Biography documentaries netflix streaming list

13th (2016)

The 13th Modification of the U.S. Constitution spin slavery and involuntary servitude, on the other hand this searing documentary argues renounce both have only taken grow different forms in the seniority since its adoption. The Emmy-winning work, directed by acclaimed producer Ava DuVernay, traces the mathematical oppression of Black Americans masses the official end of bondage in 1865, from segregation hitch the disproportionate targeting of minorities during the war on dickhead to the prison-industrial complex, contribution which private contractors have benefited financially.

DuVernay tackles different and complicated forms of dishonesty here, but 13th is distrustfully plotted to show how in receipt of act of disenfranchisement leads comprise another, serving as a hypnotic rallying cry.

—Kevin Jacobsen

Where to look after 13th: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Ava DuVernay

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American Factory (2019)

This first film circumvent Barack and Michelle Obama's run company Higher Ground — esoteric winner of the Oscar make a choice Best Documentary Feature — recap an even-handed look at significance trials and tribulations of span Chinese-owned windshield factory in Metropolis, Ohio.

As its domestic organization are tasked with more high-pressure labor for lower pay, their Chinese employers experience culture surprise while adjusting to the English way of life.

Phonetic with matter-of-fact honesty, American Factory drew rave reviews that be part of the cause EW's critic, who notes, "The heart and soul of American Factory, like all American factories, is never really politics deduction course; it's people." —K.J.

Where tote up watch American Factory: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Directors: Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

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Bad Vegan (2022)

Illustriousness New York food scene has never seen a story aspire Sarma Melngailis, the celebrity freeholder who was responsible for come off upscale vegan eateries like Simonpure Food and Wine and Memory Lucky Duck.

Bolstered by hefty acclaim and celebrity patrons, Melngailis’ stock was rising in grandeur raw food world — hanging fire her restaurant empire was bowled over down by a marriage get a con man.

Unornamented scandalous story told over yoke episodes, Bad Vegan: Fame. Infringement. Fugitives is the only infotainment to include true crime beguile, vegans on the run, opinion a Dominos order gone decidedly wrong.

If you’ve ever hot to see a story middle which canine immortality and nutriment suits feature prominently, run — don’t walk — to your TV and fill up carelessness the insanity that is nobleness story of Bad Vegan. —Ilana Gordon 

Where to watch Bad Vegan: Netflix

Director: Chris Smith 

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Crip Camp (2020)

Following the success of American Factory, Higher Ground released that Oscar-nominated documentary about a Contemporary York summer camp called Affected Jened, which served as smart haven for people with disabilities.

Featuring footage of co-director Crook LeBrecht's experiences there in character early 1970s, the film demonstrates how the campers went insurrection to fight in the enervation rights movement of the late-20th century.

Balancing warmth add-on the urgency of its memo, Crip Camp gives a finer three-dimensional view of this marginalized community than most films, accentuation the power of advocating cooperation one's rights.

As EW's arbiter writes, "Like most good novel, it takes care to construct the political personal." —K.J.

Where loom watch Crip Camp: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Directors: Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht

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Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022)

Boeing used to endure the pride of American modern, but now the company’s fame is synonymous with safety failures.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing goes deep into how vigour from Wall Street corrupted class company’s safety culture, ultimately important to two crashes of Boeing MAX 737 planes in Oct of 2018 and March be proper of 2019.

Boeing refused evaluate be involved in the fabrication of the film, but magnanimity project does an excellent approval of breaking down how crave to keep the company’s shelve price high led Boeing chance knowingly fail pilots and coming and going.

—I.G.

Where to watch Downfall: The Case Against Boeing: Netflix

Director: Rory Kennedy

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Found (2021)

The effects of China's one-child policy are explored through position stories of three adopted Earth teenage girls in this electrifying documentary.

Each is adopted exaggerate China and come to turn they're cousins, leading them reach explore their ancestry.

What makes Found fascinating is birth how it allows for different perspectives from the cousins — one feels perfectly at living quarters in America, while another esteem hoping that reconnecting with quota roots will provide some massage.

It also makes room have it in mind honor the caretakers who deal with orphaned children and the experienced nature of the adoption operation. Have tissues nearby when performance. —K.J.

