Social & Cultural Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated October 14, 2024
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
2012 | NR | 4.4 out of 5 StarsThis documentary follows six teenagers who formed a skateboarding team in the 1980s, revitalizing the sport and becoming its top athletes: Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain and Rodney Mullen.
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Miss Representation
2011 | NR | 4.3 out of 5 StarsExplore how the media's often disparaging portrayals of women contribute to the under-representation of females in positions of power, creating another generation of women defined by beauty and sexuality, and not by their capacity as leaders.
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Bridegroom
2013 | NR | 4.3 out of 5 StarsHelmed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, this illuminating documentary chronicles the story of Shane Bitney Crone, who finds himself shut out and deprived of the legal protections of marriage after his same-sex partner dies in a tragic accident.
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We Were Children
2012 | NR | 4.3 out of 5 StarsThis emotional film reflects the stories of two people who endured a Canadian program that forced First Nations children to negate their aboriginal identity. Separated from their families at a very young age, they faced brutality and mental abuse.
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Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThis compelling documentary explores three years in the life of celebrated Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who uses social media and his art to inspire protests against the state, and suffers government persecution for his actions.
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I Am
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsIn this contemplative documentary, filmmaker Tom Shadyac conducts in-depth interviews with prominent philosophers and spiritual leaders -- including Archbishop Desmond Tutu -- about what ails the world and how to improve it.
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Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThis TV miniseries chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern Plains -- followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s -- nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.
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Zeitgeist: Addendum
2008 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsContinuing the discussion from Zeitgeist: The Movie about the controversial links between religion and the financial markets, this documentary explores the causes of social corruption and puts forth a solution based on human alignment with nature.
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Searching for Sugar Man
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThe incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was. Decades after Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez disappeared following the failure of his two critically praised records in the 1970s, two fans from South Africa, where Rodriguez was a huge hit, try to track down their idol.
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Serving Life
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsFilmed in a notorious Louisiana prison, this moving documentary chronicles the work of some inmates who find a sense of redemption for their past crimes by volunteering in the jail's hospice, offering compassion to other prisoners as they die.
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First Position
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsFollow dancers training for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world's most prestigious ballet competitions. The stakes are high: their performances will determine the success or failure of their dreams.
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Beauty Is Embarrassing
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsGet to know Wayne White, one of America's most unusual and arresting artists, with this snappy documentary that traces the ups and downs of his career. The jovial White discusses his art, strums the banjo, plays with puppets and simply enjoys life.
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Bill Cunningham New York
2010 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsLiving simply and using a bicycle to get around New York, 80-year-old photographer Bill Cunningham tirelessly records what people are wearing in the city -- both out on the sidewalk and in the salons of the wealthy.
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Indie Game: The Movie
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThis captivating documentary follows several independent game designers as they painstakingly develop their games and hope for breakthrough success. It also explores the quirky sensibility these personalities bring to their art form.
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Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThis TV miniseries chronicles the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history, when a frenzied wheat boom on the southern Plains -- followed by a decade-long drought during the 1930s -- nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.
Details about Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl
Hungry For Change
2012 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsThis documentary exposes secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want consumers to know about: deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping people from having the body and health they want.
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Somewhere Between
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsQuestions of race, identity and heritage are explored through the lives of young American women growing up as adoptees from China. These four distinct individuals reflect on their experiences as members of transracial families.
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Zeitgeist: Moving Forward
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsThis compelling documentary examines the current state of the global socioeconomic monetary paradigm and concludes that we need to transition to a new resource-based economy for our continued human and social survival.
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Food Matters
2008 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsWith a staggering number of Americans suffering from obesity and other food-related maladies, this film takes a timely and hard-hitting look at how the food we eat is helping or hurting our health, and what we can do to live (and eat) better.
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Ken Burns: Baseball
1994 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsAward-winning documentarian Ken Burns takes a swing at a unique and much-loved aspect of life in the United States: baseball. Burns chronicles the sport's signature people, places and events as well as a deep-rooted relationship to American culture.
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Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsBeloved by millions of children, Elmo is a global icon. However, few people know the soft-spoken man behind the furry red monster: Kevin Clash. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary follows Clash's remarkable career as a puppeteer.
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Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
2008 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Kurt Kuenne's poignant tribute to his murdered childhood friend, Andrew Bagby, tells the story of a child custody battle between the baby's grieving grandparents and Shirley Turner, Bagby's pregnant ex-girlfriend and suspected killer. Initially, Kuenne made this documentary as a memorial for Andrew's loved ones, but it morphs into an emotional legal odyssey when Turner goes free on bail and is allowed to raise her son.
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Farmageddon
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsAmericans' right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action.
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Ken Burns: Baseball
1994 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsDocumentarian Ken Burns takes a swing at baseball, chronicling the sport's signature people, places and events and its deep-rooted relationship to American culture. The pastime's history unfolds over nostalgic, informative "innings."
Details about Ken Burns: Baseball
Crime After Crime
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsConvicted of killing her brutally abusive boyfriend in 1983, Deborah Peagler languished in prison for 20 years. When California legislation allowing incarcerated domestic-violence survivors to reopen their cases becomes law, a pair of novice attorneys agree to take on her case. Armed with evidence of their client's innocence, the two encounter a bewildering maze of bureaucratic procedures and political corruption as they seek justice.
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