Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated April 20, 2025
Beautiful Darling
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsWith dreams of film stardom, transsexual actress Candy Darling took the 1970s New York art scene by storm and became Andy Warhol's muse. This documentary paints a colorful portrait of her fascinating yet tragically short life.
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Smash His Camera
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsWhile profiling the controversial life and career of pioneering paparazzo Ron Galella, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Leon Gast raises intriguing questions about the freedom of the press, the right to privacy and our celebrity-obsessed culture. A great risk taker who never backed down, Galella suffered a broken jaw at the hands of Marlon Brando and fought two major lawsuits filed by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
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Hunting the Lost Symbol
2009 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsA companion piece to Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Lost Symbol, this documentary explores American history and many of the book's Washington, D.C., locales to find the facts behind the legends of the nation's Masonic past.
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And Everything Is Going Fine
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsSpalding Gray, known for his radically minimal solo shows staged on equally spare sets, is the focus of this unconventional documentary that compiles rare footage of what amounts to a posthumous monologue by the writer and actor.
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Thieves by Law
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsFormer heads of the Russian Mafia who have shrewdly transformed themselves into reputable businessmen reveal their past experiences influencing their nation's economy, building up immense wealth and strictly adhering to a private code of thieves. Granted unprecedented access and cooperation, director Alexander Gentelev presents an intriguing documentary that exposes a chilling chapter of Russia's hidden history.
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Life with Murder
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsWhen 18-year-old Jennifer Jenkins is shot dead at home, all evidence points to the guilt of her 20-year-old brother, Mason -- but the siblings' parents maintain an unwavering belief in their son's innocence. Director John Kastner's unflinching documentary chronicles Mason's 11-year march through the Canadian court system, from first interrogation to appeal attempts, and culminates in an unforeseen revelation.
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Flesh & Blood
2007 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsTake a penetrating look at the fascinating career of controversial body modification artist Steve Haworth as he literally gets under the skin of his customers, surgically implanting metal ornaments onto their bodies without the use of anesthesia. Clearly not intended for the squeamish or faint of heart, this graphic documentary delves into the reasons why people from all over the world want to change their appearance so radically.
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The End: British Gangsters
2008 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsTake a close, hard look at the seedy underbelly of London's East End in the post-World War II era in this unflinching documentary, which profiles a violent group of local gangsters who openly discuss their shocking exploits and unique code of honor. With surprising candor, this intriguing look at criminal life explores how the neighborhood's aggressive and confrontational culture spawned so many lawbreakers.
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Precious Life
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsMohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in the barricaded Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system and faces certain death if he does not receive a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital -- an unlikely prospect.
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Media Malpractice
2009 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsTalk show host turned filmmaker John Ziegler examines the role of the media during America's 2008 presidential election, using clips from TV news and other sources to argue that Barack Obama received preferential treatment over his political rivals. Declaring that media bias all but swept Obama to victory, the film also features an interview with Sarah Palin, who alleges that journalists unfairly maligned her throughout the campaign.
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Becoming Chaz
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsThis gripping documentary from directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato follows the deeply emotional journey of Chastity Bono, daughter of entertainers Sonny and Cher, as she embarks on a program of gender reassignment to become a man. Focusing on the emotional ramifications of her decision as much as the hormone shots, surgery and other changes to her body, this film chroncles one person's odyssey to become the man he always knew he was.
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Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death and Technology
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsIn this funny, eye-opening, and inspiring film, Director and Webby Awards Founder Tiffany Shlain takes audiences on an exhilarating rollercoaster ride to discover what it means to be connected in the 21st century.
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Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsIn 1987, Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitch Deprey recorded the nightly squabbles of their over-the-top neighbors, homophobic Raymond Huffman and proudly gay Peter Haskett, and the chronicle of the pair's bizarre existence soon took on a life of its own. This darkly funny documentary checks in with former punks Eddie and Mitch, who detail their late-'80s Lower Haight surroundings, and surveys the tapes' influence on an array of underground artists.
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Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsDiscover the man behind the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" in this biography of Sholem Aleichem. Vintage photographs, film clips and interviews with historians reveal Aleichem's world and how he parlayed turmoil into a new Jewish cultural identity.
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The Raw and the Cooked
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsThis sumptuous doc explores Taiwan's diverse culinary culture, drawn from both ethnic Chinese and myriad outside influences. The menu includes upscale urban restaurants, dumplings, edible flowers, organic farms and a burgeoning local foods movement.
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My Name is Kahentiiosta
1995 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsKahentiiosta, a young Kahnawake Mohawk woman who was arrested during the Oka crisis and detained for defending her choice to provide her Aboriginal name.
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Flamenco at 5:15
1983 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsA flamenco dance class given to senior students of the National Ballet School of Canada by two great teachers from Spain, Susana and Antonio Robledo.
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To the Arctic
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsMeryl Streep narrates this touching chronicle of a mother polar bear and her 7-month-old cubs, who band together to survive the Arctic wilderness amidst an array of snow-white challenges.
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You've Been Trumped
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsThis documentary follows a determined group of Scottish locals who take on business mogul Donald Trump when he tries to buy an environmentally fragile stretch of coastland in Scotland to build a luxury golf resort.
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Occupation: Fighter
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsSpanning eight months in the life of a fighter, this film provides the opportunity to discover MMA in a fresh new light. In order to reach the top of the sport, a fighter must suffer and sacrifice a great deal, both physically and financially.
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16 Acres
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsCapturing the controversies and searing emotions surrounding the plans for rebuilding the Ground Zero site, filmmaker Richard Hankin documents the political jousting and maneuvering that have plagued the process, making consensus hard to achieve.
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Art of Conflict
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsNarrated by actor Vince Vaughn and produced in collaboration with his sister Valeri, this thoughtful look at Northern Ireland's street murals examines them as an expression of the region's violent history through those who created them.
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La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsThis quirky documentary follows the journey of a decommissioned school bus from the United States to Guatemala, where it's renovated and resurrected as a brightly colored vehicle that transports Guatemalans to work each day.
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That Guy... Who Was in That Thing
2012 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsDocumentary about sixteen actors who detail their ups and downs as they struggle to forge careers in Hollywood. They've played cops, lawyers, bosses, best friends, psychopaths, politicians and everything in between. Now you'll know who they are.
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Wild Eyes: The Abby Sunderland Story
2011 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsTeen Abby Sunderland dares try to become the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, but her journey -- and survival -- are put to the test. Thrust into danger, Abby is forced to think fast when the sea turns on her and her childhood dream.
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