The 100 Best Documentaries Ever

Documentary films are capable of so much. They can shape opinions, change minds, make you laugh or cry, and take you to a world you've never seen before. There's really no limit to what they can focus on, either — some are intimate studies of a single person, while others attempt to make sense of a sprawling global conflict. The possibilities really are limitless. If it has existed at any point in time, or if it may exist at any point in the future, odds are that you can make a documentary about it.

So, what is it that makes a documentary exceptional? There's no one way to define a great documentary, but this list may provide some assistance. Docs are an incredibly popular form of filmmaking, and can often be produced inexpensively; theoretically, anyone who can pick up a camera can make one. That's not to say it's easy, though — making a documentary that stands out is no small feat. If you're looking for your next film to watch, look no further, as these documentaries will challenge, inspire, anger, disgust, and radicalize you — sometimes, all at once.

Ava DuVernay is largely known for her fiction features, having helmed the powerful biopic "Selma" and the adventurous "A Wrinkle in Time." However, DuVernay's first foray into documentary filmmaking is also hugely impactful, as she investigates the 13th Amendment to the American Constitution, which abolished slavery — except as a punishment for a crime.

The film explores how the amendment actually paved the way for a new kind of slavery to emerge through the industrial prison complex, providing a vital education on a major issue plaguing America. It's the kind of film that should be shown in every history class across the nation.

• Starring: Michelle Alexander, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones

• Director: Ava DuVernay

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

"The Act of Killing" is extraordinary, unforgettable filmmaking that brings audiences face to face with a killer. The film follows the massacres of communist people in Indonesia, as well as those who perpetrated the crimes. While you may assume that the murderers would be behind bars, they're instead revered for what they did. It's every bit as terrifying as it is fascinating. "The Act of Killing" is a highly compelling investigation into the power of the camera, and the confrontational ability that documentary filmmaking possesses. It's difficult viewing for sure, but "The Act of Killing" is like nothing you've seen before.

• Starring: Anwar Congo, Jusuf Kalla

• Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 122 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

A winning portrait of a fascinating and controversial artist, Alison Klayman's "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" is a marvel. Ai Weiwei is best known for designing the Bird's Nest, the stadium used in the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. The film offers a lot more than just some insight into Weiwei's art, though, painting a complex portrait of a man and his impact on those around him.

It's also the story of a man fighting against extremely aggressive censorship and the way that art can transgress boundaries. If you're looking for a movie about the power an artist can wield, look no further.

• Starring: Weiwei Ai, Dan-qing Chen, Dan Ai

• Director: Alison Klayman

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

A charming, hilarious, and surprising documentary, "American Movie" follows Mark Borchardt, who aspires to become a filmmaker. He doesn't just dream, though. Alongside his best friend, Borchardt is fiercely determined to make the horror film that haunts his imagination a reality, despite the endless difficulties in his path. "American Movie" is a must-watch for those who love cinema, especially those fascinated by the surprisingly arduous journey it takes to get a movie made.

• Starring: Mark Borchardt, Tom Schimmels, Monica Borchardt

• Director: Chris Smith

• Year: 1999

• Runtime: 107 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Asif Kapadia's "Amy" takes a no-holds-barred look at the life of gifted musician Amy Winehouse. The film charts Winehouse's massive rise and devastating fall, using lots of home and archival footage to deliver a beautiful and sensitive portrait of a troubled prodigal talent. The film is intimate without ever feeling exploitative, unafraid to show the uglier side of Winehouse's life while taking the time to examine the things and people that Kapadia suggests contributed to her all too early demise.

• Starring: Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett, Pete Doherty

• Director: Asif Kapadia

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 128 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

A film that gets more prescient with each passing moment, Davis Guggenheim's "An Inconvenient Truth" is all about the ongoing climate crisis. It was difficult to view when it was first released in 2006, but now it feels practically unbearable. The film famously features former vice president Al Gore, who offers tremendous insights into global warming: how it started, what makes it worse, the dangers it poses, and how we can curb its overwhelming threat. Unfortunately, as the warnings of the film — and the vast majority of scientists — continue to go ignored, the film feels more like a warning sign we refused to listen to more than anything else.

• Starring: Al Gore, Billy West

• Director: Davis Guggenheim

• Year: 2006

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Documentaries possess the incredible ability to transport you to places you've never been, and they can provide meticulous explorations of certain moments in time. Patricio Guzmán's "The Battle of Chile" is a massive undertaking — combined, its three parts are over five hours long — but it's so compelling and full of information that its runtime flies by. The films provide an essential chronicle of Chile in the 1970s, examining a country under serious political duress, as well as the revolution and violent coup against president Salvador Allende. The film was banned in its native Chile for over 20 years, but can now be seen all over the world as the extremely valuable piece of history it is.

• Starring: Abilio Fernández

• Director: Patricio Guzmán

• Year: 1975

• Runtime: 320 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

One of the earliest major cinematic events, "The Battle of the Somme" brought the frontlines of the First World War to audiences back home for the first time. It's difficult to explain just how extraordinarily impactful this film is. Nowadays, endless footage of war is just a few clicks away, but audiences flocked to cinemas to see "The Battle of the Somme" — over 20 million people viewed the film during its first six weeks in theaters.

Admittedly, the film isn't especially exciting to a modern audience — there isn't much in terms of a narrative, as it's largely just footage of soldiers walking around and fighting on the front lines — but its immense historical importance makes it an absolute must-watch.

• Starring: Beauvoir De Lisle

• Director: Geoffrey H. Malins

• Year: 1916

• Runtime: 74 minutes

• Rating: N/A

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

If you've never seen a Frederick Wiseman film before, you'll probably be quite surprised by what's on-screen: There is no narration and no interviews, which are often central elements in documentary films. Instead, Wiseman fully immerses himself into whatever institution he's investigating — in this case, the port city of Belfast, Maine. Wiseman's camera follows the lives of countless workers, including city counselors, doctors, teachers, social workers, tugboat operators, and more. At over four hours long, "Belfast, Maine" may seem like a daunting prospect, but the film captures the ordinary with an almost hypnotic effect, creating a rich tapestry of an entire city by simply observing.

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 1999

• Runtime: 248 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

An exquisite look at a city in motion, "Berlin, Symphony of a Great City" unfolds over five acts, which take place during a single day in Berlin, Germany. It's only an hour in length, but it feels quicker, and there are countless moments that will leave you in awe, wondering how on Earth the film could have been made so many decades before the advent of digital effects. The word "Symphony" in its title is important, too, as it hones in on the film's stunning editing, which echoes Soviet montage but takes a much more musical approach; that's all the more remarkable given that the film was released without synchronized sound.

• Director: Walther Ruttmann

• Year: 1927

• Runtime: 60 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

Many documentary filmmakers prefer to stay behind the camera. Michael Moore is not one of them. A proud iconoclast, Moore boldly goes against the grain at every opportunity — when he accepted his Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine" he was met with a chorus of boos after criticizing George W. Bush and the second Iraq War. However, "Bowling for Columbine," however, is a thoughtful and emotional exploration of gun violence viewed through the lens of the Columbine shooting.

The film is so much more than a look at a particular issue. It's a heart-wrenching powerhouse of a production that explores America's often inexplicable relationship with firearms and the seemingly unstoppable powers that keep the weapons so accessible. It's incredible to see Moore attempt to hold the people in charge responsible, and while it's not an easy watch, it's a vital one.

• Starring: Michael Moore, George W. Bush

• Director: Michael Moore

• Year: 2002

• Runtime: 120 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Dizzying proof that documentaries don't always have to be heavy (despite this list regularly suggesting otherwise), Wim Wenders' "Buena Vista Social Club" is an absolute joy. This transportive film follows Ry Cooder and his quest to bring together a group of some of Cuba's finest musicians to record an album called "Buena Vista Social Club." It's a joyous exploration of the power of music that also details the tensions between Cuba and America, which are exacerbated by the travel restrictions between the two countries. After recording the album, the group played concerts in Amsterdam and the United States, which the film explores in an exhilarating fashion. A pure delight through and through, "Buena Vista Social Club" is a whole lot of fun, features some truly sensational music, and shines a light on some previously unheralded musicians who deserve to be known the world over.

