What makes for a good documentary? Should the subject matter be unfamiliar, allowing us to learn more about a fascinating subculture? Should it both inform us and engage our emotions by capturing deeply human moments of triumph and tragedy? Should it remain as objective as possible, allowing us to make up our minds on the footage presented?
One of the great assets of thedocumentary genreis that it can take any form. From on-the-ground reporting to eye-opening archival footage, the world of documentary is vast, and, with so many produced every year, it's difficult to know what is worth your time to watch. To help you narrow things down, we atEntertainment Weeklyhave combed through various streaming services to select our picks for the best of the best.
Ahead, read our list of the 25 best documentaries streaming now, and on what platform you can find them.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed(2022)
This biographical documentary about photographer/activist Nan Goldin is epic in scope but intimate in its themes. The film focuses on Goldin's ongoing battle against the billionaire Sackler family and their role in the opioid epidemic through their pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma. Her protests and demonstrations are intercut with footage of Goldin's early career as a photographer with an interest in the LGBT+ community, most notably during the AIDS crisis of the '80s.All the Beauty and the Bloodshedis a moving testament to the power of advocacy and an unflinching portrait of an artist's role in society. —Kevin Jacobsen
Where to watchAll the Beauty and the Bloodshed: HBO Max
Director:Laura Poitras
Come See Me in the Good Light(2025)
This poignant documentary follows poet Andrea Gibson and their wife, Meghan Falley, as they face Gibson's terminal cancer diagnosis. While narrowing in on their enduring relationship with Falley, the film follows Gibson preparing to give what would be their final poetry reading. Aided by Gibson's strikingly beautiful compositions,Come See Me in the Good Lightis an honest, heartfelt exploration of grief and creative expression. —K.J.
Where to watchCome See Me in the Good Light: Apple TV
Director:Ryan White
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father(2008)
Kurt Kuenne'sdevastating documentaryabout grief and the Canadian legal system's failings revolves around the murder of his friend, Andrew Bagby, at the hands of his mysterious ex, Shirley Turner. What follows is an examination of Turner's baffling release from prison and the incredible sorrow that envelops the family after tragically losing a son and getting mired in a custody battle with the very person responsible. —Eric Farwell
Where to watchDear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father: Amazon Prime Video
Director:Kurt Kuenne
Dick Johnson Is Dead(2020)
John Wakayama Carey/Courtesy of Sundance Institute
There's no "right" way to deal with grief, or the anxious fear of waiting for something bad to happen that youknowwill come to pass. But Kirsten Johnson found a unique outlet inDick Johnson Is Dead, in which she deals with her father's dementia and the looming specter of his death by killing him on camera repeatedly (with his enthusiastic participation).
Watching father and daughter execute each fatal scenario gives us a remarkable glimpse into their relationship — and the catharsis that comes with the creative process itself. The film's intimate sense of joy is not a deflection against the truth of what the Johnsons are facing, but a self-conscious, honest expression of it. —Chris Bellamy
Where to watchDick Johnson Is Dead: Netflix
EW grade:A–
Director:Kirsten Johnson
Fire of Love(2022)
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
One of two movies about volcanologists Katherine and Maurice Krafft released in 2022 (the other,The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, was directed byWerner Herzog),Fire of Loveis part self-portrait, part nature documentary, and part elegy. The pair died in the 1991 Mount Unzen eruption but left behind two decades of footage from which this documentary is compiled. This is a love story between two people and their shared obsession, one inseparable from the other. The film casts their lives as a testament to the power of science and paints discovery as the ultimate act ofself-discovery. —E.F.
Where to watchFire of Love: Hulu
EW grade:A–
Director:Sara Dosa
Free Solo(2018)
Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature,Free Solois a gripping psychological profile almost by accident. Ostensibly, it's about Alex Honnold's attempt to complete the first free solo climb of Yosemite's El Capitan, but, in spending so much time documenting the pursuit, the film can't help but implicitly askwhy, or rather,what kind of person would be driven to do this?The mortality rate for free solo climbers is a fact Honnold casually accepts. Thus,Free Solois thrilling for its footage and what its subject tries to accomplish, but a sense of existential ambivalence comes with that morbid thrill. —C.B.
