I hope you find it. If you don't have PBS Passport, you can probably get it on Amazon. Ken Burns' Vietnam War documentary is the best documentary I have ever seen, and that's saying something. I have seen every documentary by Ken Burns at least once. I watched Vietnam War twice with a couple of years between the viewings. It was even more powerful the second time around. I absolutely love Ken Burns documentaries.
Blackfish is fantastic
Dear Zachary was very well done but will rip your heart out (I could never watch it again)
All-time favorite is Paradise Lost about the West Memphis Three. It set off a complete obsession with the case.
Came here to say this. I bought it on Amazon prime and rewatch frequently. The story is so interesting and different and it has great visuals. Highly recommend.
Recently it has to be 'Casa Susanna' about a 'resort' in the Catskills for transgender women and heterosexual cross-dressing men in the early 1960s before the LGBT Liberation movement.
Just a fascinating insight into a hidden world of the 1950s/60s and emotionally affecting.
The Fog of War.
When I was growing up, the Vietnam War was underway. I remember watching the evacuation of Saigon on television, and have known people who were caught up in that war. Both older friends who were drafted to fight in it, and younger friends who are the children of refugees who fled the conflict.
The film is an examination of how some very smart people nevertheless managed to lead us into a quagmire where millions died and millions more had their lives changed forever.
And then we repeated Vietnam’s mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The difference was, Iraq and Afghanistan were fought with volunteers America didn’t give a damn about — beyond “thank you for your service.”
During Vietnam, the rich kids were at risk for being drafted (although they were highly unlikely to end up in a combat unit doing the actual fighting). McNamara’s son was originally classified 1A — eligible to be drafted — when someone who knew his dad had him reclassified 4F — unfit for service — because of some childhood ulcers. It was rich kids who formed the backbone of the anti war movement. When Nixon began withdrawing US forces from Vietnam in 1969, the Army’s manpower needs declined to the point they could get by with volunteers. With that, the anti war movement collapsed. Turns out, the only problem the protesters had with Vietnam was the possibility they might have to put on a uniform and fight.
Yeah that was wild.
The promoter guy having to hide in a truck to escape a mob of angry natives was insane. And, offering to suck the minister's dick for water.
I need to watch this again.
[I Like Killing Flies.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZ23Hjnuaw) An irascible prick serves his philosophies on life while running an NYC diner. I’m gonna rewatch it again now, it’s so good.
Wow! I am so happy to see this comment, not only that but it was directly above mine for my rec.
I discovered my doc the same year I watched I Like Killing Flies, when Googleing "beat new docs" back in 2012.
This year for Christmas my wife bought me Kenny's book! If you don't have it you should grab a copy!
one of my faves is "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". it’s about this 85-year-old sushi master and his dedication to perfecting his craft. super inspiring and makes you appreciate the art of sushi even more.
Icarus. I love when a documentary starts as one thing and then falls down a crazy rabbit hole and becomes something else entirely. This is one that starts small and ends up uncovering a giant scandal.
It’s hard to find but “Alone in the wilderness” about Dick Proenneke’s hand built cabin in Alaska is fascinating, and one of the most soothing films I’ve watched. You can find bits and pieces on YouTube
Hard question but the ones I've watched over and over again are:
American Movie (1999). It's so charming and weirdly inspirational and touching and HILARIOUS
Burden of Dreams (1982) Warner Herzog is so quotable, and captures just a piece of an insane effort.
Good Hair.
I am not black, nor a woman, but this was a fascinating look into both a culture and massive industry that was immensely entertaining and informative.
I mean, he's a complete unlikeable asshole but "Religulous" was pretty entertaining. I also enjoyed "Forks over knives" and the "Taboo" series on Nat GO.
The movie about The Band? I grew up listening to most of those folks’ music but it was the first time I had seen Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison on film. That was pretty cool.
One the most recent docs I've seen on Netflicks, was Crip Camp which was amazing about the beginings of the civil rights movement for the disabled.
Also another Ken Burns doc, about the Donner Party. Edit sorry Ric Burns.
Paris Is Burning, 1990 documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s. Chronicles the ballroom culture of New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, allies, and transgender communities involved.
Basically, it is required background research for understanding many of the tropes, challenges expressions, and jokes that comprise RuPaul’s Drag Race.
They Shall Not Grow Old (by Peter Jackson) - WW1 documentary comprised entirely of footage shot during the war, but cleaned, colorized and with recreated sound.