• Starring: Luis Barzaga, Joachim Cooder, Ry Cooder

• Director: Wim Wenders

• Year: 1999

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Nobody said that filmmaking was easy, though in its earliest days Hollywood was a pretty well-oiled machine. The studio system allowed for films to be churned out with remarkable speed and efficiency. However, as people envisioned more elaborate movies, things became more complicated; just look at Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo," which has to be one of the most involved movies ever produced. For one, as he did on "Aguirre: The Wrath of God," Herzog was determined to film on location in the Amazon River. While making "Aguiree" was tough going, though, it was nothing compared to the challenge of making "Fitzcarraldo." That film's incredible journey lies at the heart of "Burden of Dreams." I won't spoil the details for you, but rest assured that the documentary is an addictive look at what was quite possibly the most arduous film shoot in history.

• Starring: Werner Herzog, Claudia Cardinale, Mick Jagger

• Director: Les Blank

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

"Just when you think everything is going to be dull, something is dropped on your lap and it turns out to be something bigger than you ever thought," says Detective Frances Galasso in "Capturing the Friedmans," which perfectly sums up Andrew Jarecki's documentary. What first appears to be a portrait of an everyday family quickly becomes a series of explosive revelations. Jarecki's film jumps between family members, detectives, and victims to paint an engrossing portrait of some truly horrific acts, reminding audiences that the truth isn't always easy to come by.

• Starring: David Friedman, Jesse Friedman, Elaine Friedman

• Director: Andrew Jarecki

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 107 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Documentarians Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin made their best film with "Chronicle of a Summer," which feels irrepressibly urgent despite being made in the early '60s. The pair interviewed a series of people who discussed their thoughts and feelings on the world around them, including topics like class and what it means to be happy. The filmmakers then crafted fictional stories based on those interviews, and ultimately showed the subjects the fictional films in order to capture their thoughts. It's a fascinating experiment that proves the remarkable power of human testimony, as well as a striking slice of cinema vérité.

• Starring: Marceline Loridan, Regis Debray, Jean-Pierre Sergent

• Director: Jean Rouch, Edgar Morin

• Year: 1961

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has unwittingly become one of the most fascinating people of the 21st century, and Laura Poitras' "Citizenfour" provides unparalleled access into his life. It's a fascinating, often maddening look at the NSA and its highly controversial — and law-breaking — activities. 

The film has a compelling narrative: Filmmaker Laura Poitras began to receive encrypted emails from an anonymous source who claimed to have information on government surveillance. So, Poitras, alongside reporter Glenn Greenwald, traveled to Hong Kong to meet the person, who wound up being Snowden. "Citizenfour"is an urgent and important film about surveillance in a post-9/11 world and the ways that people's rights are constantly being trampled in favor of keeping people "safe."

• Starring: Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Jacob Applebaum

• Director: Laura Poitras

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 114 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami blends fiction and documentary in the dazzling "Close-Up." This radical film uses a real-life event — the arrest of a man for impersonating filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf — to launch a dense yet entertaining exploration of mythmaking, creation, film, and identity that's incredible to behold. The actors in the film play themselves, which creates a dizzying effect that makes it nearly impossible to tell whether what you're seeing is a reenactment or reality. Totally unique and deliciously complex, "Close-Up" is moviemaking at its most creative.

• Starring: Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazi Ahankhah

• Director: Abbas Kiarostami

• Year: 1990

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

It's difficult to know what's going on behind closed doors, but sometimes incredibly brave people risk everything to open things up to the public. Alexander Nanau's "Collective," a harrowing Romanian drama, follows a group of journalists who uncover staggering levels of corruption following a nightclub fire that turned deadly. It's impossible to predict what will happen next, as each layer that's peeled back reveals more rot. "Collective" is an urgent and extremely compelling movie, and it has a distressingly timely message about the importance of a free press that goes far beyond the borders of Romania.

• Starring: Dan Alexandru Condrea, Liviu Iolu, Razvan Lutac

• Director: Alexander Nanau

• Year: 2019

• Runtime: 109 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

A portrait of an artist that's as deliciously off-beat as the man himself, Terry Zwigoff's "Crumb" explores the life of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. As Crumb's lifelong friend, Zwigoff is granted intimate access to a subject who has no interest whatsoever in being in the public eye. Crumb is best known for his shocking, hilarious, and controversial comic strips, but the film takes a greater interest in the person behind the art, as well as his family, especially the wife he adores, Aline Kominsky-Crumb. If you're looking for a study of one of comics' stranger figures, look no further than "Crumb."

• Starring: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb

• Director: Terry Zwigoff

• Year: 1994

• Runtime: 119 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Many documentaries tell tales about major historical events or figures who are known by the masses. However, sometimes special stories rise to the top regardless of their scope. That's certainly the case with "Dear Zachary," a startlingly intimate film by Kurt Kuenne, who made it so that his best friend's son could see what an amazing man his murdered father was.

Plot twists are fairly rare in documentaries, but "Dear Zachary" keeps audiences guessing until the end. Fair warning: This is highly compelling but utterly devastating viewing, and there's almost no chance of you escaping its grip with dry eyes.

• Starring: Kurt Kuenne

• Director: Kurt Kuenne

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

While we could do with an updated version of "The Celluloid Closet" (a whole lot's happened in the world of LGBTQ+ media since Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman made their vital documentary in the mid-'90s), "Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen" makes for a more than worthy spiritual follow-up. Sam Feder's doc features interviews with trans actors and filmmakers both younger and older, allowing them to tell the story of the history of trans representation onscreen in their own words. The film doesn't shy away from or sugarcoat the way transgender people have been traditionally vilified and treated with contempt and prejudice in mainstream media, and it's deeply uncomfortable to behold the sheer amount of anti-trans material that've been filtered through the screen over the decades. But at the same time, "Disclosure" is profoundly hopeful, noting how trans representation has gradually improved (while still leaving plenty of room for further growth), and showing that even artists who once dealt in propagating anti-trans stereotypes — cough, Ryan Murphy!, cough — can change for the better and become allies. (Sandy Schaefer)

• Starring: Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Lilly Wachowski
• Director: Sam Feder
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

An exciting look into one of America's most fascinating musical icons, D.A. Pennebaker's "Don't Look Back" offers startlingly direct access to the one and only Bob Dylan. Documentaries about musicians are often filmed through rose-colored lenses, choosing only to focus on their glorious highs. Pennebaker's film refuses to do so, offering a complicated and raw portrait of an artist at the peak of his fame. 

"Don't Look Back" finds Pennebaker following Dylan during his 1965 England tour, providing a look at his hotel conversations, how he spends his downtime during travel, and, of course, his concert appearances. "Don't Look Back" isn't just for Dylan fans, and is a worthwhile endeavor for anyone fascinated by the real people hiding behind artists' facades.

• Starring: Bob Dylan, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez

• Director: D.A. Pennebaker

• Year: 1967

• Runtime: 96 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

An incendiary look at the people who thought they were simply too big to fail, Alex Gibney's "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is jaw-dropping stuff. Gibney's film follows the extraordinary collapse of one of the biggest companies in history and the astonishing, nasty arrogance of those in charge, who were all too thrilled to do whatever they could to increase profits, be that through legal loopholes or plain old thievery. There is absolutely nothing that Enron wouldn't do to make money, and the documentary presents us with some of cinema's most unhinged villains. From the massive rise to the ugly fall, Gibney's film is a wildly compelling ride through corporate corruption.

