Top National Geographic Films, a list by GalacticBoy

8.5

/4782/

83

/418/

81

/58/

4.3

/17538/

100

/11/

96

/11/

93

/4/

age 10+

David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for our survival, more full of life, wonder, or surprise, than the ocean. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, Attenborough shares why a healthy ocean keeps the entire planet stable and flourishing.

85

63

8.0

/2373/

82

/139/

77

/20/

3.9

/5058/

100

/12/

95

/26/

age 6+

A man forms an unlikely friendship with a wild otter while living in the remote Shetland Islands.

85

7.8

/6184/

78

/318/

75

/148/

4.0

/11089/

98

/107/

86

/39/

87

/24/

4.0

age 8+

Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.

84

7.6

/16350/

74

/835/

75

/233/

4.1

/115515/

98

/182/

84

/85/

84

/39/

4.0

age 10+

A doomed love triangle between intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, and their beloved volcanoes.

83

8.3

/23042/

81

/1452/

79

/250/

4.1

/42347/

96

/104/

99

/58/

84

/19/

2.5

age 11+

The enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.

83

8.1

/84383/

80

/4596/

79

/1441/

4.1

/207948/

97

/159/

93

/460/

83

/25/

3.0

age 11+

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

82

44

7.5

/714/

73

/71/

76

/11/

3.8

/1570/

96

/45/

100

/5/

78

/9/

age 10+

Valerie Taylor is a shark fanatic and an Australian icon – a marine maverick who forged her way as a fearless diver, cinematographer and conservationist. She filmed the real sharks for Jaws and famously wore a chainmail suit, using herself as shark bait, changing our scientific understanding of sharks forever.

82

59

8.4

/2972/

78

/24/

74

/23/

3.7

/560/

92

/85/

93

/1294/

83

/19/

A 3-D presentation of U2's global "Vertigo" tour. Shot at seven different shows, this production employs the greatest number of 3-D cameras ever used for a single project.

82

77

8.2

/7276/

79

/540/

77

/134/

4.2

/16140/

96

/28/

93

/21/

66

/8/

age 16+

Twenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles, LA 92 immerses viewers in that tumultuous period through stunning and rarely seen archival footage.

81

7.5

/2165/

73

/115/

69

/25/

3.8

/3977/

100

/19/

81

/7/

79

/6/

4.0

age 13+

When world renowned climber Alex Lowe was tragically lost in a deadly avalanche, his best friend and climbing partner went on to marry his widow and help raise his three sons. This profoundly intimate film from eldest son Max, captures the family's intense personal journey toward understanding as they finally lay him to rest.

80

15

8.5

/300/

65

/10/

84

/16/

88

/4/

Eye of the Leopard follows the remarkable life of one small leopard from when she is just 8 days old every step of the way until she is 3 years old and on the brink of adulthood. Legadema, as she is named, works her way into your heart as she slips in and out of danger virtually every day, running from baboons and hyenas but also making landmark strides in hunting and surviving. Narrated by Jeremy Irons it is the story of a mother and daughter relationship as well as that of an emerging huntress in Botswana’s magnificent Mombo region of the Okavango Delta.

80

54

8.4

/4621/

81

/234/

77

/94/

3.8

/795/

84

/9/

In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.

79

25

7.5

/663/

74

/50/

75

/31/

3.7

/687/

100

/2/

A passionate conservation biologist brings together a river bushman fearful of losing his past and a young scientist uncertain of her future on an epic, four-month expedition across three countries, through unexplored and dangerous landscapes, in order to save the Okavango Delta, one of our planet's last pristine wildernesses.

79

7.3

/852/

75

/70/

76

/56/

3.6

/873/

94

/31/

100

/4/

72

/10/

3.0

The vaquita, the world’s smallest whale, is nearing extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican cartels and the Chinese Mafia, who harvest the totoaba fish, the “cocaine of the sea.” Environmental activists, the Mexican navy, and undercover investigators are fighting back against this illegal multimillion-dollar business.

79

7.5

/719/

75

/72/

72

/17/

3.8

/1460/

97

/73/

86

/16/

3.0

age 8+

Filmmakers follow nine high school students from around the globe as they compete at an international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest teens from 78 countries, only one will be named Best in Fair.

