The Best Documentaries on Netflix Right Now

Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

Do you want to feel good about the state of the American industry and the treatment of its skilled labor force? Then skip this flick. American Factory is the award-winning look at a defunct General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio which is given a new lease on life when a Chinese billionaire invests in it as a new American glass-making facility for his company, Fuyao. If you’ve ever worked on a factory floor or been part of either side of the picket line, you know how this story goes.

This documentary is the first title under the Higher Ground banner, a production company formed by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and distributed by Netflix. But it’s first a production of Participant Media, which screened the documentary at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Best Documentary award and got the attention of Netflix and the Obamas. And just in case their involvement sways you one way or the other, try to check that bias at the door; American Factory tells of the plight of the skilled labor force, be they American or Chinese, as easy victims of the rich and powerful, be they American or Chinese. And it’s also the story of the American Dream, and whether that’s a fact or a fallacy.

There’s also a stinger at the end lamenting the ultimate decline of the human workforce due to automation, yet it’s worth remembering that the machines themselves are simply tools that improve the production pipeline; it’s still a human being, and often a bean-counting, bottom-liner who stands to make a few more points on their stock portfolio, who makes the call to replace flesh-and-blood workers at the end of the day.  – Dave Trumbore

Writers/Directors: Randall Lobb, Robert McCallum

Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe tells you exactly what is waiting for you right there in the title. From filmmakers Lobb (Turtle Power, and the upcoming Conan the Barbarian and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance documentaries) and McCallum (Nintendo Quest) comes a deep dive into all things He-Man. From the chaotic creation of the musclebound hero as a Mattel toy franchise dreamed up as a competitor to Kenner, to the low points of the brand in the late 80s and 90s, and the modern resurgence of the property thanks to a dedicated fanbase and savvy creative decisions, this documentary is a one-stop shop for all things MotU.

In just about 95 minutes, this lengthy chat with creatives behind the scenes of the brand, spanning from the early 80s to today, tells the untold tale of how one of the most iconic creations came to be. It’s fascinating enough for general audiences to see how the sausage is made in industries as varied and yet interconnected as toys, comics, cartoons, live-action movies, and more, yet it’s definitely made for the diehard He-Man and She-Ra fans out there. And if you’re a collector, watching the doc might not be enough for you; luckily you can add the newly released home video to your MotU collection starting September 3rd! – Dave Trumbore

Director: Rachel Lears

While some may be quick to dismiss this documentary because its main figure is liberal political Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Rachel Lears’ film isn’t really concerned with the right-left divide. Instead, it’s about insurgent, grassroots politicians fighting the entrenched establishment power. Although Ocasio-Cortez’ story over-arches the whole film, Lears also takes time to follow other female politicians who are seeking to win their primary battles. The film is at its best when it shows the gritty, unglamorous work of campaigning and building a movement. If you’re fed up with business-as-usual politicians who have forgotten their constituents, Knock Down the House provides an inspiring rally cry. – Matt Goldberg

Director: Morgan Neville

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville has a way with entertaining stories. Whether it’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor or They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, he’s wonderfully skilled at chronicling non-fiction in a way that feels like a perfectly scripted tale. 2013’s 20 Feet from Stardom is no different, as the film puts the spotlight on backup singers—the unseen faces whose voices are vital to some of the most popular songs in history. The film is packed with fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from the making of iconic songs like “Gimme Shelter”,” but it’s Neville’s focus on the human beings behind these voices that makes it truly special. It’s no surprise the film won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2014. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Skye Borgman

The words “bonkers”, “crazy”, and “wild” might come to mind while watching the true crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, but they would all be negated by the disturbing story that unfolds in Skye Borgman’s film. The narrative follows the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was abducted not once but twice by their neighbor Robert ‘B’ Berchtold. The details of those abductions certainly fall into the realm of stranger-than-fiction, but the methods of Berchtold are that of a true monster and predator who ripped the Broberg family apart simply so he could get at Jan. Yes, the details of the story are jaw-dropping, but the overall narrative is far more unnerving. – Matt Goldberg

Director: Laurent Bouzereau

The three-episode docuseries Five Came Back is an adaptation of author Mark Harris’ non-fiction book of the same name, which looks at World War II though the eyes of five filmmakers who helped the war effort in different ways: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. These iconic Hollywood directors were enlisted to make various documentaries during the war to rally support, train troops, and document horrific experiences. The docuseries—narrated by Meryl Streep and featuring interviews with folks like Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro—takes a look at their careers before the war, the kinds of films they made for the government during the war, and how their work was forever changed by their experiences. It’s a must-see for WWII buffs, and not only is it masterfully structured, but Netflix has also made available 13 of the documentaries discussed in the film to watch after it’s over. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Morgan Neville

