Top Documentaries 2025, a list by Arse

8.0

/699/

85

/19/

89

/14/

4.2

/3172/

98

/57/

98

/26/

82

/16/

4.0

"From Ground Zero" is a compelling project that brings together 22 short films created by talented filmmakers from Gaza. Launched by Rashid Masharawi, a notable Palestinian filmmaker, the initiative emerged amid the backdrop of conflict, aiming to provide a platform for young artists to express themselves through their craft. Each film, ranging from 3 to 7 minutes, presents a unique perspective on the current reality in Gaza. The project captures the diverse experiences of life in the Palestinian enclave, including the challenges, tragedies, and moments of resilience faced by its people. With a mix of genres such as fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation, and experimental cinema, "From Ground Zero" showcases a rich tapestry of stories that reflect the sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gazan life.

89

79

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.

83

8.0

/819/

76

/51/

80

/14/

4.1

/3949/

82

/10/

4.0

Discover the story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard about. During eight tumultuous days in 1988 at the world's only Deaf university, four students must find a way to lead a revolution—and change the course of history.

75

7.5

/343/

Trakt

40

/1/

80

/2/

3.7

/1175/

84

/11/

4.0

Inspired by the folktale of the boy Siljan, who, after a quarrel with his father, turns into a stork and leaves home, the film is a story about the relationship between a farmer and a white stork.

82

63

8.3

/2382/

82

/220/

86

/30/

4.2

/15239/

94

/62/

68

/12/

14 years after his first visit, Louis Theroux meets some of the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied West Bank.

80

7.2

/1456/

68

/64/

71

/44/

3.8

/14922/

88

/41/

85

/12/

4.0

The life of the bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey during a day of bullfighting, from the moment he dresses up to the moment he undresses.

82

7.8

/153/

78

/6/

90

/1/

3.9

/1332/

73

/5/

4.0

Explores the life and career of cartoonist Art Spiegelman including the creation and ground-breaking impact of his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel MAUS.

80

6.8

/152/

55

/5/

70

/1/

3.8

/1815/

100

/20/

92

/9/

4.0

Adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s renowned video art installation, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album, weaving fiction and history in an immersive journey where the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats, in a vision for black consciousness.

80

7.9

/678/

76

/10/

76

/5/

3.8

/1724/

100

/14/

3.0

Intercepted is a journey through Ukraine that reveals the banality of evil behind the Russian invasion with the shocking juxtaposition of two realities: the Ukrainians who have been suffering and resisting the war violence, and the Russian military, and civilians, who have been perpetrating it.

79

7.9

/953/

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.

81

7.7

/769/

66

/20/

67

/16/

4.0

/5351/

98

/50/

83

/13/

4.0

An Iranian filmmaker participates in a series of video calls with a young Palestinian photojournalist who describes her life confined in Gaza during the current regional conflict.

79

7.5

/7729/

75

/530/

72

/99/

3.5

/30861/

85

/46/

95

/542/

64

/12/

4.0

age 13+

The individual journeys of the four members of the band, as they move through the music scene of the 1960s, playing small clubs throughout Britain and performing some of the biggest hits of the era, until their meeting in the summer of 1968 for a rehearsal that changes their lives forever.

80

7.7

/159/

73

/6/

83

/3/

4.0

/1569/

3.5

In this enveloping second part of the Youth trilogy, shot between 2015 and 2019, Wang Bing deepens his vérité portrait of a generation struggling to survive on meager wages amidst a nation’s economic expansion, emphasizing the distrustful, increasingly combative relationship between workers and management.

78

77

7.3

/3759/

72

/636/

72

/51/

3.6

/7278/

88

/8/

96

/364/

In what might be his most personal and introspective hour yet, Bill offers hilarious takes on everything from male sadness to dating advice.

79

7.1

/1070/

71

/53/

70

/11/

3.7

/17552/

95

/61/

76

/21/

4.0

'90s indie-rock band Pavement reunites for their sold-out 2022 tour. But as preparations get underway, surreal tributes emerge: an off-Broadway musical adaptation of their songs, a museum devoted entirely to the band’s legacy, and a shamelessly awards-baiting Hollywood biopic.

