Top 167 Documentaries

hey everybody

after my last one i thought id do a more cheery one lol

these are in no order and ive only watched some of these recently so some are new additions to this list.

Enjoy.

sorry i was meant to say 167 documentaries

167. Hell And Back Again

I was entranced by how many ways the movie was pulling the opinion of war. It first shows an injured Marine named Nathan who is crippled because of the war. Yet, the moment I began to think it was an anti-war movie, Nathan is talking about how much he wants to get back on the front line! I had to pause the movie and try to wrap my head around this and decide whether this was pro or anti war. Then t hit me like a sack of bricks, this movie is not pro or anti, its an actual documentary. It's what a documentary is meant to be, a picture of real life and a gap for the viewer to decide what is right or wrong.

The rest of the movie was as gripping and emotion provoking as the first fifteen minutes. The director managed to flip between the footage of the war and the home life of Nathan. You could see Nathan back home still recovering physically from the war while at the same time the flashback clips of the war lets the audience remember that there is more going on than we can see. As an audience you are spellbound. You see Nathan playing Modern Warfare 3 and you wonder what is going on inside his head. You see Nathan playing with a gun and you move to the edge of your seat and begin to think that something very real could happen right here. The sheer tension created in this documentary is massive and is not lost on audiences.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at this movie. As a documentary it filled the requirements of not only being entertaining and thought provoking, but also being available to the public. The story was interesting and the people in the story were very real to me.

166. The Institute

Its essentially a mix of art, video and elaborate clues that lead curious citizens of San Francisco to explore their city all the while immersing themselves into a bizarre story.

Its all created by Jeff Hull who's main theme is on seeing things in a nonchalant way. By nonchalance, its described as a cartoon where the unconscious character goes around a city and seemingly avoids dangerous situations through extraordinary luck; a way of exploring using your unconscious mind. The goal is to go elsewhere, to go somewhere between here and there. Basically a place you may or may not have gone before and enter a storybook world of imagination that exists hidden in the world around us.

The movie gave me a sense of awe and joy as i followed each participant down the rabbit hole, all the while, surrounded by all these immersing elaborate clues that creates this tension between reality and fiction. Watching how each participant was effected by these clues and how it changed them is what makes this a great film. This movie and the artist transformed the ordinary world in to a place full of potential and mystery. And isn't that what makes art, isn't that what makes a movie a magical experience.

165. Big Easy Express

I was more than entertained by the performances and documentary style of the movie. I felt as though I had an opportunity to not only enjoy the amazing talent of the bands, but was able to see a little bit of the people behind the music. It was great that they had the chance to travel around with each other and to perform to so many fans along the way. I was also impressed with the Electric Zeros as I had not had a chance to experience their music, but they were great too.

All in all the film showed how humble amazing Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Electric Zeros are as musicians, artists and people.

164. Living on One Dollar

This was a very engrossing documentary. I found the methods that the filmmakers chose to convey the experience of living in extreme poverty very moving without being overly sentimental. The stories that are highlighted within this documentary are interesting and help frame what potential is lost for lack of sufficient funds. When the documentary was finished I had a greater understanding of the possibilities for change within a direct funding framework vs huge amounts of grants and subsidies being thrown at an issue. I also appreciated that the film does not attempt to state there is just one answer.

163. Knuckle

Like many great documentaries, Knuckle was born out of something else. It originally began as a wedding video. Ian Palmer found something so interesting about his guests, he ventured further and discovered the world of Irish travelling bare knuckle boxing. Most specifically he follows the feud between two clans of the same family, The McDonaghs and the Joyces. So after that wedding video, Palmer ended up documenting this feud and these fights for 12 years.

This extraordinary amount of time puts the whole thing in perspective about the needlessness and absurdity of violence. Many say the feud goes back for 50 years, and yet nobody gives a straight answer to its origins. People hold grudges and plan matches 9 years down the line. It become obvious that fighting has become an addiction and a way of life for these poor men. They have nothing else to do. When we see the acclaim they get from their families, its easy to see why they have been so taken in by aggression.

In the first fight James McDonagh says it will be his last, but its far from it. He seems genuine about his wanting to quit, but he always ends up in another fight. The director talks about how he continued filming just for the thrill, and had lost sight of his documentary.