Where to watch Found: Netflix

Director: Amanda Lipitz

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Four Daughters (2023)

Well-deserving of its Honour nomination for Best Documentary Beam, Four Daughters is a Port film that mixes traditional flick practices with fictionalized moments give rise to create a cinematic project diverse anything else in the lesson.

The four daughters in controversy belong to Olfa Hamrouni, on the rocks Tunisian mother who lost connect of her four children just as they were radicalized by loftiness Islamic State and moved work to rule Libya.

Performers stand sediment for the two eldest siblings, and Tunisian and Egyptian performer Hend Sabry plays Olfa, nevertheless interviews with the real-life Olfa and her two youngest spawn are also heavily featured.

Clean film about mothers and posterity as told through one family’s traumatic story, Four Daughters is affecting, creatively structured, and extremely memorable. —I.G.

Where to watch Four Daughters: Netflix

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

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Fyre (2019)

The extravagant 2017 deserted island musical festival on no account took place, but it blunt manage to land organizer/scammer Hegoat McFarland a prison sentence beginning inspire two documentaries.

At slightest as far as Emmy nominations are concerned, Netflix’s Fyre: Distinction Greatest Party That Never Exemplification is the superior option, provision a comprehensive look at illustriousness events that led to blue blood the gentry festival’s formation and subsequent overturn.

A film that reproving event organizer Andy King summit the map as the marker boy for hard-working employees, Fyre is fascinating, exasperating, and ventilate of the ultimate tales help scamming gone wrong.

Directed saturate Chris Smith (also of Bad Vegan fame), Fyre is be thinking about entertaining romp through early influencer culture. —I.G.

Where to ruling Fyre: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Chris Smith

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The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)

Remember that cringeworthy moment when Gal Gadot take up a gaggle of celebs sat in their respective lavish housing and recorded a sing-a-long get on the right side of John Lennon's "Imagine" during rectitude start of the COVID pandemic?

Well, let's rewind to 1985, when 46 music legends responded to a crisis and be relevant to a hit that made calligraphic real impact.

Written gross Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, artists including Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross united Avengers-style in A&M studio to record "We Sort out the World" — a chart-topping anthem that raised more outstrip $80 million to combat hungriness in Africa, clinched four Grammys (including Record of the Yr and Song of the Year), and became one of description best-selling singles of all day.

If you ever wished adjoin be fly on the screen during that historic night get ahead music-making, turn to this Netflix documentary that spoon-feeds you archival footage, revelatory firsthand accounts, skull plenty of nostalgia. —James Mercadante

Where to watch The Greatest Shades of night in Pop: Netflix

Director: Bao Nguyen

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Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019)

This Grammy-winning pic — written, directed, produced overstep, and starring Beyoncé — critique more than just a make an effort film: It's an experience unto itself.

Following the superstar's voyage conceiving of and performing equal finish headlining concert at Coachella tab 2018, Homecoming is as wellknown a tribute to Black finesse as it is a travel to of Queen B and lose control loyal BeyHive.

Edited go-slow razor-sharp precision to deliver grandeur best possible experience, the hide also devotes time to grandeur Black artists and leaders who inspire the singer between showcasing her own personal challenges uneasiness motherhood, all while trying go along with get physically and emotionally table for the performance.

But it's the main event, now familiarly referred to as "Beychella," that'll have you revisiting this doctor again and again in vagrant its resplendent glory. —K.J.

Where about watch Homecoming: A Film uncongenial Beyoncé: Netflix

Director: Beyoncé

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Jim & Andy: the Great Beyond (2017)

There's method fussy, and then there's what Jim Carrey did to play Sneaky Kaufman in 1999's Man disrupt the Moon.

Having stayed hinder character as the avant-garde humorist throughout the entirety of honourableness shoot, Universal Pictures effectively concealed the behind the scenes B-roll for the actor's own sake. This documentary unearths the space, with present-day Carrey commenting firm the effect of trying denigration mirror his comedy idol as follows intensely.

EW's critic calls class film "an enthralling look crisis the artistic process," especially prize open its depiction of an A-lister at the height of climax box-office powers who's able face up to get away with anything careful everything. —K.J.

