The best Documentary movies — new releases and enduring classics — each pitched spoiler-free with tone, themes, and where to watch. Tap any movie to pitch it live.
A harrowing account of journalists documenting the Russian siege of Mariupol that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for its raw, unflinching coverage of war's human cost.
Pitch this movie → 2023An intimate portrait of an Egyptian family navigating identity, religion, and freedom that earned critical acclaim for its nuanced exploration of generational conflict and personal choice.
Pitch this movie → 2023A meditation on China's railway system that captures the nation's infrastructure transformation with philosophical depth and stunning cinematography.
Pitch this movie → 2023A riveting chronicle of a Ugandan musician-activist's fight against authoritarianism that combines performance footage with urgent political commentary.
Pitch this movie → 2024A meditative exploration of art, mortality, and human connection through the lens of a Berlin artist's studio, praised for its poetic visual language.
Pitch this movie → 2024A tender documentary about an Uruguayan couple confronting Alzheimer's disease that becomes a profound meditation on love, memory, and resilience.
Pitch this movie → 2024An unflinching examination of Holocaust grey-zone prisoners that challenges moral binaries through rigorous historical investigation and survivor testimony.
Pitch this movie → 2024An intimate portrait of the Superman actor's life, paralysis, and activism that showcases his resilience and cultural impact with moving archival material.
Pitch this movie → 2024A visually stunning meditation on displacement, identity, and belonging among Romani communities told through poetic observational filmmaking.
Pitch this movie → 2024A celebration of a pioneering African artist's life and influence that combines biographical narrative with broader commentary on African modernism and legacy.
Pitch this movie →Dziga Vertov's experimental Soviet documentary pioneered visual storytelling techniques and remains essential for understanding cinema's documentary potential.
Pitch this movie → 1922Robert Flaherty's groundbreaking portrait of Inuit life established the documentary form as an art and ethnographic tool, though later scrutinized for staging.
Pitch this movie → 1983Chris Marker's essayistic meditation on memory, time, and human experience across three continents is a landmark of experimental documentary form.
Pitch this movie → 1988Errol Morris's investigation into a wrongful murder conviction revolutionized documentary technique and helped free an innocent man, establishing a new standard for advocacy filmmaking.
Pitch this movie → 1975The Maysles brothers' portrait of eccentric mother-and-daughter recluses in East Hampton became a cult classic for its unflinching intimacy and tragic complexity.
Pitch this movie → 1985Claude Lanzmann's monumental nine-hour oral history of the Holocaust through survivor and perpetrator testimonies is a cornerstone work of historical documentary.
Pitch this movie → 1994Steve James's epic chronicle of two African-American basketball players' journeys is widely regarded as one of the greatest documentaries for its depth and social insight.
Pitch this movie → 2012Joshua Oppenheimer's provocative film asks Indonesian death-squad leaders to re-enact their crimes, creating a disturbing interrogation of perpetrator psychology and complicity.
Pitch this movie → 1927Though partially a narrative film, F.W. Murnau's poetic exploration of urban and rural life combines documentary realism with visual poetry to profound effect.
Pitch this movie → 1976Barbara Kopple's immersive account of a Kentucky coal miners' strike combines labor history with intimate human drama in one of documentary's greatest achievement.
Pitch this movie →