• Starring: Peter Coyle

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2005

• Runtime: 113 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Agnès Varda was one of the world's great filmmakers. With "Cléo From 5 to 7," she became a pioneer of the French New Wave, and she also made a number of interesting and insightful documentaries. One of her most charming films is "Faces Places," which finds her and her companion JR traveling to small communities in France, photographing people, and then blowing up the results to create massive pieces of artwork in public places. The result is intoxicating — Varda has a control over filmmaking that most directors simply dream of.

• Starring: Agnès Varda, JR

• Director: Agnès Varda

• Year: 2017

• Runtime: 89 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

How can you know what is real? That's a concept that master filmmaker Orson Welles explored in his final film, the docudrama "F for Fake." The film initially presents itself as an investigation into notorious art forget Elmer de Hory and biographer Clifford Irving, who is best known for writing a completely fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. However, "F for Fake" quickly turns into a whirlwind experience that challenges the very ideas of fact and truth. Here, one of the world's most celebrated moviemakers is having a whole lot of fun while making you wonder who the real con artists actually are.

• Starring: Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Joseph Cotton

• Director: Orson Welles

• Year: 1973

• Runtime: 88 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

"Fire of Love" is a visual marvel exceeding that of your average nine-figure blockbuster. The film is comprised of archival footage shot by the late French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who captured some of the most spell-binding displays of nature's fury ever put to screen while getting so up close and personal with actual volcanoes, it's feels like a miracle they didn't die. But it's not just a spectacle; Sara Dosa's documentary is also a thoughtful love story about a pair of quirky, media-savvy scientists and the way their consciences were increasingly awakened over time. The Kraffts' eventual campaign to use their research to help save lives and protect innocent civilians from greed-driven bureaucracies gives this volcanic picture (could we call it a docbuster?) a beating heart to go with all the breath-taking fireworks. (Sandy Schaefer)

• Starring: Katia and Maurice Krafft
• Director: Sara Dosa
• Year: 2022
• Runtime: 93 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

An awe-inspiring example of courageous personal filmmaking, "For Sama" is a heart-shattering masterwork. The horrors of war are all too often seen from a male perspective; here, however, Waad Al-Kataeb shows us the revolutions in Aleppo, Syria as seen through a woman's eyes. It's as much a personal document — even under these terrifying conditions, Al-Kataeb finds love and has a child — as it is a startling first-person account of living in a war-torn nation. Documentaries often shine a light on the past, but "For Sama" is overwhelming evidence that documentary is a powerful medium for capturing the present, too.

• Starring: Waad Al-Kateab, Sama Al-Kateab, Hamza Al-Kateab

• Director: Edward Watts, Waad Al-Kateab

• Year: 2019

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Errol Morris is one of the all-time great documentarians, tackling fascinating and controversial subjects with striking simplicity. For "The Fog of War," Morris sits down with Robert S. McNamara, the United States Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, who was in charge during the first half of the Vietnam War. The film largely consists of McNamara himself as he confronts his own life, his career, and the decisions he's made, as well as some intense archival footage. "The Fog of War" is a bracing and insightful look at one of America's most talked-about military minds, and the unfettered access the film provides to the legendary figure is incredible. McNamara is a dream subject for a documentary, as he speaks candidly about his life and the complicated policies that defined his career.

• Starring: Robert S. McNamara, Lyndon B. Johnson

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 105 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Not to be confused with the Apple TV+ series of the same name, Al Reinert's "For All Mankind" takes a deep look at the moon landings and the Apollo Space Program of the 1960s and 1970s. The film tackles much more than just the first moon landing, though. It follows the lives of 24 different people who went to the moon over the course of nine different missions. Reinert's film brilliantly fuses all those different trips into one inspiring story, which allows everything to feel more intimate and keeps things from getting repetitive. "For All Mankind" is an awesome story about the power of the human spirit and how new technology can be used to accomplish extraordinary things.

• Starring: Jim Lovell, Rusty Schweickart, Eugene Cernan

• Director: Al Reinert

• Year: 1989

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

"Free Solo" is an exciting film about one individual's extraordinary physical feat. Alex Honnold, a professional rock climber, is after the holy grail of climbing: to become the first person to free solo climb El Capitan's vertical rock face, which is an awe-inspiring 900 meters in height. One single stumble or slip could result in Honnold's death — and you better believe that's a risk he's willing to take. While this testament to the human spirit is awesome, what really makes it exceptional is watching it all unfold. "Free Solo" is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful films ever made. Just take a moment to see how the directors filmed the climbing sequences and prepare to be amazed.

• Starring: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless

• Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Documentarian Errol Morris' debut film, "Gates of Heaven" is a study of two pet cemeteries in California and the people involved in them. Morris seems keen to just let his subjects talk about whatever they like, which results in some startling and profound observations on life, love, and loss. The result is funny, sad, mystical, and hugely engaging and has no shortage of fans, including the legendary film critic Roger Ebert, who called it one of his 10 favorite films of all time.

• Starring: Lucille Billingsley, Zella Graham, Cal Harberts

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 1978

• Runtime: 85 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

It feels like an act of serendipity that the Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin happened to be present during a major event in rock history. The Rolling Stones' free concert at Altamont Speedway was supposed to be a chance for the band's fans to enjoy some incredible music. However, a dreadful act of violence sent everything careening south, and what was intended to be a joyful celebration became a symbol of lost innocence and the crumbling of America's counterculture.

• Starring: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor

• Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin

• Year: 1970

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Agnès Varda's "The Gleaners and I" is a glimpse into the lives of gleaners, or people who sustain themselves by foraging through the things that other people discard. Varda takes such an intimate, caring approach to the material and shows such an authentic interest in the topic that unparalleled insights into her subjects inevitably follow. Strikingly, Varda makes a personal connection with the gleaners, leading her to considering her work as a filmmaker and gelaning's similarities to her own craft. A wonderful level of intimacy results, leaving the film with plenty to say about consumerism. "The Gleaners and I" is a showcase for a filmmaker 40 years into her career, and proves that, even at this point, Varda still had plenty of wisdom to share with the world.

• Starring: Agnès Varda, Francois Wertheimer

• Director: Agnès Varda

• Year: 2000

• Runtime: 82 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

A damning indictment of the Church of Scientology, Alex Gibney's "Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief" is an intoxicating look at one of the world's most secretive religions. In order to properly investigate his subject, Gibney interviews a number of people who left Scientology behind, filming them as they reveal the systemic abuse and bizarre rituals that go on behind its closed doors. Gibney is deeply respectful to those brave enough to speak out, realizing that their stories need to be heard. If you're looking for a comprehensive tell-all on the controversies surrounding Scientology, there's no better place to start than Gibney's "Going Clear."

• Starring: Alex Gibney, Marina Zenovich, Sherry Stringfield

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 119 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Albert and David Maysles have made many fly-on-the-wall documentaries that explore the lives of fascinating subjects, but none are more oddly compelling than "Grey Gardens." Alongside filmmakers Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, the Maysles brothers examine the lives of two relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. In their vast Long Island estate, Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother Edith talk through their daily lives and their past experiences. Though the pair rarely step foot outside their dilapidated home, the film still manages to be full of insight and wonder, and Edie and Edith make for two of cinema's most fascinating character studies.

• Starring: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers

• Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer

• Year: 1975

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Conventional wisdom tells us to keep our distance from bears; despite their fluffy appearances, they have the power to carve us up in the blink of an eye. Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" follows the life of Timothy Treadwell, a man who ignored this advice, left his civilian life behind, and lived amongst bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park. Herzog edited much of the documentary from footage that Treadwell shot himself, which plays a big part in creating an intimate portrait of a man who chose to do something that the vast majority of people wouldn't even dream of attempting. You can certainly guess how this story ends, but that doesn't make the journey any less exceptional.

