The complaint about documentaries is that you can feel the homework. Not these: they are built like thrillers, with the same withholding and the same turns, except the events actually happened.
A Colombian journalist presents his investigative findings linking a former president to drug traffickers, paramilitaries, and corrupt politicians. The series narrates these allegations in a documentary style with the journalist speaking directly to the audience.
This documentary covers the 2018 rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand. It follows the divers and volunteers who worked together to bring the boys and their coach out safely.
The film follows park rangers in the Congo as they protect endangered mountain gorillas. It shows their dangerous work during a violent rebellion and an oil company's interest in drilling inside the national park.
This film uses a montage of slow motion and time-lapse images to show scenes of nature and cities across the United States. It has no dialogue or story. The music and pictures together create an impression about modern life being out of balance with the natural world.
This documentary follows rock climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to climb the 3000-foot El Capitan wall with no ropes or safety gear. It shows his training, his relationships, and the moment of the climb itself.
The film covers the 1969 Apollo 11 mission using only archival footage, much of it previously unseen. It follows the astronauts and ground team as they prepare for and execute the first moon landing.
This documentary series follows Steven Avery, a man wrongfully imprisoned for years, who is then charged with a new murder. It also covers the case of his nephew Brendan Dassey, who is accused of being involved. The series examines the criminal justice system through their stories.
This documentary tells the story of Tilikum, an orca held in captivity at SeaWorld. It examines the events and controversies surrounding the keeping of orcas in marine parks.
This documentary follows Marc-Andre Leclerc, a young Canadian climber who solo ascends extremely difficult alpine routes. The film crew captures his solitary climbs and his personal philosophy about climbing.
This documentary follows journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras as they meet with Edward Snowden in a Hong Kong hotel room. It chronicles Snowden's decision to leak classified documents about mass surveillance programs run by the NSA.
The film follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to beat Billy Mitchell's high score in the arcade game Donkey Kong. It shows the rivalry and the world of competitive retro gaming.
This documentary follows the 2016 match between Google's AlphaGo artificial intelligence and Lee Sedol, one of the world's best Go players. It shows the human reactions and high stakes as the computer challenges a master in an ancient board game.
A man tries to recover his lost memories from when he served as a soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War. Through interviews with other veterans, he confronts what he witnessed during the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
This documentary follows former executioners from the Indonesian mass killings of the 1960s. They re-enact their crimes in movie scenes of their own design as they talk openly about what they did.
The filmmaker shares her personal story while examining the political career of Brazilian President Lula and the impeachment of his successor Dilma Rousseff. The documentary connects these events to the larger political crisis that led to Jair Bolsonaro's rise.
A filmmaker sets out to expose flaws in anti-doping rules for sports. His project takes a dangerous turn when a Russian scientist becomes a whistleblower in a major doping scandal.
The film follows Egyptian activists in Tahrir Square during the 2011 revolution and the turbulent political events that followed. It shows their protests, hopes, and struggles as they fight for democracy.
The film examines the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for a police officer's murder in Dallas. It highlights inconsistencies in the case and suggests someone else may have committed the crime.
This documentary covers the murder trials of three teenagers accused of killing three young boys in Arkansas. It shows the evidence, the community's reaction, and the legal proceedings around the case.
The film retells the 1966 University of Texas mass shooting from the viewpoint of people who survived it. Using rotoscoped animation over live action, it pieces together their real accounts of the event.
This documentary follows Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini as she attempts to break a world record. Safety diver Stephen Keenan supports her along the way, while she competes against Japanese freediver Hanako Hirose.
A French documentary crew films the trial of Michael Peterson, a man accused of murdering his wife after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. The series follows the defense team and Peterson's family as the legal process unfolds.
This documentary examines the Church of Scientology by tracing its history and founder L. Ron Hubbard. It features interviews with former members who describe abuse and exploitation within the organization. The film also looks at how celebrities interact with the church.
Mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates attempt the first successful climb of a treacherous peak in the Peruvian Andes. On the descent, an accident leaves Joe with a broken leg and Simon is forced to make an impossible choice to survive.
A documentary about the aftermath of a nightclub fire in Romania. It follows journalists who uncover a widespread healthcare corruption scandal while the government struggles to respond.
This documentary tells the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who spent several summers living among wild grizzly bears in Alaska. It combines his own video footage with interviews from people who knew him. The film covers his life and the event that ended it.
This documentary tells the true story of Maximilian Schmidt, a German teenager who built a massive online drug operation from his childhood bedroom under the name Shiny Flakes. It shows how a 19-year-old used a homemade website to sell illegal substances on a large scale.
Independent game designers share their personal struggles in making video games. The film follows several developers through the difficult creative process and the pressure of releasing their work.
This documentary argues that after the 1970s, powerful people created a simplified fake version of the world to keep control and benefit big corporations. It shows how this artificial reality was built and how it still shapes politics and daily life today.
This documentary series looks into the 1969 murder of a nun named Catherine Cesnik. It follows people who are trying to find out what happened to her.
Three elite climbers attempt to conquer a notoriously difficult peak in the Himalayas. The film follows their dangerous expedition and the personal challenges they face along the way.
This short documentary follows volunteer rescue workers in Syria who rush to save people after bombings. It shows their dangerous daily work and the toll it takes on them.
This documentary tells the story of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. It shows how he and his team planned and carried out the illegal feat. The film uses interviews and reenactments to capture the tension and beauty of the event.
This documentary examines the case of the West Memphis Three, three teenagers who were convicted of murder. It follows the efforts of supporters and the men themselves to prove their innocence and secure their release from prison.
This documentary series uses historical examples to explain how dictators seize and hold power. It is narrated by Peter Dinklage and draws from a book about political strategy.
The film investigates the Stuxnet computer worm, a cyber weapon used to attack Iran's nuclear program. It traces the operation from its creation through its unintended global spread and escalating geopolitical consequences.
This documentary follows Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja as he leads a team in an attempt to climb all 14 of the world's highest peaks in under seven months. The previous record for climbing all 14 peaks was over seven years.
A man loses his memory in a motorcycle accident. His twin brother helps him remember their shared childhood, but the truths they uncover are painful.
A documentary about the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard by her daughter Gypsy Rose and Gypsy's boyfriend. It looks at the abusive relationship between mother and daughter and the trial that followed.
This documentary follows Slava Fetisov and the Soviet Union national ice hockey team. It shows how the players dealt with strict coaching and political pressures before some of them moved to the NHL.