Top 2023 Documentaries, a list by Tonka

8.6

/3814/

87

/152/

86

/34/

4.6

/47603/

98

/41/

99

/504/

86

/26/

3.5

age 11+

Accentuates the journey of Renaissance World Tour, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri. It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft. Received with extraordinary acclaim, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.

87

8.6

/42828/

83

/1020/

80

/255/

4.3

/39074/

100

/70/

97

/72/

83

/19/

3.5

As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.

86

8.0

/25475/

81

/1986/

82

/500/

4.3

/314387/

98

/96/

98

/1565/

82

/30/

3.5

age 11+

A concert film documenting Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour (2023-2024). Filmed during the Los Angeles shows, the film captures the tour's ten acts, each representing a different musical era from Swift's career. The film showcases over 40 songs, elaborate stage productions, and Swift's performance.

84

7.9

/4991/

78

/299/

77

/58/

4.0

/10481/

100

/58/

99

/44/

85

/16/

3.0

A courageous pastor uses his underground network to rescue and aid North Korean families as they risk their lives to embrace freedom.

84

8.1

/17697/

80

/1363/

77

/212/

4.0

/31730/

99

/156/

95

/98/

78

/35/

3.5

age 15+

A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?

82

7.7

/11513/

77

/687/

76

/117/

3.8

/21203/

93

/14/

93

/69/

age 14+

When Jack and Beata Kowalski are wrongfully accused of child abuse after their 10-year-old daughter Maya visits the ER, a nightmare unfolds.

81

7.7

/1006/

72

/72/

74

/16/

3.8

/2971/

95

/62/

79

/2/

79

/16/

4.0

age 14+

The radical honesty of the books by young adult fiction pioneer Judy Blume changed the way millions of readers understood themselves, their sexuality, and what it meant to grow up, but also led to critical battles against book banning and censorship.

81

8.2

/1608/

75

/82/

71

/12/

3.8

/2200/

98

/57/

96

/65/

79

/13/

3.0

The life and times of New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, a 10 time World Series champion whose unique personality and unforgettable Yogi-isms sometimes got in the way of his being recognized as one of baseball’s greatest players.

80

7.4

/1913/

71

/126/

66

/28/

3.6

/4849/

94

/101/

98

/25/

81

/19/

3.5

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

79

7.4

/1949/

73

/124/

70

/23/

3.6

/8291/

97

/32/

90

/20/

74

/7/

3.5

Rob Reiner profiles Albert Brooks, comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first met in their high school drama club.

79

7.5

/10020/

76

/595/

73

/81/

3.8

/28962/

89

/46/

88

/55/

73

/16/

3.5

age 13+

Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.

79

6.7

/1099/

64

/35/

60

/13/

3.8

/1873/

98

/44/

96

/15/

77

/17/

4.0

age 15+

Three intersex individuals overcame shame, secrecy and unauthorized surgery throughout their childhoods to enjoy successful adulthoods, choosing to ignore medical advice to conceal their bodies and coming out as who they truly are.

79

7.7

/16960/

76

/829/

76

/168/

3.8

/34179/

85

/65/

93

/38/

69

/18/

3.5

age 13+

Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.

78

7.5

/3454/

73

/369/

72

/56/

3.6

/5111/

100

/25/

91

/19/

72

/7/

3.0

The story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fabrice having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing, as well as a future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years, their dreams came true. Rob and Fab, better known as Milli Vanilli, became the world's most popular pop duo in 1990 and won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist. However, their ascension to success came with a devastating price that ultimately led to their infamous undoing.

78

7.7

/2135/

77

/140/

74

/37/

3.8

/7039/

92

/49/

84

/14/

76

/18/

3.0

In 1968, art students Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell made a trippy photo collage for their musician friends Syd, David and Roger. The resulting album and album cover, A Saucerful of Secrets, helped launch two careers: that of Pink Floyd, one of the 70s megabands, and of Hipgnosis, which, over the course of the next 25 years, designed a stream of iconic album covers.

78

7.6

/1175/

73

/93/

70

/4/

3.8

/4458/

93

/55/

91

/4/

75

/9/

3.0

A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.

80

77

7.4

/2855/

74

/438/

77

/226/

3.6

/4381/

93

/513/

91

/6024/

Explore how one man's relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria.

