Best documentary & comedy shows streaming, ranked.

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...

The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.

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

Larry David stars as an over-the-top version of himself in this comedy series that shows how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.

With the aid of a wealthy erratic tippler, a dewy-eyed tramp who has fallen in love with a blind flower girl accumulates money to be able to help her medically.

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

Several people try to talk 27-year-old Noriko into marrying, but all she wants is to keep on caring for her widowed father.

Former Daily Show host and correspondent John Oliver brings his persona to this weekly news satire program.

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

Comedian Dave Chappelle hosts this sketch-comedy show that parodies many of the nuances of race and culture.

A family chooses a match for their daughter Noriko, but she, surprisingly, has her own plans.

The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put their relationship in jeopardy.

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 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."

A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.

Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.

The Tramp finds work and the girl of his dreams at a circus.

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.

Following the death of her adoptive parents, a successful young black optometrist establishes contact with her biological mother -- a lonely white factory worker living in poverty in East London.

An insurance salesman begins to suspect that his whole life is actually some sort of reality TV show.

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

A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.

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

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.

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

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

A character study of five young men at crucial turning points in their lives in a small town in Italy.

During the German occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.

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 married Sicilian baron falls in love with his cousin and vows to wed her, but with divorce illegal he must concoct a crime of passion to do away with his wife.

Using extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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

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

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.

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.

HBO special featuring the folk duo from New Zealand performing live at the London Apollo.

Explores the life and legacy of Mariska Hargitay's mother, Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, who died tragically in a car accident at age 34 when Mariska was only three years old.

Incarcerated men defy the odds to expose a cover-up in one of America's deadliest prison systems.

After being a victim of fraud, Johnny Rose and his family go from extremely wealthy to penniless overnight. The only asset left to them is a small, unsophisticated town: Schitt's Creek. They relocate there. Culture shock ensues.

Follows the struggle of Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper.

Bret and Jemaine are Flight of the Conchords, a folk-rock band from New Zealand living in New York City in search of stardom.

As a reserved young graduate vacations in a seaside town, he hopes his girlfriend will join him. But he ends up bonding with a local young woman whose female friend is also smitten with him.

Q, Sal, Joe and Murr are real-life best friends who love challenging each other to the most outrageous dares and stunts ever caught on hidden camera.

When King Henry IV ascends to the throne, his heir, the Prince of Wales, is befriended by Sir John Falstaff, an old, overweight, fun-loving habitual liar. Through Falstaff's eyes we see the reign of King Henry IV and the rise of H...

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.

In this silent predecessor to the modern documentary, film-maker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and his family, Inuits living in the Arctic Circle.

Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.

The wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.

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

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

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

A phonetics and diction expert makes a bet that he can teach a cockney flower girl to speak proper English and pass as a lady in high society.

The fascinating relationship between predators and their prey, and the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death.

Monsieur Hulot comes to a beachside hotel for a vacation and accidentally, but good-naturedly, causes havoc.

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.

Cast and crew members from all "Harry Potter" films reunite in a retrospective special to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).

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...

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.

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

A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.

Film star, Vince Chase, navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.

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

A New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.

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 son creates a list of things worth living for--all in an attempt to raise the spirits of his chronically depressed mother--in this adaptation of the acclaimed one-character show.

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

Following the suspicious death of the Bongomian king, his disregarded prince assumes the throne, initiating an intricate tale.

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.

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.

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 suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.

Former Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.

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.

The exploits of various guests and employees of a luxury resort over the span of a week.

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

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.

Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics.

Broad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest and mundane events hysterical and disturbing to watch all at the same time.

A group of spirits restlessly squabble in an abandoned country house. To their despair, a young couple inherits the house with hopeful plans to renovate it into a luxury hotel.

The personal and professional lives of six friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.

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

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...

Two boys begin a silence strike to press their parents into buying them a television set.

Features Jerrod Carmichael in a standup comedy show at the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.

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.

Cleo, a singer and hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor.

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.

A hotshot Hollywood studio executive starts receiving death threats from a rejected writer.

A devout Catholic man's rigid principles are challenged during a one-night stay with Maud, a divorced woman with an outsize personality.

Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.

A comedic behind the scenes look at a late night talk show.

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

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

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.

Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son Opie live with Andy's Aunt Bee in Mayberry, North Carolina. With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy's time is spent philosophizing and calming down his friend and deputy, Barney Fife.

An anxious New Yorker attempts to give everyday advice while dealing with his own personal issues.

A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his addiction to beautiful women.

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

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.

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.

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

After his wife divorces him, a Polish immigrant plots to get even with her.

After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.

A comedy news show featuring humorous takes on top stories.

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.

A film about the greatest pre-Woodstock rock music festival.

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.

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.

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...

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

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.

In front of a live studio audience, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele banter about a topic woven between filmed shorts and sketches.

Amidst the darkening backdrop of Delhi's apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.

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

After a tragic event, a woman finds herself alone while everyone else continues with their lives as if nothing had happened.

