Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated April 19, 2025
Shakespeare Uncovered
2013 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsBehind every Shakespeare play there is a story of its conception, its staging and its influence over the centuries. Combining history, analysis and performance, this series explores six of his greatest works and how they helped shape modern theater.
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Erasing Hate
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary presents a first-person look inside the dark world of racist skinheads, but offers hope in the story of one man's escape from a life of violence, addiction and bigotry.
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Money and Medicine
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAs rising health care costs threaten to bankrupt the country, Money and Medicine is a documentary that tackles the medical, ethical and financial challenges of containing runaway health care spending.
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Freedom
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Josh Tickell and his wife, Rebecca, set out on a journey to take a fresh look at Ethanol and try to separate the myth from the hyperbole. Along the way, they examine alternative technologies that could solve our dependence on oil.
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Reincarnated
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn a cloud of smoke, Vice magazine's Andy Capper follows rapper Snoop Dogg on a pilgrimage to Jamaica, where he experiences a spiritual and commercial transformation, reemerging as Snoop Lion, a reggae artist.
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Mafia's Greatest Hits
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsLooking back on the Mafia's greatest "hits," this gritty documentary series profiles the people at the center of America's most powerful organized crime group. Even the FBI can't curb the Mafia's influence, despite decades of tireless efforts.
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They Call It Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsShot clandestinely over a two-year period in the second-most isolated country on the planet, Burma, this documentary lifts the curtain to expose everyday life in a country that has been held in the iron grip of a brutal military regime for 48 years.
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Orchestra of Exiles
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis inspiring documentary focuses on Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, who rescued hundreds of Jews from the Holocaust and founded the globally renowned orchestra that would eventually become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Mafia's Greatest Hits
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis bare-knuckled documentary series explores the infamous characters at the heart of the American branch of the Italian crime organization. The FBI's relentless battle to counter the Mafia's influence provides a drama that stretches over decades.
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The Zen of Bennett
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn the throes of a brand-new project on the eve of his 85th birthday, iconic crooner Tony Bennett looks back on his decades-long career, sharing thoughts on music, art and the crazy rhythm of life.
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Just Like Being There
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsNearly 50 years after the first iconic concert posters, meet contemporary artists who've brought gig posters into the mainstream. This documentary profiles Jay Ryan, Daniel Danger, Kevin Tong and others who share a passion for this singular art form.
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Pink Ribbons, Inc.
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsWho really benefits from the pink ribbon campaigns: the cause or the company? In showing the real story of breast cancer and the lives of those who fight it, this film reveals the co-opting of what marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause."
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West of Memphis
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAfter the 1994 conviction of three troubled teens for the murders of three younger boys, questions began to arise about the prosecution of the case, with numerous legal experts and celebrities demanding that previously ignored evidence be examined.
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Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary charts global phenomenon Kings of Leon's rise to rock 'n' roll stardom, from the band's humble beginnings in the Deep South to their record deals and concert tours -- and their struggles with drugs and alcohol along the way.
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Gerhard Richter Painting
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsRenowned painter Gerhard Richter reveals both his fascinating creative process and his famously grumpy personality in this documentary. Richter's unique method includes using both modified squeegees and brushes to create his abstract masterpieces.
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The Island President
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Mohamed Nasheed, during his term as president of the Maldive Islands, to fight global warming and prevent rising ocean levels from deluging his low-lying archipelago nation right off the map.
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Walking with Monsters: Life Before Dinosaurs
2005 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis Emmy-winning program takes you 500 million years back in time, when gargantuan fish, reptiles and sea scorpions ruled the earth. This incredible journey charts the evolution of some of the planet's most extraordinary creatures.
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Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
2003 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary series reveals the stories behind seven of the most ambitious man-made achievements of the industrial age -- including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama Canal and the Hoover Dam -- and the pioneers who helped construct them.
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DMT: The Spirit Molecule
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary examines the powerful psychedelic compound DMT (dimethyltryptamine), which is naturally produced in humans and scores of other species. Does it play a role in sustaining life or even provide clues to human spirituality?
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Page One: Inside the New York Times
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsDocumentarian Andrew Rossi goes inside the New York Times to examine how the venerable paper and its reporters are responding to the massive changes in how news is gathered, analyzed and dispersed.
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The Interrupters
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis powerful documentary follows CeaseFire, a Chicago-based group -- staffed by former gang members -- that's dedicated to wiping out urban violence. The organization treats violence like an infection and seeks to eradicate the root cause.
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The Chocolate Farmer
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis film captures a year in the life of a Belizean family as they work their cacao plantation in the tradition of their Mayan ancestors and struggle to preserve their values in a world that is dramatically changing around them.
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How Weed Won the West
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Kevin Booth (American Drug War) offers this documentary that chronicles the exploding popularity of medical marijuana dispensaries in California and the mixed response from law enforcement agencies. Focusing on the controversial story of Organica, a legal Los Angeles pot club that was raided in 2009, the film also includes insights from a range of medical marijuana advocates, including a former LAPD cop.
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A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsMargrét Dagmar Ericsdóttir embarks on a quest to find answers about autism, which renders her 11-year-old son, Keli, unable to communicate. Across the United States and Europe, Ericsdóttir encounters autism experts exploring promising new methods.
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Faster
2003 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsEwan McGregor narrates this in-depth look at the MotoGP world championship, an event watched by more than 350 million people worldwide. The film explores the risks and rewards of this dangerous sport and the fast-paced subculture surrounding it.
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