Documentary backdrop

Documentary movies

Fascinating real-life stories, historical accounts, and educational deep dives that reveal the truth about our world.

Subgenres include: True Crime Documentary, Biographical Documentary, Social & Political Documentary.

Jackass Forever

1. Jackass Forever

Action Comedy Documentary Adult Comedy
6.8
20221h 36min

Overview

The Jackass crew, along with some newcomers, returns for one final round of hilarious, absurd, and dangerous stunts.

Themes

Reality show risk, Collective performance norms, Absurd humor escalation, Privacy vs spectacle, Risk vs safety, Body as prop

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Cow

2. Cow

Documentary
7.1
20221h 33min

Overview

A close-up portrait of the daily lives of a pair of cows: told by way of some narrative-free, intimate POV photography, with plenty of close shot images, we follow the daily routine of these animals as they live what can only be described as mundane, boring lives - all with an ultimate purpose within the human food chain.


The Velvet Queen

3. The Velvet Queen

Documentary
7.8
20211h 32min

Overview

High up on the Tibetan plateau. Amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys lies one of the last sanctuaries of the wild world, where rare and undiscovered fauna lives. Vincent Munier, one of the world’s most renowned wildlife photographers takes the adventurer and novelist Sylvain Tesson (In the Forest of Siberia) with him on his latest mission. For several weeks, they’ll explore these valleys searching for unique animals and try to spot the snow leopard, one of the rarest and most difficult big cats to approach.


14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

4. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

Documentary Biographical Documentary
7.7
20211h 41min

Overview

In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.

Themes

Risk and sacrifice, Ambition vs responsibility, Extreme endurance under pressure, Family ties and duty, Team resilience under danger, Public recognition and legacy

Available on

Netflix
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Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

5. JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

Documentary History
7.5
20211h 59min

Overview

Thirty years after the release of his film JFK (1991), filmmaker Oliver Stone reviews recently declassified evidence related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place in Dallas on November 22, 1963.


The Velvet Underground

6. The Velvet Underground

Documentary Music
7.3
20212h 1min

Overview

Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.


The Rescue

7. The Rescue

Documentary Drama Biographical Documentary
8.3
20211h 47min

Overview

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.

Themes

Teamwork under constraint, Procedural discipline, Rescue under pressure, Monsoon cave hazards, Navigation through floods, Air supply management

Available on

Disney Plus
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles

8. Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles

Music Documentary
7.3
20211h 5min

Overview

Fresh off the heels of her brand-new album, "Happier Than Ever," this cinematic concert experience features an intimate performance of every song in the album's sequential order – for the first and only time – from the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl.


TINA

9. TINA

Documentary Music
7.9
20211h 58min

Overview

Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.


The Lost Leonardo

10. The Lost Leonardo

Documentary History
7.5
20211h 35min

Overview

London, England, 2008. Some of the most distinguished experts on the work of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) gather at the National Gallery to examine a painting known as Salvator Mundi; an event that turns out to be the first act of one of the most fascinating stories in the history of art.