Best documentary shows streaming, ranked.
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- #198
Ocean with David Attenborough
2025 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary
Attenborough explores the planet's undersea habitats, revealing the greatest age of ocean discovery and emphasizing the ocean's vital importance while exposing its problems and highlighting opportunities for marine life recovery.
Disney+Hulu - #2889
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
2023 · Movie · 1h 58mDocumentary
Shere Hite's bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and s...
Hulu - #3588
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 - #3788

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 - #4987
The Men Who Built America
2012– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography · History
2 EmmysRockefeller, 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...
HuluPrime Video - #5786
Prophet's Prey
2015 · Movie · 1h 41mDocumentary · Biography · History
When Warren Jeffs rose to Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, he took control of a religion with a history of polygamous and underage marriage. In a short time, Warren managed to expand these practices and t...
Paramount+ - #5986
Joan Baez: I Am a Noise
2023 · Movie · 1h 53mDocumentary · Biography
At the end of a 60-year career, legendary singer and activist Joan Baez takes an honest look back and a deep look inward as she tries to make sense of her large, history-making life, and the personal struggles she's kept private.
Hulu - #6385
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
2024 · Movie · 1h 39mDocumentary · Biography
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band showcase the process of creating their live performances, sharing footage from band rehearsals, behind-the-scenes moments, rare clips, and personal reflections from Springsteen himself.
Disney+Hulu - #6585
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
2021 · MovieDocumentary
The Harlem Cultural Festival, also known as "Black Woodstock", was a series of music concerts held in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the co...
Disney+Hulu - #6985

Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
2016–2021 · Series · 8 seasonsDocumentary · Comedy · Crime
Conspiracy theory enthusiast Ryan deep-dives into mysteries surrounding notorious unsolved crimes, in order to convince his dubious friend Shane that, sometimes, the evidence isn't always as it seems.
HuluPrime Video - #7984
The Return of Tanya Tucker Featuring Brandi Carlile
2022 · Movie · 1h 48mDocumentary
Decades after Tanya Tucker slipped from the spotlight, music star Brandi Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya's extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music hist...
Hulu - #8683

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+ - #11379
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+ - #12779
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show
2017 · Movie · 1h 35mDocumentary
Creators, cast and network executives recount the strange history of the Dana Carvey Show, the irreverent prime time sketch comedy show that aired for eight episodes on ABC, following its star's meteoric run on Saturday Night Live.
Hulu - #13178
60 Days In
2016– · Series · 9 seasonsDocumentary · Crime · Reality
"60 Days In" offers an unprecedented look at life behind bars at Indiana's Clark County Jail. Seven ordinary people volunteer to live among its general population for 60 days, without fellow inmates or staff knowing their secret.
Disney+HuluNetflixPeacockPrime Video - #13678
Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie
2018 · Movie · 1h 31mDocumentary
Barbie, the most popular doll ever created is a fashion icon and a target for feminists. This features new footage, access to Barbie's biggest reinvention, and examines 60 years of women through the lens of an 11.5-inch plastic doll.
Hulu - #14078
Secrets of the Bees
2026– · SeriesDocumentary · Action
With the expertise of entomologist and fellow National Geographic Explorer Dr. Samuel Ramsey, the series uses groundbreaking filming technology to reveal the extraordinary world of bees; and uncover their astonishing architecture and intelligence, unlocking their secrets and featuring never-before-filmed moments.
Disney+Hulu - #15277
Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime · History
Exploring an idealistic religious movement led by Jim Jones, its utopian community in Guyana spiraled into a mass casualty event leaving 918 dead. Told through survivors, it immerses in the final hours preceding this dark chapter.
Hulu - #15777
Inside the American Mob
2013– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography · Crime
Documentary film about the Italian Mafia and their organized crime activities in USA, mainly New York, between the '60's to mid '90's. Well documented with plenty of interviews and original footage. Story told by ex-members of Maf...
Hulu - #16876
In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis
2022 · Movie · Italian · 1h 20mDocumentary
In the first nine years of his pontificate, Pope Francis made 37 trips visiting 53 countries, focusing on his most important issues: poverty, migration, the environment, solidarity and war. Intrigued by the fact that two of Franci...
Hulu - #17276

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini
2024– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Keith and Sherri Papini's seemingly idyllic life is shattered when Sherri vanishes from their rural California neighborhood, triggering a frenzied search that becomes news around the world. But once Sherri is found, a new nightmar...
Hulu - #17476