78

66

8.2

/4487/

79

/175/

72

/70/

3.7

/660/

86

/37/

88

/94/

69

/15/

age 8+

In Botswana's Okavango Delta, an ostracized lioness and her two cubs must fight alone to survive - overcoming all manner of hazards. Their only defense is to escape to Duba Island -- and with that, an unknown future. The setting for this epic tale is one of the last regions where lions can live in the wild. Faced with dwindling land and increasing pressure from hunting, lions - like our lone lioness and her cubs - are approaching the brink of extinction.

77

7.3

/1171/

74

/87/

70

/21/

3.7

/1725/

93

/30/

84

/9/

3.0

The story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.

77

55

7.1

/1213/

69

/123/

66

/29/

3.7

/1967/

98

/40/

82

/13/

85

/11/

When Covid-19 hit New York City in 2020, filmmaker Matthew Heineman gained unique access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospital systems. The resulting film focuses on the doctors, nurses, and patients on the frontlines during the “first wave” from March to June 2020. Their distinct storylines each serve as a microcosm to understand how the city persevered through the worst pandemic in a century

77

44

6.6

/674/

68

/76/

75

/54/

3.2

/1163/

100

/10/

93

/6/

Reaching 29,029 feet, Mount Everest has long captivated mountaineers of all stripes. But a peak that draws athletes and mountaineers to new heights isn’t without danger — or a dark side. Perhaps the peak’s greatest mystery is the missing body of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine who disappeared alongside George Leigh Mallory in 1924 just 800 vertical feet from the summit. In Lost on Everest, we follow along as a team of elite climbers with new intel on the location of his missing body set out to solve what may be mountaineering’s great mystery. Along with the body, the team hopes to find Irvine’s camera and the footage that could rewrite history.

77

?

8.1

/273/

84

/11/

68

/10/

Take a fascinating journey inside the bizarre world of a living human being with this compelling documentary from National Geographic, where microscopic cameras and other state-of-the-art technologies reveal perspectives that will blow your mind. Tracking the body of a female from infancy to old age, viewers will observe the digestion of a meal, the development of the cardiac system and other mesmerizing aspects of the body's inner workings.

77

?

8.2

/185/

71

/8/

78

/3/

This documentary combines archaeological and geological evidence with tales passed down through generations, uncovering a dramatic history of cannibals, vast stone cities, human sacrifice, and the epic voyagers who colonised the Pacific centuries before Columbus made it to America.

76

7.1

/1688/

74

/141/

70

/31/

3.6

/3829/

98

/60/

81

/21/

74

/16/

3.0

age 10+

Adventurer, filmmaker, inventor, author, unlikely celebrity and conservationist: For over four decades, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his explorations under the ocean became synonymous with a love of science and the natural world. As he learned to protect the environment, he brought the whole world with him, sounding alarms more than 50 years ago about the warming seas and our planet’s vulnerability. In BECOMING COUSTEAU, from National Geographic Documentary Films, two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus takes an inside look at Cousteau and his life, his iconic films and inventions, and the experiences that made him the 20th century’s most unique and renowned environmental voice — and the man who inspired generations to protect the Earth.

76

21

7.3

/535/

77

/39/

85

/10/

3.6

/937/

After six months of scientifically advanced training, three of the world's most elite distance runners set out to break the two-hour marathon barrier. These pioneers go on a global trek to defy the unthinkable and break the two-hour feat, from testing in wind tunnels and running labs in the United States, to balancing training with their day-to- day lives in eastern Africa, to the final heart-pounding race in Italy.

76

12

7.1

/181/

68

/22/

81

/11/

84

/5/

age 6+

Filmmakers of "Pandas: The Journey Home" were granted unprecedented access to the Wolong Panda Center in China. Meet all of the pandas at the center as they get ready for their new lives in various parts of the world, and learn about their fascinating habits and personalities.

76

21

8.1

/703/

75

/40/

78

/20/

3.5

/304/

Take a photographic journey thorough time from the violent birth of our planet four and a half billion years ago, through ice-ages, massive volcanic eruptions and the dinosaurs' reign to the first humans. For the first time, see the incredible story of our planet unfold in one single, seamless camera move.

75

?

8.1

/410/

76

/31/

69

/13/

Embark on an astounding journey across 100,000 light-years to witness key moments in the history of the Milky Way. Using cutting-edge science, National Geographic constructs a 3-D state-of-the-art CGI model of our galaxy. We'll peer into the heart of the Milky Way on the hunt for super-massive black holes, watch how stars are born and die, fly out and above the plane of our galaxy to understand its true shape and scour its dusty spiral arms for the possibility of life.