78

7.5

/681/

74

/32/

80

/15/

3.5

/2540/

92

/48/

87

/1754/

76

/16/

3.0

Rich with archival gems and Liza Minnelli’s own point of view, Bruce David Klein's luminous documentary celebrates a young entertainer full of boundless raw talent and the deep, creative relationships with her mentors and influences.

77

7.7

/1739/

77

/94/

79

/17/

4.3

/37838/

72

/17/

3.0

Rising musician Jeff Buckley had only released one album when he died suddenly in 1997. Now, never-before-seen footage, exclusive voice messages, and accounts from those closest to him offer a portrait of the captivating singer.

69

6.6

/1905/

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.

78

7.9

/1970/

76

/101/

57

/14/

4.2

/6783/

90

/9/

3.5

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

78

7.6

/1513/

73

/105/

69

/12/

3.8

/6837/

93

/45/

77

/12/

3.5

An examination of the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone – the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic Sly Stone – that captures the band's reign while shedding light on the burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.

80

7.5

/2519/

74

/166/

75

/44/

3.7

/30757/

91

/43/

85

/12/

82

/16/

3.5

age 14+

When does a democracy end and a theocracy begin? Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip Christian evangelical leaders hold over politics in Brazil. She gains extraordinary access to the country’s top political leaders, including President Lula and former president Bolsonaro, as well as to Brazil’s most famous televangelist: a magnetic pastor who aspires to play puppet master to the far-right leader.

77

7.1

/19999/

73

/1500/

67

/153/

3.7

/113618/

99

/92/

81

/179/

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.

76

7.7

/161/

65

/5/

80

/1/

3.8

/1193/

71

/5/

3.5

Legendary musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, has transformed his home into an artistic playground. Together they navigate the tumultuous music industry, and forge a unique and inspiring path across time and space.

79

7.4

/148/

75

/4/

80

/2/

3.9

/1692/

94

/17/

3.0

Wang Bing concludes his monumental Youth trilogy in expansive fashion, giving ever wider scope to the lives of migrant workers in Zhili’s textile factories as they plan to go to their remote hometowns to visit their families and celebrate the festivities for New Year’s break.

81

8.5

/2231/

80

/97/

82

/21/

4.3

/6828/

94

/49/

91

/19/

2.0

Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.

74

7.6

/239/

60

/6/

3.7

/1103/

75

/8/

3.5

Noam Shuster Eliassi grew up the literal poster child for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process before making a hard pivot to stand-up comedy and political satire. But as the region sinks deeper into devastating violence, she must meet the moment by challenging her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.

75

7.8

/215/

72

/4/

70

/1/

3.9

/1149/

80

/8/

3.0

37-year-old Sara Shahverdi, a motorcycle riding, land owning, former midwife-turned-fierce citizen advocate and recent divorcée, just won a landslide local election in her remote Iranian village and everyone has an opinion about it.

79

7.2

/1464/

68

/51/

71

/15/

3.7

/9465/

90

/83/

95

/34/

79

/24/

3.5

An exploration of the seminal and transformative 18 months that one of music’s most famous couples — John Lennon and Yoko Ono — spent living in Greenwich Village, New York City, in the early 1970s.

76

7.2

/960/

72

/126/

70

/6/

3.7

/9439/

82

/9/

3.5

In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside a busy mall and lived there for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than a prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all involved.

75

7.2

/1331/

74

/96/

68

/28/

3.6

/2375/

87

/85/

97

/417/

59

/15/

3.0

age 14+

Through words, music, and mischief, Bono pulls back the curtain on his deeply personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband, activist, and U2 frontman.

74

7.8

/167/

73

/3/

3.6

/579/

3.0

American political economist, professor, author, and social media sensation Robert Reich teaches his final "Wealth and Poverty" class to 1,000 students at UC Berkeley, ending a 40-year career that reached 40,000 students. One thousand fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich's wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation's ability to take on the fight is inspiring.

