Netflix has 200+ documentaries. Only a handful are actually worth watching. Some have unbelievable or truly inspiring stories, but are unfortunately slow or did not need a series to tell the story.
Netflix also supresses the best documentaries in favour of showcasing the newest too. You may never stumble across the best documentaries on Netflix as a result.
I’ve listed all the best documentaries I’ve watched over the years that I’ve watched more than once at least. The list is not ranked in any order and I’ll continue adding the best new documentaries to the top of the list.
And you might be interested in my list of the best sports documentaries on Netflix and best football documentaries.
Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99
If you thought Fyre Island was bad, it has nothing on Woodstock ’99.
Trying to recapture the peace and love spirit of 1969, Woodstock ’99 featured bands and artists like Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock and Korn. And the crowd went wild, in more ways than one.
Woodstock ’99 analyses how poorly planned the festival was at every stage.
Inside Job
Inside Job details how America suffered an economic recession in 2008. Narrated by Matt Damon, Inside Job pinpoints those individuals who were accountable and how the government system is broken and powerless to the big banks. The documentary also does a great job of explaining the financial system in Layman’s terms with accompanying graphics.
It was like watching the Titanic, sailing slowly towards the ice berg. The result was obvious, but it was too late to steer clear in the end.
Fyre Island
There aren’t a lot of ‘light’ Documentaries on Netflix (I’m going to wager true crime makes up half of the documentary catalogue). So if you’re looking for something that probably won’t make you feel angry and go to sleep sad, you should watch Fyre Island.
Fyre Island was a luxury music festival created by Ja Rule and Billy McFarland. A ton of influences were invited to promote the festival, but reality is very different to the experience that was sold.
Don’t get me wrong, people still lost out. But in the grand scheme of things, it probably didn’t have a huge negative impact on anyone.
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
Don’t be fooled by Bob Ross’ happy and peaceful demure on camera. While he was painting beautiful scenery, behind the scenes his business partners were destroying this joyful man’s life.
Unfortunately, there’s no trailer. It’ll be apparent why after you watch the documentary.
The Last Dance
You don’t have to like basketball to enjoy The Last Dance. There’s a lot of drama and egos as the Chicago Bulls attempt to win three titles in a row for the second time. This is their last time to try with their star players, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin and Dennis Rodman.
The Last Dance also looks back at previous seasons to show how they got to this fractuous last year barley in one piece.
You Don’t Fuck With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer
This might be a tough watch for cat lovers. Still, I found it a gripping watch. My faith in (some) humans has been restored at least.
Strangers online turn into a group of amateur sleuths as they hunt for clues and try to track down a viral video killer.
The Tinder Swindler
As some who tried a lot of dating apps, I’m glad this didn’t happen to me. If the opportunity presented itself, I probably would have been duped. Tinder Swindler will make you think twice on who you swipe right on next time.
Mind of Aaron Hernandez
This was a really sad watch, but the story was fascinating at the same time. Aaron Hernandez was a successful American football player on the surface, but was slowly unravelling. The Mind of Aaron Hernandez explains why.
Ugly Delicious
For an easy watch documentary, you can’t go wrong with Ugly Delicious. The stakes aren’t high and the only killing going on is perfecting the taco.
Celebrity chef David Chang explores the history of famous dishes we love. And if you liked this, I also recommend his other Netflix documentary Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner which is a food and travel program with famous faces like Seth Rogan and Chrissy Teigen.
Supersonic
I grew up listening to Oasis, but I was in primary school at the time so I didn’t learn about their history till much later.
Supersonic is a must watch for any Oasis fan and gives a great account from their humble beginnings to playing those infamous Knebworth gigs.
This Is Pop
This Is Pop shares 8 stories in music spanning several decades.
Everything from country music to Boyz II Men to auto tune. It really pulls the curtain behind success in the music industry, the pressure and downfalls that come with it.
Dark Tourist
Join David Farrier, as he travels to some unique places on the map that you probably won’t see on Conde Nast Traveller. Danger and death never seem too far away from wherever David goes.
Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian
The life of a comedian is not glamorous. It’s a lot of hard work, late nights and, in most cases, takes a long time to make a name for yourself. And even when you do make it like Jerry Seinfeld, creating a whole new hour still isn’t easy.
There are a ton of great cameos of famous comedians here and really gives you an insight into the life of a comedian.
Yeezus
Love or hate him, there’s no denying Kayne West is one of the biggest artists of the last 20 years.
Yeezus shows early footage of Kanye’s career before the release of The College Dropout. Yeezus makes you appreciate how hard he had to hustle to get his record released.
Later episodes shows current day Kanye and how much he has changed into his Twitter presence.
The Movies That Made Us
Each episode covers a beloved movie, filled with fun facts, cast interviews and the problems that occured during the filming.
Everything from Die Hard to Home Alone to Ghostbusters is covered. And here’s a trailer for Amy personal favourite movie, Elf.
The Great Hack
The Great Hack uncovers how Cambridge Analytica ‘strategically won’ the 2020 US presidential election for Donald Trump.
The tactics are worrying to say the least and question how our data is harvest and used by big corporations, whether we like it or not.
Bad Sport
Every episode tells an incredible true crime story across several sports.
Losers
History remembers the winners of sorts. But what happens to the runners up? Losers interviews those who almost took first place in a variety of sports to find out what happened then and where they are now.
Untold: Malice At The Palace
What happens when sports fans heckling goes to far and the team retaliate? Find out in Malice at the Palace.
Untold: Thrashers
FtIf the Sopranos owned a hockey team…
And here are the documentaries which I watched till the end because they have a great story, but wished they had been more succinct in their story telling.
The College Admission Scandal
Bad Vegan
The Legend Of Cocaine Island
Three Identical Strangers
Unsolved Mysteries
Made You Look
This Is A Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist
