15 Best Documentaries on Netflix (May 2024)

Netflix is home to several original TV shows and movies, but the streaming giant has also blessed the industry with several documentaries; be it in a series or movie format. While some of them give you a great insight into the renowned personalities’ lives, some focus on the brutal crimes or the perpetrator who committed those acts. Well, if you are wondering which documentary on Netflix deserves your time, here’s a perfect list discussing some of the best ones.

1. Beckham

• Format: TV Series
• Release Date: October 4, 2024
• Episodes: 4
• IMDb: 8.1

Coming from the award-winning director-producer duo Fisher Stevens and John Battsek, Beckham is a four-part documentary that allows the world to know the side of David Beckham, which wasn’t heard or seen before. The documentary also makes his fans realize that he wasn’t always the one who was loved; in fact, he was and is a flawed person who made blunders in his life. We also get to see the candid interviews involving the man himself, his wife Victoria Beckham, his friends, and many of his acquaintances.

While the documentary highlights the lifestyle David Beckham led as a footballer, we also learn about several other things we didn’t know before. For instance, Beckham himself revealed that the physical after-effects of playing football caused him to take a break from the profession he loved.

2. American Murder: The Family Next Door

• Format: Film
• Release Date: September 30, 2020
• Runtime: 1 hour 23 minutes
• IMDb: 7.2

If you have a weak heart, then I wouldn’t recommend this documentary to you. American Murder: The Family Next Door is a true crime documentary on Netflix that tells the story of a woman named Shanann Watts and her two daughters, who were murdered by someone they always looked up to. The little girls believed their father to be their hero, but he turned out to be the biggest villain of their lives. The documentary film also warns us about the consequences of meeting the wrong person in the world of online dating.

It became the most-viewed documentary on Netflix when it was released. The primary thing about the documentary that impressed movie junkies was that it used real video footage and social media posts to highlight the events that truly occurred.

3. Girl in the Picture

• Format: Film
• Release Date: July 6, 2022
• Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
• IMDb: 7.3

Girl in the Picture might seem like a straightforward story in the starting moments. However, as the story goes on, we realize that it is so much more than that. At times, the story of Girl in the Picture can give you chills with the horror elements, and it can also play with your perception with the surprising twist and turns the other moment. Initially, it seems like a hit-and-run story where we focus on the victim and the oppressor. However, the documentary also spends a lot of time letting us know who the girl in the picture really was.

The mysterious aspects and the cinematography of the documentary made it one of the most viewed films on the streaming platform for the initial weeks.

Watch Girl in the Picture on Netflix

4. 13th

• Format: Film
• Release Date: October 7, 2016
• Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
• IMDb: 8.2

13th is a documentary film that was released on Netflix in 2016, and it’s one of those projects in the massive library of the streaming platform that never goes out of fashion. It tells us about the hardships that black people go through when they are in America. To be precise, the film makes us realize the importance of equality while also highlighting the issues like racism. We also get to know about how corrupt the lawmakers of a country can be.

Created by the brilliant filmmaker Ava DuVernay, recognized for her work in Selma and Martin Luther King Jr.’s biopic, 13th is truly a masterpiece.

5. BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky

• Format: Film
• Release Date: September 14, 2020
• Runtime: 79 minutes
• IMDb: 7.3

Most people nowadays are into pop culture, and those who follow it are surely obsessed with the Korean girl band BLACKPINK. It’s a perfect film for those who dare to dream of achieving massive things. It also features several heartfelt moments that end up blessing you with lifelong lessons. Besides that, the documentary also highlights the struggle the girls had to face before gaining a reputation in the industry.

On top of everything, the raw information that comes directly from the fan-favorite band members is something that grabbed a lot of attention from the worldwide fandom.

6. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

• Format: Film
• Release Date: November 29, 2021
• Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
• IMDb: 7.3

This documentary on Netflix follows a Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja who vowed to climb the 14 most challenging mountains of the World. At the beginning of the documentary, we see him heading toward Annapurna, the most dangerous peak in the world. He not only showed courage for himself but also for his teammates. We also see him become an inspiration for some other mountaineering experts like Don Bowie.

From the cinematography to the editing, nothing about the documentary fails to impress. 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible is also one such documentary that teaches you how to keep going even in the hardest situations. Moreover, Nirmal Purja and his peers are not the only ones who face the ups and downs in the film; every viewer goes through the same experience.

7. Hitler: A Career

• Format: Film
• Release Date: April 4, 2017
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
• IMDb: 7.5

We all know about Adolf Hitler for the atrocities he committed against Jews during World War 2, but very few people know about his life and how he became the dictator of Nazi Germany. Well, the documentary film focuses on Hitler’s rise to power and his psychology. The film also lets you know exactly what circumstances led most German people to support Hitler.

Of course, the use of real footage and the complete omission of the Holocaust made several viewers criticize the film and label it as propaganda. That being said, it is indeed a film that answers several “why” questions that you might have about Hitler.

8. Sr.

• Format: Film
• Release Date: December 2, 2022
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• IMDb: 7.2

We all know about Robert Downey Jr., our beloved Iron Man, who struggled to find his way out of drug addiction and became one of the most beloved Hollywood actors of all time. However, not many of us know about the actor’s father, Robert Downey Sr. The documentary film, Sr., fills that gap by giving us an in-depth look inside of Robert Downey Sr.’s life, specifically his career and the complex relationship he had with his son, Robert Jr.