Every fight is brutal in that realistic sense, and Palmer clearly paints a vivid picture of this strange world. Aggressive men, but loving husbands and fathers. Fights that are fought for lack of reason, but are controlled and fair with a sense of honor. Knuckle is the sort of film that lures you in with basic blood lust, but gives you a whole lot more.

162. A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt

A matter of taste is a great little documentary from HBO films on Paul Liebrandt, the youngest chef ever to get a three star rating from the New York Times. The film follows Liebrandt from 2002 until the opening of his Corton restaurant in Tribeca in 2008 and the battle to impress the critics afterwards.

I had a blast with this. Its a wonderful portrait of a man and his food.

161. 12 O'Clock Boys

A pretty unique and interesting look at urban life about some dirt bikers in Baltimore.

It focuses mainly on one kid called Pug who wants nothing more to join the 12 o clock boys gang.

They also interview some street legends of t he original 12 o clock boys who started out years ago and is still about that life.

Its a documentary the way it should be done, it doesn't try to push an agenda on you or condone the illegal activities nor show disdain for it, it just shows you the way it is and how they use the riding as a release for whatever problems they have going on.

160. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics

I'm not sure who "Necessary Evil: The Villains of DC Comics" is aimed towards but it's an enjoyable documentary nonetheless. As you might expect, the film discusses in length the notable villains of the DC Universe. It covers old favorites like The Joker and Lex Luthor, famous villainesses like Catwoman and Poison Ivy and new villains like Wonder Woman's half-brother The First Born. Guest speakers like Guillermo Del Toro, Wrestling stars and psychologists talk about the need of a good villain to contrast a hero. Recurring elements in characters like The Penguin, General Zod, Sinestro and Ocean Master are discussed at length. We also learn why these characters are so important when building a rich mythology and the different interpretations of other iconic super villains like the Flash's Rogues Gallery or the Legion of Doom. We get clips from films, video games, TV shows, comic book panels and more to make this more than just a collection of interviews and talking heads.

159. Tattoo Nation

Tattoo Nation is one great documentary, especially if you are a lover of tattoo art. I feel that tattoos are still frowned upon in society today and this film will definitely change society's outlook on them.

Exploring the history of tattooing from the early stages of black and white ink to modern day tats, the documentary kept me interested until the very end.

The fact that it features interviews from some pretty famous names, like Danny Trejo and Travis Barker made it even more interesting.

158. Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky

While Mr. Gondry's accent took a little getting used to, the effort was well worth it. I applaud Mr. Gondry's creativity in presenting Chomsky's ideas about science and philosophy and the doggedness he exhibited in certain instances in delving into the meaning of Chomsky's notions about how we learn and think. The use of animation transformed what for some may have been a droll lecture into a lively and interesting narrative about philosophy, religion, and of course linguistics. I also applaud Gondry's decision not to focus on Chomsky's radical and divisive political views, which would have only detracted from his views about philosophy, science, linguistics and religion. I recommend the film to anyone who is interested in learning about the type of mind-set necessary to think clearly and originally and to make sense of how the world works.

157. TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard

This movie is simply Breathtaking.

It's a must watched movie from anyone that call himself political- activated and also a Pirate. The documentary contain everything that we must know about the founders, the crew, the story, the enemy and the pirates(peers). Learn about the role of Hollywood, Swedish government, people and File-Sharing's future! All The story behind the curtains of a Huge historical Ship, its captains and all of us; its pirates!

The movie will motivated you to continue support of the ship and its founders.By the way, it will definitely make you smile/cry in the end!

156. Terms and Conditions May Apply

The graphics, animations and typography used were wonderful, it really complimented the well thought out and constructed film.

It gave an easy view look at how the world is changing, and how these big companies/government agencies are a real threat to our privacy.

155. Low & Clear

Very few movies or stories deal directly with the emotions involved in male bonding; rivalry, support, introspection. To see this between two such different personality types is quite interesting, especially since every shot in the movie could be directly from a nature photography exhibit.

154. Free to Play

Free To Play follows the story of three pro-gamers who are given the chance to win 1 million dollars from the tournament of the online video game Dota 2.

