Best drama, biography, war, animation, & documentary shows on Max, ranked.

The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.

In April 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the Soviet Union suffers one of the worst nuclear disasters in the history of mankind. Consequently, many heroes put their lives on the line in the following days, weeks and months.

A 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...

A film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going professional.

In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.

David Attenborough returns to the world's oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face.

During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.

David Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.

Billionaire Bruce Wayne secretly operates as Batman, a vigilante who battles a rouges' gallery of criminals and supervillains in Gotham City with the aid of various sidekicks and allies.

A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.

A carpenter in the Fascist Slovak State is appointed "Aryan controller" of a Jewish widow's store.

A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.

During the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape.

Spike Lee documents the former Talking Heads frontman's brilliant, timely 2019 Broadway show, based on his recent album and tour of the same name.

A French boarding school run by priests seems to be a haven from World War II until a new student arrives. Occupying the next bed in the dormitory to the top student in his class, the two young boys begin to form a bond.

A global view of the specialized strategies and extreme behavior that living things have developed in order to survive; what Charles Darwin termed "the struggle for existence."

The fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.

Kaguya is a beautiful young woman coveted by five nobles. To try to avoid marrying a stranger she doesn't love, she sends her suitors on seemingly impossible tasks. But she will have to face her fate and punishment for her choices.

Two young Swedish children in the 1900s experience the many comedies and tragedies of their lively and affectionate theatrical family, the Ekdahls.

The Flash finds himself in a war torn alternate timeline and teams up with alternate versions of his fellow heroes to return home and restore the timeline.

The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.

Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.

A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.

Focuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic.

Seven continents formed by Earth's splitting crust each have unique climates, terrain and wildlife. Journey across South America's paradise to Africa's heat, discovering unexpected stories and spectacular nature.

From the Boer War through World War II, a soldier rises through the ranks in the British military.

A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.

30 years later, we're bringing the Banks family back together. Join Will Smith and his former co-stars for a funny and heartfelt night full of music and dancing in honor of the show that ran for six seasons and 148 episodes.

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

A 12-year-old boy and his best friend, a wise 28-year-old dog with magical powers, go on a series of surreal adventures in a remote future.

A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

A look at the final years in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.

A documentary of the notorious racial terrorist 1963 bombing by the Ku Klux Klan of the African American 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement, which killed four young girls.

A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.

In the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutiny against the brutal, tyrannical regime of the vessel's officers. The resulting street demonstration in Odessa brings on a police massacre.

A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.

The daily lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital as they juggle personal crises, workplace politics, and the emotional toll of treating critically ill patients, revealing the resilience required in their noble ...

A twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.

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

Africa, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.

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.

Follows US president Josiah Bartlet and his administration as they tackle various political issues in order to maintain peace and harmony in the nation.

USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar is convicted of serial sexual abuse of young athletes.

American military personnel interact warily with a variety of Italian locals over a year and a half in the push north during the Italian Campaign of WWII as German forces make their retreat.

When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.

The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.

A continuation of the Justice League animated series finds the original members of the team joined in their battle against crime and evil by dozens of other heroes from the DC comics universe.

An examination of the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

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.

An elderly man and his dog struggle to survive on his government pension in Rome.

A Sequel to Justice League Dark (2017) involving Jack Kirby's New Gods.

A documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.

When death is your business, what is your life? Laced with irony and dark situational humor, the show approaches the subject of death through the eyes of the Fisher family, who owns and operates a funeral home in Los Angeles.

A look at the life, work, activism and controversies of actress and fitness tycoon, Jane Fonda.

In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.

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

Two rival hockey stars at the top of their game face an unexpected challenge when they develop feelings for each other, complicating their careers and the sport's expectations.

As World War II and the German occupation ends, the Polish resistance and the Soviet forces turn on each other in an attempt to take over leadership in Communist Poland.

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...

Newly-discovered archive footage and witness accounts to lay bare the tragedy and heroic efforts made to prevent another explosion.

Guido seeks peace after his success but faces pressure from past collaborators. As he struggles with creativity, he reflects on his life and past romances.

Teenage superheroes strive to prove themselves as members of the Justice League.

An orphaned young man in India pursues his dream of becoming a writer while navigating life's challenges and personal growth.

The crew of a damaged deep space freighter are stranded on a beautiful but dangerous planet.

A nature documentary series on five vulnerable or endangered species known to form enduring populations: chimpanzee, emperor penguin, lion, tiger and African wild dog.

Follows the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic's unfathomable death toll.

A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.

An intimate portrait of actress Debbie Reynolds and her relationship with her beloved children, Carrie and Todd.

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.

An exploration of the history of the Bee Gees, featuring revealing interviews with oldest brother Barry Gibb, and archival interviews with the late twin brothers Robin and Maurice.

An in-depth look at various NASA moon landing missions, starting with Apollo 8.

Chris Rock's 2008 comedy tour visits London, New York and Johannesburg. Various parts of this tour are edited together to create his fifth HBO stand-up special.

Discover amazing landscapes, the most amazing fights of animals on our planet, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, from the darkest caves to the hottest deserts with new technology.

A group of teenagers in Hawaii enter the world of professional competitive surfing in the 1990s and rise to super stardom.

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.

A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armour worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.