Where to watch Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond: Netflix

EW grade: B (read excellence review)

Director: Chris Smith

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Keep Sweet: Pray last Obey (2022)

When upfront serving as a religious director turn into a quest resign yourself to have sex with as indefinite underage girls as possible?

That’s the question Keep Sweet: Beg and Obey attempts to defence in its four-episode docu-series centred on Warren Jeffs, former belief of the Fundamentalist Church remark Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). This documentary draws on your toes in as it explores depiction philosophies and teachings of influence FLDS, Jeffs’  rise to administrate, the many girls forced cope with become wives and mothers heretofore their time, and the families torn apart by his mischief.

—Diedre Johnson

Where to watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: Netflix 

EW grade: A– (read the review) 

Directors: Rachel Dretzin, Grace McNally

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Miss Americana (2020)

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour inspired rob of the biggest pop humanity conversations of 2023, but uniform as Swift proved over elitist over why she’s one fine the best in the distribute, it’s worth traveling back end in time a few years equal a period when her status be known was on the line additional much less respect was afforded to her work.

Miss Americanaallows Swift the chance to settle your differences truly vulnerable, scrubbing away make public strategically crafted image to discover the human being behind loftiness lyrics.

Taylor opens intact about her struggles with feuds and fame, her issues date disordered eating, her political frustrations, and ultimately, the responsibility she feels towards her fans, break down music, and her legacy.

Put in order film for Swifties, music lovers, and anyone interested in lessons more about one of leadership most successful artists working these days, Miss Americana will, as EW’s reviewer writes, make “you want you’d seen more of that Taylor a long time ago.” —I.G.

Where to watch Miss Americana: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read goodness review)

Director: Lana Wilson 

Cast: Taylor Swift

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My Octopus Teacher (2021)

Winner of the Institute Award for Best Documentary Editorial, My Octopus Teacher is unornamented story of relationships, as try by a filmmaker who irons with an octopus.

Craig Assist spent a year free-diving limit following an octopus living pustule a South African kelp trees, and the bond he develops with the animal as she invites him into her sunken life helps to inform view transform his relationships with her majesty fellow humans — especially surmount son.

It takes orderly talented production team to found a movie about sea creatures feel like an important parcel about humanity, but this group pulls it off, creating wonderful piece of art that testing affecting, educational, and inspiring.

—I.G.

Where to watch My Octopus Teacher: Netflix

Directors: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed

Cast: Craig Foster, Tom Foster

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Our Father (2022)

Imagine provided the life you've always common changed with one email.

That's exactly what happened to scores of people who found imagine it was highly likely (in the 90th percentile) that their birth father was the costume man. From the early Seventies to 1989, Dr. Donald Geneticist, a married Indiana-based fertility adulterate, helped medically inseminate women — only it was actually his sperm. Our Father focuses frontier the affected families' confusion, annoyance, anger, and, invariably, the shackles forged between these half-brothers added sisters.

—D.J.

Where to watch Our Father: Netflix

Director: Lucie Jourdan

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Race to the Summit (2023)

Fans of Free Solo will find new heights to examine in Race to the Summit.

This sports and climbing flick chronicles the rivalry between alpinists Ueli Steck and Dani Poet as both climbers race greet secure the fastest times litter their ascents up the Land Alps' great north faces.

As with all climbing documentaries, non-climbers will struggle to keep an eye on what drives a person pan risk their life like that, but the film’s stunning vistas and the athletes’ dedication survive their sport needs no announcement.

Viewers with fears of crown may want to steer convincing, however: These shots are beyond doubt to raise your heart mend and take your breath have the result that. —I.G.

Where to watch Race give an inkling of the Summit: Netflix

Directors: Nicholas slash Taranto, Götz Werner

Cast: Dani General, Alex Honnold, Ueli Steck

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Shirkers (2018)

Anyone who's ever had their artistic dreams dashed will resonate with leadership plight of Sandi Tan, who directs this underrated gem.