Right off the bat, this is a beautifully shot and expertly edited documentary. The in game footage itself has been spiced up to fit the drama, and even though you will hear a lot of gaming jargon, it will be very clear to whos winning or losing in the heat of things.

What I didn't expect, was the amount of emotion Free To Play builds up. You realise that these players have literally given it all to pursue a career in gaming and the pressure is on. Pretty much all three, especially HyHy, have parents who blatantly disprove of their career choices and would rather have them studying and pursuing a more stable path. The film does not glamorize E-sports as a sure fire way to fame and fortune. E-sports is a high risk, high reward, winner takes all industry and does not guarantee a steady income. How these players deal with the pressure at such a young age is truly remarkable.

E-Sports is a fast growing industry, and Valve has made a great contribution to promoting it. As for the criticism that Free to Play is just an extended commercial for Dota is very unfair. It is akin to calling 'Senna' an extended commercial for Formula 1. Of course the sport in question will be featured time to time. Free to Play is a look into the human side of this sport and the motivations and challenges of the players. My only real complain is that it is a bit short. I would have loved to see another 20 minutes just to hit the 90 minute mark.

Overall, this is a solid and well made documentary.

153. The wildest dream

Modern documentary retracing George mallory's 1924 mount everest attempt, which ended in his and his companions disappearance. His frozen body, with compound fracture, was found in 1999.

1924 was near the end of the glory years of the old explorers. Both poles, darkest africa, perfumed Asia, tropical south america, all have been trekked. Only that peak remained to be claimed.

Two modern climbers retraced mallory's path, wearing layered clothing, fur hats, hob nailed boots, Googles.

The ladder placed near the top in the 70's, was removed.

Cold is ever present, and caused me to move closer to the fire.

152. Into the abyss

Into the abyss is herzog's most haunting piece since he's 1979 remake of nosferatu and to me, it would appear to be his most personal work to date. Herzog has always been an outspoken warrior against capital punishment, so I assumed this would be peachy, overstated and direct. To my surprise this is one of the most understated documentaries on death row inmates and those around them I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

Centering around the homicides commuted by two texas youths over a car in the early 2000's and the consequences felt by all the people involved, into the abyss isn't about guilt or innocence, nor us it about right and wrong. Into the abyss is about staring the reality of it all in the face.

Herzog leaves no stone unturned as he interviews the perpetrators, the victims families, the wife and father of one of the prisoners, the prison chaplain, a series of acquaintances, the police captain, and a retired prison guard that was once the modern day equvilant of the town executioner. None of whom dwell on the deaths of those killed or the upcoming death of Michael Perry but life after the events. How their world's were effected is the topic and even though Herzog states clearly that he opposes the death penalty he never harps on it.

The subjects that were interviewed were obviously hand picked with care and it all amounts to an eerie retrospect on how the world misses the big picture when it comes to taking the life of another for crimes they have committed. Easily the most jaw dropping documentary of the young 2010's decade.

151. Particle fever

It's hard to believe that a documentary about particle physics and the hadron collider could be dramatic, suspensful, even thrilling. It's just as hard to make the subject matter - the creation and operation of a huge facility in Switzerland for the purpose of colliding sub-atomic particles at great speed to search for clues about the universe - both intelliable and accessible. Yet this film has brilliantly done both.

Accessibility Is achieved partly through clear explains from particle physics David kaplin and other theoretical physicists, and several experimental physicists who work at the collider. Even more compelling are the clear, beautiful and easy to understand graphics that accompany these explanations. Indeed, the great graphics begin right from the opening credits.

The drama comes from the efforts of the experimentalists to prove the theorists ideas true - especially the existence of the "higgs boson," the crucial particle of modern physics. The drama is enhanced by presenting a pleasant cast of surprisingly normal, friendly psyscists who have strong rooting interests in the outcome the way some of us might root for a sports team - but with so much more at stake. There's even tension between the multi-universe and dual-symmetry camps.

150. Capitalism: a love story

There were moments in this film when I felt sick as I learned about the cruel calculated actions of people who I once beloved were the good guys. I watched family's life's be destroyed by a system they had all served. I saw clips of footage so alarming that I should have seen them a dozen times on the news when they first happened.

That is what makes the film so important, because most of it is about stuff you have never heard about and whether you like the guy delivering the news or not you need to see what the media hasn't been showing you.