Where to watchFree Solo: Hulu
EW grade:A–
Directors:Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
Gates of Heaven(1978)
InErrol Morris' debut, viewers are introduced to the unique personalities that operate pet cemeteries in Napa Valley. Morris lets his subjects' personalities sparkle, weaving a wild farcical tale about the mundane that is believable butjustweird enough to stand out. Morris would later scale up to more serious and heady subjects, but he never had a more curious or fascinated eye than when documenting 450 dead animals being dug up for reburial at a different location. —E.F.
Where to watchGates of Heaven: AMC+
Director:Errol Morris
Grizzly Man(2005)
Lionsgate/Everett
Werner Herzog has long been an important and divisive figure in documentary filmmaking, and this film is perhaps the best example of why. Following the life and death of bear obsessive Timothy Treadwell, Herzog tries to give audiences a jumping-off point for understanding his passion, succeeding only to the extent that it's possible to understand him at all. This is a complicated portrait of a person who believed in the good of wild animals and ultimately died as a result. But Herzog never judges or condescends to Treadwell, even if his involvement in documenting the fallout becomes increasingly complicated. —E.F.
Where to watchGrizzly Man: Amazon Prime Video
Director:Werner Herzog
Hoop Dreams(1994)
Fine Line Features/Everett
Hoop Dreamspossesses a lightning-in-a-bottle magic that documentaries rarely capture. Over five years, the film follows two young Black teenagers in Chicago who get recruited to play basketball at an upscale prep school. It's the late-1980s,Michael Jordanis ascending to god status, and the possibilities of discovering the next great superstar are infinite. Regardless of whether Arthur Agee and William Gates become the next Jordan — or even the next Isiah Thomas — their lives wind up far more interesting than potential glory, with unexpected developments achieving a profundity few scripts ever could have. —C.B.
Where to watchHoop Dreams: HBO Max
Director:Steve James
I Am Not Your Negro(2016)
This thought-provoking examination of the systemic oppression against Black Americans is made all the more powerful by its central figure:James Baldwin. Our narrative anchor is the influential writer's perspective on racism being intrinsically linked to the soul of America, as evidenced during the tumultuous civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond. The poetically assembled film delves into several facets of racism in the 20th century, from segregation to harmful portrayals in the media to the prison-industrial complex. "It's impossible not to think: The more things change, the more they stay the same,"EW's critic writes of the film. "It's enough to make you weep." —K.J.
Where to watchI Am Not Your Negro: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade:A–
Director:Raoul Peck
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise(2010)
Spike Lee's two-part follow-up documentary to the equally excellentWhen the Levees Broke(which is also streaming on HBO Max) examines the effort to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and how the disaster changed the city. Lee is terrifically skilled at bringing disparate concepts together; here, he captures everything from police corruption and the loss of four housing projects to the New Orleans Saints and their Super Bowl XLIV victory, the latter serving as a vibrant pulse that amplifies the possibility of what the city is capable of. —E.F.
Where to watchIf God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise: HBO Max
Director:Spike Lee
Lost in La Mancha(2002)
Terry Gilliamtried and failed to mount his vision ofThe Man Who Killed Don Quixotefor years before finally succeeding in 2018, 16 years after this documentary arrived. Despite every effort Gilliam and his production crew made, there was no way to save the initial attempt at making the movie, which may have contributed to Gilliam's diminished presence in the entertainment industry.
This film explores the many ways that art can be destroyed or inhibited, including a NATO practice base making too much noise, the destruction of sets, and personal injury. It's also a rare documentary where knowing the end result enhances the work rather than rendering it irrelevant, turning the entire project into an arc about the long road some dreams take. —C.B.
