50 Best Documentaries of All Time

Amidst allegations that his home arcade machine has been tampered with, an out-of-work engineer attempts to beat a Donkey Kong high score, challenging the current title-holder to a public gaming competition.

Utilizing mostly interviews with members of the Flaming Lips and their families, as well as with various celebrities, this documentary explores the evolution of the Oklahoma City band, with a behind-the-scenes look at their personal trials, drug use, and musical maturation.

Using solely archival footage and photography with no narration, this documentary tells the story of the historic Apollo 11 space flight that sent the first humans to the surface of the moon. The three astronauts as well as numerous mission engineers are featured.

This exposé narrated by Matt Damon reveals corruption within the financial services industry that caused the 2008 global financial crisis as well as government failure to pass measures that could prevent a recurrence.

When a young Newark Council member takes on a 16-year incumbent mayor, his campaign is repeatedly sabotaged by the powers in place, including the mayor and local law enforcement and city officials.

A tribute to legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, this documentary features archival footage and interviews with members of Seeger’s family and numerous musicians about the impact his voice had on the political climate and multiple generations of fans.

Utilizing striking, unearthly footage of burning oil fields in post-Gulf War Kuwait, Herzog explores themes more abstract than politics and war, with minimal narration and a haunting musical score.

Following the leadup to the “Rumble in the Jungle,” a 1974 heavyweight championship boxing match in Zaire between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, this documentary displays the differences in the boxers’ strategies in the match as well as in their self-promotion tactics with the press.

This film follows the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós as they tour around their home country, playing a series of free concerts. The band’s ethereal, otherworldly music drives the documentary, along with reflections from the musicians.

Following the lives of three young skateboarders in Rockford, Illinois, this documentary uncovers the bonds between friends, their tumultuous home lives, and effects of childhood abuse and racism that threaten their relationships.

On the streets of post 9/11 New York City, homeless Japanese-American artist Jimmy Mirikitani meets a young filmmaker who takes him in and begins the process of finding him a permanent home, while uncovering his amazing life story.

“The Crash Reel” follows two childhood friends and rival professional snowboarders as they push each other to the limits, performing ever more dangerous stunts until one has a near fatal half-pipe crash and the other goes on to win an Olympic gold medal.

Through archival footage and interviews with key and behind the scenes players, this film explores the U.S. occupation of Iraq, revealing the lack of insight, planning, and expertise that led to the disastrous war effort.

This four-hour retrospective on the Grateful Dead covers their early days, their impact on the American cultural landscape, and how they dealt with the fame and intense adoration of their fans and followers.

This film covers the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest following the acquittal of four LAPD officers who brutally beat Rodney King, as well as the targeting of Koreatown after a Korean store owner fatally shot 15-year-old Latasha Harlins.

An intimate view at the intensive training, friendships, and psyche of Alex Honnold (the first person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without ropes,) this film contains hair-raising footage of his death-defying ascent.

A Japanese WWII veteran attempts to uncover the truth about the unexplained deaths of two of his fellow soldiers in New Guinea, unravelling sordid tales of cannibalism at every turn.

“Best Boy” is an immersive day-to-day look at the life of a middle-aged man with a mental disability as he begins taking classes on how to live independently, preparing for the imminent death of his elderly parents.

While covering the presidency of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela in 2002, an Irish film crew happened to be present during the attempted coup that ousted Chávez from office for two days before he was restored to power. The crew captured footage of protests, violence, and upheaval in the presidential palace.

San Francisco’s first openly gay city supervisor, Harvey Milk, rose from grassroots activism to a successful political career, and was then assassinated by a former fellow supervisor. This film follows his rise, death, and the murder trial of his killer.

Commemorating 100 years since the end of World War I, this film focuses on the experience of the soldiers, revealing previously unreleased footage of the war and interviews with British servicemen.

Using underwater footage that was secretly filmed near Taiji, Japan, “The Cove” questions the ethics of current dolphin-hunting practices in Japan while also highlighting the health hazards of eating dolphin meat, which is extremely high in mercury.

“Purgatory” is the third of three films exploring the questionable conviction — with scant evidence — of three teenage boys (known as the West Memphis Three) for the murder of a group of children in Arkansas.

This documentary covers the life of Brazilian racing champion Ayrton Senna, who has been called the greatest race car driver who ever lived. Senna, who fought to improve safety standards in racing, met a tragic fate at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Set in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the last mountain gorillas on earth, this film explores the efforts of a small team dedicated to protecting the gorillas from encroaching war, poachers, and a British oil company.

