Fix: Did the Cure Become a Cult?
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Explores the rise and fall of the Synanon organization through the eyes of the members who lived it, from its early days as a groundbreaking drug rehabilitation program to its later descent into what many consider a cult.
MAX - #38069
Ghosts of the Deep: Black Sea Shipwrecks
2019 · Movie · 1h 25mDocumentary
The largest ocean archaeological expedition ever has discovered a fleet of ancient ships perfectly preserved in the Black Sea's mysterious depths. As experts investigate this holy grail of shipwrecks, they uncover hidden secrets a...
MAX - #38469
Don't Divorce Me! Kids' Rules for Parents on Divorce
2012 · Movie · 30mDocumentary · Drama · History
A family special featuring conversations with young children along with their songs, drawings and heartfelt advice on divorce do's and don'ts. From kids to parents with love, sadness, and humor, an inspiring guide for families str...
MAX - #38669
Hunted by My Husband: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper
2025 · Movie · 1h 24mDocumentary · Crime
John Allen Muhammad's domestic abuse was the real hidden story behind the high-profile sniper attacks. Re-examine the case from Mildred's perspective, revealing the psychological manipulation and control that became a murderous ra...
MAX - #38869
Alien Sharks: Ghosts of Japan
2024 · Movie · 44mDocumentary
Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores the alien world of Japan's oceans; teaming up with deep sea shark expert Christine De Silva, they search for the critically endangered Japanese Angelshark, AKA the Yokai, the ghost of th...
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