Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "social-documentary"

1. This Place Rules (2022)

TV-MA | 82 min | Documentary, Crime, History

Follows events and characters surrounding the January 6th, 2021 insurrection of the U.S. Capital Building in the days preceding the attack.

Director: Andrew Callaghan | Stars: Andrew Callaghan, Joker Gang, Gum Gang, Brittany

Votes: 6,513

2. Sex Life (2019– )

TV-MA | Documentary

Voyeuristic documentary series about titillating sexual and erotic experiences.

Stars: Rev Rucifer, Natasha Estrada, Vera Duffy, Barbara Ann Duffy

Votes: 293

3. Take Care of Maya (2023)

TV-14 | 103 min | Documentary

As a medical team tries to understand 10-year-old Maya Kowalski's rare illness, they begin to question her parents. Suddenly, Maya is in state custody - despite a family desperate to bring their daughter home.

Director: Henry Roosevelt

Votes: 9,617

4. Häxan (1922)

Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror

Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.

Director: Benjamin Christensen | Stars: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan

Votes: 16,719

5. Bad Faith (2024)

89 min | Documentary

Exposes how Christian Nationalism has become the most powerful anti-democratic force in America. Leaders join forces to defend our country from this march to fascism, but American citizens seem unaware of the threat.

Directors: Stephen Ujlaki, Christopher Jacob Jones | Stars: Steve Schmidt, William J. Barber II, Randall Balmer, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

Votes: 42

6. Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012– )

TV-PG | 53 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Before the popularity of AncestryDNA, journalist and cultural critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr. divulges the family trees of various celebrities, many times with stunning revelations.

Stars: Henry Louis Gates Jr., CeCe Moore, Anita Hill, Ty Burrell

Votes: 1,636

7. An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012)

TV-14 | 43 min | Documentary, Adventure, Comedy

British comedy duo Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant send their simple and closed-minded friend Karl Pilkington on a trip around the world to experience a variety of people and cultures.

Stars: Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Richard Yee

Votes: 34,313

8. American Experience (1987– )

TV-PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, History

A series showcasing documentaries on American history.

Stars: David McCullough, David Ogden Stiers, Michael Murphy, Oliver Platt

Votes: 2,202

9. Baraka (1992)

Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary

A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.

Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto

Votes: 40,982 | Gross: $1.33M

10. Paris Is Burning (1990)

R | 78 min | Documentary

A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.

Director: Jennie Livingston | Stars: Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée

Votes: 17,600 | Gross: $3.78M

11. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary

A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.

Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova

Votes: 27,978

12. 13th (2016)

TV-MA | 100 min | Documentary, Crime, History

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Melina Abdullah, Michelle Alexander, Cory Booker, Dolores Canales

Votes: 37,670

13. Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023)

TV-14 | 39 min | Documentary, Adventure

Travel around the world with author Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.

Stars: Dan Buettner, Marion Nestle

Votes: 3,172

14. Trial 4 (2020)

TV-MA | 55 min | Documentary, Crime

Charged as a teen in the 1993 killing of a Boston cop, Sean K. Ellis fights to prove his innocence while exposing police corruption and systemic racism.

Stars: Sean Ellis, Rosemary Scapicchio, Edward McNelley, Mary Jackie Ellis

Votes: 2,370

15. The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)

PG-13 | 98 min | Documentary

Portrays human bravery and resilience after a tragic volcano disaster in New Zealand.

Director: Rory Kennedy | Stars: Mark Inman, Hazel Osborne, Pouroto Ngaropo, Andy McGregor

Votes: 8,284

16. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

R | 122 min | Documentary, Drama, War

Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11 and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Ben Affleck, Stevie Wonder

Votes: 132,388 | Gross: $119.19M

17. Flee (2021)

PG-13 | 89 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography

FLEE tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time.

Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen | Stars: Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh, Milad Eskandari, Belal Faiz

Votes: 19,500

18. Catching Killers (II) (2021– )

TV-MA | 40 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery

The investigators behind infamous serial killer cases reveal the harrowing, chilling details of their extraordinary efforts in this true crime series.

Stars: Charles Coffey, John Ingram, Jim McIntyre, Debbie Harris

Votes: 5,453

19. X-Rated: The Greatest Adult Movies of All Time (2015 TV Movie)

TV-MA | 95 min | Documentary

A look at a plethora of pornographic films ranging from the 1970s to the 2010s and a commentary about their lasting impacts on the adult industry and the world.

