Best documentary shows streaming, 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 - #2094

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 - #2693

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 - #3493
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 - #6291
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 - #6391

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 - #7391
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 - #10189
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 - #11189
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 - #11888

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 - #14686
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 - #15685
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 - #16585
Belushi
2020 · Movie · 1h 48mDocumentary · Biography
Using previously unheard audiotapes recorded shortly after John Belushi's death, director R.J. Cutler's documentary examines the too-short life of once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny bones of devoted audi...
Paramount+ - #16685
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 - #16985
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 - #17384

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 - #18683

Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough
2015–2016 · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
David Attenborough revisits the Great Barrier Reef after nearly 60 years. His visit takes him from the most exposed part of the reef as well as down to 300m below the surface discovering corals never seen before.
Paramount+ - #21081

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 - #21181

Aerial America
2010– · Series · 8 seasonsDocumentary
Helicopter flights above the USA give breathtaking views of the nation's historic landmarks and natural wonders all presented in stunning HD aerial cinematography while narration provides background information and historical cont...
Paramount+ - #22579
We Need to Talk About Cosby
2022– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography · Crime
Writer/director W. Kamau Bell's exploration of Bill Cosby's descent from "America's Dad" to convicted sexual predator. Comedians, journalists and survivors have a candid, first of its kind conversation about the man, his career an...
Paramount+ - #25178
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 - #25578
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 - #25977

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 - #28675
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 - #30274
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 - #30674
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 - #30974
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 - #31174
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 - #31374
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 - #31774
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 - #32173

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 - #32373
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 - #32673
Sid & Judy
2019 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary · Biography · History
Revealing new look at Judy Garland fifty years after her tragic, untimely death. Fusing the unpublished recollections of producer, manager and third husband, Sid Luft, with film clips, rare concert footage and Judy's own inimitabl...
Paramount+ - #32773
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 - #33573

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 - #33673
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 - #34273
Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of '80s Hair Metal
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
Follow the wild, excessive '80s hard rock scene's insanity and ambition that enthralled generations. Uncensored behind-the-scenes look at an iconic musical era's influence on culture through candid insights from renowned rock jour...
Paramount+ - #35073
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 - #35272
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 - #35672
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 - #36272
Kyle Kinane: Whiskey Icarus
2012 · Movie · 1hDocumentary · Comedy
In his first hour-long Comedy Central special, Kyle Kinane contemplates the existence of God, and the true meaning of being delivered an unsliced pizza. This special is extended and uncensored with all sorts of extra Kyle.
Paramount+ - #36372
Inside the Factory
2015– · Series · 10 seasonsDocumentary · History
How our favorite foods and products are made? Cherry Healey and Gregg Wallace go into the factories to figure out, while Ruth Goodman tell us about the historical development of the manufacturing process of these products.
Paramount+ - #36572
The Day Kennedy Died
2013 · Movie · 1h 32mDocumentary · History
Captures the frantic rush to the local hospital, the public chaos that ensued, the quickly mobilized manhunt by law enforcement looking for a suspect after witnesses identified the source of the gunshots as the Texas Book Deposito...
Paramount+ - #36672
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 - #37172
The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs
2015 · Movie · 2hDocumentary · Drama · War
Documentary revealing the inner workings of the world's most powerful intelligence organization, with unprecedented access to America's spy network, all 12 living CIA directors and top agency operatives, who talk candidly about to...
Paramount+ - #37672
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...
MAX - #38072

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...
MAX - #38172
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 - #38971
Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day
2021 · Movie · 15mDocumentary
During 1880-1968 over 4,000 African Americans were lynched at the hands of white mobs. These lynchings were commemorated through souvenir postcards that would ultimately be subverted by Black activists to expose racist violence in...
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