Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated April 20, 2025
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsVia the rose-tinted memories of the women who lived it, this engaging documentary chronicles the fleeting cultural phenomenon that was "The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling," a weekly show that elevated its female grapplers to star status in the 1980s.
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Who Killed the Electric Car?
2006 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAmid a volatile climate of ever-changing gas prices, this documentary delves into the short life of the GM EV1 electric car -- a fuel-efficient auto that was once all the rage in the mid-1990s and now has fallen by the roadside. How could such a green-friendly vehicle fail to transform lives? Through interviews with government officials, former GM employees and concerned celebs, filmmaker Chris Paine seeks to find out.
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Love the Beast
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsActor and director Eric Bana examines his own fixation with cars and chronicles his attempts to compete in the treacherous Targa Tasmania race. But can his Ford XB Falcon Coupe -- aka "the Beast" -- endure this grueling five-day affair?
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Touching the Void
2003 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis gripping docudrama retells the mountaineering trek gone awry of Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, who falls and breaks his leg while climbing in the Andes. Yates attempts to lower him to safety but fails, forcing him to make a pivotal decision.
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Transcendent Man
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsInventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil is the subject of this documentary that follows him on a world speaking tour in which he expounds on his ideas about the merging of man and machine, which he predicts will occur in the not-so-distant future. The visionary who invented the first text-to-speech synthesizer and much more raises eyebrows here with his wildly optimistic views of a technology-enhanced future.
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Planet B-Boy
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis Tribeca Film Festival selection affords viewers exclusive access to the underground world of break dancing, charting the highs and lows of five B-boy teams practicing for the all-important "Battle of the Year." Combining stunning dance footage from Japan, Germany, South Korea, France and the United States, documentarian Benson Lee sets out to show that break dancing didn't fade into history -- it merely evolved into a remarkable art form.
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The English Surgeon
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsBritish Brain Surgeon Henry Marsh works in a Russian KGB Hospital where patients are dying from simple brain tumors left untreated. This drama follows Marsh as he confronts the dilemmas of the doctor patient relationship on his latest mission.
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John Waters: This Filthy World
2006 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsPhilosopher of filth and reigning king of bad taste, John Waters presents an outstanding live one-man show that celebrates his origins of trash with his signature brand of irreverent humor. Filmed live in New York, this devilishly delectable monologue focuses on Waters's early introductions to the grotesque that influenced the groundbreaking filmmaker and author, continually magnifying his twisted contributions of creativity.
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Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust
2004 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Daniel Anker examines Hollywood's depiction of the Holocaust and its incomprehensible atrocities in this award-winning documentary narrated by Gene Hackman and featuring interviews with Steven Spielberg and Sidney Lumet. Through film clips, newsreels, scholars' comments and firsthand accounts, the documentary also questions the responsibility of filmmakers in retelling history and the effects of film portrayals on the social psyche.
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Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
2003 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThrough computer-generated and dramatic re-creations, this fascinating program reveals the stories behind seven of the most ambitious manmade achievements of the industrial age and the pioneers who helped construct them.
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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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Walking with Monsters: Life Before Dinosaurs
2005 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis Emmy-winning program takes you back to a time when gargantuan fish, reptiles and sea scorpions ruled the earth. The journey that began more than 500 million years ago charts the evolution of some of the planet's most extraordinary creatures.
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The Devil Came on Horseback
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsIn this unflinching documentary chronicling the genocide in Darfur, former Marine Capt. Brian Steidle is forever transformed by the atrocities he witnesses as a military observer for the African Union.
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The Square (Trailer)
2014 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThe citizens of Egypt take to the streets of Cairo and seize control of their government after years of corrupt rule in this inspiring documentary that captures a popular revolution as it battles police, the military and even special interest groups.
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On Any Sunday
1971 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAcclaimed filmmaker Bruce Brown explores the dizzying world of rugged road riders, where cycles hit incredible speeds, segueing first into the excitement of a muddy motocross race before moving on to the mayhem of the Mexican 1000 off-track trial.
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Generation RX
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Kevin P. Miller offers this unflinching examination of the unsettling trend in the American medical establishment toward prescribing powerful psychiatric drugs for children more often -- and at a younger age -- than ever before. Families devastated by the consequences of overmedication share their stories, and doctors, ethicists and other medical professionals weigh in on whether pharmaceutical companies put profits before patients.
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Blue Gold: World Water Wars
2009 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsNarrated by Malcolm McDowell, this award-winning documentary from director Sam Bozzo posits that we're moving closer to a world in which water -- a seemingly plentiful natural resource -- could actually incite war. As water becomes an increasingly precious commodity, corrupt governments, corporations and even private investors are scrambling to control it which leaves everyday citizens fighting for a substance they need to survive.
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Walking on Water
2007 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsTaking two young surfers around the globe and introducing them to amazing surf spots, filmmaker Bryan Jennings returns a favor done for him by a pro when he was 14. Together they visit waves in Australia, South Africa, Indonesia and elsewhere.
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Bobby Fischer Against the World
2011 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Liz Garbus sheds light on one of the most enigmatic of 20th-century personalities: Bobby Fischer, a boy who rose to fame as a world-champion child chess prodigy and later found himself embroiled in Cold War-era politics.
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Beyond Belief
2006 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsAfter forming a common bond in their grief when both lost their husbands on Sept. 11, 2001, strangers Patti Quigley and Susan Retik cope with their unimaginable loss by traveling to Afghanistan to meet women there who were also widowed by violence.
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RIP! A Remix Manifesto
2008 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Brett Gaylor's documentary takes a look at intellectual property laws by profiling controversial musician Girl Talk, called "a lawsuit waiting to happen" by The New York Times Magazine because of his extensive use of mash-up remixes. With numerous voices on both sides of the issue, the dynamic film examines fair use for artists creating sample-based music and other works versus copyright laws protecting the original artists' creations.
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49 Up
2005 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsIn 1964, a filmmaker interviewed a diverse group of 7-year-olds and vowed to track their lives every seven years. Now, those "kids" are 49 years old. This documentary series reveals how Apted's subjects collectively serve as a microcosm of society.
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Beer Wars
2009 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsWith her entertaining documentary, Anat Baron ushers viewers into the backrooms and breweries of the ultracompetitive beer industry and reveals what it takes for independent brewers to compete with the corporate giants who dominate the business.
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Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
2006 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsJoe Strummer, the late lead singer of the legendary punk-rock band the Clash, narrates this music-lover's documentary of his own life courtesy of collected interviews and tapes from his BBC radio show. The film features rare footage of the rock hero, from his childhood to his later days playing with the Mescaleros, and includes interviews with Strummer fans such as Bono, Johnny Depp, John Cusack and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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Who's Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex Lies and Global Economics
1995 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsIn this insightful program, witty and irreverent economics professor, goat farmer and former New Zealand Member of Parliament Marilyn Waring challenges the numerous myths of economics.
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