• Starring: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard

• Director: Werner Herzog

• Year: 2005

• Runtime: 103 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

A testament to the incredible bravery of the American worker, Barbara Kopple's "Harlan County, USA" follows the 1973 conflict between Kentucky coal miners and their employer. The dispute, which came to be known as the Brookside Strike, was an incredible effort by the miners to unionize, drawing significant ire from the power company they worked for. Boldly, Kopple doesn't use narration in this documentary, instead relying on the words of the workers themselves to tell this story of perseverance. In an era when workers' rights feel more tenuous than ever, "Harlan County, USA" feels particularly vital.

• Starring: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough

• Director: Barbara Kopple

• Year: 1976

• Runtime: 103 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Many documentaries interrogate events that have long since concluded, but Peter Davis' "Hearts and Minds" deals with the atrocities of the Vietnam War in the heat of the conflict. The title of the documentary comes from a quote from President Lyndon B. Johnson, who claimed that winning the war was about winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Accordingly, this explicitly anti-war film is an incredibly tough watch, blending interviews with American military figures with footage of the devastating consequences of military action in Vietnam. It's startling, urgent, and expressive filmmaking that uses an immense number of sources to paint a devastating portrait of the horrors of an extremely unpopular war.

• Starring: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Kay Dvorshock

• Director: Peter Davis

• Year: 1974

• Runtime: 112 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Though Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is widely considered one of the greatest war movies of all time, it was incredibly tumultuous and fraught with peril behind the scenes. Borrowing the title of the Joseph Conrad novel on which "Apocalypse Now" is based, this documentary charts some of the truly wild things that were happening on the other side of the camera, including but not limited to threats of self-harm, heart attacks, drug problems, and seemingly endless logistical issues. "A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" is a harrowing glance at the production process, reminding audiences that sometimes it takes unbelievable efforts to complete a movie.

• Starring: Sam Bottoms, Marlon Brando, Colleen Camp

• Directors: Fax Bahr, Eleanor Coppola, George Hickenlooper

• Year: 1991

• Runtime: 96 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Under normal circumstances, achieving your dreams can be an incredible challenge. When you want to join the NBA and become a superstar, however, it can feel impossible. Steve James' epic three-hour documentary "Hoop Dreams" follows two inner-city kids from Chicago who aspire to make it big in the world of basketball. The film unfolds over a five-year period, navigating stunningly complicated athletic programs while shedding light on the hopeful athletes' family lives and their Chicago neighborhoods. It's a beautiful, inspiring, and fully-realized film that stands as one of America's finest sports stories.

• Starring: Steve James, William Gates, Arthur Agee

• Director: Steve James

• Year: 1994

• Runtime: 174 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

A comprehensive behemoth of a movie, Fernando Solanas and Otavio Getino's "The Hour of the Furnaces" combines enormous amounts of archival footage, newsreels, and interviews with revolutionary fighters in order to craft an amazing portrait of Argentinian resistance. The film unfolds over three parts — "Neocolonialism," "Act for Liberation," and "Violence and Liberation" — as it charts more than 100 years of Argentine history. Making the film was an incredible act of courage, and it remains a wild, risk-taking experience that regularly upends expectations.

• Starring: Maria de la Paz, Edgardo Suárez, Fernando Pino Solanas

• Director: Fernando Solanas, Octavio Getino

• Year: 1968

• Runtime: 260 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s devastated countless communities all over the world as governments declined to fund research into the disease and dragged their feet when it came to finding solutions (and that's putting it lightly). As such, activists were forced to step up. David France's terrific film "How to Survive a Plague" charts their efforts, particularly those of the groups ACT UP and TAG. The interviews with the activists themselves, who crushingly admit that they know they're going to die as a result of the virus, are particularly striking. "How to Survive a Plague" is equal parts rousing and heartbreaking, telling a story about the monumental bravery it takes to make your voice heard when your own government is against you.

• Starring: David Barr, Jim Eigo, Ann Northrop

• Director: David France

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 110 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

When it comes to stories about con artists, you expect to hear tales about elaborate heists, but "The Imposter" tells an entirely different — and far more personal — story. The film concerns a missing teenager in Texas in the '90s. He was presumed murdered, although his body was never found. A few years later, however, the boy appeared in Spain and was brought home, though something was undeniably different about him. It wasn't just his personality, either — his skin, eye color, and accent had all changed. Director Bart Layton handles the film like a narrative thriller, cleverly staging recreations to help tell this chilling stranger-than-fiction story. You simply must see "The Imposter" to believe it.

• Starring: Adam O'Brien, Anna Ruben, Cathy Dresbach

• Director: Bart Layton

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Director Raoul Peck uses the words of the exemplary American activist and writer James Baldwin to great effect in "I Am Not Your Negro." Baldwin envisioned a book that explored the lives and assassinations of three of his dear friends: Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. However, that tome was never finished, so this wonderful and insightful film imagines the finished product. With Samuel L. Jackson serving as narrator, the film dives into Baldwin's life as well as those of some extraordinary activists, examining America's history of racism and making for urgent, important, and informative cinema.

• Starring: Samuel L. Jackson

• Director: Raoul Peck

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 95 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Documentaries have a reputation for being heavy, and frankly, many of the films on this list support that theory. For something different and completely and utterly charming, however, check out "I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story," which follows four different women from different generations who are wildly passionate about certain music groups. Take That, One Direction, The Beatles, and The Backstreet Boys are all fawned over in the film, but what makes this documentary really effective is its exploration of female affinity for pop music and the ways that fandom unites (and occasionally divides) us. This is an intoxicatingly wonderful movie for anyone who's ever obsessed over anything.

• Starring: Elif Cam, Dara Donnelly, Susan Bower

• Director: Jessica Leski

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 93 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Frederick Weisman brings his impressively compassionate observational skills to Jackson Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Weisman has an uncanny ability to make you feel intimately involved with his subjects, and here it almost feels like you've been transported straight to Jackson Heights as you see the amazing community organizers' work. "In Jackson Heights" is vibrant and energetic, taking you through the many different viewpoints, cultures, and beliefs that make up the neighborhood. Weisman's unique approach to documentary filmmaking allows for a widespread and hugely enlightening view of one of America's most diverse places.

• Starring: Laura Oblois

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 2015

• Runtime: 190 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

"Jiro Dreams of Sushi," a profile of sushi master Jiro Ono, who owns a small 10-seat restaurant that's revered the world over for its jaw-dropping food, is a lovely movie. As Jiro approaches the later stages of his life, the film also features Jiro's two sons, who are both excellent sushi chefs in their own right. This delicately-observed film explores not only a particular chef and his meticulous methods, but also the fascinating culture surrounding sushi and the remarkable processes that bring the beloved Japanese delicacy to life. It's the perfect film to ignite your own passions — just don't watch it on an empty stomach!

• Starring: Jiro Ono

• Director: David Gelb

• Year: 2011

• Runtime: 81 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

In 1974, local Florida TV reporter Christine Chubbuck died by taking her own life live on the air after shooting herself. Unlike the gruesome footage of the on-air death of R. Budd Dwyer, which can readily be found on sites like Youtube, the footage of Chubbuck's death has been lost to time, although there are rumors it still exists somewhere. Robert Greene's fascinating, haunting documentary "Kate Plays Christine" follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to play Chubbuck in a fictional film. We watch as Sheil attempts to get into character by trying to grapple with what Chubbuck did, and why she did it — while also attempting to find the real-life footage itself. Unconventional and disturbing, "Kate Plays Christine" is not your typical documentary, and you won't find any easy answers here. (Chris Evangelista)

• Starring: Kate Lyn Sheil

• Director: Robert Greene

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 112 minutes

• Rating: Unrated

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

An intimate and probing portrait of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, Lauren Greenfield's "The Kingmaker" is remarkably revealing. The film explores numerous controversies faced by the Marcos family, many of which featured Imelda at their center. But it's more than that, too — as Marcos shows off her extraordinary home and outfits, Greenfield's film contrasts her life of privilege with the injustices faced by the Filipino people. With the Marcos family recently making a return to power, "The Kingmaker" feels like an eerily prescient harbinger of things to come.

