20 of the best documentaries you can watch at home right now

Rory Cashin

If you’re in the mood for a gripping true story, then look no further

Thanks to series like Tiger King and Making A Murderer, gorging on documentaries has become as commonplace as enjoying a blockbuster.

But if you’re looking for some of the very best documentaries you can check out at home, then look no further than this list!

We have focused on documentary features for the below list (which is why the likes of series such as Tiger King and Making A Murderer don’t feature), and all titles and platforms are correct at the time of writing.

13TH

An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality. Available to watch on Netflix.

ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT

The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbour with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter. Available to watch on Netflix.

THE ACT OF KILLING

A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. Available to watch on Rakuten TV, Volta, Google Play, and Sky Store.

Clip via Film Official

APOLLO 11

A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Available to watch on NOW TV.

BEFORE THE FLOOD

A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet. Available to watch on Disney+.

BEING A.P.

Focusing on record-breaking jump jockey AP McCoy as he approached the end of his illustrious career, this film looks at the sportsman’s life and career, and what drove him to become the best. Available to watch on Prime Video.

BLACKFISH

A documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales. Available to watch on Netflix.

CITIZENFOUR

A documentarian and a reporter travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. Available to watch on Volta, Google Play, and Sky Store.

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD

A film-making daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life through the medium of cinema. Available to watch on Netflix.

Clip via Netflix

DIEGO MARADONA

Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centres on the career of celebrated football player Diego Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s. Available to watch on Prime Video.

FREE SOLO

Alex Honnold attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb El Capitan, i.e. without any climbing equipment to assist him should he lose his grip. Available to watch on Disney+.

FYRE: THE GREATEST PARTY THAT NEVER HAPPENED

An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival. Available to watch on Netflix.

GRIZZLY MAN

A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska. Available to watch on Google Play, Rakuten TV, Apple TV, and Microsoft.

THE IMPOSTER

A documentary centred on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years. Available to watch on Volta.

Clip via Front Row Films

INTO THE INFERNO

An exploration of active volcanoes around the world, and why mankind are obsessed with one of the most destructive forces of natures. Available to watch on Netflix.

MAN ON WIRE

A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City’s World Trade Centre’s twin towers in 1974, what some consider to be the artistic crime of the century. Available to watch on NOW TV.

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez. Available to watch now on Prime Video.

THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS

In 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they are triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery. Available to watch on Netflix.

WEST OF MEMPHIS

An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three, featuring and made by those involved in the infamous case. Available to watch on Google Play, Rakuten TV, and Apple TV.

THE WOLFPACK

Confined in an apartment from a New York housing project, the six Angulo brothers learned everything they know about the world through watching films and spend their time reenacting their favourite movies with intricate homemade costumes. Available to watch now on NOW TV.