Sr. was an incredible director of his time who was known for his artistic approach to filmmaking. However, the documentary, which, interestingly, was Robert Downey Jr.’s idea to get to know his dad better, focuses on Sr.’s life. He has a funny and charming personality, the reflection of which we see in Downey Jr.

9. Father Soldier Son

• Format: Film
• Release Date: July 17, 2020
• Runtime: 99 minutes
• IMDb: 7.3

We have seen several movies, TV shows, and, in fact, documentaries about military life; however, I can confidently say that Father Soldier Son is one of the most special ones. The documentary focuses on the life of Brian Eisch, who was once a Sgt. First Class in the US Army. Obviously, we all know the mental impact a military life has on a Soldier, but this documentary goes even further by breaking all walls and showing the full life of Brian.

Brian was deployed in Afghanistan and lost his leg in an unfortunate incident. The documentary shows how Brian dealt with that pain and the impact it had on his wife and three sons. Seeing how Brian hides his anger inside of him for his entire life just for the sake of his sons is an unforgettable and heartbreaking experience.

10. Dying To Tell

• Format: Film
• Release Date: June 22, 2019
• Runtime: 87 minutes
• IMDb: 6.8

We aren’t unaware of the lives journalists lead, especially the ones assigned to cover wars, and Dying To Tell has been made to pay tribute to such brave personas. It focuses on the Argentine-Italine war reporter, Hernán Zin, whose life changes completely after he meets with an accident. Dying To Tell reveals the traumatizing emotions a journalist goes through while facing horrifying situations.

The documentary also shows the interviews of several prestigious war correspondents who talk about their sacrifices and traumas for the first time before the camera.

11. Wild Wild Country

• Format: Film
• Release Date: March 16, 2018
• Runtime: 71 minutes
• IMDb: 8.1

Wild Wild Country is an incredible documentary that focuses on the life of Osho, the most prominent Indian cult leader who went to the US. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, or Osho, was a controversial figure even in India for his remarks about sexuality and unusual meditation practices. For that reason alone, Osho and his followers settled in the US, but things didn’t go well for them. Over time, Osho started getting all sorts of negative attention from the local people.

Osho’s life and death have always been mysteries, and no one really knows what happened to him in the US. Well, the Netflix documentary answers that same question. The series focuses on Osho’s rise to power and the obsession Ma Anand Sheela, Osho’s PA, had with the guru and the cult. I can’t confirm that you’ll start to understand Osho a little better after watching the documentary, but you’ll definitely start hating Ma Anand Sheela after you’re done with the series.

12. Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes

• Format: TV Series
• Release Date: October 7, 2022
• Episodes: 3
• IMDb: 7.3

The story of Dahmer and his killings is so horrific that Netflix had to make two shows around it, but in this post, I’ll be talking about the infamous documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.

Dahmer was, in a sense, the incarnation of the devil who murdered around 16 males for his pleasure. Dahmer mainly targeted people of color or gay men and lured them to his apartment. He was charred for multiple crimes, including Cannibalism and Necrophilia. Most of us know about his crimes, but not many of us know about the man himself. Well, the documentary series uses the confession tapes and archived footage to let us know about Dahmer’s psychology. Interestingly, the series also shows us how the police’s ignorance led Dahmer to target the minority in Wisconsin.

13. Our Father

• Format: Film
• Release Date: September 30, 2020
• Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
• IMDb: 6.6

Netflix’s Our Father sheds more light on the crimes committed by Donald Cline, who was once the most popular (possibly the only) infertility doctor in Indianapolis. Cline deceived countless of his patients by impregnating them with his sperm. When found guilty, it was disclosed that Cline had 94 children living within the 25-mile radius who didn’t even know that Clive was their father.

The documentary series shows how these people come to realize the truth about Clive and its impact on their lives. They didn’t know if the person they were passing by on the streets was related to them. It’s a documentary that shows how a single person’s misuse of power and position can ruin multiple lives.

14. Unsolved Mysteries

• Format: TV Series
• Release Date: July 1, 2020
• Episodes: 21
• IMDb: 7.3

We keep on hearing about several cases that remain unsolved sometimes due to the lack of evidence or other reasons. Unsolved Mysteries is a documented version of such real cases involving ordinary people or supernatural beings. What made this docuseries special is the involvement of the director of the original 1987’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ and the popular sci-fi ‘Stranger Things’ producer.

Generally, the reboot projects fail to win the hearts of the loyal fans of the franchise because they start comparing them with the original ones. However, the stereotype has been proved wrong by Netflix as Unsolved Mysteries (the documentary) managed to maintain the old aesthetic by also bringing something new to the table.

15. Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

• Format: TV Series
• Release Date: December 18, 2019
• Episodes: 3
• IMDb: 8

What happens when a man posts a video on the internet showing how he brutally killed two cats? Well, the entire world starts looking for him. The documentary series shows how some amateur internet users launched an international manhunt for Luka Magnotta for killing two kittens by suffocating them and posting a video of it on Facebook.

When these videos came to everyone’s attention, they knew that Luka Magnotta was a ticking time bomb that could later kill a human being. Well, that’s exactly what happens, as Luka later killed Jun Lin, an international student in Canada, by brutally stabbing him. It’s an incredible yet emotionally scarring documentary series that’ll make you feel immense hatred for the man while also fearing the possibility of passing by such psychopaths when you go out.