Life After People: The Series
2009–2025 · Series · 3 seasonsDocumentary · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Scientists explore how Earth would transform if humans vanished, from ecosystem recovery to surviving structures and fastest decay. Based on expert analysis of our industrial world without people.
Disney+HuluPrime Video - #19074

Primal Survivor
2016– · Series · 7 seasonsDocumentary · Action
Primal Survivor tracks wilderness guide and survival instructor Hazen Audel as he tackles some of mankind's most rigorous journeys, relying on skills learned from native inhabitants.After first living with the locals to understand...
Disney+Hulu - #20973
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+ - #21173
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 - #21973
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+ - #23072
The Pope: Answers
2023 · Movie · Spanish · 1h 28mDocumentary
Ten young people from all over the world meet in Rome with Pope Francis, with the aim of talking and conveying to him the main concerns of their generation. What awaits them is an unprecedented meeting, a face-to-face conversation...
Disney+Hulu - #24272
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty
2022 · Movie · 1h 49mDocumentary
Giancarlo Granda, former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, shares the intimate details of his 7-year relationship with a charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr.
Hulu - #24472
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+ - #24572
Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
Samantha Stites met Christopher Thomas in 2011, when an unsettling obsession took hold. Christopher constantly stalked Samantha, showing up consistently where she went until 2022, when the harassment turned into something dangerous.
Hulu - #24772
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+ - #24872
Untouchable
2019 · Movie · 1h 38mDocumentary · Biography · Crime
Feature documentary about the spectacular fall from grace of media mogul Harvey Weinstein. With a cast of characters including survivors, friends and colleagues, this is a portrait of power and its abuses, spanning over forty years.
Hulu - #25072
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+ - #25272
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+ - #25672
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 - #26072
Mr. & Mrs. Murder
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
Mike Williams vanishes during a duck hunting trip in northern Florida. Initially presumed eaten by alligators, suspicions arise when his widow Denise marries his best friend Brian. Friend Kathy investigates to uncover what really ...
Hulu - #26971
Mobsters
2007–2012 · Series · 4 seasonsDocumentary
an in depth look with interviews with former associates, law enforcement officials and others as well as reenactments of their criminal activities to show how each real life mobster made an impact on society individually and as a ...
HuluPrime Video - #27071
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...
Paramount+ - #27271
The Case That Haunts Me
2018– · Series · 3 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
Sweeping true crime stories narrated by detectives who investigated cases ranging from mysterious disappearances to twisted family murders, showcasing unforgettable incidents that shattered law and order, leaving authorities perpl...
Hulu - #27471
Homicide Squad New Orleans
2025– · SeriesDocumentary · Crime
NOPD's homicide detectives, deeply rooted in their city's culture, work tirelessly to solve brutal crimes. Each case tests their skills and determination as they piece together clues to bring justice and protect their beloved New ...
HuluNetflix - #27671
Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness
2024 · Movie · 1h 15mDocumentary
A land of sacred peaks and secret creatures, lost in the mists of time, somewhere between folklore and magic. This is a story of India's very first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - the Nilgiris - one of Asia's most intensively studied a...
Disney+Hulu - #28171
Obsession: Dark Desires
2014–2020 · Series · 5 seasonsDocumentary · Crime · Drama
Obsessions form in all different kinds of ways. It could be a date, an interview, or even just a passing on the street. In this bone-chilling series they will show real life stories of obsession told by the victims.
Hulu - #28371
The World According to Allee Willis
2024 · Movie · 1h 37mDocumentary · Biography
Songwriter/artist Allee Willis began filming her life as a kid in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. She pursued creative expression at all costs while struggling to fit established gender and sexual norms - until she found a path t...
Hulu - #29171
Secrets of the Morgue
2018–2019 · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
"Secrets of the Morgue" explores high-profile murder cases from the perspective of the medical examiner, as they work alongside homicide detectives to bring justice to murder victims and their families. A victims body tells a hidd...
HuluPeacockPrime Video - #29271
The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror
2024– · SeriesDocumentary
A twist-filled story of Tina Risico, who now reveals the truth about what happened when she was kidnapped for 9-days by notorious killer Chris Wilder, with many believing she played a role in helping her captor abduct further vict...
Disney+Hulu - #29770
The Mega-Brands That Built America
2023– · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · History
The innovations, failures and incredible achievements of some of the most successful businesses in history, from megastores like Costco and Walmart to shipping giants like FedEx and UPS, that forever changed the way Americans live.
HuluPrime Video - #29970
The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story
2026– · SeriesDocumentary · Crime