Highlighting the performances of dozens of bands that played at the legendary Woodstock music festival, this film brings the audience on an immersive journey that captures the counterculture spirit of the era.

“The Last Waltz” depicts the farewell performance of the rock group The Band at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, with special guests including Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, and Joni Mitchell.

This seven-film series follows 45 years of the global humanitarian struggle against South Africa’s apartheid, focusing on the multifaceted efforts of activists, sports teams, solidarity groups, and others around the world who pressured their governments and corporations into taking up the cause.

A tender, hopeful look inside the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, this film follows a handful of affected individuals, some of whom have lost loved ones, who are organizing to end the violence.

This film follows the families of two black Chicago youths who are scouted by a predominantly white high school, as they attempt to earn college basketball scholarships and eventual NBA positions.

“The Inner Tour” chronicles the three-day sightseeing trip of 20 Palestinians who travel through Israel, sharing their stories of loss, imprisonment, and the effects of the occupation.

A close-up look at the 2010 Isle of Man TT Motorcycle Race, this film explores the motivations and commitment of the racers that participate in this dangerous competition that has claimed over 200 lives since its inception.

Initially conceived by Eleanor Coppola, this documentary details the harrowing trials that her husband, Francis Ford Coppola, went through during the filming of his epic Vietnam War film “Apocalypse Now.”

When a group of Kentucky coal miners go on strike at the Brookside Mine in 1973, a violent year-long conflict ensues. This film reveals the horrid living conditions of many of the miners and their families, as well as the community effort to bring about safer working conditions and higher wages.

Utilizing interviews with the friends, family, and colleagues of children’s show host Fred Rogers, this film explores the impact that one man had on countless individuals as he strived to create nurturing, quality content for kids and became a role model in the process.

Filmed amidst the Syrian Civil War, “For Sama” is a look at one woman’s struggle to raise her daughter while violence erupts around her, and the impossible choices she must make as a journalist and rebel who is dedicated to the cause of freedom.

This film follows two climbers as they prepare, train, and attempt to scale the Dawn Wall, a smooth rock face on Yosemite’s El Capitan that is nearly impossible to climb for the lack of cracks or finger holds.

This emotional rollercoaster of a film started as a visual scrapbook created by the friend of a murdered man for the man’s unborn son, who would never know his father. It turned into a true crime story revealing the failings of Newfoundland’s legal system and bail laws.

AlphaGo follows a world-renowned South Korean master of the ancient Chinese strategy game Go as he competes against an AI opponent in the Google DeepMind Challenge Match.

The first of three films about the trials of the West Memphis Three, this documentary interviews families of the victims and defendants after three young boys are found murdered in a small, Christian town, and allegations of Satanic worship surround the defendants.

Total Denial chronicles the efforts of a group of Burmese villagers who take a stand against two major oil companies involved in the Yadana gas pipeline project, culminating in the human rights lawsuit Doe vs. Unocal.

This film covers the Winter Soldier investigation, a war crimes hearing held in Detroit in 1971, wherein dozens of Vietnam war veterans shared their accounts of horrific human rights atrocities committed by their units.

This four-hour chronicle follows the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers through 30 years of music, stories, and interviews. The commercial release includes two bonus disks of the band’s 30-year-anniversary show as well as rare tracks.

This documentary explores the reactions of the French populace to the Vichy French government’s acceptance of Nazi occupation and Fascism during WWII. Extended interviews reveal the various reasons for the collaboration, including xenophobia and antisemitism.

This film recounts the effects of the US atomic bombings on two Japanese cities through the stories of 14 survivors — most of whom were children at the time of the attack — as well as four Americans who were involved with the bombing.

Considered one of the best concert films ever, “Stop Making Sense” is a live performance in Hollywood by the avant-garde rock band the Talking Heads as they promote their album “Speaking in Tongues.”

This nine-hour French documentary tells the horrifying story of the Holocaust through extensive interviews with survivors, witnesses, and perpetrators at various Holocaust sites around Poland, including the Warsaw Ghetto and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

A portrait of Palestinian-American intellectual Edward Said, this two-hour interview conducted near the end of his life includes Said’s reflections on his upbringing and education, Middle Eastern politics, and his diagnosis of incurable leukemia.

This film follows the lives of five Ohio families over the course of six years as their children undergo cancer treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, highlighting the fierce care of parents as well the disparities in treatment based on a family’s economic class.

This five-part miniseries explores racial tensions, violence, celebrity, and achievement in America through the story of former football star and celebrity O.J. Simpson, delving not only into his trial for the murder of his ex-wife, but also his conviction for robbery in 2008.