Best on Max › Documentary
Included with subscription · US · updated October 28, 2026
Best documentaries on Max right now, ranked
The highest-rated documentaries you can stream with a standard Max plan in the US today: 25 movies and 25 series, checked title by title. Titles that need a paid add-on channel, a rental or a purchase aren’t counted.
How this is ranked: when a title has at least 5 ratings from Wochly users, its score is their average (green). Otherwise we use TMDB’s user rating weighted by how many people voted (marked “TMDB, weighted”), so a title with a handful of votes can’t outrank an established favorite. Talk, news and reality shows are left out. Availability comes from JustWatch via TMDB and is re-checked every few hours.
Best documentary movies on Max
- 1
Night and Fog (1956)
Documentary, History
Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.
7.5TMDB, weighted
- 2
Friends: The Reunion (2021)
Documentary, Comedy
The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.
7.5TMDB, weighted
- 3
Paris Is Burning (1991)
Documentary, History
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
7.3TMDB, weighted
- 4
Amy (2015)
Documentary, Music
A documentary on the life of Amy Winehouse, the immensely talented yet doomed songstress. We see her from her teen years, where she already showed her singing abilities, to her finding success and then her downward spiral into alcoholism and drugs.
7.3TMDB, weighted
- 5
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)
Documentary
The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.
7.2TMDB, weighted
- 6
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)
Documentary
An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.
7.2TMDB, weighted
- 7
Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
Documentary, Music
Hailed as one of the most innovative and intimate documentaries of all time, experience Kurt Cobain like never before in the only ever fully authorized portrait of the famed music icon. Academy Award nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen expertly blends Cobain's personal archive of art, music, never seen before movies, animation and revelatory interviews from his family and closest friends.
7.2TMDB, weighted
- 8
Häxan (1922)
Documentary, Horror, History
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 9
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Documentary
Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 10
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)
Documentary
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams, told largely through his own words. Celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 11
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Documentary
Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 12
Diego Maradona (2019)
Documentary
Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 13
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
Documentary, Music
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 14
F for Fake (1973)
Documentary
Documents the lives of infamous fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving. De Hory, who later committed suicide to avoid more prison time, made his name by selling forged works of art by painters like Picasso and Matisse. Irving was infamous for writing a fake autobiography of Howard Hughes. Welles moves between documentary and fiction as he examines the fundamental elements of fraud and the people who commit fraud at the expense of others.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 15
Spielberg (2017)
Documentary
A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 16
When We Were Kings (1996)
Documentary
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 17
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 18
Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)
Crime, Documentary
Child abuse, mental illness, and forbidden love converge in this mystery involving a mother and daughter who were thought to be living a fairy tale life that turned out to be a living nightmare.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 19
Navalny (2022)
Documentary
Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery, he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 20
Grey Gardens (1976)
Documentary
Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 21
Gimme Shelter (1970)
Documentary, Music
A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 22
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Documentary, Crime
An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 23
Nanook of the North (1922)
Documentary, Drama
This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.
6.7TMDB, weighted
- 24
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (2019)
Documentary
For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.
6.7TMDB, weighted
- 25
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
Documentary
With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.
6.7TMDB, weighted
Best documentary shows on Max
- 1
Planet Earth (2006)
Documentary
David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.
8.2TMDB, weighted
- 2
Planet Earth II (2016)
Documentary, Family
David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.
8.1TMDB, weighted
- 3
Blue Planet II (2017)
Documentary, Family
There is nowhere more powerful and unforgiving yet more beautiful and compelling than the ocean. Join us and explore the greatest yet least known parts of our planet.
7.7TMDB, weighted
- 4
Life (2009)
Documentary
David Attenborough looks at the extraordinary ends to which animals and plants go in order to survive. Featuring epic spectacles, amazing TV firsts and examples of new wildlife behaviour.
7.6TMDB, weighted
- 5
Frozen Planet (2011)
Documentary
David Attenborough travels to the end of the earth, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey across the polar regions of our planet.
7.5TMDB, weighted
- 6
The Jinx (2015)
Documentary, Crime
Robert Durst, scion of NY's billionaire real-estate family, has been accused of three murders but has evaded justice for over 30 years. Durst speaks in this true crime series, revealing secrets of a case that has baffled authorities.