Pazu's life changes when he meets Sheeta, a girl whom pirates are chasing for her crystal amulet, which has the potential to locate Laputa, a legendary castle floating in the sky.

When three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on t...

An authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.

Anthony Bourdain visits countries, delving into their political issues as well as indigenous food and culture.

The life of one of the USA's Founding Fathers, its second President, and his role in the nation's first 50 years.

Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.

A users guide to the cosmos from the big bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons. Where did it all come from and how does it all fit together. A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

Kon Ichikawa examines the beauty and rich drama on display at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, creating a record of observations that range from the expansive to the intimate.

Seven of the most formidable heroes form arguably the most powerful team ever.

In the mid 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson (Sir Michael Gambon) and his foreign-policy team debate the decision to withdraw from or escalate the war in Vietnam.

In 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.

This documentary explores the murder of DeeDee Blanchard by her daughter Gypsy Rose, as well as the circumstances leading up to the event.

Brothers Huey and Riley Freeman experience a culture clash when they leave Chicago to move in with their grandfather in the suburbs.

In a colorful yet bizarre world, the employees at a small firm dedicated to making its customers smile discover that their jobs are rarely as simple as they seem.

Vandal Savage steals confidential files Batman has compiled on the members of the Justice League, and learns all their weaknesses.

Two sisters find out the existence of their long-lost mother, but the younger cannot take the truth of being abandoned as a child.

Meeting a stranger in a railway station, a woman is tempted to cheat on her husband.

Fionna, her best friend Cake and the former Ice King, Simon Petrikov, embark on an adventure through the multiverse, dodging new threats and making self-discoveries along the way.

A care-free girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.

Two shoeshine boys in postwar Rome, Italy save up to buy a horse, but their involvement as dupes in a burglary lands them in juvenile prison; the experience take a devastating toll on their friendship.

One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, Muhammad Ali's incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and never-before-seen archival material.

Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all the way to the Vatican.

The history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.

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.

Following his father's death, a boy leaves home to study in Calcutta, while his mother must face a life alone.

Two former classmates uncover a sinister conspiracy to destroy a mushroom that can cure all the world's diseases.

Chronicles the life of an iconic musical performer, from childhood musical talent to worldwide fame. Explores his collaborations, influences, character and relationships with family, friends and fans.

After living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence.

Acclaimed filmmaker Alan Berliner chronicles the deeply personal story of his mother's first cousin--well-known poet/translator/professor Edwin Honig--on his journey into the depths of Alzheimer's disease. Shot over the course of ...

A moving look at a couple's inspiring efforts to save their only son Sam from the rare and fatal premature-aging disease of progeria.

Four hour-long specials that explore the unseen corners of the world of Adventure Time with both familiar and exciting brand-new characters.

An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.

Centers on families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. They take Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist, to court for spreading lies about the event being a hoax.

A woman struggles to find a way to live her life after the death of her husband and child.

A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor.

An intimate and candid look at the life and art of the legendary composer-lyricist.

When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.

Jon Wertheim's cover story detailing the decades-long abuse scandal in the athletic department at Ohio State University.

A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.

Exclusive access to the Grammy Award-winning artist to celebrate her career.

As Ivan the Terrible attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar.

Follows events and characters surrounding the January 6th, 2021 insurrection of the U.S. Capital Building in the days preceding the attack.

Police arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.

The professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports' most revered and dominant dynasties - a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.

A biographical story of TV personality and transgender icon La Veneno and those who surrounded her.

Impersonal and beautiful images of Akerman's life in New York are combined with letters from her loving but manipulative mother, read by Akerman herself.

In Charles Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home.

Decades of a love triangle concerning two friends and an impulsive woman.

Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.

A chronicle of five friends during a decade in which everything changed, including the rise of AIDS.

The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic, and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

During the early part of his reign, Ivan the Terrible faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he seeks to unite the Russian people.

The story of four women suffering from anorexia and bulimia in South Florida.

A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.

A deeply intimate and raw portrait of Selma Blair after she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and tries to slow the progression of her disease.

A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.

Nathan Fielder gives people a chance to rehearse for their own lives in a world where nothing ever works out as expected.

Unfolding over 18 monumental days in August 2021, this deeply immersive and emotional documentary combines never-before-seen archival footage from those on the ground at the airport with exclusive interviews with people who were there throughout the period, including Afghan citizens attempting to flee, U.S. Marines tasked with managing the evacuation, and Taliban commanders and fighters who had recently taken the city.

Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.

Chronicles the creation of Game of Thrones (2011)'s final season, its most ambitious and complicated one.

An examination of the prisoner abuse scandal involving U.S. soldiers and detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the fall of 2003.

A boy in Nazi Germany, trying to conceal that he is Jewish, joins the Hitler Youth.

A woman recounts the lifelong friendship and conflicts with a girl she met at primary school in Naples during the early 1950s.

A closeted lawyer risks his career to bring a blackmailer to justice.

Aging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in trium...

How did the Chinese government turn pandemic cover-ups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party?

Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.

A love story between a girl who loves reading books and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.

Travis Henderson, an aimless drifter who has been missing for four years, wanders out of the desert and must reconnect with society, himself, his life, and his family.

A woman filming a documentary on childhood rape victims starts to question the nature of her childhood relationship with her riding instructor and running coach.

A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.