74

?

7.6

/236/

68

/19/

80

/4/

3.6

/456/

age 10+

“These animals are like ghosts,” says Carlton Ward Jr.—National Geographic explorer, photographer, and 8th generation Floridian—at the beginning of this captivating film that endeavors to keep the Florida Panther from becoming just that: a ghost. As the last big cat surviving in the eastern United States and the state animal of Florida, the panther is an icon of Florida’s ever-diminishing wild places, as revealed in the film’s sumptuous images. Leading a team that includes cowboys, wildlife biologists, photographers/videographers, and a lot of folks who simply care about the future of Florida’s fragile ecology, Ward treks repeatedly into the Everglades and expanses of South Florida to seek, record, and save these ghosts.

74

?

6.8

/116/

76

/26/

78

/8/

BUILT FOR MARS: THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER goes behind the scenes at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to follow the birth of the Perseverance rover.

74

?

7.3

/75/

79

/12/

70

/5/

It is one of Egypt's enduring mysteries. What happened to Nefertiti and her husband, Akhenaten - the radical king, and likely father of King Tut? In a dark and mysterious tomb located in the Valley of the Kings, there is a small chamber with two mummies without sarcophagi or wrappings. At times, both have been identified as Queen Nefertiti by scholars, filmmakers and historians. But the evidence has been circumstantial at best.

74

?

7.0

/219/

74

/11/

80

/5/

The BBC version of "King Tut In Color" documentary. A century after the world’s most exciting archaeological find - the tomb of Tutankhamun - we can witness the dramatic scenes of its discovery and marvel at its extraordinary treasures exactly as they were then, in colour.

74

?

7.5

/207/

70

/10/

78

/6/

It is a spectacle few have seen firsthand. Two foes trapped on an island in a remote part of Africa - and a battle to survive captured in high-definition over two years by award-winning filmmakers. Now, National Geographic takes viewers onto a unique battlefield in the Okavango Delta to witness the grueling fight for survival of highly specialized lions that prey almost exclusively on buffalo in Relentless Enemies.

74

?

7.6

/337/

77

/19/

70

/2/

In The Womb is a 2005 National Geographic Channel documentary that focus on studying and showing the development of the embryo in the uterus. The show makes extensive use of Computer-generated imagery to recreate the real stages of the process.

74

16

7.4

/368/

77

/38/

78

/15/

3.5

/300/

Expedition Mars: Spirit & Opportunity brings to life one of the greatest sagas of the Space Age, the epic adventures of Spirit and Opportunity, the rovers that saved NASA's Mars program after a string of failures in the 1990's.

74

?

7.1

/241/

76

/29/

75

/8/

In April 2013, chaos erupted in Boston near the finish line of one of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathons. It was the worst terrorist attack on the United States since 9/11 and led to one of the most extensive and public manhunts in American history. Now, as the one-year anniversary approaches, National Geographic Channel presents a special two-hour event, Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers.

74

44

7.0

/1127/

72

/40/

66

/23/

3.5

/436/

100

/13/

71

/996/

Journey 80 million years back in time to an age when mighty dinosaurs dominated the land - and an equally astonishing assortment of ferocious creatures swam, hunted, and fought for survival beneath the vast, mysterious prehistoric seas.

74

7.0

/3780/

65

/77/

67

/57/

3.5

/1475/

87

/71/

76

/260/

73

/24/

3.5

Eager to provide a better future for her son, Fadi, divorcée Muna Farah leaves her Palestinian homeland and takes up residence in rural Illinois -- just in time to encounter the domestic repercussions of America's disastrous war in Iraq. Now, the duo must reinvent their lives with some help from Muna's sister, Raghda, and brother-in-law, Nabeel.

73

50

7.3

/1318/

75

/178/

76

/32/

3.5

/2666/

Climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell set out on a daring expedition to tackle Alaska's formidable Devils Thumb. Battling harsh conditions and daunting peaks, they push their physical and mental limits, while their deep friendship faces its toughest trial yet.

73

?

6.4

/65/

74

/15/

83

/6/

Hundreds of great white sharks have recently appeared on the doorstep of one of America’s most popular tourist destinations, hunting in ways never documented before. To understand why the sharks are here and what this means for Cape Cod, a team of scientists are studying this new phenomenon to try to keep people safe. Are the sharks changing the natural ecosystem … or restoring it?