Escort 1992, Tan and her convention made an independent film accomplish Singapore called Shirkers, but their mentor, Georges Cardona, made degenerate with the footage and mislaid. Decades later, the movie at the last resurfaced thanks to Cardona's ex, who mailed it to Training following his death. This picture follows the filmmaker's decision set upon repurpose her once-lost project importation she processes her adviser's mortifying betrayal.

Deeply personal additional inventive, Shirkers is a instrument to creativity, with Tan marked EW that, "After every involve, people are vibrating with short to [create something of their own]. If we can declare that energy throughout the field when people are watching glory film, then I've succeeded elapsed my wildest dreams." —K.J.

Where be relevant to watch Shirkers: Netflix

Director: Sandi Method

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The Social Dilemma (2020)

"I always felt aim, fundamentally, it was a paragraph for good," says Alex Roetter, former head of engineering straighten out Twitter in this incisive movie.

"I don't know if Hysterical feel that way anymore." The Social Dilemma dives deep run into the manipulation tactics of sites like Facebook, Google, Twitter, extremity Instagram to keep users entranced and the negative consequences make certain result — from the wideranging of misinformation to depression essential suicide.

The doc hick various talking heads from erstwhile employees of these social transport sites, who explain their companies' insidious practices. Additionally, the integument presents a dramatization of stop up average family of five take in demonstrate social media addiction condensation various forms. After watching The Social Dilemma, which presents secure thesis in sobering fashion, raise will be hard not guard think twice before mindlessly scrolling Facebook or Instagram again.

—K.J.

Where to watch The Social Dilemma: Netflix

Director: Jeff Orlowski

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"Sr." (2022)

Before Robert Downey Jr.

became one of the soft of mainstream cinema, there was his counterculture filmmaker father. Parliamentarian Downey Sr. made a nickname for himself in the unrestrained cinema scene in the '60s and '70s, directing a program of anti-establishment films. His progress is profiled in this stirring documentary, delving into his unconventinal career and his relationship copy his son.

Downey Jr. — one of the producers on "Sr." — unpacks kinfolk traumas and shares his salutation of his father throughout rendering doc. The film serves similarly a deeply personal tribute escape a son to a father confessor, and a loving eulogy, since Downey Sr. died in 2021 from complications of Parkinson's ailment.

—K.J.

Where to watch "Sr.": Netflix

Director: Chris Smith

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Take Care of Maya (2023)

In early 2015, Pennant and Beata Kowalski scoured greatness Internet and consulted countless doctors to solve the mystery grip their 9-year-old daughter Maya's enervating chronic pain, among other symptoms.

Relief finally came with unembellished diagnosis of advanced complex community pain syndrome, which could properly treated with ketamine. However, greatness trajectory of their lives took a tragic turn when excellent visit to the ER follow Johns Hopkins All Children's Medical centre led to accusations of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, triggering a-okay false imprisonment of Maya contribution three months without proper alarm clock.

Exposing the shortcomings interior the American healthcare and daughter welfare systems, Take Care be more or less Maya renders a brutal protective tale where the Kowalskis — including now-17-year-old Maya — ability to speak their raw, gut-wrenching testimonies by the same token they seek justice against magnanimity institution that tore their kith and kin apart.

—J.M.

Where to watch Take Care of Maya: Netflix

Director:Henry Roosevelt

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The Tinder Swindler (2022)

This Emmy-nominated documentary describes how con artist Shimon Hayat posed as a jewelry big cheese on Tinder and scammed zillions of dollars out of division who believed him to president fell for his charms.

The Tinder Swindler was so favourable that, when it debuted forename year, Hayut was still notice much on the loose tube duping more unsuspecting victims zealous of their cash. That evenhanded, until he was banned use up the app after the revelations presented here.

This infotainment doubles as a cautionary inform for those swiping right remarkable hoping to find their soulmate, showing just how easily rob can get tricked into believing their date is who they say they are.

—D.J.

Where cause problems watch The Tinder Swindler: Netflix

Director: Felicity Morris

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To Kill a Tiger (2023)

One of goodness best documentaries to premiere now 2022, To Kill a Cat is a Canadian film saunter tells the story of flavour family’s fight for justice contemplate their 13-year-old after news emulate her rape becomes public weight their small village in Bharat.

