Since the world is so full of information and untapped knowledge, some content gets the rare chance of being labeled among the “must-see documentaries.” Combining information and fun into one thing, they can provide us with a mountain of knowledge while also staying somewhat interesting to watch. However, some of the best documentaries stay true to several elements, even if it's a movie or a series.
Two elements are always found in the interesting documentaries that get watched — brilliant visuals and matter at hand. Visuals are vital because our eyes are focused on the screen for multiple hours. For this reason, documentaries like Planet Earth and Blue Planet capture our attention through the information presented and with gorgeous visuals. After all, who doesn’t like a close-up of a predator or a small fish? The other element at play is the topic itself. You might have noticed that the popular documentaries people talk about focus on relevant subjects. Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom is a documentary that focuses on the unrest in Ukraine. This topic, sadly, is still relevant these days.
So, if you are on the internet looking for the next documentary to watch — we’ve got you covered. Someone has already raised the same question on the internet before. User bunniebunnxo asked the members on AskReddit an interesting question — “What documentary is a must-see?” With so many great documentaries given, we picked the best ones and compiled them in the list below. Did the documentary’s title or the context pique your interest? Upvote it. On the other hand, if you have any similar interesting documentaries to suggest, you can share them in the comments below.
#1 The Up Series
"Each film in the series interviews the same group of British people. It starts when they are 7 years old and there is a new film put out every 7 years. The most recent one released the participants are 63 years old. Binging these movies is an unbelievable experience."
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25points
#2 Paris Is Burning
"It's about NYC drag balls in the 80s. It’s simultaneously joyous and heartbreaking. It also makes you realize how much mainstream pop culture is based on what bubbles up from queer New York club culture."
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25points
#3 Abducted In Plain Sight
Daddict replied:
"I've never seen a dumber pair of people than the parents of that poor girl. I was amazed they didn't just randomly pass out from forgetting to breath."
"I've never seen a dumber pair of people than the parents of that poor girl. I was amazed they didn't just randomly pass out from forgetting to breath."
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24points
#4 Grey Gardens
"I recommend watching this with a box of wine, a few cats, and you'll need a sweater and scarf. (You'll know what to do with the sweater and scarf when the time comes.)
This documentary will haunt you for years and is hilariously quotable to the people who've seen it."
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23points
#5 The Keepers
"It's a deep dive into the power and influence of the Catholic church in Baltimore."
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23points
#6 Planet Earth
punkinabox replied:
"I remember when Planet Earth first came out and it was when HD was still a relatively new great thing. Me and my friends were 19 and we were so excited to get high and watch planet earth on a big HD tv."
"I remember when Planet Earth first came out and it was when HD was still a relatively new great thing. Me and my friends were 19 and we were so excited to get high and watch planet earth on a big HD tv."
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22points
#7 Blackfish
"The only documentary that has ever entirely changed my mind on a subject is Blackfish. And I’m not the only one because this documentary changed the world, and changed the way an entire industry operates. It got rid of certain theme parks, and aquariums operate in an entirely different way. They use to have dolphin shows. Now it’s entirely rescue dolphins and they don’t do shows. It’s all educational.
If you haven’t seen blackfish, it’s worth a watch. If for nothing else to see how it use to be.
Now a days most younger people already had this mind set. But it took this documentary to change us older people’s mindset."
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22points
#8 Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer
"Wildest documentary I've ever watched so far."
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22points
#9 Blue Planet
"Blue Planet was so beautifully organized. I had the DVD set and lost it a couple years ago... I feel like a piece of me is gone now."
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20points
#10 Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father
"I've watched it once and once only. When I finished it, I was sore and tired. It was so emotionally exhausting that my face was sore from crying and the rest of my body was tired from being tense with sadness and anger. Still recommend it highly to anyone."
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20points
#11 My Octopus Teacher
"Absolutely one of those reminders of how small you are in the universe, how defined you are by the expectations of society, how little you actually know about the world around you. It was beautiful in every sense of the word."
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20points
#12 Cunk On Earth
maplestriker replied:
"I watched it on the treadmill at the gym and almost fell off the second time they played pump up the jam."
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20points
#13 Fyre
"The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Just sit back and behold the hubris and inevitable trainwreck."
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20points
#14 Three Identical Strangers
Notabumblebee27 said:
"It's about identical triplets separated at birth and found each other years later."
fzero93 replied:
"I went to highschool and was good friends with a daughter of one of those guys. She told me her dad was going to be in a movie and I couldn't believe this is what she meant. I was expecting him to be an extra or something lol."
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19points
#15 Class Action Park
strong_badd said: "A history of New Jersey’s Action Park amusement park. So entertaining." dd524 replied: "Especially having been there as a kid, it was really eye-opening to see how that place managed to stay open so long."
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19points
#16 The Fog Of War
Hiranonymous said:
"One quote from the movie by McNamara about his own actions in World War 2:
'If we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he's right. He, and I'd say I, were behaving as war criminals.'"
"One quote from the movie by McNamara about his own actions in World War 2:
'If we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he's right. He, and I'd say I, were behaving as war criminals.'"
ted_cobbler replied:
"The frankness of McNamara's commentary was astonishing. I have never been able to fully understood how I feel about it. McNamara had a complete understanding of his actions and of those around him. He knew it was wrong, morally and criminally. He also seemed utterly indifferent to that.
"The frankness of McNamara's commentary was astonishing. I have never been able to fully understood how I feel about it. McNamara had a complete understanding of his actions and of those around him. He knew it was wrong, morally and criminally. He also seemed utterly indifferent to that.
Great documentary."
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18points
#17 The Pharmacist
anevilbor replied:
"Just watched it. Was way more than I expected. Guy was ahead of his time in recognizing the beginnings of the opioid epidemic."
"Just watched it. Was way more than I expected. Guy was ahead of his time in recognizing the beginnings of the opioid epidemic."
17points
#18 The Social Dilemma
"This one… we all know what social media does to us, but this was eye-opening. And very well done."
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17points
#19 Jiro Dreams Of Sushi
"Not just about sushi, but about the sustainability of the fish, as well as hard work."
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16points
#20 Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey
"This is a fairly recent one covering FLDS and religious splinter groups that abused women and children for decades with the full cooperation of the authorities."
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16points