When Netflix finally released the long lost Orson Welles film The Other Side of the Wind in November 2018, they simultaneously dropped a documentary about the making of the notorious film. The result, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, is utterly fascinating as it not only chronicles the decades-long journey of working on, shooting, reshooting, editing, reshooting, re-editing, etc. of The Other Side of the Wind, but it also gives insight into Welles’ career in the shadow of Citizen Kane. If you’re somewhat unfamiliar with Welles’ work outside that masterpiece, The Other Side of the Wind is a must-watch, as it explains why and how he kind of faded in his later years. But beyond that, the making of The Other Side of the Wind is simply insane. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Joe Berlinger

Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was unique in that he ultimately didn’t confess to his crimes—which include the murder of at least 30 women—until days before his execution. So the four-part docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes pulls from an interview series in which Bundy agreed to speak in the third person, analyzing the kind of person who may have committed the crimes attributed to him. The tapes themselves honestly don’t provide too much insight, but Berlinger’s documentary does. He interviews only those who interacted with Bundy in person and chronicles the killer’s life and crimes, juxtaposing them with the lies Bundy often told about himself and his upbringing. It’s an engrossing watch that gives ample voice to Bundy’s victims while also explaining how Bundy was able to elude authorities for so long. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay follows up her acclaimed film Selma with a searing documentary that looks at the mass incarceration of minorities following the passage of the 13th amendment. As the documentary points out, it’s not just ingrained cultural racism that results in the widespread incarceration of African-Americans and other minorities.  There’s a financial incentive as well, and it’s good business to lock people up.  13th systematically goes through the decades following the passage of the 13th amendment to show how black people were targeted by the media, by the government, and by businesses to create a new form of slavery.  It is a movie that will infuriate you, depress you, and hopefully spur you to action against a system that has done egregious harm to our fellow citizens.  – Matt Goldberg

Directors: Noah Baumabch and Jake Paltrow

De Palma is an absolute must-watch for any and all cinephiles, whether you’re a fan of Brian De Palma’s work or not. The film’s conceit is basically that filmmakers and De Palma fans Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow sit the legendary director in front of a camera and pepper him with a litany of questions that cover his entire career, for which De Palma is more than happy to be absolutely candid. Hear stories about the making of films like Scarface, Blow Out, and Untouchables, his friendship with filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and George Lucas (and subsequent jealousy when their careers went stratospheric and his didn’t), and the creative tensions on the set of Mission: Impossible. You’ll walk away wanting Baumbach and Paltow to turn this into a series of documentaries about various filmmakers running through their entire filmographies. – Adam Chitwood

The docuseries Blue Planet II is so visually tantalizing that it really demands visceral reactions. Joy, terror, confusion, and celebration are commonplace when watching these stunning sea stories, thanks to things like bubble-less diving equipment that allows the camera operators to get closer to their subjects than ever before.

Blue Planet II is a follow-up to 2001’s seminal documentary series. The new chapter took over 4 years to film (you can learn more about that filming here), and the results are stunning. Airing on BBC America in the U.S., Blue Planet II is again (and of course) narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and takes us on dives across and deep into all of the world’s oceans. But the real trick of Blue Planet II is that despite its deluge of amazing facts and oceanic education, it never feels like homework. It is stunning, delightful, and even terrifying. There really cannot be enough praise for the series, which knows how important it is to engage viewers on both an emotional and intellectual level. The results are a riveting, often heartbreaking look at both the strength and fragility of the world’s oceans. It is a series that cannot be missed, and one that will leave you breathless given the scope of its fascinating but urgent message. Basically, it’ll f— you up real good. — Allison Keene (Full Review)

Directors: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk

Audrie & Daisy is a tough watch, but also a necessary one—especially in 2018. The documentary chronicles the stories of two high school students who were sexually assaulted. Audrie, 15, was subjected to such intense cyberbullying after the incident that she committed suicide. Daisy, 14 at the time of her assault, hears about Audrie’s story and tries to reach out, only to discover she’s already gone. The film tracks the events of both traumatic events while also chronicling how the institutions meant to protect citizens failed both of these victims. And while this is an intensely emotional film, the courage of Daisy’s story instills hope, and Cohen and Shenk conclude the film by focusing on the efforts being made to stop assault before it begins. – Adam Chitwood