Director: Bryn Pryor | Stars: Chanel Preston, Nina Hartley, Raylin Joy, Herschel Savage

Votes: 821

20. Locked Up Abroad (2007– )

TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Drama

Survivors share their stories and experience of survival abroad.

Stars: Natalie Dunne, Max Wrottesley, Manuel Villasenor, Jerry Murillo

Votes: 2,232

21. MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (2023)

TV-14 | 53 min | Documentary

March 8th, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from radar. 239 people went missing, a global investigation into this greatest mystery Despite reports, countless theories, and searches for evidence, nothing. What Are We Missing?

Stars: Intan Othman, Jeff Wise, Danica Weeks, Ghislain Wattrelos

Votes: 14,167

22. Intervention (2005– )

TV-14 | 44 min | Documentary, Drama

Addicts try to overcome their addictions with the help of their families and others.

Stars: Candy Finnigan, Jeff VanVonderen, Ken Seeley, Donna Chavous

Votes: 3,028

23. The Innocence Files (2020)

TV-MA | 64 min | Documentary, Crime

Cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked to highlight and overturn.

Stars: Peter Neufeld, Barry Scheck, Michael West, Gary Wells

Votes: 3,109

24. God Forbid (2022)

TV-MA | 109 min | Documentary

Giancarlo Granda, former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, shares the intimate details of his 7-year relationship with a charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr.

Director: Billy Corben | Stars: Tom Arnold, Michael Cohen, Ted Cruz, Nicole Cunliffe

Votes: 2,304

25. Clusterf**k: Woodstock '99 (2022)

TV-MA | 47 min | Documentary, History, Music

Woodstock 1969 promised peace and music, but its '99 revival delivered days of rage, riots and real harm. Why did it go so horribly wrong?

Stars: Ananda Lewis, Heather Eason Liposky, Colin Speir, John Scher

Votes: 21,460

26. Pepsi, Where's My Jet? (2022)

TV-MA | 39 min | Documentary, History

When a 20-year-old attempts to win a fighter jet in a Pepsi sweepstakes, he sets the stage for a David versus Goliath court battle for the history books.

Stars: John Leonard, Todd Hoffman, Michael Patti, Jeff Mordos

Votes: 12,344

27. Escaping Utopia (2024)

Documentary

New Zealand's most extreme religious cult, Gloriavale, and the true stories of people attempting to break free, including current and former members that have never gone on record before.

Votes: 44

28. Kokomo City (2023)

R | 73 min | Documentary

A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.

Director: D. Smith | Stars: Daniella Carter, Dominique Silver, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell

Votes: 978

29. The Way Down (2021–2022)

TV-MA | 44 min | Documentary, Crime

Follows the Remnant Fellowship Church, exploring the fame and power of its leader Gwen Shambling Lara as a diet guru and church leader, and the truth behind her carefully-curated image, detailing the church's controversial practices.

Stars: Natasha Pavlovich, Glen Wingerd, Carey Wingerd, Robert Gardner

Votes: 3,426

30. The Elephant Whisperers (2022)

PG | 41 min | Documentary, Short

Bomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.

Director: Kartiki Gonsalves | Stars: Bellie, Bomman

Votes: 9,788

31. McMillions (2020)

TV-14 | 57 min | Documentary, Crime, History

A detailed account of the McDonald's Monopoly game scam during the 1990s as told by the participants in the case, including the prizewinners and the FBI agents involved.

Stars: Chris Graham, Doug Mathews, Amy Murray, Janet Pellicciotti

Votes: 9,197

32. Nuclear Now (2022)

105 min | Documentary

An investigation into the possibility of addressing climate change with a move away from fossil fuels to nuclear power.

Director: Oliver Stone

Votes: 862

33. How to Change Your Mind (2022)

TV-MA | 53 min | Documentary

It showcases what psychedelics teaches people about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression and transcendence.

Stars: Michael Pollan, Erika Gagnon, Kathleen Kral, Paul Daley

Votes: 3,290

34. Lakota Nation vs. United States (2022)

PG-13 | 120 min | Documentary, History

A chronicle about how the Lakota Indians fight to reclaim control of the Black Hills. Will investigate how the sacred land was stolen in violation of treaty agreements and feature interviews with Indigenous citizens.