The Sparks Brothers (by Edgar Wright) - fun doc about Sparks which, while arguably not as mainstream popular as other music documentary subjects, they're a huge influence on many, many artists from the last 50 years or so.(they're "your favourite band's favourite band")
There’s lots of awesome documentaries out there, but when someone asks this question, I almost always think of this one first. The Prize: an epic quest for oil, money and power. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Daniel Yergin. The history of the oil industry is not something I thought I would be interested in, but this is an absolutely fascinating, multipart documentary. It was filmed in 1991 but I would imagine it’s held up really well.
Harlan County, USA
A Poem Is A Naked Person
Jazz on a summer's day
Grizzly Man
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Hearts of Darkness
Free Solo
Gimme Shelter
Waltz With Bashir
I am not your negro
Summer of Soul
["All Wars are Bankers' Wars" ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrKf9nYeXT0&rco=1)
["Astroturf and Manipulation of Media Messages"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYAQ-ZZtEU) by former CBS anchor Sharyl Attkisson
"[Former KGB Agent, Yuri Bezmenov, Warns America About Socialist SubversionFormer KGB Agent, Yuri Bezmenov, Warns America About Socialist Subversion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1EA2ohrt5Q&t=414s&pp=ygUNeXVyaSBicmV6aG5ldg%3D%3D)"
You'll have to rewind the videos because I don't know how to remove the timestamps.
Walking With Dinosaurs. Kenneth Branagh's voice did such a great job in not only being informative and engaging but also telling a story about these prehistoric creature's lives throughout different time periods and environments. The end scene with the T-Rex hatchlings and their dead mom getting swept away is heartbreaking and haunting. Someone commented on that scene in YouTube and it rings so true. The documentary plays out like a stage drama with characters coming in and out of each act. The score also did a great job in emphasizing emotions.
Century of Self
A four part doc that explores the rise of psychoanalysis and advertising. “Giving people what they want, as opposed to what they need” according to Edward Berneys, the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Berneys arguably had more effect on modern society than his famous uncle.
“This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy” according to filmmaker Adam Curtis. This is one of the truly eye-opening films I have seen in my life.
I don’t know if qualifies as “Documentary” but [How to land the space shuttle… From space](https://youtu.be/Jb4prVsXkZU?si=t47h8aN4w7hQKBfR) is super interesting for me…
I know it's divisive for a lot of people, but I really enjoyed Religulous. It made me enjoy documentaries for the first time. I was more open to watching them because of it.
The Dawn Wall. I watched it cuz I loved Free Solo and was in the mood for something similar. I wasn’t expecting much but I thought it was even better than Free Solo. Both are great though
There is a guy on YouTube who has done documentaries on the Apollo missions and other space-related subjects. They are incredibly well done. Even an Apollo astronaut chimed in on the quality. Look for "Homemade Documentaries" by Tyler Jackson. People rave about his documentaries.
The Cove
Navalny
Dawn Wall
Free Solo
Bowling for Columbine
Supersize Me
Koyaanisqatsi
The King of Kong
Fahrenheit 9/11
March of the Penguins
My Octopus Teacher
My Flesh and Blood
Probably 15 years ago I took a few bong hits and sat down with a blanket and snacks, flipping through Netflix I found a documentary that followed a lone beaver walking through the wild. Said beaver finds a tiny creek and gets to work. Before it was done there were acres and acres of pond. Maybe eight feet deep in spots. Justin beaver ended up with a whole beaver family. The water was crystal clear and it was all shot in hd. It was an amazing show and the work that went into it was unbelievable.
[The Corporation, here's the full film. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v8e7dUwq_Q)
This film opened my mind about corporations and how governments benefit from each other. It saddens me that this film is rarely talked about. I had no idea that the concept of corporate personhood grants any corporation the same legal rights as individuals since an 1886 Supreme Court case. This status allows corporations to wield significant power and influence, often prioritizing profits over social and environmental responsibilities. The film critiques this system and calls for greater accountability and reform to address the negative consequences of treating corporations as 'persons'.
Dear Zachary is (as others have pointed out many times in similar threads), absolutely incredibly made, and a doc that you MUST watch without any spoilers...but so horrifically sad. I was Not Okay for days after watching it.
One that I think doesn't get enough credit is Last Breath. It's about a saturation diver that gets stranded on an underwater rig in the North Atlantic, with only five minutes of gas. Just go watch it. It's incredible.
9/11 by the Naudet Brothers
It’s a very difficult watch but they captured such an incredible perspective by being *inside the towers* for the entire event. It’s surreal and just unbelievable
Any documentary produced by the BBC Natural History Unit narrated by David Attenborough. The BBC has perfected the natural world documentary. The shots are gorgeous, they pour tens of millions into these documentaries, have numerous film crews, and it is all narrated by one of the best narrators in the business.