73

7.1

/865/

70

/63/

73

/13/

3.4

/1646/

91

/33/

74

/14/

67

/9/

3.0

From Oscar-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, "Wild Life" follows conservationist Kris Tompkins on an epic, decades-spanning love story as wild as the landscapes she dedicated her life to protecting. After falling in love in mid-life, Kris and the outdoorsman and entrepreneur Doug Tompkins left behind the world of the massively successful outdoor brands they'd helped pioneer like Patagonia, The North Face, and Esprit, and turned their attention to a visionary effort to create National Parks throughout Chile and Argentina. "Wild Life" chronicles the highs and lows of their journey to effect the largest private land donation in history.

73

6.9

/748/

70

/57/

61

/15/

3.5

/979/

93

/69/

80

/5/

70

/15/

3.0

age 14+

On November 8, 2018, a spark flew in the Sierra Nevada foothills, igniting the most destructive wildfire in California history and decimating the town of Paradise. Unfolding during the year after the fire, this is the story of the Paradise community as they begin to rebuild their lives.

73

23

7.4

/570/

80

/120/

71

/15/

3.5

/461/

Join National Geographic's Lisa Ling as she captures a rare look inside North Korea - something few Americans have ever been able to do. Posing as an undercover medical coordinator and closely guarded throughout her trip, Lisa moves inside the most isolated nation in the world, encountering a society completely dominated by government and dictatorship. Glimpse life inside North Korea as you've never seen before with personal accounts and powerful footage. Witness first-hand efforts by humanitarians and the challenges they face from the rogue regime.

72

52

7.1

/1000/

73

/296/

79

/33/

3.3

/1898/

Using cutting-edge scanning technology and state-of-the-art CGI, a team of experts creates the first high-resolution 3D digital twin of the Titanic wreck. Through a groundbreaking immersive investigation, they uncover the ship’s final moments, shedding light on the acts of heroism and cowardice aboard—and revealing the true story behind the sinking of the “unsinkable” ship.

72

7.3

/651/

68

/65/

71

/22/

3.5

/909/

100

/27/

62

/3/

77

/8/

2.5

age 13+

We Feed People spotlights renowned chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s incredible mission and evolution over 12 years from being a scrappy group of grassroots volunteers to becoming one of the most highly regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector.

72

?

7.5

/245/

72

/18/

71

/8/

National Geographic: Incredible Human Machine takes viewers on a two-hour journey through an ordinary, and extraordinary, day-in-the-life of the human machine. With stunning high-definition footage, radical scientific advances and powerful firsthand accounts, Incredible Human Machine plunges deep into the routine marvels of the human body. Through 10,000 blinks of an eye, 20,000 breaths of air and 100,000 beats of the heart, see the amazing and surprising, even phenomenal inner workings of our bodies on a typical day. And explore striking feats of medical advancement, from glimpses of an open-brain surgery to real-time measurement of rocker Steven Tyler's vocal chords.

72

?

7.0

/85/

71

/19/

77

/7/

Picture a land of boulder-strewn shorelines, isolated mountaintops, and golden prairies. Here, packs of wolves stalk herds of ancient mustangs and tree-climbing carnivores keep entire forests on edge. Meanwhile, high above the crashing surf, a pair of storks attempts to raise a family on a narrow ledge atop a towering cliff. EUROPE'S WILD WEST is a place where survival is reserved for those with the keenest senses... and the quickest draw.

72

11

7.1

/187/

73

/3/

72

/12/

73

/6/

Dr Spencer Wells retraces the footsteps of 200 random New Yorkers and proves they are all cousins. On the most diverse street in the most diverse city in the most diverse country in the world, a team of National Geographic scientists swab the cheeks of some 200 random New Yorkers. The goal: to retrace our ancestral footprints and prove we are all cousins in the “family of man.” Cutting edge science, coupled with a cast of New Yorkers – each with their own unique genetic history - will help paint a picture of these amazing journeys. Ultimately, Man’s First Migrations answers some of humanity’s most burning questions, such as who we are and where we come from, and forces us to change how we think not only about our relationships with our neighbours, but ourselves.

72

8.2

/29558/

80

/1650/

77

/805/

3.7

/17852/

76

/33/

77

/188/

63

/10/

2.0

age 10+

A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems, and native communities across the planet.

71

?

6.9

/94/

Trakt

75

/13/