• Starring: Imelda Marcos

• Director: Lauren Greenfield

• Year: 2019

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Watching people play video games against each other seems to become more popular with each passing day, but competitive gaming was a big part of the culture long before the advent of Twitch or esports. Appropriately, "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" takes us back to the era of arcades. For two decades, Billy Mitchell's "Donkey Kong" world record was unmatched. However, the long-reigning and highly controversial champion now faces a new challenger in math teacher Steve Wiebe, a man determined to beat Mitchell's high score at any cost. "The King of Kong" is an exciting exploration into the fierce world of arcade gaming, where the competition is just as intense as it is in any major league sports league.

• Starring: Steve Wiebe, Mark Alpiger, Billy Mitchell

• Director: Seth Gordon

• Year: 2007

• Runtime: 79 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

"Koyaanisqatsi" (say that 10 times fast) is difficult to define. Directed by Godfrey Reggio, the film contains none of the things you'd expect from a documentary form. There are no talking heads, no narration, and no traditional narrative throughline. There's not even any dialogue. Instead, Reggio's experimental film uses only images and sounds to tell a story. The musical score, provided by renowned composer Philip Glass, is astonishing, though, providing a brilliant match to the footage of vast landscapes, moments of modern technology, and people going about their lives. This beguiling, richly compelling film has no defined meaning; as is so often the case with great art, everyone will walk away with a different interpretation as to what it means.

• Director: Godfrey Reggio

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

Luis Buñuel, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, made just one documentary over his illustrious career: "Land Without Bread," a staggering portrait of degradation in Las Hurdes, an extremely poor area of Spain that's cut off from the rest of the country by mountains. As a no-nonsense narrator introduces us to the community, "Land Without Bread" can be upsetting viewing, but what's so intriguing about this documentary is that Buñuel may have faked it all. It features some startling animal cruelty — at one point, a goat falls off a cliff as the film claims that not even the animals can handle the brutal terrain. However, it may turn out that Buñuel shot at the goat in order to cause the accident, fulfilling a narrative requirement. "Land Without Bread" may not be truthful, but its images still have the power to shock you out of complacency.

• Starring: Abel Jacquin

• Director: Luis Buñuel

• Year: 1933

• Runtime: 30 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Is there anything that Martin Scorsese can't do? The answer is a resounding "no." While he may be best known for gangster flicks like "Goodfellas," Scorsese has made every possible kind of movie, including a number of documentaries. The best of his docs is "The Last Waltz," a joyous concert film documenting the final performance of The Band, during which countless music legends performed alongside the group, including Neil Young, Muddy Waters, and Bob Dylan. "The Last Waltz" is a celebration of the world of rock music, and it's so electric that it feels as if you're in the audience for the show yourself.

• Starring: Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters

• Director: Martin Scorsese

• Year: 1978

• Runtime: 117 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

French filmmaker Georges Franju is best known for his thrillers like "Therese" and "Eyes Without a Face," but his impressive career started with documentary shorts, the most striking of which is "Le Sang des Bêtes" (Blood of the Beasts). The film cuts between harsh, unrelenting images of a slaughterhouse and the peaceful goings-on of a Parisian suburb. Its black and white cinematography is as brutal as it is beautiful, and its clear-cut narration refuses to hold anything back.

• Starring: Georges Hubert, Nicole Ladmiral

• Director: Georges Franju

• Year: 1949

• Runtime: 20 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

In 1945, the U.S. Army commissioned John Huston to make a documentary about PTSD with a pro-war spin, but the end result was deemed counterproductive to America's postwar efforts and it wasn't officially shown until the 1980s. That outcome was largely due to Huston's determination to make a film that reflected the reality of those who came home from the war rather than a propaganda picture. In that sense, he succeeded. "Let There Be Light" is a stunning movie that looks at the mental health of veterans recovering at Mason General Hospital in Long Island, something that may not seem like a big deal today but that was revolutionary in the 1940s. This brave movie tackles post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during a time when it was more commonly known as "shell shock."

• Starring: Walter Huston

• Director: John Huston

• Year: 1946

• Runtime: 59 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

Nature documentaries are all the rage these days — shows like "Planet Earth" have used cutting-edge technology to capture animals and their environments with a level of detail never before thought possible. However, you may be surprised to discover that nature docs have actually been around for quite some time, and Disney made one of the most successful ones back in 1953. "The Living Desert" features some truly striking imagery and allowed people to see the amazing world of the desert in Tucson, Arizona up close and personal. It's much lighter in tone than the nature docs of today, but that didn't stop this delightful movie from snagging the Oscar for best documentary.

• Starring: Winston Hibler

• Director: James Algar

• Year: 1953

• Runtime: 70 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

After making "The Act of Killing," Joshua Oppenheimer made a companion piece that is no less essential than its predecessor. "The Look of Silence" follows a man whose brother was killed in the Indonesian Communist Purge of 1965 and his confrontations with some of the men who carried out those horrifying acts. The haunting story makes for a remarkable contrast with Oppenheimer's stunning imagery as the film boldly documents a man's quest for answers in a nation still ruled by those who committed the crimes. The only thing more chilling than the quest itself is the perpetrators' seeming lack of remorse. It's jaw-dropping cinema.

• Starring: Joshua Oppenheimer

• Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 99 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

A must-watch for cinephiles, Thom Andersen's "Los Angeles Plays Itself" explores the famous city of Los Angeles through the films that are set there. Andersen's vast knowledge of the city is brought to light with footage from countless movies, offering rich insights into movie-making, architecture, and city life. If you've ever been fascinated by how locations are used in movies, place "Los Angeles Plays Itself" at the very top of your watchlist.

• Starring: Encke King

• Director: Thom Andersen

• Year: 2003

• Runtime: 169 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

A story about the incredible will of a genuine daredevil, James Marsh's "Man on Wire" takes us back to 1974, when Philippe Petit dared to walk on a high wire between the Twin Towers. This was very much not allowed, and Petit was threatened with arrest if he were to go ahead with his plan — which, of course, he did. Marsh was clearly influenced by heist movies on "Man on Wire," where he uses footage of Petit preparing for the big event alongside re-enactments and contemporary interviews. The events unfold with the giddy excitement of "Ocean's Eleven," but this incredible feat is all real.

• Starring: Philippe Petit, Annie Alix, Jean François Heckel

• Director: James Marsh

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Despite being made nearly 100 years ago, Dziga Vertov's "The Man with a Movie Camera" feels incredibly modern. This experimental documentary from the silent era explores the cities of Moscow, Kyiv, and Odessa, observing civilians as they work and get some much-needed rest and relaxation. You've never seen anything like it, and you probably never will again. "The Man with a Movie Camera" has some of the most astonishing visual effects and editing tricks ever put on camera, made all the more remarkable by the fact that all the editing was done by hand. The film is an absolute necessity for anyone interested in filmmaking techniques. Sight & Sound called it the greatest documentary of all time, and the publication might just be onto something.

• Starring: Mikhail Kaufman

• Director: Dziga Vertov

• Year: 1929

• Runtime: 69 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Alex Gibney's harrowing "Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God" tackles a sensitive subject with a potent blend of sensitivity and outrage. The documentary looks at sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, focusing specifically on incidents St. John's School for the Deaf. Four brave deaf men sought to bring light to the abuse they suffered at the hands of a priest in the 1960s, when they were students at the institution. The case was the first of its kind in the United States and fundamentally changed the way people looked at organized religion. Gibney's film is shocking, heartbreaking, and vital, celebrating the courage of the four men who spoke out against one of the world's most powerful organizations.

• Starring: Alex Gibney, Jamey Sheridan, Chris Cooper

• Director: Alex Gibney

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 107 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

"As long as I'm able to go skate, I'm completely fine," says Keire Johnson in "Minding the Gap." Director Bing Liu uses a lifetime of footage taken in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois to reconstruct both his own life, as well as those of his childhood friends. As the trio approach adulthood in different ways, the film offers not only some fantastic skateboarding sequences, but also a tremendously intimate study on growing up and how even those who come of age together can have vastly different life experiences. "Minding the Gap" is an emotional and effective look at masculinity, race, and reconciliation.