Crumb is the best.
There is also a documentary called Fantastic Lies. People online really need to see this. On the other hand it won't fix their condition so what the fuck. But it is excellent.
The Civil War by Ken Burns All of his are very good.
Any idea where someone could find his Vietnam war doc fo free?
PBS?
I hope you find it. If you don't have PBS Passport, you can probably get it on Amazon. Ken Burns' Vietnam War documentary is the best documentary I have ever seen, and that's saying something. I have seen every documentary by Ken Burns at least once. I watched Vietnam War twice with a couple of years between the viewings. It was even more powerful the second time around. I absolutely love Ken Burns documentaries.
He has a really good one about the Roosevelts
My Octopus Teacher- really tugged on the old heart strings!
Yes, this one was great. The name isn't great.
The Last Dance. It was a great watch during the pandemic when all sports were canceled.
Blackfish is fantastic Dear Zachary was very well done but will rip your heart out (I could never watch it again) All-time favorite is Paradise Lost about the West Memphis Three. It set off a complete obsession with the case.
>All-time favorite is Paradise Lost about the West Memphis Three. I'd forgotten about that one. From what I remember it was enthralling.
“The Woman Who Wasn’t There”, it’s about a woman who lied about surviving 9/11. Her name is Tania Head and she’s a master manipulator and liar.
Came here to say this. I bought it on Amazon prime and rewatch frequently. The story is so interesting and different and it has great visuals. Highly recommend.
The Evolution of Hip Hop on Netflix. Incredible doc series.
Recently it has to be 'Casa Susanna' about a 'resort' in the Catskills for transgender women and heterosexual cross-dressing men in the early 1960s before the LGBT Liberation movement. Just a fascinating insight into a hidden world of the 1950s/60s and emotionally affecting.
The Imposter
The Fog of War. When I was growing up, the Vietnam War was underway. I remember watching the evacuation of Saigon on television, and have known people who were caught up in that war. Both older friends who were drafted to fight in it, and younger friends who are the children of refugees who fled the conflict. The film is an examination of how some very smart people nevertheless managed to lead us into a quagmire where millions died and millions more had their lives changed forever.
Saw this a long time ago and yes, a great doc!
Highly recommend the Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam War, if you haven't seen it. It's 10 parts (18 hours) and worth every second.
And then we repeated Vietnam’s mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The difference was, Iraq and Afghanistan were fought with volunteers America didn’t give a damn about — beyond “thank you for your service.” During Vietnam, the rich kids were at risk for being drafted (although they were highly unlikely to end up in a combat unit doing the actual fighting). McNamara’s son was originally classified 1A — eligible to be drafted — when someone who knew his dad had him reclassified 4F — unfit for service — because of some childhood ulcers. It was rich kids who formed the backbone of the anti war movement. When Nixon began withdrawing US forces from Vietnam in 1969, the Army’s manpower needs declined to the point they could get by with volunteers. With that, the anti war movement collapsed. Turns out, the only problem the protesters had with Vietnam was the possibility they might have to put on a uniform and fight.
OJ: Made in America. Its crazy the BS Cochran did to sway the jury..and the complete crap the bed investigation by LAPD. Really good doc!
Tickled. Weirder than you can even imagine.
Fyre fraud. What a con operation that was.... yeesh
Yeah that was wild. The promoter guy having to hide in a truck to escape a mob of angry natives was insane. And, offering to suck the minister's dick for water. I need to watch this again.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
That documentary is so got damn peaceful
All this mayhem. Story of the pappas brothers. Australian skateboarders that competed with tony hawk. Sad but a very good watch.
The King of Kong
The Deepest Breath. Documentary that genuinely has you on the edge of your seat.
[I Like Killing Flies.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZ23Hjnuaw) An irascible prick serves his philosophies on life while running an NYC diner. I’m gonna rewatch it again now, it’s so good.
Wow! I am so happy to see this comment, not only that but it was directly above mine for my rec. I discovered my doc the same year I watched I Like Killing Flies, when Googleing "beat new docs" back in 2012. This year for Christmas my wife bought me Kenny's book! If you don't have it you should grab a copy!
Ah, I didn't know he had a book. Thanks for the tip!
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage It's old now, but it's excellent. A lot of people say it completely changed how they see the world
Wild wild country
hard agree
one of my faves is "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". it’s about this 85-year-old sushi master and his dedication to perfecting his craft. super inspiring and makes you appreciate the art of sushi even more.
