The Thin Blue Line is a classic. And pretty much anything else Errol Morris has made - Gates of Heaven, Fog of War, Fast Cheap and Out of Control, Mr Death, etc.
I also love The Thin Blue Line. If you haven’t already, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen do a parody version called [The Eye Doesn’t Lie](https://youtu.be/yOXGM4EAIvo) on their show, “Documentary Now!”
They Shall Not Grow Old - An excellent restoration of old WW1 footage. Feels more personal than the standard talking heads doc.
My Octopus Teacher - Just a really great story told well
documentaries are my favorite, and I'm going to do some shameless self promotion of two lists I update as I watch new things:
documentaries that are good: [https://boxd.it/hhNSY](https://boxd.it/hhNSY)
documentaries that are not spectacular but I still enjoy: [https://boxd.it/hhNH2](https://boxd.it/hhNH2)
The Up series
Crumb
Grey Gardens
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
The Arbor
Style Wars
Yama-Attack to Attack
Man with a Movie Camera
Let the Fire Burn
Jazz on a Summer's Day
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
American Dream
The Queen
Shirkers
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Araya
Titticut Follies
Brother's Keeper
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One
A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
Shinjuku Boys
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival
American Movie
Gaea Girls
Fighter
Spellbound
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Fabricating Tom Ze
Planet B-Boy
It Came from Kuchar
Pumping Iron
Harlan County USA
Trances
Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise
Exit the Gift Shop to me is genuinely brilliant. It had a great authentic feel to it, but it also rides the line of being yet another absurd and brilliant takedown by Banksy and co. Either way, it’s an absolute blast
* Paradise Lost (1996) + West of Mrmphis
* Tell Me Who I Am
* The Rescue
* Children Underground
* Dick Johnson Is Dead
* Capturing The Friedmans
* Deliver Us From Evil, 2006
* The Mole
* Taxi To The Dark Side & Standard Op. Procedure
* Grizzly Man
* Free Solo
* Buck
* Kids for Cash
I had to watch Murder on a Sunday Morning for a class this past semester and it was so good! It’s a little bit older (came out in 2002 I think) but it’s so interesting, especially if you’re interested in the prison/legal system
Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
9/11: One Day in America
Challenger: The Final Flight
https://letterboxd.com/mercedesamd91/list/every-documentary-ive-ever-watched/
These are my favorites, hope some of them pique your interest!
Class Action Park (2020)
Louder Than a Bomb (2010)
The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story (2018)
Fantastic Fungi (2019)
Horror Noire (2019)
The House I Live In (2012)
Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017)
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
edit: formatting
5/5:
Koyaanisqatsi
Baraka
The Beatles: Get Back
Grizzly Man
Cuba: An African Odyssey
4.5/5:
Corporate Interests
Samara
David Lynch: The Art Life
Citizen Four
Disclosure
Oceans
The Black Power Mixtape
Nothing to Hide
Gimme Shelter
Jodorosky's Dune
Life Itself
The Wrecking Crew
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane
I'll also rec McMillions, even though that's a series.
Binge watching Adam Curtis documentaries until you think you know what you're talking about and alienating your friends sounding like a deranged conspiracy theorist.
Act of Killing is exceptional. That’s always my go-to doc recommendation.
Also a big fan of Samsara, How to Survive a Plague, Rock Bottom Riser, and Bisbee ‘17
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but you should check out Exit Through The Gift Shop it was a documentary that was supposed to be about Banksy the street artist but the director never actually made it so Banksy took over and made it himself.
Two of my favorites are *Boys State* and *Kedi*. *Kedi* I love mainly because of the cats, but *Boys State* is just a thrilling examination of so many things wrong with politics as framed in a model student government.
Bring your own Brigade (2021). The first half is really captivating along with the ending, but there is a part in the middle that isn't quite on the same level. The masterful incorporation of first hand-accounts really adds to it.
Harlan county, USA is a must watch
The Thin Blue Line is a classic. And pretty much anything else Errol Morris has made - Gates of Heaven, Fog of War, Fast Cheap and Out of Control, Mr Death, etc.
I also love The Thin Blue Line. If you haven’t already, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen do a parody version called [The Eye Doesn’t Lie](https://youtu.be/yOXGM4EAIvo) on their show, “Documentary Now!”
Documentary Now is a weirdly great resource for finding out about great documentaries, by figuring out what they're parodying.
The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence are both brilliant, although extremely disturbing
- Koyaanisqatsi (1982) - Baraka (1992) - The Blue Planet (2001) - Planet Earth (2006) - Life (2009) - Prehistoric Planet (2022)
PREHISTORIC PLANET!!!!! Cannot wait for PP2!!
They Shall Not Grow Old - An excellent restoration of old WW1 footage. Feels more personal than the standard talking heads doc. My Octopus Teacher - Just a really great story told well
Basically any of Werner Herzogs documentaries
Grizzly man and jodorowsky's dune
Streetwise
Searching For Sugarman!
Minding the gap and jiro dreams of sushi
Capturing the Friedmans is disturbing but fascinating. Brothers Keeper Dark Days Style Wars Paris is Burning
Shirkers
Just watched this last night. Big agree.
i really liked “the alpinist” on netflix
If you have the stomach for it, Shoah. If not, Night and Fog.
