Documentaries I might watch (-sport -politics), a list by JP :)

6.1

/2608/

67

/268/

63

/36/

2.6

/14752/

Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

61

6.8

/1245/

71

/67/

62

/15/

3.4

/4495/

49

/6/

2.0

age 16+

In 1975, as America faced social and political upheaval, filmmakers turned chaos into art.

65

44

6.5

/2514/

70

/156/

63

/19/

3.2

/6679/

age 14+

Monaco, 1999. One of the world's richest men dies in his penthouse. This documentary unpacks the mysterious murder of billionaire banker, Edmond Safra.

69

?

7.3

/217/

71

/25/

62

/4/

3.6

/360/

age 11+

The story behind the Uganda-based YouTube dance sensations who have endured devastating personal loss from famine and war, and use the power of dance and song to overcome hardship.

71

6.9

/1010/

70

/87/

70

/9/

3.2

/4300/

91

/11/

63

/5/

3.0

From his Saturday Night Live beginnings to a string of classic comedies, Chevy Chase has always had huge comedic range. He is also a complex and contradictory human being. Featuring revealing interviews with those closest to him, this documentary digs into the talent, flaws, and humanity that shaped an icon.

80

IMDb 14

8.1

/12355/

79

/183/

76

/41/

4.2

/197443/

86

/286/

93

/527/

84

/53/

2.5

age 13+

The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

68

6.4

/320/

70

/16/

62

/5/

3.5

/800/

3.0

age 14+

In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts.

79

7.9

/989/

75

/45/

72

/12/

4.1

/4990/

81

/11/

3.5

age 14+

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

68

37

6.6

/459/

67

/38/

55

/9/

3.3

/2441/

90

/10/

In a dystopic America, children are taught how to prepare for school shootings through elaborate drills. Yet what are intended as self-defense mechanisms are themselves deeply traumatic for students, parents, educators, and entire communities.

69

6.9

/3876/

75

/320/

68

/32/

3.3

/9226/

62

/7/

3.0

age 15+

From teen comedian to Hollywood legend, Eddie Murphy revisits his extraordinary showbiz ride with raw honesty and humor.

72

6.3

/747/

49

/11/

50

/5/

3.5

/8763/

92

/95/

82

/30/

4.0

age 15+

A recently discovered conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda Rosenkrantz in 1974 reveals a glimpse into New York City’s downtown art scene and the personal struggles and epiphanies that define an artist’s life.

77

64

6.7

/1322/

76

/247/

78

/33/

3.1

/2210/

83

/12/

98

/417/

age 10+

Sarah Rector, an African-American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s, believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted, and her faith is proven right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to her family, friends, and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming among the nation's first female African-American millionaires—at eleven years old.

74

IMDb 7

7.4

/44781/

75

/1889/

73

/375/

3.5

/103680/

72

/188/

95

/787/

61

/37/

3.0

age 14+

In postwar Germany, an American psychiatrist must determine whether Nazi prisoners are fit to go on trial for war crimes, and finds himself in a complex battle of intellect and ethics with Hermann Göring, Hitler's right-hand man.

65

60

6.1

/3618/

68

/324/

65

/40/

3.3

/9945/

age 15+

Aileen Wuornos remains a rarity: a female serial killer. From childhood abuse to death-row revelations, this documentary revisits her life and crimes.

68

29

6.9

/394/

64

/22/

60

/6/

3.8

/1285/

71

/8/

age 15+

Pulitzer Prize-winning conflict photojournalist Lynsey Addario reflects on a career working in some of the world's most dangerous war zones, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

74

7.2

/1174/

70

/82/

64

/18/

3.6

/3419/

93

/44/

77

/18/

75

/13/

3.0

age 13+

Ben Stiller tells the story of his parents—comedy icons Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara—exploring their impact on popular culture and at home, where the lines between creativity, family, life, and art often blurred.

76

IMDb 91

6.9

/10306/

66

/341/

67

/117/

3.7

/72159/

90

/212/

77

/72/

78

/43/

3.5

age 15+

On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.

77

7.1

/20190/

73

/1531/

67

/156/

3.7

/116521/

99

/92/

81

/185/

83

/21/

3.0

age 15+

Police bodycam footage reveals how a long-running neighborhood dispute turned fatal in this documentary about fear, prejudice and Stand Your Ground laws.

73

46

6.4

/904/

73

/59/

68

/20/

2.9

/1358/

80

/10/

98

/488/

age 8+

After a horrific accident leaves his body scarred, a young boy strives to live and show everyone what is possible with the help of his family, his faith, his community, his longtime idol's kindness, and the entire city of St. Louis.

62

57

6.2

/3799/

65

/317/

67

/43/

2.7

/10782/

age 15+

Raised by a man leading a monstrous double life, the daughter of the BTK serial killer shares her chilling story.

71

IMDb 42

7.0

/46014/

71

/3138/

71

/420/

3.5

/216445/

87

/214/

85

/472/

66

/37/

2.0

age 15+

A former Army Ranger and struggling father turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname "Roofman." After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.

66

14

6.5

/424/

72

/29/

66

/5/

3.2

/870/

Follow the eccentric Mike Carroll in this chilling family mystery as he sets out to find his long-lost father. What he uncovers along the way threatens to shake the very foundation of his family.

68

6.7

/848/

65

/46/

75

/12/

3.4

/4789/

74

/14/

2.5

George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold a chilling, authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck interweaves clips, readings from Orwell's diary, cinematic references, and modern-day footage to craft not only a portrait of the writer, but a fresh take on how prophetic his work has become.

79

49

7.6

/325/

77

/23/

87

/6/

4.0

/2421/

81

/52/

85

/20684/

68

/6/

A wild journey into the origins of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the biggest cult film of all time, its impact on popular culture and socio-political resonance to this day.

