Social & Cultural Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated December 28, 2024
The Age of Stupid
2009 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsIn the desolate future of 2055, an archivist combs through a vast collection of videos to learn what went wrong with the planet. His research points to the first decade of the century, when humans blithely ignored the warning signs of climate change.
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Capitalism: A Love Story
2009 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Michael Moore (Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11) takes on capitalism's roots, the floundering U.S. economy, and 2008's global financial meltdown and subsequent bank bailout in this rousing documentary. Combining stories about those who suffer most from Corporate America's greed and insatiable thirst for profits and the people most responsible for myriad crises, Moore embarks on another shocking fact-finding rampage.
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The Nature of Existence
2010 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsRoger Nygard travels to the sources of the world's major philosophies and talks to everyone from physicist Leonard Susskind to Ultimate Christian Wrestling founder Rob Adonis to answer the questions, Why are we here and what are we supposed to do? Spiritual leaders, scholars, scientists, artists, pizza chefs and the guy next door inform this humorously enlightening documentary about the nature and meaning of life.
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Until the Light Takes Us
2008 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsTaking viewers deep inside the notorious "Inner Circle" that promoted murder, suicide and church burning in the Norwegian black metal subculture of the 1990s, filmmakers Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell offer up a nuanced and fascinating documentary. Rare footage and interviews with musicians -- including Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell, Varg "Count Grishnackh" Vikernes and Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg -- shed light on the controversial movement.
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Babies
2010 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsDocumentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes charts the simultaneous early development of four babies from different parts of the world, illustrating what makes human life unique, similar and precious wherever it occurs. Training his camera on newborns Hattie from San Francisco, Ponijao from Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolia and Mari from Tokyo, Balmes captures everything from first screaming breaths to first steps.
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FIGHTVILLE
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsFar from the glitz of Las Vegas's mega mixed martial arts bouts, fighters duke it out in sweaty local venues on what they hope is their way to the big time. This documentary shines a light on that world -- focusing on the Louisiana fight circuit.
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Into the Abyss
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsDirector Werner Herzog's compelling documentary examines the emotional aftermath of a triple murder in Texas, interviewing the two convicted killers, their relatives, the victims' families and law-enforcement officials involved in the case.
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Detropia
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsAs the focus of this sobering documentary, the decline of Detroit also reflects the nation's larger failure to keep up in a modern global economy. The film also examines the efforts of its residents to maintain Detroit's vibrant cultural base.
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The Queen of Versailles
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsMeet the Siegels, glitterati who made a fortune in the time-share business only to see it crumble in the 2008 financial collapse. The site of their rise and almost-fall is their home (America's largest), a gaudy replica of the Palace of Versailles.
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Three Stars
2010 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsFocusing on nine Michelin-starred chefs from three continents, filmmaker Lutz Hachmeister reveals the real business of cooking on the highest level by crosscutting between the maestros' various kitchen routines, tastes and culinary philosophies.
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One Day on Earth
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsCapturing ordinary and extraordinary life events from around the globe over the course of one day -- October 10, 2010 -- this documentary explores the human experience in an attempt to answer the question, "Who are we?"
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Of Two Minds
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsWeaving together the stories of several fascinating Americans living with bipolar disorder, this documentary explores their triumphant highs, despairing lows and struggles to survive in a culture that doesn't always understand them.
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YERT - Your Environmental Road Trip
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsCalled to action by a planet in peril, three friends hit the road to explore every state in America in search of the extraordinary innovators and citizens who are tackling humanity's greatest environmental crises.
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The American Scream
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsIn the sleepy town of Fairhaven, MA, The American Scream follows the creative minds behind three local homemade haunts and their spirited, passionate and sometimes harrowing efforts in igniting their town's Halloween spirit each year.
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Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle for Expression
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsA new breed of crime fighter now stalks the urban landscape. Two filmmakers go undercover to expose anti-graffiti vigilantes who stop at nothing to rid their neighborhoods and cities of street art, stickers, tags, and posters.
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The Moo Man
2013 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsChronicling a year in the life of a family-run dairy, this charming documentary centers on an optimistic English farmer who insists on thinking small when it comes to the size of his herd.
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Where the Yellowstone Goes
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsExperience a soul-searching and inspirational 30-day drift boat journey down the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States. Connect with colorful characters, get lost in the hypnotic cast of a fly rod and savor silhouetted moments.
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Addicted to Plastic
2008 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsFocusing on manufacturing, environmental effects and solutions, a documentarian journeys around the world to trace the life cycle of plastic. While plastic is the most versatile material ever invented, its ubiquity comes at a steep cost to mankind.
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Tar Creek
2009 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsTar Creek is an environmentally devastated area in northeastern Oklahoma with acidic creeks, stratospheric lead poisoning and enormous sinkholes. Nearly 30 years after being designated as a Superfund cleanup program, residents are still struggling.
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Mother India: Life Through the Eyes of the Orphan
2013 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsNarrated by Rebecca St. James (Grammy Award Winning Artist), Mother India is a compelling documentary capturing the stories of abandoned and orphaned kids living in India. For one week, David and Shawn stepped into the lives of 25 boys and girls living alongside the railway station in the southern town of Tenali (Andhra Pradesh). With over 31 million orphans in India, the stories that emerge reflect the complexity of the issues and the challenge of rescuing kids from a life of begging and addiction. Find out what happens when these two friends eat, sleep, and play among this 'family' of street kids in an effort to experience life through their eyes. You'll never be the same.
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Meltdown
2013 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsThe hard-hitting earthquake that rocked Japan's Fukushima Prefecture on March 11, 2011, delivered much more than bricks-and-mortar destruction; it also triggered a nuclear meltdown and ignited the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
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Sunset Strip
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsThis valentine to one of Los Angeles' most celebrated thoroughfares reveals its nearly 100-year history and its significance in culture worldwide. Photos and interviews capture the Strip and famed habitués from mobsters to Hugh Hefner to Johnny Depp.
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Grass
2000 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsNarrated by actor and pot activist Woody Harrelson, this slick and snappy documentary chronicles the history of marijuana use and prohibition from the early 1900s through modern day. Biased toward legalization in tone, the clever if subjective film reveals the absurdity of government anti-grass tactics. Comic Tommy Chong also lends his voice to this informative and amusing illustration of how one substance among many has created such a clamor.
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Bowling for Columbine
2002 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsFamed filmmaker and left-wing political humorist Michael Moore tackles America's obsession with firearms in this Oscar-winning documentary centered on the Columbine High School massacre of 1999.
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Super Size Me
2004 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsDirector Morgan Spurlock takes a hilarious and often terrifying look at the effects of fast food on the human body, using himself as the proverbial guinea pig. For one month, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's fare.
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