77

7.5

/1177/

73

/72/

69

/15/

3.7

/1532/

100

/13/

97

/17/

71

/5/

2.5

age 14+

Mike Veeck, son of MLB franchise owner Bill Veeck, blows up his father's career. Exiled from the game he loves, the younger Veeck spends the next few decades clawing his way up from rock bottom, determined to redeem himself.

77

7.2

/14166/

72

/684/

69

/234/

3.8

/36484/

96

/50/

92

/69/

66

/13/

age 15+

In her own words, through personal video and diaries, Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal.

77

7.1

/1580/

68

/84/

67

/21/

3.9

/12314/

99

/79/

72

/7/

79

/20/

3.5

Four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City break down the walls of their profession.

76

7.1

/1957/

71

/121/

66

/30/

3.5

/8774/

100

/42/

83

/9/

72

/13/

3.0

Uganda has one the youngest populations in the world and one of its most flagrantly anti-democratic governments. These are ingredients for revolution, and Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi are stirring the pot. When the charismatic Bobi, a musician and member of parliament, announces his campaign for president, Uganda’s youth are ecstatic, filling parks and streets for every speech, and singing Bobi’s anthems of peace and freedom. But then comes the crackdown, orchestrated by Yoweri Museveni, a brutal dictator who has ruled Uganda for 36 years. Bobi and his crew survive arrests, beatings, torture, riots and raids.

76

75

7.5

/7260/

75

/969/

72

/105/

3.9

/69601/

86

/22/

74

/35/

A chaotic intervention. An action-packed stay in rehab. After a weird couple of years, John Mulaney comes out swinging in his return to the stage.

75

7.5

/1271/

72

/87/

65

/21/

3.6

/2705/

97

/35/

81

/5/

66

/7/

3.0

With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business.

74

6.7

/1490/

71

/106/

65

/21/

3.8

/3129/

100

/29/

65

/11/

75

/7/

3.0

age 15+

Using innovative animation and expert insights, this documentary based on Ibram X. Kendi's bestseller explores the history of racist ideas in America.

74

7.0

/1096/

70

/39/

65

/16/

3.4

/4132/

94

/51/

81

/30/

75

/8/

3.0

Since her debut at the age of 18, musician, civil rights campaigner and activist Joan Baez has been on stage for over 60 years. For the now 82-year-old, the personal has always been political, and her friendship with Martin Luther King and her pacifism have shaped her commitment. In this biography that opens with her farewell tour, Baez takes stock in an unsparing fashion and confronts sometimes painful memories.

74

7.3

/5017/

74

/451/

76

/93/

3.6

/11783/

85

/34/

87

/42/

69

/11/

2.5

age 13+

The remarkable coming-of-age story of Stephen Curry—one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in basketball history—and his rise from an undersized college player to a four-time NBA champion.

80

73

7.7

/4560/

75

/320/

70

/71/

3.9

/15472/

94

/16/

98

/21/

71

/5/

age 11+

As Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double in the Harry Potter films, David Holmes' work has been seen worldwide by millions of people. Tragically an on-set accident ended what David calls "the best job in the world," leaving him paralyzed. Like the on-screen character he helped bring to life, David is determined to continue seeking adventure and living life to the fullest despite mounting obstacles.

73

6.8

/4432/

70

/236/

66

/61/

3.4

/18531/

94

/51/

74

/37/

76

/11/

3.0

age 13+

Musician Jon Batiste attempts to compose a symphony as his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, undergoes cancer treatment.

73

7.2

/3859/

74

/466/

68

/51/

3.6

/22995/

92

/52/

80

/9/

67

/14/

2.5

age 14+

The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone... and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week.

73

7.0

/2169/

67

/152/

66

/33/

3.4

/6380/

96

/85/

69

/17/

79

/20/

3.0

age 13+

Academy Award winner Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of David Cornwell, the former spy known to the literary world as John le Carré.

72

7.3

/1748/

72

/93/

56

/19/

3.6

/5559/

91

/32/

81

/310/

71

/16/

2.5

This timely exploration of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity examines the life of legendary actor Rock Hudson, from his public "ladies' man" persona to his private life as a gay man.

71

7.0

/12819/

72

/849/

72

/209/

3.4

/17392/

81

/54/

84

/30/

62

/17/

2.5

age 14+

His love of film began as an escape from a rocky childhood. From underdog to Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone tells his story in this documentary.

71

6.9

/3013/

70

/314/

71

/89/

3.4

/8223/

80

/44/

83

/35/

58

/11/

3.0

age 10+

Celebrate the legacy of Stan Lee as the co-creator of such legendary characters as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, the X-Men, The Avengers, and hundreds more.