Directors: Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli | Stars: Candi Brings Plenty, Nick Tilsen, Krystal Two Bulls, Phyllis Young

Votes: 259

35. Human Planet (2011)

TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary

A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth

Stars: John Hurt, Roger Munns

Votes: 27,792

36. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (2023)

R | 97 min | Documentary

The film will explore society's obsessions with the pursuit of happiness and will be presented by Mark Manson alongside Disappointment Panda, a character from the book whose superpower is to tell people the harsh truth.

Director: Nathan Price | Stars: Jonno Roberts, Jack Barry, Andrew Munro, Simbarashe Matshe

Votes: 1,822

37. The Century of the Self (2002)

59 min | Documentary

A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations.

Stars: Adam Curtis, Robert Reich, Ann Bernays, Alfred Pritz

Votes: 6,360

38. Never Seen Again (2022– )

Documentary, Drama

Each episode a member of a different family will recount the last time they saw their loved ones before they vanished into thin air. Following missing sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, boyfriends or girlfriends.

Stars: Katie Kaplan, Ginger Allen, Chad Diehl, Kelsy Mittauer

Votes: 213

39. Jesus Camp (2006)

PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary

A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.

Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady | Stars: Mike Papantonio, Lou Engle, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard

Votes: 28,775 | Gross: $0.90M

40. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

PG | 103 min | Documentary

A heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

Director: Barbara Kopple | Stars: John L. Lewis, Carl Horn, Norman Yarborough, Logan Patterson

Votes: 6,627

41. The Pharmacist (2020)

TV-MA | 54 min | Documentary, Crime

Dan Schneider, a small-town pharmacist in Louisiana, makes effort to identify his son's killer, which leads to his gathering of evidence against a prolific "pill mill" doctor in New Orleans.

Stars: Dan Schneider, Annie Schneider, Jack Stephens, M.

Votes: 8,673

42. Victim/Suspect (2023)

R | 90 min | Documentary, Crime

Young women tell the police they've been sexually assaulted, but instead of finding justice, they're charged with the crime of making a false report, arrested, and even imprisoned by the system they believed would protect them.

Director: Nancy Schwartzman | Stars: Lisa Avalos, Dyanie Bermeo, Rachel de Leon, Carlton Hershman

Votes: 2,044

43. The Principles of Pleasure (2022)

TV-MA | 152 min | Documentary

Sex, joy and modern science converge in this eye-opening series that celebrates the complex world of women's pleasure - and puts old-fashioned myths to rest.

Stars: Michelle Buteau, Supriya Ganesh, Annie Pisapia, Gina Nicole Brown

Votes: 1,690

44. Missing: Dead or Alive? (2023– )

TV-MA | 45 min | Documentary, Crime

Follow officers from a South Carolina sheriff's department as they urgently search for individuals who've disappeared under troubling circumstances.

Stars: Vicki Rains, Heidi Jackson, J.P. Smith, Nina Mauldin

Votes: 1,815

45. News from Home (1976)

85 min | Documentary

Impersonal and beautiful images of Akerman's life in New York are combined with letters from her loving but manipulative mother, read by Akerman herself.

Director: Chantal Akerman | Star: Chantal Akerman

Votes: 2,808

46. LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton (2001 TV Movie)

89 min | Documentary

This documentary follows a Mississippi Delta school district and a single Delta family as they struggle against the crippling effects of poverty in the wake of more than one hundred years of slavery.

Directors: Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke, Albert Maysles | Stars: LaLee Wallace, Reggie Barnes

Votes: 244

47. America: The Story of the US (2010)

Documentary, History

Why did the United States become a global superpower? America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that explores the country's remarkable journey.

Stars: Daniel Webb, Liev Schreiber, Tom Brokaw, James Meigs

Votes: 1,967

48. Another Body (2023)

80 min | Documentary

"Another Body" follows a college student's search for justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online.

Directors: Sophie Compton, Reuben Hamlyn | Stars: Ava Breuer, Faith Quinn, Julia Weinberg

Votes: 345

49. Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021)

194 min | Documentary, Horror

A thorough overview and dissection of the subgenre of 'folk horror, ' with contributions from many of the major creators and clips from cinema all over the world.

Director: Kier-La Janisse | Stars: Linda Hayden, Ian Ogilvy, Kevin Kölsch, Sean Hogan

Votes: 1,627

50. How to Get Rich (2023– )

TV-14 | 35 min | Documentary

Money holds power over us - but it doesn't have to. Finance expert Ramit Sethi works with people across the US to help them achieve their richest lives.

Stars: Kyleen McHenry, Ramit Sethi

Votes: 1,537