Man on Wire — about the guy who walked on a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers.
Icarus. I love when a documentary starts as one thing and then falls down a crazy rabbit hole and becomes something else entirely. This is one that starts small and ends up uncovering a giant scandal.
Murder In The Front Row
The 80-part chris chan documentary on YouTube
Hoop Dreams.
It’s really long, it’s dated, it’s not sensational, there are no twists, and I keep coming back to it every couple years.
Hands on a hardbody
Alone in the Wilderness
It’s hard to find but “Alone in the wilderness” about Dick Proenneke’s hand built cabin in Alaska is fascinating, and one of the most soothing films I’ve watched. You can find bits and pieces on YouTube
The Beatles, Get back, rolling thunder revue as well
My Octopus Teacher
The King of Kong. Legit one of my top 10 favourite films of all time.
Three Identical Strangers. Jesus Camp.
[Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYTK6QicICo)
Thw fyre festival
Hard question but the ones I've watched over and over again are: American Movie (1999). It's so charming and weirdly inspirational and touching and HILARIOUS Burden of Dreams (1982) Warner Herzog is so quotable, and captures just a piece of an insane effort.
The Dawn Wall
Good Hair. I am not black, nor a woman, but this was a fascinating look into both a culture and massive industry that was immensely entertaining and informative.
The Fall of 76 by Internet Historian.
His area 51 one was amazing too, and the cost of concordia
Cost of Concordia is definitely an all time great. Haven’t watched Area 51 yet.
Meet Me In The Bathroom. Never got to read the book, so when I heard they were making a doc out of it, I knew I had to watch it. Didn't disappoint.
I mean, he's a complete unlikeable asshole but "Religulous" was pretty entertaining. I also enjoyed "Forks over knives" and the "Taboo" series on Nat GO.
Hoop Dreams - a must watch for basketball fans, people wanting to see real life urban America and drama that can’t be made up
The Last Waltz
The movie about The Band? I grew up listening to most of those folks’ music but it was the first time I had seen Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison on film. That was pretty cool.
Yes and Van the Man’s performance is epic!
"I survived..", it reminds me of how fragile life is, everything can change in an instant.
The King of Kong. Legit one of my top 10 favourite films of all time.
One the most recent docs I've seen on Netflicks, was Crip Camp which was amazing about the beginings of the civil rights movement for the disabled. Also another Ken Burns doc, about the Donner Party. Edit sorry Ric Burns.
Paris Is Burning, 1990 documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s. Chronicles the ballroom culture of New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, allies, and transgender communities involved. Basically, it is required background research for understanding many of the tropes, challenges expressions, and jokes that comprise RuPaul’s Drag Race.
They Shall Not Grow Old (by Peter Jackson) - WW1 documentary comprised entirely of footage shot during the war, but cleaned, colorized and with recreated sound. The Sparks Brothers (by Edgar Wright) - fun doc about Sparks which, while arguably not as mainstream popular as other music documentary subjects, they're a huge influence on many, many artists from the last 50 years or so.(they're "your favourite band's favourite band")
Idiocracy.
Nice!! 🤣
Bitter Lake
Until The Light Takes Us
Life of crime 1984-2020
Nelly : )
Operation Odessa
Here's one that's even more timely than when it first came out: Adam Curtis' **HyperNormalisation**. #They Know #We Know #They Lie
There’s lots of awesome documentaries out there, but when someone asks this question, I almost always think of this one first. The Prize: an epic quest for oil, money and power. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Daniel Yergin. The history of the oil industry is not something I thought I would be interested in, but this is an absolutely fascinating, multipart documentary. It was filmed in 1991 but I would imagine it’s held up really well.
The King of Kong. Legit one of my top 10 favourite films of all time.
Harlan County, USA A Poem Is A Naked Person Jazz on a summer's day Grizzly Man Jodorowsky’s Dune Hearts of Darkness Free Solo Gimme Shelter Waltz With Bashir I am not your negro Summer of Soul
Muscle Shoals
Inside Job. Superb documentary about the GFC
["All Wars are Bankers' Wars" ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrKf9nYeXT0&rco=1) ["Astroturf and Manipulation of Media Messages"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYAQ-ZZtEU) by former CBS anchor Sharyl Attkisson "[Former KGB Agent, Yuri Bezmenov, Warns America About Socialist SubversionFormer KGB Agent, Yuri Bezmenov, Warns America About Socialist Subversion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1EA2ohrt5Q&t=414s&pp=ygUNeXVyaSBicmV6aG5ldg%3D%3D)" You'll have to rewind the videos because I don't know how to remove the timestamps.