7.5TMDB, weighted
- 7
Nathan for You (2013)
Comedy, Documentary
Nathan Fielder uses his business degree and life experiences to help real small businesses turn a profit.
7.4TMDB, weighted
- 8
MythBusters (2003)
Documentary
MythBusters is a science entertainment television program created and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, use elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.
7.4TMDB, weighted
- 9
The Rehearsal (2022)
Comedy, Documentary
With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Nathan Fielder allows ordinary people to prepare for life's biggest moments by "rehearsing" them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design. When a single misstep could shatter your entire world, why leave life to chance?
7.2TMDB, weighted
- 10
Seven Worlds, One Planet (2019)
Documentary, Family
Millions of years ago, incredible forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust creating seven extraordinary continents. This documentary series reveals how each distinct continent has shaped the unique animal life found there.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 11
Africa (2013)
Documentary
Africa, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 12
How the Universe Works (2010)
Documentary
A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 13
How To with John Wilson (2020)
Comedy, Documentary
In a uniquely hilarious odyssey of self-discovery and cultural observation, documentary filmmaker and self-described "anxious New Yorker" John Wilson covertly and obsessively films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on relatable topics. The awkward contradictions of modern life are eased by Wilson’s candid, unpolished commentary. Building upon Wilson’s previously released "how to" short films, each episode takes wildly unexpected turns but is grounded in John's refreshing honesty.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 14
Dynasties (2018)
Documentary, Family
Follow the true stories of five of the world's most celebrated, yet endangered animals; penguins, chimpanzees, lions, painted wolves and tigers. Each in a heroic struggle against rivals and against the forces of nature, these families fight for their own survival and for the future of their dynasties.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 15
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)
Documentary, Crime
Discover the untold story of the toxic and abusive environment inside '90s kids' TV. Hear harrowing accounts from former child stars and crew who probe the balance of power in the industry and reveal an era that inflicted lasting wounds still felt today.
7.0TMDB, weighted
- 16
Planet Earth III (2023)
Documentary, Family
Journeying to the far reaches of our planet, this eight part series follows some of the world's most amazing species, telling extraordinary stories that are dramatic, thrilling, funny and sometimes heart-breaking, but always full of hope.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 17
The Hunt (2015)
Documentary
This major landmark series looks in detail at the fascinating relationship between predators and their prey. Rather than concentrating on ‘the blood and guts’ of predation, the series looks in unprecedented detail at the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death. Sir David Attenborough narrates.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 18
How It's Made (2001)
Documentary
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
6.9TMDB, weighted
- 19
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013)
Documentary
Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 20
Man vs. Wild (2006)
Action & Adventure, Documentary
Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger.
6.8TMDB, weighted
- 21
A Haunting (2005)
Documentary, Mystery, Drama
These are the true stories of the innocent and the unimaginable. Based on true events, A Haunting dramatises some of the scariest stories, revealing a world in which tragedy, suicide and murder have left psychic impressions so powerful that innocent people become forced to deal with them decades later. Through mesmerizing first-person accounts, the mystery and origin of each haunting is powerfully revealed and leaves a lingering sense that life—and death—are much stronger then anyone could have possibly imagined.
6.7TMDB, weighted
- 22
The Vow (2020)
Documentary, Crime, Drama
The docuseries follows people deeply involved in the group NXIVM — which is faced with various charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy — over the course of several years.
6.7TMDB, weighted
- 23
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)
Documentary, Crime
An exploration of the case of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders, and true crime author Michelle McNamara's obsessive quest to find justice on behalf of his victims.
6.7TMDB, weighted
- 24
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter (2019)
Documentary, Crime
Teen Michelle Carter’s actions shocked a nation — but what really happened behind closed doors?
6.6TMDB, weighted
- 25
McMillion$ (2020)
Documentary, Crime, Drama
A detailed account of the McDonald's Monopoly game scam during the 1990s as told by the participants in the case, including the prizewinners and the FBI agents who caught the security officer who orchestrated the entire scheme.
6.6TMDB, weighted
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