77

7.7

/415/

72

/17/

70

/5/

3.9

/2491/

83

/9/

3.5

Librarians unite to combat book banning, defending intellectual freedom on democracy's frontlines amid unprecedented censorship in Texas, Florida, and beyond.

86

84

8.4

/8651/

85

/331/

78

/50/

4.2

/36301/

100

/30/

99

/122/

73

/7/

Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life.

69

6.6

/2027/

64

/179/

61

/25/

3.6

/13568/

97

/75/

39

/60/

84

/18/

3.0

age 15+

In the mid-aughts, Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator drew millions of weekly viewers to watch sting operations: men planning to meet minors for sex would instead be confronted by polished host Chris Hansen, then by the police — all on hidden camera.

80

27

7.6

/402/

93

/3/

67

/7/

4.2

/4483/

In a quaint Scottish village in the Highlands, contenders from around the globe gather to compete for the title of World Porridge Champion armed only with oats, salt and water. As the ailing Porridge Chieftain's tenure ends, he embarks on a mission to find a successor. Amidst intense rivalries and the charm of eccentric locals, this documentary delves into the legacy of the village and unveils a captivating culinary spectacle.

54

6.4

/7493/

69

/1025/

64

/141/

3.1

/19022/

44

/77/

44

/38/

42

/14/

2.0

age 15+

Whitney Wolfe uses extraordinary grit and ingenuity to break into the male-dominated tech industry.

72

34

6.4

/590/

66

/75/

71

/8/

3.5

/863/

92

/12/

age 14+

After a deadly plane crash strands four young siblings deep within the Colombian rainforest, a dramatic rescue mission unfolds, uniting Indigenous trackers and the military in a race against time. For the first time ever, this documentay offers the exclusive account of this incredible true story directly from the children themselves and the rescuers who scoured the Amazon rainforest for a grueling 40 days and nights to find them.

59

6.2

/474/

64

/34/

60

/4/

3.0

/5851/

60

/25/

60

/7/

2.0

An investigation into the once high-flying digital news outlet that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 after boasting a valuation of $5.7 billion in 2017.

64

6.7

/19513/

70

/1734/

67

/184/

2.7

/233624/

age 14+

Vulgar, taunting texts blow up the phones of a teen and her boyfriend. Who's sending them — and why? This twisty documentary reveals the shocking answer.

78

35

7.0

/206/

70

/4/

80

/3/

3.6

/1769/

100

/13/

In Angola's mist-shrouded highlands, three KhoiSan master trackers embark on a spiritual quest to rediscover the legendary "ghost elephants" of Lisima—creatures presumed lost by technology but remembered in ancestral trance, ritual, and memory.

64

11

6.3

/210/

68

/49/

66

/5/

3.1

/595/

Dr. Katherine Ramsland interviews Elmer Wayne Henley, the sole survivor of the 1973 Houston Mass Murders, to unravel his chilling journey from manipulated teen to convicted killer — and the terrifying truth behind the line between victim and predator.

66

53

6.5

/2010/

68

/312/

67

/35/

3.2

/1935/

age 13+

Antwerp, 2003. A gang of thieves rob the impenetrable Diamond Center. Who was behind one of the world's biggest heists - and how did they pull it off?

55

50

5.5

/2971/

60

/355/

58

/38/

2.5

/9158/

age 14+

A homemade flying saucer lifts off, and a 6-year-old boy might be inside. National panic ensues — but what truly happened? This documentary investigates.

58

15

5.7

/375/

65

/34/

57

/5/

2.8

/1278/

When four University of Idaho coeds are brutally stabbed to death, brilliant criminology student Bryan Kohberger is accused of their murders.

60

52

6.1

/3072/

64

/349/

61

/29/

2.8

/11485/

age 15+

Featuring tell-all interviews with insiders and former staff, this exposé traces American Apparel's journey from fashion phenomenon to financial flop.

68

51

6.9

/2025/

71

/182/

67

/35/

3.4

/4973/

age 13+

Marine conservationist and social media activist Ocean Ramsey fearlessly swims with sharks in this documentary about her risky mission to protect them.

64

12

7.1

/304/

70

/20/

50

/5/

3.4

/709/

A historical documentary and tribute to the legacy and influence of MAD Magazine, featuring interviews with MAD celebrity readers, along with MAD artists, writers, and editors—affectionately known as "The Usual Gang of Idiots".

57

6.0

/9027/

62

/1159/

58

/107/

2.5

/46019/

age 14+

An engine fire leaves 4,000 passengers stranded at sea without power and plumbing in this wild documentary about the infamous "poop cruise" of 2013.

74

61

7.4

/2719/

72

/262/

76

/30/

3.8

/5790/

age 12+

Survivors, witnesses, and experts tell the story of the tragic fire that engulfed a residential tower block in London — and the investigation that ensued.

70

30

7.6

/573/

71

/35/

68

/5/

3.6

/1408/

65

/6/

Few American journalists have had a career as trailblazing and transformative as Barbara Walters, whose astonishing life and work are recounted in her own words in this raw, intimate, decades-spanning doc.

72

16

7.4

/367/

77

/53/

66

/5/

3.6

/744/

The documentary follows Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR’s journey to compete with a NASCAR car in the 2023, 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race’s centennial. The film explores the technical challenges, preparation and public reaction to NASCAR’s participation in the iconic European endurance race.

66

6.7

/5475/

69

/530/

67

/83/

3.2

/39611/

age 15+

Featuring exclusive interviews with survivors, paramedics and festival staff, this documentary examines the 2021 Astroworld tragedy and its aftermath.

65

6.7

/10014/

68

/1289/

70

/145/

3.1

/34418/