70

6.3

/1331/

62

/93/

68

/21/

3.1

/4593/

94

/52/

62

/13/

74

/12/

3.0

American Christian missionary John Chau was murdered when he tried to illegally contact and convert some of the world’s last uncontacted indigenous people. Through exclusive interviews and archival footage of John’s journey, THE MISSION explores themes that strike deep at the heart of religion, colonialism, and anthropology, questioning where we draw the line between faith and fanaticism, exploration and exploitation, imagination and destruction.

70

6.9

/1742/

66

/92/

69

/29/

3.5

/13437/

84

/74/

58

/4/

62

/18/

3.5

Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work.

69

6.9

/2564/

70

/213/

69

/34/

3.3

/3715/

79

/34/

74

/14/

67

/5/

2.5

age 15+

Investigative journalist Rae de Leon travels nationwide to uncover and examine a shocking pattern: Young women tell the police they’ve been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they’re charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.

68

6.6

/1415/

68

/97/

71

/18/

3.3

/3647/

82

/28/

70

/11/

62

/6/

2.5

The extraordinary story of disco queen Donna Summer through a rich archive of unpublished film excerpts, home video, photographs, artwork, writings, personal audio and other recordings that span the life of one of the most iconic performers ever to shake a room to its timbers. From her early career with Giorgio Moroder in Germany, to later years more focused on spirituality and family life as a shelter from troubles associated with both notoriety and intimate wounds, her story is all the more special for being told in the first person – both singular and plural.

75

64

6.9

/4041/

70

/272/

64

/17/

3.4

/13327/

100

/7/

83

/30/

age 15+

A true crime documentary inspired by one of the most polarising criminal trials of recent history. It explores themes including disability, race, sex and perception of consent by looking back on the controversial case of philosophy professor Anna Stubblefield.

75

64

6.7

/3954/

71

/350/

74

/44/

3.3

/2822/

100

/5/

72

/10/

age 10+

Egyptian archaeologists dig into history, discovering tombs and artifacts over 4,000 years old as they search for a buried pyramid in this documentary.

73

64

6.8

/3118/

70

/355/

70

/48/

3.2

/4085/

100

/11/

71

/17/

age 13+

Through revealing interviews with experts and victims' families, this gripping documentary examines the problem of deadly foodborne illness in the US.

78

64

7.3

/3170/

73

/235/

76

/48/

3.5

/8245/

89

/9/

99

/13/

66

/5/

age 15+

An intimate, all-access documentary that will chronicle Lewis Capaldi's journey from a scrappy teen with a viral performance to a Grammy-nominated pop star.

64

7.0

/1127/

68

/94/

69

/22/

3.4

/7036/

71

/63/

75

/3/

59

/12/

1.5

Since 1987, and for almost three decades, New York cinephiles had access to a vast treasure trove of rare films thanks to Kim's Video, a small empire run by Yongman Kim, an enigmatic character who amassed more than fifty thousand VHS tapes.

63

7.1

/16879/

71

/1607/

71

/196/

3.2

/20200/

43

/7/

63

/130/

Ricky Gervais dishes out controversial takes on political correctness and oversensitivity in a taboo-busting comedy special about the end of humanity. Recorded at The London Palladium.

68

63

7.1

/3276/

73

/513/

67

/45/

3.5

/6691/

59

/30/

From his dad's unusual deathbed confession to watching his mom get high, Tom Segura tells blisteringly candid stories about marriage, mortality and more.

89

62

8.6

/2102/

88

/49/

89

/25/

4.3

/21915/

99

/136/

age 14+

Ditching the typical glossy sheen of celebrity documentaries, this film gives audiences an intimate and unvarnished view of Louis Tomlinson's life and career. Through never-before-seen home movie footage and behind the scenes access to Louis’ sell-out 2022 World Tour, the documentary offers a unique perspective on what it's like to be a musician in today's fast-paced world.

62

6.8

/12210/

67

/1323/

61

/149/

3.0

/13693/

46

/28/

74

/159/

Chris Rock makes comedy history as he performs stand-up in real time for Netflix’s first global live-streaming event.

62

6.2

/14584/

64

/946/

62

/153/

2.4

/32091/

93

/14/

45

/45/

age 15+

This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad's ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.

68

61

6.7

/2755/

69

/295/

73

/48/

3.3

/3316/

75

/8/