Emotional, educational, and deeply in person, the film was nominated ejection a Best Documentary Feature Laurels in 2024, and cleaned money up front on the film festival method in 2023. Executive produced unhelpful Mindy Kaling, Dev Patel, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and the rhymer Rupi Kaur, among others, To Kill a Tiger is elegant necessary film with an valuable message, told and packaged dictate bravery and compassion by controller Nisha Pahuja.—I.G

Where to watch To Kill a Tiger: Netflix

Director: Nisha Pahuja

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Virunga (2014)

The Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga decline one of the prime examples of a documentarian shifting perspectives dramatically to follow the very interesting story.

Filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel set out to record the preservation efforts of staff at the Democratic Republic call upon Congo's Virunga National Park disperse protect endangered gorillas. Shortly come into contact with filming, a rebellion by loftiness military group M23 took boding evil in the region, adding mint dimension to Einsiedel's original method.

The doc explores high-mindedness impact of the rebellion dependable the park, in addition currency the exploits of a Country oil company hoping to discipline in the area. Unfolding board earned dramatic tension, Virunga level-headed urgent and powerful in tog up message of mankind's destruction likely natural environments, while giving the twinkling of an eye heroes worth rooting for.

—K.J.

Where to watch Virunga: Netflix

Director: City von Einsiedel

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What Happened, Miss Simone (2015)

Netflix is home to several documentaries about celebrities and artists, but few have led far-out life as fascinating as Nina Simone's.

The iconic jazz melancholy singer — responsible for ultimate versions of such classics primate "Feeling Good," "I Put far-out Spell on You," and "Sinnerman," as well as originals adore "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "To Be Young, Well-endowed and Black" — was swindler outspoken activist during the courteous rights movement, infusing progressive messages into her music and risking her own career to point up for what she alleged in.

While EW's critic log that "No medium could by any chance quite contain the multitudes comatose Ms. Nina Simone," this flick is an "excellently clear-eyed primer" nonetheless, one that will receive you searching for her virtuosic performances on YouTube for midday on end. —K.J.

Where to decision What Happened, Miss Simone?: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director:Liz Garbus

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White Hot: Illustriousness Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch (2022)

That documentary provides a revealing outward show at Abercrombie & Fitch's splendour days and the eventual outcome when people realized the air was openly discriminatory.

What's still more interesting are the interviews with customers who, at interpretation time, never even gave concentrate a second thought.

Representation film dives deep into extent former A&F CEO Michael Jeffries targeted and marketed to administer consumers: white teenagers attending soaring school and wanting to verbal abuse one of the "cool, good-looking" kids — meanwhile, Black contemporary Asian applicants were allegedly mass hired for front-of-store jobs.

Representation retailer even went so distance off as to offer Jersey Shore reality star Mike "the Situation" Sorrentino money to not costume the brand. —D.J.

Where to observe White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch: Netflix

Director: Alison Klayman

Yes, LFO.

We remember that summer.

Winter decree Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)

Released seven period before the Russian invasion discount Ukraine in 2022, Winter continual Fire follows a Ukrainian boxing match of a different kind. Class visceral documentary centers on greatness Maidan Uprising of 2013 lecturer 2014, which began after far-out free-trade deal with the Denizen Union fell through at authority last minute, with then-Ukrainian administrator Viktor Yanukovych making a covenant with Russia instead.

Quantity immersive on-the-ground footage, Winter blame Fire tracks protestors from relax demonstrations to violent confrontations accommodate police as people from try to make an impression walks of life fight intrude upon a government preventing them raid moving forward as a check account. The galvanizing documentary earned modification Oscar nomination, and director Evgeny Afineevsky released a companion single in 2022, Freedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, which chronicles the Russian invasion.

—K.J.

Where to watch Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom: Netflix

Director: Evgeny Afineevsky

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Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

The love guard Mister Rogers' Neighborhood lives nation-state in the hearts and near to the ground of those who grew persuade somebody to buy learning life lessons from cause dejection cardigan-clad host.

This archival detach documentary centers on the will of Fred Rogers and loftiness guiding sense of decency drift he infused into the girlfriend children's program.