When high school student Cassie Stoddart is found stabbed to death in a house on the outskirts of Pocatello, Idaho, the community is gripped by fear that a random killer is on the loose. Police retrace Cassie's final hours and focus on three classmates that were the last people to see her alive. As the investigation narrows, detectives uncover a shocking buried video tape that reframes the case, raising the unthinkable question of whether 16-year-olds could have committed such a brutal crime.
Hulu - #30070
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds
2023 · Movie · 59mDocumentary · Biography
A journey into the creative mind of the most iconic video game designer in the world, this visually captivating documentary gives a rare insight into Hideo Kojima's creative process as he launches his own independent studio.
Hulu - #31170
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 - #32370
Sinbad: Make Me Wanna Holla
2014 · Movie · 1h 30mDocumentary · Comedy
"Make Me Wanna Holla" is an all-out stand-up special featuring a riotous original performance by the king of comedy, Sinbad, recorded live in Detroit in his home state of Michigan. It covers everything he sees in his life, from th...
HuluPrime Video - #32970
The Con
2020– · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg narrates this series exploring the troubling tales of people taken in by claims and promises that proved too good to be true, from identity fraud and misleading romance to the hi...
Disney+Hulu - #33670
The Last Expedition
2024 · Movie · Polish · 1h 20mDocumentary
The true story of Wanda Rutkiewicz, the first woman in the world and the first person from Poland to climb the highest peaks on earth - told by herself. Wanda entered the men's world of high-mountain expeditions without an invitat...
Paramount+ - #33770
Social Media Murders
2021– · Series · 3 seasonsDocumentary · Crime
A compelling, cautionary insight into the experiences of young people affected by disturbing 21st-century crime, focusing on shocking real crimes and the unsettling role social media played in bringing together the culprit and the...
Hulu - #33870
The Superfantastic Story of Balão
2023– · Series · Portuguese · 1 seasonDocumentary · Biography
The 1980s brought together a charming girl singer, a shy boy with an angelic voice, the heir of a famous thief, and the son of a famous Brazilian musician, forming the most important and "superfantastic" children's group in the hi...
Hulu - #34370
America's Book of Secrets
2012–2021 · Series · 4 seasonsDocumentary
From the facts behind the NSA spying scandals ("Big Brother") and the Boston Bombings ("American Terrorists") to America's secret prisons, Scientology, the Gold conspiracy and America's doomsday plans, this series features in-dept...
Disney+HuluPrime Video - #35669
Aaron Carter: The Little Prince of Pop
2023 · Movie · 56mDocumentary
Famous by age 9, struggling by age 20 and dead at ripe age of 34, this documentary looks into the life of Aaron Carter and examines how child stars are treated by the industry and the relationships between mental health, addiction...
Hulu - #36069
The Mountain Lion and Me
2018 · Movie · 51mDocumentary
On the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park is Paradise Valley, Montana, home to bears, wolves, elk, and an animal so secretive, few ever get to see it: the mountain lion. Wildlife filmmaker Casey Anderson became one of those lu...
Paramount+ - #36669
Mystery in Yellowstone
2015 · Movie · 46mDocumentary
Yellowstone National Park is home to a vast array of landscapes and a huge diversity of animals, united in a fascinating ecosystem, one that is currently in severe trouble. The area once contained over 19,000 elk, but its numbers ...
Paramount+ - #37269
Americans Underground: Secret City of WWI
2017 · Movie · 44mDocumentary
An amazing discovery has been made beneath a farm field in Northern France: a vast underground city where World War I soldiers, on both sides of the conflict, took refuge a century ago. Even more remarkable, it is one of hundreds ...
Paramount+ - #37469
Madagascar: Africa's Galapagos
2019 · Movie · 50mDocumentary
It's the 10th of May 1836, Charles Darwin leans on the beaten wooden gunwale of The Beagle. He's yet to start writing his "Origin of the Species", but he's already forming his theories about evolution. Locations like the Galapagos...
Paramount+ - #38169
The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer
2025– · SeriesDocumentary
Jeff Jellison launches a new investigation decades after thousands of bones were found in the woods behind Fox Hollow Farms. Using new DNA technology, they work to identify the human remains, bringing closure to victims' families.
Hulu - #38469
Miles To Go Before I Sleep
2016 · Movie · 35mDocumentary
35 minute documentary about musicians and the relationships they have with their roadies. Features Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) and Jim James (My Morning Jacket), who talk about their time on t...
Paramount+ - #39169
The Booze, Bets and Sex That Built America
2022– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
Divulges surprising origin stories of the American alcohol, gambling, sex, and tobacco industries and the ambitiously notorious entrepreneurs who built some of history's biggest fortunes on the nation's cravings.
HuluNetflix - #39369
Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison
2021 · Movie · 27mDocumentary
Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison gives us a window into playwright Liza Jessie Peterson's performance in 2020 of her acclaimed play The Peculiar Patriot performed at Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, ...
Paramount+ - #39569
Unbelievable Flying Objects
2007 · Movie · 52mDocumentary
In the history of aviation, there were some ideas that didn't quite...fly. From the bizarre vertical "Pogo" plane to the disastrous Goblin, nicknamed the "Flying Egg," we take an in-depth probe of some magnificent men and their no...
Paramount+ - #40069

Gangsters: America's Most Evil
2012– · Series · 6 seasonsDocumentary · Biography · Crime
Gangsters: America's Most Evil is a cinematic documentary series that explores the rise and fall of some of the most nefarious and notorious criminals brought to justice by the United States government.
HuluPeacockPrime Video - #40269

Out of the Rubble
2016 · Movie · 17mDocumentary
This is a fine short film neatly pulling together post-war archive to tell a story of the modernisation of Britain through architectural change, town planning, immigration and attitudes towards all this. All done in less than 20 minutes. There's such a good flow to the editing that it probably won't even feel its running length. There's a few contemporary additions including interviews with some of the subjects from the archive, which help to pull of the social commentaries together, but none detract from the flow or style of this piece of documentary cinema. All in all it's a good use of the BFI's archive so hopefully there'll be more similar efforts like this in the future.
Paramount+ - #40669
Hunting the Hammerhead
2016 · Movie · 46mDocumentary
The tropical waters of Bimini in the Bahamas are the hunting grounds for a large, yet elusive predator - the Great Hammerhead Shark. After 7 years research into the hunting senses of the Great White Shark, sensory biologist Dr. Cr...
Paramount+ - #41569
Ari Shaffir: Paid Regular
2015 · Movie · 1h 13mDocumentary · Comedy
Stand-up comic Ari Shaffir discusses inappropriate subjects like taking shrooms while camping, unusual new racial stereotypes, morning blowjobs, oddities of some of the ten commandments, and his profound hatred towards TSA.
Paramount+ - #41969
China's Emperor of Evil
2016 · Movie · 46mDocumentary
In China's Valley of the Kings, there stands a tall, carved stone. It honors the resting place of a woman named Wu Zetian, who rose from concubine to become China's only female emperor. For more than a millennia, history claimed s...
Paramount+ - #42669
Malawi Wildlife Rescue
2021–2022 · Series · 2 seasonsDocumentary
Malawi is a small African country that has made a big push to protect its wildlife. Leading the effort is American veterinarian Dr. Amanda Salb and her colleagues at the country's only animal rescue center, where injured and aband...
Disney+Hulu - #43969
United Stats of America
2012– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary
From the calories we eat to the energy we use, numbers tell amazing stories about who we are and how we live. Travel the country to meet people whose stories bring these numbers to life. The new series United Stats of America make...
Hulu - #44369
Battle of Little Bighorn
2020 · Movie · 45mDocumentary · Action · Biography
The U.S. expands westward after the Civil War displacing the last of the free-roaming Native Americans onto Reservations. This show focuses special attention on General George A. Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn and Buf...
Paramount+ - #45069
The Proof Is Out There
2021– · Series · 5 seasonsDocumentary
Investigates mysterious videos, photos, and audio, using experts and technology to analyze seeming impossibilities like UFOs, giant beasts, and conspiracies, separating hoaxes from credible evidence in a quest to understand our wo...
Hulu - #46468
Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
In 1984, Ted Bundy offers to help catch the Green River Killer--launching a chilling game of cat and mouse with detective Robert Keppel. Featuring never-before-heard tapes, this is a gripping descent into one of history's darkest ...
Hulu - #48268
Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge
2025– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
In the bucolic town of Delphi, Indiana, Abigail Williams and Liberty German set out for a walk on and never came home. Setting off a five-year-long search that gripped the nation and haunted this close-knit community.
Hulu - #48468
Bad Host: Hunting the Couchsurfing Predator
2023– · SeriesDocumentary · Crime
Follows the story of how a group of young women, unbeknownst to each other, were all victims of a predator who lured them to stay with him using Couchsurfing. The young women united and battled for six years, to bring him to justice.
Hulu - #48668
Killer in Plain Sight
2018– · Series · 1 seasonDocumentary · Crime
IN PLAIN SIGHT is a riveting whodunit, featuring some of the most disturbing murder cases with the killer hiding in plain sight. The killer can sometimes be featured on TV news reports, interviewed by the media, posts on social me...
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