Beyond Utopia
Their stories still make it worth catching if that’s something you’re interested in learning more about, and it is an impressive documentary on those fronts, mostly deserving of its accolades.
Inside Job
If you care about bringing lasting change in modern politics and economics, you need to watch this film.
Brother’s Keeper
Brother’s Keeper is a strong, if at times familiar, documentary that showcases the triumph of community and family over corruption and prejudice through the story of a single family’s struggle, which earns it a spot among the greats.
Harlan County U.S.A.
Harlan County U.S.A. presents a hopeful and realistic look at the plight of laborers and unions in the United States, showcasing the potential efficacy of media in cooperation with the common person and earning a place of greatness in the process.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
The ways that Won’t You Be My Neighbor stays true to the message and legacy of Mr. Rogers are what makes the film so excellent, offering an equal parts biography of Rogers and life lesson from the man himself even beyond the grave.
The Decline of Western Civilization
The way that Penelope Spheeris presents the world of Los Angeles punk in The Decline of Western Civilization leaves plenty of open-endedness for the audience to explore it further, piquing the interest without trying to take a preachy stance about the music, earning it a spot in music and cinematic history worthy of reverence.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a triumph of a biographical documentary thanks first and foremost to Michael J. Fox himself who carries the film on the shoulders of his own persona to a place of greatness.
The Eternal Memory
The intricate work done by Maite Alberti to weave together three potentially independent themes and stories into a single narrative revolving around this one couple in The Eternal Memory makes it an impressive documentary and one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
When We Were Kings
Muhammad Ali’s entire persona makes When We Were Kings an excellent film, but it’s the building around his story and the events of the “Rumble in the Jungle” that Leon Gast pulls off that elevate it to legend-making status and a film worthy of a spot among the greats.
Nostalgia for the Light
The unique perspective that Guzmán brings to his documentary makes for a fascinating study of the crossover of science, history, politics, and individuals, earning his film a place of greatness in cinematic history.
Amazing Grace
Aretha Franklin’s enrapturing performance takes the audience to church while showcasing her formidable abilities as one of the greatest musicians and vocalists of all time in this classic take on a new “concert” film, earning Amazing Grace a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Capturing the Friedmans
By exploring the inconsistencies of the American legal/judicial system and the confirmation bias inherent to many police investigations and interviews, Capturing the Friedmans asserts itself as one of the premier true crime documentaries.
Sherpa
You hate to say that Sherpa benefitted from an act of nature when that act of nature left sixteen people dead, but that act also provided the film with a much-needed catalyst to present the horrors of the reality that it wants to show the audience, ultimately earning it a spot among the greats.
The Beaches of Agnès
The Beaches of Agnès provides a wholistic look back at the filmmaker’s life and work, offering the audience a look inside the head of one of the most prolific and unique filmmakers in history, earning itself a spot among the greats in the process.
Paris Is Burning
Paris Is Burning wins the day thanks to the authenticity of its marginalized central players who remind the audience why they are worth telling a story about over and over with the anecdotes and dreams that they share with us, making this a wildly successful documentary and one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Amy
Amy’s celebration of Winehouse’s music, life, and career does justice to the incredibly talented young star who was taken too soon while also serving as a critique of the increasingly vocal public and our response to anything other than “perfection” from our celebrities, making it a documentary worthy of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Banksy’s unique blend of social commentary, self-deprecation, and outright humor make his documentary about the world of street art and the artists that inhabit it a thoroughly entertaining ride, worthy of mention alongside the greatest films.
Murderball
Taking the elements of a good sports documentary and compiling them to form a moving film about resilience, humanity, disability, and, yes, sports is how the filmmakers turned Murderball into an all-time great documentary.