• Starring: Bing Liu, Keire Johnson, Zack Mulligan

• Director: Bing Liu

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 93 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

One of the earliest examples of a feature-length documentary, Robert J. Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" was groundbreaking when it was released in 1922. It's often thought to be the very first documentary, though Flaherty's film isn't entirely factual. In fact, the protagonist, Nanook, is actually named Allakariallak, and Nanook's wife isn't actually his wife at all. Still, despite not being quite committed to telling the truth, "Nanook of the North" is still a major achievement in cinema, one that transported audiences to the Arctic and showed them a way of life previously unseen by the masses.

• Starring: Allakariallak, Nyla, Cunayou

• Director: Robert J. Flaherty

• Year: 1922

• Runtime: 79 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

We all like to make fun of the Academy for occasionally awarding movies that have no business winning anything, but when Daniel Roher's exceptional documentary "Navalny" won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Oscars ceremony, it was a deserving win. The film tells the story of Alexei Navalny, a Russian politician who dared to challenge the authoritarian tyrant Vladimir Putin, created a gigantic fanbase of support along the way, and survived a poisoning attempt sanctioned by Putin's regime (which you see in the incredible footage featured in this doc). The movie is a character study mixed with a Bourne-style political thriller; one of the highlights is a truly jaw-dropping sequence in which Navalny prank calls his would-be assassins and gets them to admit to trying to kill him. (The moment is so impactful that it managed to sneak onto /Film's Best Movie Moments of 2022 list.)

"Navalny" doesn't ever delve into its central figure's specific politics, but him being brave enough to go against Putin is justification for following him around with a camera, showing his family life, his charisma, his savviness with social media, and his remarkable ability to inspire hope in a country where free and fair elections haven't been possible for years. Unfortunately, the doc ends with — spoiler alert for real-life events — Putin imprisoning Navalny for daring to oppose him, and he later died during his detainment. But that doesn't make this stellar piece of work any less powerful. (Ben Pearson)

• Starring: Alexei Navalny

• Director: Daniel Roher

• Year: 2022

• Runtime: 99 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Frederick Wiseman's observational verité approach brings a humane dignity to the literally titled "Near Death." Looking into the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, we see the lives of the doctors and hospital staff, patients in their final moments, and those patients' families. It's a tapestry of powerful decisions and illuminating discussions on the complex nature of life-sustaining treatments. A nearly six-hour film about people at the end of their life is as difficult to watch as you may expect, but it's also full of rich observations that are equal parts devastating and enlightening.

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 1989

• Runtime: 358 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Horror isn't a specifically American genre, but the America and its changing tides has undoubtedly influenced horror since its inception. Andrew Monument's excellent documentary "Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film," based on the book of the same name by Joseph Maddrey, chronicles the changing landscape of American horror movies from the silent era all the way through the early 21st century. From the old world monsters of Universal's Depression Era-1930s output to the 9/11 and war on terror-influenced "gorno" boom of the early 2000s, "Nightmares in Red, White and Blue" provides a fascinating insight into how the genre reflects the fears of American society as a whole. (Chris Evangelista)

• Starring: Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, John Carpenter, Darren Lynn Bousman, Mick Garris, Tom McLoughlin, George A. Romero, by Lance Henriksen

• Director: Andrew Monument

• Year: 2009

• Runtime: 96 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Alan Resnais' "Nuit et Brouillard" ("Night and Fog") packs the vast atrocities of the Holocaust into its brief half-an-hour runtime. Written by Jean Cayrol, himself a concentration camp survivor, the film brings audiences face to face with the devastating lack of humanity that led to one of the world's most disgraceful events. "Nuit et Brouillard" does more than just show real-life horrors — it forces the viewer to question their own sense of humanity and how something like this could have happened. Resnais' film is an eye-opening and stressful experience, but its rewards far outweigh the difficulty of getting through it.

• Starring: Michel Bouquet

• Director: Alain Resnais

• Year: 1955

• Runtime: 32 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

The O.J. Simpson trial is one of the most-discussed events in recent American history — it's been referenced in countless films and television, and even got its own miniseries in "The People vs. O.J. Simpson." Ezra Edelman's massive seven-and-a-half-hour-long documentary, "O.J.: Made in America," is an extraordinary achievement, taking the case and examining it in the context of American identity, which is rich, complicated, and rife with contradictions. Edelman's film is as expansive and it is incisive, covering the O.J. trial in great detail, but it's also impressively nuanced, honing in on the intersection between  celebrity, race, injustice, and the American Dream.

• Starring: O.J. Simpson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Mike Albanese

• Director: Ezra Edelman

• Year: 2016

• Runtime: 467 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

The best documentaries showcase a world that you never even knew existed. Jennie Livingston's wondrous and exhilarating "Paris Is Burning" explores the ball scene in New York City, which brought together all sorts of queer people (especially people of color and transgender people) and allowed them to dress extravagantly and dance in their own celebratory spaces. It's uplifting to see these rich characters live their lives to the fullest, especially when they're so often shunned by mainstream society. "Paris Is Burning" doesn't shy away from the harsher realities of being queer, however, highlighting homelessness, abandonment, drug use, murder, and other issues that often afflict LGBTQ+ peoples. "Paris is Burning" is a beautiful tapestry and vital ode to the resilience of the queer community.

• Starring: Freddie Pendavis, Willi Ninja, André Christian

• Director: Jennie Livingston

• Year: 1990

• Runtime: 78 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Frederick Wiseman's "Primate" delves into the daily lives of the scientists and primates at the Yerkes Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The film is primarily intrigued by the power dynamics between the subjects and researchers, as well as what it means to observe. Interestingly, Wiseman approaches the scientists like the scientists approach the animals, allowing his camera to observe the strict procedures the researchers put the primates under. It's a sometimes-shocking, no-holds-barred look that really makes you wonder exactly what these experiments, which often seem like torture, are really for.

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 1974

• Runtime: 105 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Jackie and David Siegel have it all, but even that's not enough: The couple are in the process of building the single largest house in the entire United States. The extravagant, 900,000 square-foot mansion (for the record, that's even bigger than the White House) is being built with the palace of Versailles in mind. However, the 2008 market crash changed everything for the Siegel family, who went from being billionaires to ... well, still being unbelievably wealthy. "The Queen of Versailles" is frequently infuriating, fascinating, hilarious, and depressing, as Greenfield paints a portrait of wealth that's as outlandish as it is insidious.

• Starring: Jackie Siegel, Lorraine Barrett

• Director: Lauren Greenfield

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Michael Moore is best known for films like "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Bowling for Columbine," but his first documentary, "Roger & Me," remains both his most personal and also his best. After the closure of a General Motors plant in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, Moore goes on a mission to meet Roger Smith, chairman of GM, for answers. It proves far more difficult than you may think. Along the way, Moore crosses paths with fascinating people from Flint who will be devastated by the factory closure. "Roger & Me" makes it clear that Michael Moore was a fearless filmmaker right from the jump.

• Starring: Michael Moore, James Blanchard, Pat Boone

• Director: Michael Moore

• Year: 1989

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Iranian filmmaker Moshen Makhmalbaf (the subject of Kiarostami's "Close Up," also on this list) directs "Salaam Cinema," a joyous look at the passion that goes along with being in the movies. The film follows Makhmalbaf as he prepares to make a film celebrating the 100-year anniversary of cinema. When he places an ad in a newspaper looking for 100 people to be in the film, thousands arrive, all hoping for their big opportunity. Most of the film sees Makhmalbaf going through the auditions, speaking to men and women whose stories paint a vivid and diverse portrait of life in Iran. It's a surprising and lovely film that reminds us how important the movies are to people all over the world.