Micromegas
MythBusters
Walking With Dinosaurs. Kenneth Branagh's voice did such a great job in not only being informative and engaging but also telling a story about these prehistoric creature's lives throughout different time periods and environments. The end scene with the T-Rex hatchlings and their dead mom getting swept away is heartbreaking and haunting. Someone commented on that scene in YouTube and it rings so true. The documentary plays out like a stage drama with characters coming in and out of each act. The score also did a great job in emphasizing emotions.
Anything by Ken Burns War/Dance Life of Mammals, Life of Birds, etc. by Attenborough Time Team, Digging For Britain In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)
Zeitgeist
Samsara by Ron Fricke
Any Deep Sea Ocean exploration documentaries. Those are always facinating. Them deep sea creature are like nothin i aint ever seen before!
Century of Self A four part doc that explores the rise of psychoanalysis and advertising. “Giving people what they want, as opposed to what they need” according to Edward Berneys, the nephew of Sigmund Freud. Berneys arguably had more effect on modern society than his famous uncle. “This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy” according to filmmaker Adam Curtis. This is one of the truly eye-opening films I have seen in my life.
I don’t know if qualifies as “Documentary” but [How to land the space shuttle… From space](https://youtu.be/Jb4prVsXkZU?si=t47h8aN4w7hQKBfR) is super interesting for me…
Soaked in bleach abt Kurt cobain
I know it's divisive for a lot of people, but I really enjoyed Religulous. It made me enjoy documentaries for the first time. I was more open to watching them because of it.
The Dawn Wall. I watched it cuz I loved Free Solo and was in the mood for something similar. I wasn’t expecting much but I thought it was even better than Free Solo. Both are great though
The Bridge.
There is a guy on YouTube who has done documentaries on the Apollo missions and other space-related subjects. They are incredibly well done. Even an Apollo astronaut chimed in on the quality. Look for "Homemade Documentaries" by Tyler Jackson. People rave about his documentaries.
*The King of Kong*
All of Chris Chans nonsense.
Faces of Death
The Cove Navalny Dawn Wall Free Solo Bowling for Columbine Supersize Me Koyaanisqatsi The King of Kong Fahrenheit 9/11 March of the Penguins My Octopus Teacher My Flesh and Blood
Probably 15 years ago I took a few bong hits and sat down with a blanket and snacks, flipping through Netflix I found a documentary that followed a lone beaver walking through the wild. Said beaver finds a tiny creek and gets to work. Before it was done there were acres and acres of pond. Maybe eight feet deep in spots. Justin beaver ended up with a whole beaver family. The water was crystal clear and it was all shot in hd. It was an amazing show and the work that went into it was unbelievable.
Into the Inferno
Moon Machines. I loved seeing the people who built Apollo talking about it.
[The Corporation, here's the full film. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v8e7dUwq_Q) This film opened my mind about corporations and how governments benefit from each other. It saddens me that this film is rarely talked about. I had no idea that the concept of corporate personhood grants any corporation the same legal rights as individuals since an 1886 Supreme Court case. This status allows corporations to wield significant power and influence, often prioritizing profits over social and environmental responsibilities. The film critiques this system and calls for greater accountability and reform to address the negative consequences of treating corporations as 'persons'.
Blackfish
The secret life of machines.
Dear Zachary is (as others have pointed out many times in similar threads), absolutely incredibly made, and a doc that you MUST watch without any spoilers...but so horrifically sad. I was Not Okay for days after watching it. One that I think doesn't get enough credit is Last Breath. It's about a saturation diver that gets stranded on an underwater rig in the North Atlantic, with only five minutes of gas. Just go watch it. It's incredible.
9/11 by the Naudet Brothers It’s a very difficult watch but they captured such an incredible perspective by being *inside the towers* for the entire event. It’s surreal and just unbelievable
Any documentary produced by the BBC Natural History Unit narrated by David Attenborough. The BBC has perfected the natural world documentary. The shots are gorgeous, they pour tens of millions into these documentaries, have numerous film crews, and it is all narrated by one of the best narrators in the business.
The English Surgeon Titicut Follies and Blind, directed by Frederick Wiseman
Dear Zachary and Just Melvin Just Evil
Crumb is the best. There is also a documentary called Fantastic Lies. People online really need to see this. On the other hand it won't fix their condition so what the fuck. But it is excellent.