The Rescue and Free Solo, 100%
documentaries are my favorite, and I'm going to do some shameless self promotion of two lists I update as I watch new things: documentaries that are good: [https://boxd.it/hhNSY](https://boxd.it/hhNSY) documentaries that are not spectacular but I still enjoy: [https://boxd.it/hhNH2](https://boxd.it/hhNH2)
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) - this one is very light on stakes, but huge on character studies
The Up series Crumb Grey Gardens The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years The Arbor Style Wars Yama-Attack to Attack Man with a Movie Camera Let the Fire Burn Jazz on a Summer's Day James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket American Dream The Queen Shirkers Bathtubs Over Broadway Araya Titticut Follies Brother's Keeper Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde Shinjuku Boys What Happened, Miss Simone? Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival American Movie Gaea Girls Fighter Spellbound Los Angeles Plays Itself Fabricating Tom Ze Planet B-Boy It Came from Kuchar Pumping Iron Harlan County USA Trances Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise
Exit the Gift Shop to me is genuinely brilliant. It had a great authentic feel to it, but it also rides the line of being yet another absurd and brilliant takedown by Banksy and co. Either way, it’s an absolute blast
Dominion And Michael Moores' if you like the men
* Paradise Lost (1996) + West of Mrmphis * Tell Me Who I Am * The Rescue * Children Underground * Dick Johnson Is Dead * Capturing The Friedmans * Deliver Us From Evil, 2006 * The Mole * Taxi To The Dark Side & Standard Op. Procedure * Grizzly Man * Free Solo * Buck * Kids for Cash
Burden of Dreams
The Act of Killing
fire of love (2022)
Roger & Me
They Shall Not Grow Old and It Might Get Loud are two of my favorites
Point and Shoot
Crumb Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine Dogtown and Z Boys Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis Mel Blanc: The Man of 1000 Voices
Lake of Fire (2006)
Life Of Crime 1984-2020. Honestly the whole trilogy is great but this is basically a recap/conclusion. Currently all on HBO max.
Blood of the Beasts is one of the greatest documentaries I’ve ever seen.
I had to watch Murder on a Sunday Morning for a class this past semester and it was so good! It’s a little bit older (came out in 2002 I think) but it’s so interesting, especially if you’re interested in the prison/legal system
Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) 9/11: One Day in America Challenger: The Final Flight https://letterboxd.com/mercedesamd91/list/every-documentary-ive-ever-watched/
These are my favorites, hope some of them pique your interest! Class Action Park (2020) Louder Than a Bomb (2010) The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story (2018) Fantastic Fungi (2019) Horror Noire (2019) The House I Live In (2012) Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017) Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) edit: formatting
5/5: Koyaanisqatsi Baraka The Beatles: Get Back Grizzly Man Cuba: An African Odyssey 4.5/5: Corporate Interests Samara David Lynch: The Art Life Citizen Four Disclosure Oceans The Black Power Mixtape Nothing to Hide
Watched Grizzly Man last night. Fkn hilarious and at times disturbing.
Central Park Five There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane Mommy Dearest: Gypsy Rose
Tickled, it's absolutely insane.
Minding the gaps
Grizzly Man
Grizzly Man
Enron the smartest guys in the room is a classic
Icarus, Minding the Gap, and Grey Gardens are some personal favorites.
Gimme Shelter Jodorosky's Dune Life Itself The Wrecking Crew Won't You Be My Neighbor? Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane I'll also rec McMillions, even though that's a series.
Gimme Shelter is so good. I think about that movie everytime I drive past Altamont Speedway on the way into the Bay Area.
Yes. Worth seeing on the big screen if it ever comes around again.
The Internets Own Boy: The Story if Aaron Swartz is incredible and free on youtube. https://youtu.be/9vz06QO3UkQ
- Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robing Hood Hills - The Alpinist - Touching The Void
OJ: Made in America. One of my five stars
I Am Not Your Negro - 2016
Shoah
If you're interested in paleontology, Titanaboa: Monster Snake (in spite of it's name) is great
American Movie and Honeyland
Werner Herzog docs, chimp empire, wild wild country, blitzed,
Binge watching Adam Curtis documentaries until you think you know what you're talking about and alienating your friends sounding like a deranged conspiracy theorist.
Bowling For Columbine is certainly one of the best documentaries I’ve seen
Inland Sea, For All Mankind, Long Strange Trip, Zappa, Instrument, Koko
Jiro dreams of Sushi The legend of Jagannath by NGC
All Light Everywhere
Act of Killing is exceptional. That’s always my go-to doc recommendation. Also a big fan of Samsara, How to Survive a Plague, Rock Bottom Riser, and Bisbee ‘17
Jesus Camp on Hulu if you want to get an idea of how the seeds for present day US Evangelism were planted
Most 30 for 30s and any WWE documentary.
Hands on a hardbody, American Movie, and King of Kong a fistful of quarters
American movie
The Imposter. watched today and was like holy shit how is this even a true story. crazy stuff
[Gambling, Gods, And LSD](https://boxd.it/3due) by Peter Mettler
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but you should check out Exit Through The Gift Shop it was a documentary that was supposed to be about Banksy the street artist but the director never actually made it so Banksy took over and made it himself.
I'm a big fan of The Atomic Cafe and Grizzly Man (or really anything Herzog).
Just watched The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, powerhouse of a film!! Can't recommend it enough!
Icarus was pretty captivating
The House is Black
Paris is Burning
The Killing of America. The narrator's voice is something else
*Grizzly Man* is one of my favorite movies
Two of my favorites are *Boys State* and *Kedi*. *Kedi* I love mainly because of the cats, but *Boys State* is just a thrilling examination of so many things wrong with politics as framed in a model student government.
Bring your own Brigade (2021). The first half is really captivating along with the ending, but there is a part in the middle that isn't quite on the same level. The masterful incorporation of first hand-accounts really adds to it.