• Starring: Azadeh Zanganeh, Maryam Keyhan, Shaghayegh Djodat

• Director: Moshen Makhmalbaf

• Year: 1995

• Runtime: 75 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

The Maysles brothers and Charlotte Zwerin give refreshing life and humanity to the door-to-door salesman in the aptly titled "Salesman." Following four Bible salesmen as they attempt to make a living in a world that appears to be increasingly uninterested in what they have to offer, this documentary is a tremendous example of cinema verité. The directors allow the story to unfold on its own, simply observing the action without any sense of judgment whatsoever. It's a fascinating fly-on-the-wall experience that captures typical American malaise — the salesmen encounter never-ending apathy — and the undying love of good old-fashioned consumerism.

• Starring: Jamie Baker, Paul Brennan, Melbourne I. Feltman

• Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin

• Year: 1969

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Wim Wenders is often drawn to the intricacies of human life, so having him document the story of photographer Sebastião Salgado is perfect. Salgado's career is truly remarkable, as he's traveled all over the world looking to capture people and places you've never heard of or seen, with a particular focus on hidden societies. As Wenders charts Salgado's career, the film doubles as an amazing tribute to the incredibly vast, often unexpected beauty of our planet. "The Salt of the Earth" is one of the most visually adventurous movies ever made, overflowing with striking and surprising imagery.

• Starring: Sebastião Salgado

• Directors: Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 109 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

A kaleidoscopic tour of the world, Ron Fricke's beautiful travelog "Samsara" feels positively transportive. Unfolding purely with images and sound, there is no narration and no distractions to be found. A glorious visual odyssey, Fricke's film is unlike anything else out there, exploring 25 different countries with a painstaking attention to detail and beauty. A sequence featuring the Balinese Tari Legong Dancers is a particularly mesmerizing highlight. If you're yearning to travel, "Samsara" provides plenty of jaw-dropping inspiration.

• Starring: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Hiroshi Ishiguro

• Director: Ron Fricke

• Year: 2011

• Runtime: 102 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

Chris Marker's otherworldly "Sans Soleil" unfolds almost like a stream of consciousness as the narrator remarks on everything under the sun, from Japanese horror movies to emus living in France. It's international in scope, traveling through time and space as Marker examines humanity using footage from every end of the planet. Every viewing of "Sans Soleil" leads to new discoveries that are simultaneously radical and conventional. If that sounds confusing, that's because "Sans Soleil" is a mysterious puzzle that can never be truly solved. Thankfully, it's a thrill watching it all unfold anyway, and its images are consistently breathtaking.

• Director: Chris Marker

• Year: 1982

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

There's an expectation that, with music documentaries, you're going to get exactly what you expect when you go in. However, Malik Bendjelloul's "Searching for Sugar Man" offers twist after twist, delicately layering in surprises and delights in equal measure. The film follows two men in Cape Town, South Africa, and their quest to find out what happened to their musical hero, American singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. Given all the weight that documentaries often carry, "Searching for Sugar Man" is surprisingly heartwarming and life-affirming. 

• Starring: Stephen Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore

• Director: Malik Bendjelloul

• Year: 2011

• Runtime: 86 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Ayrton Senna was on top of the Formula 1 racing world when tragedy struck during a race, costing Senna his life. Asif Kapadia's film takes an atypical approach to his story, leaning more into a cinematic angle that makes for seriously entertaining viewing as it explores the life of the racing giant. Charting Senna's rise, his time as the best F1 driver on the planet, and his shocking death, "Senna" is an engaging character study that looks at obsession, drive, arrogance, talent, and excitement. Even if you have no interest in racing, Kapadia creates such a compelling narrative around Senna that you'll be hooked no matter what.

• Starring: Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis

• Director: Asif Kapadia

• Year: 2010

• Runtime: 104 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Claude Lanzmann's "Shoah" is the longest film on this list. It's also an unbelievable achievement. Over the film's expansive 10-hour runtime, it focuses in on key parts of the Holocaust: Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Warsaw ghetto, the Chełmno extermination camp, and hard-hitting interviews with the people responsible, as well as survivors and witnesses. Lanzmann is almost brutal in his approach, but it's necessary in order to get to the real, authentic truth. Brace yourself, as this is not an easy film to watch, but it is more than worthy of your time.

• Starring: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Rudolf Vrba

• Director: Claude Lanzmann

• Year: 1985

• Runtime: 561 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Marcel Ophuls' "The Sorrow and the Pity" is also about World War II, but its scope is entirely different. This film focuses on the collaboration between the Nazis and Vichy France, exposing what was thought to be a significant French resistance movement and unraveling widely-believed myths to devastating effect. By focusing on the occupation of Clermont-Ferrand and interviewing members of the French resistance, Ophuls paints a damning picture of wartime France. In fact, the film, which was commissioned by a government-funded TV station, wasn't screened after it was completed, as authorities believed that the film "destroys myths that the people of France still need."

• Director: Marcel Ophuls

• Year: 1969

• Runtime: 260 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

When you think of competition, you probably don't immediately wonder who can spell the most complicated words in the dictionary. However, the world of high-stakes spelling bees is actually incredibly thrilling. The Scripps National Spelling Bee is America's major spelling event, and Jeffrey Blitz's terrific "Spellbound" follows eight different contestants as they quest for the national title. It's suspenseful and surprisingly tense, and watching these youngsters prepare for the biggest day of their young lives is nothing short of inspirational. Blitz opens the door to a competitive world that's largely flown under the radar, and the result is intoxicating.

• Starring: Paige Kimble, Jonathan Knisely, Balu Natarajan

• Director: Jeffrey Blitz

• Year: 2002

• Runtime: 97 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Sarah Polley has long been one of Canada's more recognizable stars, beginning acting at a young age and going on to star in films like "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen," "Go," and "The Sweet Hereafter." More recently, she has proved herself to be one of the best directors around. Polley's best film is the beguiling documentary "Stories We Tell," which turns the camera inward and focuses on Polley's own family, particularly the relationship between her parents. The film features a few revelations that Polley only discovered while filming, but on the whole it's a fantastically exciting and wonderfully-told story about memory, family, and how people remember the same events in completely different ways.

• Starring: Sarah Polley, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin

• Director: Sarah Polley

• Year: 2012

• Runtime: 108 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson won a well-deserved best documentary Oscar for his exhilarating music documentary, "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)." Using footage from the Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place in the sweltering summer of 1969, Questlove showcases a concert that was thought lost to time. It's a beautiful celebration of Black culture and music, and the director handles it perfectly. Never using a heavy hand, Questlove simply gives us the context we need and lets the fantastic talent on stage handle the rest. 

• Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King

• Director: Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson

• Year: 2021

• Runtime: 117 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

"Super Size Me" has become the stuff of legend. It tells the story of Morgan Spurlock, a man healthy in both body and mind, who decides to eat nothing but food from McDonald's. Spurlock's film isn't just about his personal journey — as you'd expect, he gains a lot of weight and his mental health takes a nosedive. Instead, Spurlock uses his own well-being as a metaphor for how the fast-food business functions. Examining the immense corporate influence of one of America's most powerful companies, as well as the industry as a whole, yields some compelling insights, and while the success of Spurlock's personal mission is debatable, the film absolutely ignited a conversation.

• Starring: Morgan Spurlock

• Director: Morgan Spurlock

• Year: 2004

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Jacques Cousteau wasn't just famous for his memorable attire and his pioneering efforts in creating scuba gear. He was also a filmmaker, and his fantastic documentary "The Silent World" brought audiences face to face with the magnificent ocean depths. This was a monumental achievement in 1956, and the film became the first documentary to win the prestigious Palme D'Or; it also picked up the Oscar for best documentary. Watching it today feels as startling as it must have back in the '50s, bringing an unseen world to light with an impressive clarity, humanity, and sense of wonder.