Where to watchLost in La Mancha: The Roku Channel
Directors:Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
Marjoe(1972)
LMPC via Getty
This Oscar-winning documentary follows the fascinating life of Marjoe Gortner, a former child preacher who returned to the practice as a young adult solely for financial purposes. Influenced by rock stars like Mick Jagger, Gortner used his charisma to make a killing on the revivalist circuit, with the doc deftly exploring how for-profit religious figures use shady manipulation tactics. "Part of what makesMarjoesuch a knockout of a movie is not knowing exactly how to feel about it when its end credits come up,"writes EW's critic. "And when was the last time a movie made you feel something as complicated as that?" —K.J.
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Where to watchMarjoe: The Roku Channel
Directors:Howard Smith, Sarah Kernochan
Meru(2015)
Anyone who's ever said "It's not the destination, it's the journey" has never met the climbers inMeru. For them, the destination is everything as they scale Mount Meru in the Indian Himalayas via the treacherous Shark's Fin route with their eyes on the peak. Few documentaries have ever provided this kind of first-person access to true, gravity-defying danger — because most documentaries are not co-directed by one of the very people at risk. But Jimmy Chin is the exception, filming his climb, avalanches, injuries, and near-fatal setbacks that befall the voyage. What follows is remarkable, harrowing, and a marvel of documentary editing. —C.B.
Where to watchMeru: Netflix
Directors:Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
MLK/FBI(2020)
Sam Pollardhelms this keen examination of the FBI's role in the torment and death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From early attempts to create division and dissent in his ranks to phone taps, the organization operated from a place of racist anxiety over the power of Black America and one leader who was leading a peaceful and righteous path to equity. Pollard's film is especially poignant in showing how short-sighted the country remains, even if the methods of dismantling progress have shifted from political entities to more public-facing groups. —E.F.
Where to watchMLK/FBI: AMC+
Director:Sam Pollard
Moonage Daydream(2022)
Some films' attempts to honor a musician fall short of truly capturing their essence. Not so with this visually striking doc about the artistry ofDavid Bowie, with its kaleidoscopic imagery and a playfully experimental narrative.Moonage Daydreamcompellingly depicts Bowie's ever-changing desire to shape-shift as an artist, as well as the films, fashion, and music that influenced him throughout his career. Director Brett Morgen,EW's critic writes, "ends up articulating a point that's deeper and more sophisticated than mere biography, an insight that feels like a serious contribution to music criticism." —K.J.
Where to watchMoonage Daydream: Netflix
EW grade:A–
Director:Brett Morgen
Paris Is Burning(1990)
To say Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ cultures were largely ignored or erased by mainstream America in the 1980s (and beyond) is an understatement. That fact is one undercurrent ofJennie Livingston'sParis Is Burning, which documents Harlem ball culture of the mid-to-late-'80s and finds a host of endearing performers all too eager to bring us into their orbit.
The beauty and vibrancy of drag balls speak for themselves, but Livingston is also savvy enough to understand how those events intersect with the political and social realities of the time. This is a vital document that's both celebratory and sobering. —C.B.
Where to watchParis Is Burning: HBO Max
Director:Jennie Livingston
The Perfect Neighbor(2025)
Courtesy of Netflix
This award-winning documentary proves that a sharp director can build a compelling story using nothing but surveillance and bodycam footage. Directed by Geeta Gandbhir,The Perfect Neighborfollows a 2023 incident in Ocaca, Fla., in which Susan Lorincz shot and killed her neighbor, Ajike Owens. Presenting recorded bodycam footage of the events leading up to the murder and the aftermath (including Lorincz frequently calling the police on her neighbors), the film provides a harrowing look at racial violence and systemic bias. —K.J.
Where to watchThe Perfect Neighbor: Netflix
Director:Geeta Gandbhir
The Punk Singer(2013)
Kathleen Hannafronted punk greatsBikini Killand Le Tigre, two bands that existed at different times in the evolving (but still sexist) conversation about women and their place in culture, with the musicians often serving as paragons of feminist critique and anguish. This Sini Anderson documentary contextualizes Hanna within the progressive alternative rock scene that emerged in the 1980s and gained true steam in the '90s, before highlighting her struggle with Lyme disease and the way the messages in Hanna's music translate her personal battles. —E.F.