Directors: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

Writer: Geoffrey C. Ward

While billed as a “film,” Ken Burns’ latest documentary epic The Vietnam War is 17 hours in length, so you’re likely not going to be able to watch this one all in one go. And even if you could, I’m not sure you’d want to. Just like Burns’ other docs like The Roosevelts or The Civil War, The Vietnam War takes a deep dive into crucial moments in American history, but this film is also accompanied by harrowing footage from one of the worst wars in American history. The doc does a phenomenal job of contextualizing exactly how this war began, tracing its roots back to 1858, and also looks towards the future as all sides try to find healing and reconciliation. The film is packed with insightful and emotional interviews with both Americans and those who experienced the war firsthand from both North Vietnam and South Vietnam, as those involved offer candid details about what exactly went on from their point of view. This is a must-watch for every American citizen, and while moments are indeed graphic and troubling, they’re crucial to understanding the mistakes made in the past so that they’re hopefully not repeated in the future. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Will Allen

There are a lot of documentaries about cults, but Holy Hell is certainly one of the most engrossing to tackle this particular subject. The film hails from Will Allen, who documents his personal experience as a member of the Buddhafield cult for 22 years, which was led by a mysterious man who goes by the name Michel. What makes this particular documentary so fascinating is the fact that Allen served as the group’s official videographer, so there’s a bounty of footage from inside the cult that is contextualized with present day interviews from former members. There are many twists and turns to be found as the story unfolds, and it’s no spoiler to say that Michel is discovered to be quite the megalomaniacal leader. But Holy Hell does a great job of exploring why people were so entranced by Michel’s teachings, and how their own personal experiences in society made them more vulnerable and likely to stick around as things got weirder and weirder. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Chris Smith

During the making of the 1999 film Man on the Moon, actor Jim Carrey made the decision to go full-method into the character of Andy Kaufman. He asked a couple of Kaufman’s real-life friends to help document the experience, filming Carrey both on and off set during the difficult shoot. But Universal Pictures prevented the footage from ever seeing the light of day, for fear that people would think Carrey was “an asshole.” So Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond unearths this footage for the very first time, and is juxtaposed with an extremely candid interview with Carrey shot in 2017. The result is a fascinating, unflinching chronicle of Carrey’s method acting—which at times was abrasive and infuriating. But the film is also an introspective look at Carrey’s life and career, and what makes him tick. It’s clear that the Man on the Moon experience had a profound effect on Carrey’s life, and forever changed how he saw things. For fans of Carrey’s work, this bizarre piece of documentary filmmaking a must-see. — Adam Chitwood

Director: Jacob LaMendola

The less you know about Jacob LaMendola’s 40-minute documentary Long Shot the better because its twists and turns are absolutely shocking even if its larger point should be burned into viewers memories by now. Overall, the documentary focuses on Juan Catalan, who was accused of a murder he didn’t commit and the lengths he had to go to in order to prove his innocence. While our justice system likes to tout that the accused are “innocent until proven guilty,” Long Shot shows in its brief runtime that the truth is just the opposite. Despite the flimsy evidence against Catalan, he had to be extraordinarily lucky to prove his innocence and that we have a system that incentivizes detectives and prosecutors simply to close cases rather than find justice. The brilliant thing about Long Shot is that it never has to come right out and say it. The case speaks volumes on its own. – Matt Goldberg

Directed by: Ryan White

The “docuseries” format has become somewhat en vogue as of late, with HBO’s The Jinx and Netflix’s Making a Murderer expanding the whodunit nature of an episode of Dateline into a six, seven, or eight-hour comprehensive look at a cold case or some crime with a hook. At first blush, Netflix’s The Keepers looked to be in the same vein of these other watercooler series. The show promised to delve into the mysterious disappearance and murder of a nun, Sister Cathy Cesnik, in 1969, examining the circumstances, the many suspects, and other relevant aspects of the case. It’s soon revealed that Cesnik may have uncovered horrendous sexual abuse that was going on at the all-girls Archbishop Keough High School. Specifically, women came forward with allegations that two priests at the school, most prominently Father Joseph Maskell, had been forcing female students to perform sex acts on him and others. The theory, then, was that Sister Cathy was determined to out and put a stop to the abuse, and was murdered in order to silence her.