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.

A tribute to one of the world's great filmmakers and the men of the 8th Air Force who flew mission after suicidal mission in the Second World War.

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

Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.

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.

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

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

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 ...

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

Sam is a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggles to fit the hometown mold. Grappling with loss and acceptance, she discovers herself and a community of outsiders who don't fit in but don't give up.

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

Dave Chappelle returns to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.

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.

Dr. Frasier Crane moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father and works as a radio psychiatrist.

An intimate look into the life and work of the revered master comedian and actor, Robin Williams.

A fading comedian and a suicidally despondent ballet dancer must look to each other to find purpose and hope in their lives.

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

Many years after he turned his back on his hometown, a burned-out major league ballplayer returns to teach Physical Education at his old middle school.

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

A look at the life and career of professional wrestler André Roussimoff, who gained notoriety in the 1980s as Andre the Giant.

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

Explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old.

A documentary about fraud and fakery.

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

A workplace comedy centered on a group of dedicated teachers - and an oblivious principal - in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.

Dive into a world where a single life can last a thousand years, with David Attenborough. See things no eye has ever seen, and discover the dramatic, beautiful plant life of Earth.

Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.

On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.

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...

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

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.

An investigation into the way sexual assault cases are handled by police departments across the United States.

Two couples spend an interesting day together.

A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship.

A former hip hop executive decides whether to make public her rape by one of the most powerful men in the music industry.

Fifteen years after the Tony-winning Broadway run of Spring Awakening, the original cast and creative team reunite for a spectacular, one night only concert.

Follows the investigation which occurred when the Bishop Sycamore Centurions, a presumed high school football team from Columbus, Ohio, took on perennial prep powerhouse, IMG Academy.

Anthony Bourdain, chef, writer, traveler, visits places all around the world sampling various foods.

The lives of four socially awkward scientists take a wild turn when a beautiful and free-spirited girl moves in next door.

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.

A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.

Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s.

Ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with a tragicomic study of human strengths and weaknesses.

A professor marries a nightclub singer, much to the consternation of his family and friends back home.

A nerdy college student will do anything to become popular on campus.

This is a sketch-comedy show. The twist here is that all of the sketches (even the monologue) are connected in some strange way.

Gary Gulman offers candid reflections on his struggles with depression through stand-up and short documentary interludes that provide insight into his mental health journey.

Follows a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work.

Two melancholic Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal waitress at a late-night restaurant he frequents.

A single-camera comedy featuring three pothead, slacker friends who work together as telemarketers from 9 to 5, and live together from 5 to 9.

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.

Cinéma vérité feature that follows presidential hopefuls John F. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey during the 1960 Wisconsin primary.

Finnish hacker and election expert Harri Hursti investigates election-related hacks, uncovering just how unprotected voting systems really are.

Archival footage, contemporary interviews and reflection on Willie Mays and his trailblazing influence in and outside baseball too.

Chef Alton Brown whips up quick recipes and explores the science behind what makes them so tasty.

Never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages, and accounts from Jeff Buckley's inner circle paint a captivating portrait of the gifted musician who died tragically in 1997, having only released one album.

The comedy illusionist duo explore various topics and debunk what they consider misconceptions about them.

This exploration of the planet's most breathtaking natural events follows vast migrations, huge ocean convergences, powerful weather systems and mighty floods.

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.

Follows the Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign and the organization who ran it.

America's roller rinks are bastions of regional African-American culture, music and dance.

A captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and World cinema.

The international custody battle over six-year old Elian Gonzalez triggers a political earthquake in Miami-Dade County in 2000, swaying the outcome of the presidential election.

Widower Henry Hobson refuses to let his three daughters get married because he doesn't want to pay settlements, so they'll just have to outsmart him.

Follows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.

A businessman clashes with his elder daughter over her choice of a husband.

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...

An open-hearted, unrelentingly energetic orphan struggles to make the best of his life on the streets of Milan.

A film about the life and work of the cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, who despite his near total paralysis, was one of the great minds of all time.

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

A series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.

A meditation on the elemental bonds of family told through portraits of four Syrian families in the aftermath of war.

Documentary about class division and gentrification in the West Chelsea neighborhood of New York City and its effects on public housing.

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.

As the muse of Hal Hartley's indie classics and as writer/director of the critically acclaimed Waitress, Adrienne Shelly was a shining star in the indie film firmament.

Single-camera buddy comedy that centers on Sam (Richardson) and Tim (Robinson), two local ad men who make low-budget commercials in Detroit, Michigan and aspire to greater things.

A startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.

History's greatest playwright is young, out of ideas and short of cash, but meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of his most famous plays.

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.

The delirious journey of a mentally-disordered man who is obsessed with committing the perfect crime.

This Hong Kong-set crime drama follows the lives of a hitman, hoping to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner.

An examination of the life and work of the revered and controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

A sheriff's milquetoast son has a chance to prove himself when a medicine show run by con artists comes into town.