Where to watchThe Punk Singer: Pluto TV
Director:Sini Anderson
Samsara(2011)
Talking heads, voiceover, and archive footage have their place in documentary filmmaking — perhaps disproportionately so — but a movie like Ron Fricke'sSamsaraunlocks the capabilities of the form. It's far from the first non-narrative doc — for one, Fricke shot Godfrey Reggio's iconicKoyaanisqatsi(1982) and directedBaraka(1992) — but it may be the most gorgeous.
Samsarauses its spectacular, globetrotting 70mm footage to philosophize about life on Earth, forging connections across time, space, and place. Fricke's meditation on cycles of creation and destruction is free-associative yet thematically controlled, with the final result existing somewhere at the nexus of musical, essay, and poem. —C.B.
Where to watchSamsara: Tubi
EW grade:B–
Director:Ron Fricke
Stories We Tell(2012)
Sarah Polley's films are gut punches that incorporate the mind as much as the heart, often exploring community, family, and truth. In this documentary about the affair that led to her birth, Polley incorporates home movie footage — some authentic, some staged — and interviews with different family members to plumb the depths of a woman who remains, even to those who knew her, something of an enigma.
While most documentaries, personal or political, tend to land on one specific version of events,Stories We Tellis wise enough to know the truth is in the eye of the beholder, the rememberer, and the storyteller. —E.F.
Where to watchStories We Tell: Tubi
EW grade:A–
Director:Sarah Polley
Sugarcane(2024)
National Geographic Documentary Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
The sins committed by colonialists against Indigenous populations are still being uncovered many years later, as this heavy, Oscar-nominated documentary details. Probing deep into the history of the Catholic-run Indian school system in Canada,Sugarcanereveals years of systemic abuse against Indigenous students, which left a fundamental impact on the community. Directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie seamlessly weave together those traumas with the present-day residents of the local Sugarcane Reserve as they reckon with the past. —K.J.
Where to watchSugarcane: Disney+
Directors:Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)(2021)
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Ahmir Thompson (a.k.a.Questlove) painstakingly restored footage from the historic 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which saw the best acts of the era take the stage over six Sundays in the same summer as Woodstock. Words can't adequately capture how emotionally resonant it is to see Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, B.B. King, and Sly and the Family Stone, as brilliant as they've ever been, perform for New Yorkers who needed a reason to unite and celebrate. This isn't just a movie about music but a musical experiment, a historical document with its own meticulously crafted beats and rhythms. —E.F.
Where to watchSummer of Soul(...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): Hulu
EW grade:B+
Director:Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
The Thin Blue Line(1988)
Errol Morris is one of the most celebrated documentarians of his time. Here, he follows his curiosity to the shooting of Dallas police officer Robert W. Wood and the man convicted of the crime, Randall Adams. Investigating inconsistencies in the case, Morris utilizes testimonies from key figures to recreate pieces of the night in question in strange and striking detail.
Far from offering a traditional examination of a "wrong place, wrong time" miscarriage of justice, Morris turns his fixation into a shared obsession, with the director as the crafty detective and the audience as his second set of eyes. —E.F.
Where to watchThe Thin Blue Line: AMC+
Director:Errol Morris
The War Room(1993)
October Films/Everett
What goes into winning an election? This is the question explored inThe War Room, which examinesBill Clinton's presidential bid via the proxies ofJames Carvilleand George Stephanopoulos, who ran his campaign and engineered its success in an outsized way. The film considers the relationship between the media and politicians, and how savvy minds can spin news into something that makes or breaks the success of someone, no matter how dirty their hands are. —E.F.
Where to watchThe War Room: HBO Max
Directors:Chris Hegedus, D.A. Pennebaker
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Everett (3) What makes for a good documentary? Should the subject matter be unfamiliar, allowing us to learn...
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