Social & Cultural Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated December 26, 2024
These Amazing Shadows: The Movies That Make America
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFeaturing exclusive interviews and dazzling archival footage, this insightful documentary shines a light on the work of the National Film Registry and the art of preserving aesthetically, culturally and historically significant cinema.
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Life in a Day
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsAfter thousands of people around the world joined together to record banal and remarkable everyday events on July 24, 2010, director Kevin MacDonald led a team of editors to condense more than 4,500 hours of video into this picture of life on Earth.
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Revenge of the Electric Car
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFour vastly different yet equally driven auto industry visionaries rush to develop and market the first commercially successful electric car in this follow-up to the provocative documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?
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The Cartel
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIn his first feature film, director Bob Bowdon takes aim at America's public school system, revealing a self-serving network of wasteful cartels that squander funding and fail to deliver when it comes to academic testing and basic skills. Both parents and teachers want change, but reform is an uphill battle in the face of heel-digging bureaucrats and so-called "dropout factories." It's a bona fide crisis that's burgeoning out of control.
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Exit Through the Gift Shop
2010 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Thierry Guetta's project to chronicle the underground world of street art takes a fascinating twist when he meets elusive stencil artist Banksy, who turns the project around to film Guetta while he reinvents himself as a street artist.
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Tapped
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThe high cost -- to both the environment and our health -- of bottled water is the subject of this documentary that enlists activists, environmentalists, community leaders and others to expose the dark side of the bottled water industry. Americans may rethink their obsession with bottled H20 when they learn of the unregulated industry's willingness to ignore environmental and health concerns, and the problems that arise as a result.
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A Place at the Table
2012 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsUsing personal stories, this powerful doc illuminates the plight of the 49 million Americans struggling with food insecurity. A single mother, a small-town policeman and a farmer are among those for whom putting food on the table is a daily battle.
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The End of the Line
2009 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Rupert Murray traverses the world exposing the devastating effects that overfishing with modern technology is having on fish stocks and exploring the real solutions to solve the crisis.
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Vegucated
2010 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIn this documentary, three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured with true tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture.
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American Experience: Death and the Civil War
2012 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis film explores how the American Civil War created a "republic of suffering" and charts the far-reaching social, political and social changes brought about by the pervasive presence and fear of death during the war.
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Trek Nation
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis documentary follows Eugene Roddenberry, son of "Star Trek" creator Gene, as he tries to figure out why his father's show has become such a success. Speaking to fans and colleagues, Eugene learns why "Star Trek" has touched the lives of so many.
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Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
2012 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Alex Gibney explores the scourge of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, highlighting the landmark story of five deaf men who spoke out about a priest who molested more than 200 children between 1950 and 1974.
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The Business of Being Born
2007 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsDirector Abby Epstein's controversial documentary takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that some expectant parents are opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions.
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10 Questions for the Dalai Lama
2006 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis fascinating documentary blends an interview with the Dalai Lama with a look back at the spiritual leader's history and an exploration of the small city of Dharamsala, India, where he was exiled some 50 years ago.
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American Drug War: The Last White Hope
2007 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWith commentary from soldiers on both sides of the conflict, filmmaker Kevin Booth's incisive documentary wades into the murky waters of the American war on drugs, the longest and costliest war in U.S. history. Taking viewers from prisons and inner-city streets to the halls of Congress and his own kitchen, Booth attempts to sort out the intricacies of the national drug policy -- and the reasons for its unmitigated failure.
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Dirty Wars
2013 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsExploring America's covert operations in the war on terror, investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill takes viewers on a revealing journey through drone strikes, night raids, kill lists that include U.S. citizens and secret government-condoned torture.
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Pedal-Driven
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis documentary delves into the escalating conflict between mountain bikers, hungry to ride the open road, and the federal land managers charged with protecting the public lands that belong to us all.
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Food, Inc.
2008 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsDrawing on Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, director Robert Kenner's provocative, Oscar-nominated documentary explores the food industry's detrimental effects on our health and environment.
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Steve Jobs: One Last Thing
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsLegendary businessman and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs changed the way Americans live, think and work before his death in 2011. This documentary traces his turbulent career and includes interviews with his associates as well as his rivals.
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Hoop Dreams
1994 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThe filmmakers of this groundbreaking documentary meant for it to be a short movie, but wound up weaving a widely celebrated feature-length film spanning years filled with grace and honesty. Meet Arthur Agee and William Gates, two young boys from equally rough Chicago neighborhoods who make use of their prodigious basketball talents to aim for a life outside the ghetto. But strife and setbacks befall them at every turn. Will they succeed?
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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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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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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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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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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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