72

7.0

/314/

51

/6/

76

/5/

3.6

/3327/

81

/5/

3.5

Teacher Wang works as a 'mistress dispeller' in China, hired to break up affairs by any means necessary. Through one of her cases, we explore the ways class, capital, and culture collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China.

77

7.0

/469/

64

/19/

69

/5/

3.5

/8101/

98

/57/

73

/20/

4.0

Presenting a behind-the-scenes account of a visionary at work. From Oscar-nominated Mike Figgis, Megadoc gives audiences an unfiltered and intimate look at the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic sci-fi drama Megalopolis.

74

7.1

/122/

68

/6/

3.6

/600/

84

/6/

3.0

LIFE AFTER is a gripping investigative documentary that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport uncovers shocking abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death. In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom battles, Bouvia vanished from public view. Sundance-winner Davenport embarks on a personal investigation to find out what really happened to Bouvia and reveal why her story is disturbingly relevant today.

74

61

7.4

/2714/

72

/260/

77

/29/

3.8

/5746/

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.

75

64

7.6

/2068/

77

/305/

74

/86/

3.8

/7077/

Witness the never-before-seen footage and true story behind the John Wick phenomenon – from independent film to billion-dollar franchise.

76

7.2

/394/

64

/20/

74

/5/

3.7

/1659/

95

/40/

98

/25/

74

/9/

2.5

Amid the glamour of Hollywood, Los Angeles, a woman finds herself on a transformative journey as she nurtures wounded hummingbirds, unraveling a visually captivating and magical tale of love, fragility, healing, and the delicate beauty in tiny acts of greatness.

77

7.7

/406/

72

/16/

67

/4/

3.9

/2387/

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.

77

7.3

/282/

66

/8/

80

/1/

3.7

/1445/

85

/53/

3.5

On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions.

73

59

7.6

/2475/

77

/319/

70

/24/

3.6

/3174/

In this razor-sharp yet heartfelt special, Andrew Schulz unpacks the wildest moment of his life — becoming a father.

83

8.3

/4560/

82

/228/

80

/39/

4.0

/15227/

100

/35/

94

/96/

75

/7/

3.0

Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

73

7.1

/184/

74

/12/

75

/6/

3.6

/614/

3.0

Three filmmakers dive deep into the storied and complex legacy of Ms. magazine through the lens of some of its most iconic covers, featuring never-before-seen archival footage and engaging interviews with the powerful women who shaped the magazine at its inception over fifty years ago

73

8.1

/10093/

79

/606/

78

/71/

4.0

/29224/

61

/28/

77

/4822/

69

/14/

2.5

age 13+

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

55

7.1

/330/

73

/17/

56

/5/

3.5

/2613/

18

/33/

27

/750/

3.0

An exploration of the legacy of Tobe Hooper's classic 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

72

6.7

/811/

72

/59/

67

/11/

3.4

/2733/

3.5

An investigation into the downfall of the Montreal Expos, Canada's first Major League Baseball team — and who was ultimately responsible.

77

7.3

/930/

76

/74/

76

/16/

3.9

/4587/

88

/32/

75

/8/

3.0

age 10+

Sally Ride's groundbreaking journey as the first American woman in space concealed a deeply personal story. Her life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, unveils their covert 27-year romance and its accompanying sacrifices.

70

7.3

/505/

75

/41/

70

/1/

3.8

/2618/

68

/6/

2.5

Andy Kaufman's provocative comedy often outraged audiences, challenging them to confront their own presumptions. Through never-before-seen footage and intimate recollections, filmmaker Alex Braverman explores Kaufman’s brief but impactful life and career. As the lines between performance and reality blur in our present age, Kaufman’s genius resonates more than ever.

74

7.2

/1156/

70

/80/

62

/16/

3.6

/3324/

93

/44/

76

/17/

75

/13/