Abuse has permanent, devastating effects on the victim, and The Keepers brings this to light in a striking, upsetting, but necessary manner. How can we expect to prevent this kind of abuse in the future if we follow suit and dismiss it as “not our problem” or something best handled quietly? No longer are these victims shamed as liars, or silenced with threats—The Keepers gives them the space to tell their story, and as intriguing as Sister Cathy’s murder mystery is, it’s merely an entry point to an emotional and poignant tale that ultimately paints Sister Cathy as a hero who died trying to do the right thing. — Adam Chitwood

Director: Bryan Fogel

This movie is insane. Icarus began as a project from Bryan Fogel in which the documentary filmmaker wanted to go on a doping regimen for the Haute Route to see if he could elude the race’s intense drug testing. But as Fogel makes contact with a Russian expert in doping, he soon becomes embroiled in the biggest athletic scandal in history, as his “expert” turns out to be the mastermind behind Russia’s doping of the Sochi Olympics. Part dark comedy, part thriller, Icarus is an exciting, fascinating, and truly stranger-than fiction watch. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Kim A. Snyder

The documentary Newtown is not an easy film to watch, nor should it be, but it is absolutely essential. The film is a tactful, powerful look at how the community of Newtown, Connecticut came together in the aftermath of the largest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history. It is a deeply personal film, focusing on the parents, brothers, and sisters who were affected by this act of terrorism, and how it has impacted not just them but the community as a whole. The film forces the viewer to confront the consequences of gun violence in an unflinching, almost overwhelmingly emotional manner. It is not preachy and it has no agenda other than showing human truth. If I had my personal druthers, this film would be required viewing for every single American citizen. – Adam Chitwood

Director: James Moll

If you’re at all curious about the evolution of Dave Grohl from Nirvana drummer to Foo Fighters frontman, and the struggles the latter band had along the way, Foo Fighters: Back and Forth is a must-see. The 2011 film was tied to the Foo Fighters album Wasting Light and features interviews with band members past and present discussing the band’s journey over the years, interspersed with footage of the group recording some tracks for Wasting Light—including one scene in which Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and producer Butch Walker work together to create a song for the first time since their Nirvana days. – Adam Chitwood

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s second feature, Blackfish, tracks the psychological and physical torment inflicted on Orca whales in the name of a strong corporate brand, but its contours are not your everyday money-excuses-death scenario. It’s plotting suggests something far more audacious, as the director, aided by interviews from former SeaWorld staff members and experts, carefully builds a case for freely empathizing with animals in captivity. As you watch, one can clearly understand why these mammals lash out and why, despite their aggressive and largely unhelpful harangues, advocates against animal captivity and cruelty devote their time to such endeavors. Cowperthwaite’s film does more to open up a dialogue about animal treatment in America, corporate or otherwise, than a million cleverly written protest signs and manipulative ads featuring Sarah McLachlan music combined. – Chris Cabin

Director: David Gelb

Even if you don’t like sushi, you’ll be salivating over the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which not only lovingly photographs Jiro Ono’s $500/plate delicacies, but also goes deep into his work ethic and passion. Gelb’s exploration of one man’s pursuit of total perfection, and the personal cost of that pursuit, is utterly captivating regardless of your food cravings. Gelb could have made a documentary about any person who is at the top of their field, but focusing on Jiro Ono opens up the door to not only a feast for the senses (you can almost taste the sashimi), but also a fascinating look at Japanese culture, especially with regards to Jiro’s complicated relationship with his two sons. It’s a filling documentary even if it leaves you physically hungry for such delicious-looking food. – Matt Goldberg

Director: Barak Goodman

Before the 9/11 attacks, the most devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil was the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, which killed 168 people and injured 680 others. Oklahoma City uses this event to frame and contextualize what drove Timothy McVeigh to plan and execute this horrific act, which in turn is also a chronicle of the early days of the alt-right movement. The film touches on Ruby Ridge and the standoff at Waco (where McVeigh was present) as precursor events that spurred McVeigh into action, and the white supremacist and anti-government fallout planted seeds that still grow today. Indeed, Oklahoma City is a heartbreaking tribute to the victims of that bombing, but it also has relevance to the world we live in today with regards to domestic terrorism. A compelling, fascinating watch. – Adam Chitwood

Directors: Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn

Whether you’re already familiar with the Amanda Knox case or only have a vague recollection of the name, the Netflix original documentary Amanda Knox is a deeply fascinating watch. Framed by exclusive interviews with the titular subject herself, as well as those intimately involved in the case, Amanda Knox chronicles the murder of Knox’s roommate and the subsequent investigation, trials, and appeals regarding her apparent involvement. But beyond simply going into detail about the case, the film is also a searing indictment of the media’s inherent misogyny, and how public perception when it comes to women and sex can be skewed tremendously. – Adam Chitwood