• Starring: Frédéric Duman, Alberto Falco, Jacques-Yves Cousteau

• Directors: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Louis Malle

• Year: 1956

• Runtime: 86 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

Peter Jackson (that's right, the man who blessed us with "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) brings photography from the First World War to life by using new technology to restore and colorize the footage, prepping it for a new era. The goal of the film seems to be to bring us closer to the experiences of everyday soldiers, and it does so remarkably well. Seeing footage from over 100 years ago look like it's brand new is legitimately jaw-dropping. More than that, though, "They Shall Not Grow Old" is a vital piece of history that will hopefully give modern audiences the opportunity to see the horrifying conditions soldiers faced during WWI.

• Starring: Peter Jackson

• Director: Peter Jackson

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 99 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

Garrett Bradley's "Time" is a stunning display of perseverance and love. Fox Rich has spent over 20 years of her life fighting for the release of her husband, Rob G. Rich, from prison. In the early 1990s, the couple committed a robbery together, for which Fox served three and a half years, while her husband was sentenced to a staggering 60 years in confinement. Bradley combines footage of her own with the Rich family's home videos, weaving an emotional and vibrant tapestry of a loving family. "Time" doesn't just focus on one incredible woman, but rather exposes the cruelty of the American justice system, the sadness of growing up without your father, and an incredible fight against the odds. The result is timeless.

• Starring: Rob Rich II, Fox Rich, Laurence M. Rich

• Director: Garrett Bradley

• Year: 2020

• Runtime: 81 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Rob Epstein's "The Times of Harvey Milk" follows the life of Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay person to serve on San Francisco's board of supervisors, making him California's first open public official. Narrated by actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, this passionate documentary explores Milk's activism and his life, while also profiling Dan White, a fellow supervisor who eventually assassinated Milk. It's an urgent documentary that reminds us that homophobia has been with us for a long time and that, unfortunately, it shows no signs of relenting. But "The Times of Harvey Milk" is also a hopeful, inspiring, and powerful profile of a great idealist.

• Starring: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg

• Director: Rob Epstein

• Year: 1984

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Frederick Wiseman has made a number of phenomenal documentaries, but his very first film, "Tincut Follies," remains his most shocking and impactful. It documents the proceedings at the Massachusetts State Prison for the Criminally Insane in graphic detail, as Weisman's camera captures the ways that the inmates are treated by those around them, including social workers, psychiatrists, and guards. While we've come a long way when it comes to understanding mental health, Weisman's urgent masterpiece boldly understands the ongoing fragility of the human condition.

• Director: Frederick Wiseman

• Year: 1967

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Errol Morris' documentary follows the case of Randall Dale Adams, who was convicted of killing a Dallas police officer. Adams was sent to death row for the murder — despite the clear evidence he did not, in fact, commit the crime. Morris' film was a legitimate game-changer that actually helped reverse Adams' fate, and its restagings and interviews, all set to a chilling Philip Glass score, create an intoxicating effect that's not unlike a film noir. If you've ever doubted cinema's ability to make genuine change in the world, take a close, close look at "The Thin Blue Line."

• Starring: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 1988

• Runtime: 106 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Donald Rumsfeld, former United States secretary of defense, takes the hot seat in Errol Morris' "The Unknown Known." Here, Rumsfeld reflects on his enormous career, stretching from his early days as a congressman in the 1960s through his work in the Reagan administration to his involvement in the 2003 Iraq War. Rumsfeld is a fascinating character with a wealth of knowledge about American politics, and Morris creates a chilling, damning, and rather terrifying movie out of Rumsfeld's testimony about the state of America and some archival footage. Morris has always been more interested in judging institutions rather than individuals, and "The Unknown Known" feels like one of his most scathing indictments of America to date.

• Starring: Donald Rumsfeld, Errol Morris

• Director: Errol Morris

• Year: 2013

• Runtime: 102 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

In 1964, Michael Apted began a bold cinematic experiment. Working with director Paul Almond, he interviewed a group of seven-year-old English children, and the resulting footage became the film "Seven Up." Seven years later, Apted made the project his own, interviewing the same kids again to see what they were up to and how they had changed. Apted continued to chronicle the lives of these people every seven years until his death in 2021, making "63 Up" the last film in the series. It's an incredible theoretical undertaking but also a series of extremely fascinating movies, with "28 Up" being the highlight of the series.

• Starring: Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield

• Director: Michael Apted

• Year: 1984

• Runtime: 136 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

Orlando von Einseidel takes us to the exquisite Virunga national park in the Congo to tell the story of the brave people who are willing to risk their lives to protect the last-known mountain gorillas from poachers, armed militias, and efforts to try to destroy the Congo's natural wonders for profit. The national park is a beacon of hope, and von Einsiedel's film features astonishing photography of the natural wonders that live there. "Virunga" is a timely and urgent call to action that details the risks of losing beloved animals and the environments that they call home.

• Starring: André Bauma, Emmanuel De Merode, Mélanie Gouby

• Director: Orlando von Einsiedel

• Year: 2014

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

There are plenty of different techniques that a documentary can use to tell its story, but animation is one of the more unique. Still, there have been a number of animated documentaries lately, including the likes of "Tower" and "Flee." Ari Folman's "Waltz with Bashir" is another, using animation to reconstruct the director's experiences in the 1982 Lebanon War. Folman was just 19 when he served as an infantry soldier, and the film cuts between his experiences at the time — of which he has virtually no memory — and the current day, where Folman seeks out others who were in Beirut to learn more about their experiences. It's a mesmerizing account of memory, horror, war, and conflict that is told in arresting fashion.

• Starring: Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ari Folman

• Director: Ari Folman

• Year: 2008

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

It was the fight seen around the world: On October 30, 1974, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali faced off against each other for the world heavyweight championship. Using archival footage and interviews with subjects that include Spike Lee and Norman Mailer, Leon Gast examines the phenomenon around the "Rumble in the Jungle," as well as the relationships between Africans and African-Americans and how they're informed by these legendary fighters. It's also a breathless exploration of the intricacies of boxing; footage of the actual fight takes center stage in the movie's climax.

• Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Forman, Don King

• Director: Leon Gast

• Year: 1996

• Runtime: 84 minutes

• Rating: PG

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

For a fantastic example of what it's like to look at the screen, mouth agape, and wonder, "How on earth did they film that?" watch Jacques Perrin's "Winged Migration," which stretches across all seven continents as it explores the incredible migration patterns that birds fly. There's really nothing quite like it out there. "Winged Migration" takes you into the world of birds like no other film, creating a magical effect that makes you feel like you're flying right alongside these incredible creatures.

• Starring: Jacques Perrin

• Director: Jacques Perrin

• Year: 2001

• Runtime: 91 minutes

• Rating: G

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

A titan of American pop culture, Fred Rogers was a children's television host who became a permanent fixture in the hearts and minds of kids and adults alike thanks to his show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Rogers led with love at every turn and treated children with respect and empathy, and Morgan Neville's documentary about him is every bit as sweet as the man himself. "The greatest thing we can do is to help somebody know that they're loved and capable of loving," Mr. Rogers taught, and this film is a beautiful, informative, and truly special testament to a monumental figure in television history.

• Starring: Joanne Rogers, Bill Isler, Hedda Sharapan

• Director: Morgan Neville

• Year: 2018

• Runtime: 94 minutes

• Rating: PG-13

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Michael Wadleigh's "Woodstock" transports viewers to one of the most famous music festivals of all time. Woodstock was a counterculture-defining festival held in upstate New York in 1969, where dozens famous (and soon-to-be famous) artists played for crowds bigger than you could fathom unless you were actually there. Wadleigh's film celebrates the incredible musicians that graced the Woodstock stage, bringing you back to a specific historical moment with remarkable clarity. "Woodstock" is a kaleidoscopic tour through an extraordinarily exciting time, and seeing so many musicians perform at the peak of their careers is nothing short of euphoric.

• Starring: Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Roger Daltrey

• Director: Michael Wadleigh

• Year: 1970

• Runtime: 184 minutes

• Rating: R

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%