Favorite Documentaries Every Year

These are the documentaries from each year I think are worth watching, based on how I rank them. Click on a title to see where it’s streaming, read the synopsis, and watch a preview. I consider a documentary’s release year to be when it is widely available in theaters or to stream in the United States.

Best Documentaries 2025:

  1. America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys
  2. Sean Combs: The Reckoning
  3. aka Charlie Sheen
  4. Billy Joel: And So It Goes
  5. John Candy: I Like Me
  6. Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action
  7. Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever
  8. The Perfect Neighbor
  9. Cocaine Quarterback: Signal Caller For The Cartel
  10. American Murder: Gabby Petito
  11. Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke
  12. Pee-Wee As Himself
  13. Untold: Shooting Guards
  14. Magic City: An American Fantasy
  15. Who Killed The Montreal Expos?
  16. American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden
  17. The Carman Family Deaths
  18. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
  19. Being Eddie
  20. The Carters: Hurts To Love You
  21. Untold: The Liver King
  22. Untold: The Fall Of Favre
  23. Trainwreck: Mayor Of Mayhem
  24. Trainwreck: The Cult Of American Apparel
  25. The Truth About Jussie Smollett?
  26. Bodyguard Of Lies

Best Documentaries 2024:

  1. Mr. McMahon
  2. Lover, Stalker, Killer
  3. American Nightmare
  4. Wise Guy: David Chase & The Sopranos
  5. This Is The Zodiac Speaking
  6. Bitconned
  7. The Dynasty: New England Patriots
  8. Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
  9. Untold: Sign Stealer
  10. The Grab
  11. American Murder: Laci Peterson
  12. MoviePass, MovieCrash
  13. Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance Of Sherri Papini
  14. Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth?
  15. Avicii – I’m Tim
  16. Chimp Crazy
  17. Untold: Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer
  18. The Kings Of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga
  19. Biggest Heist Ever
  20. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths Of Robert Durst – Part 2
  21. Money Electric: They Bitcoin Mystery
  22. The Lie: The Murder Of Grace Millane
  23. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey
  24. Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare
  25. The Truth vs. Alex Jones
  26. Catching Fire: The Story Of Anita Pallenberg
  27. Ren Faire
  28. They Called Him Mostly Harmless
  29. How To Rob A Bank
  30. Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal
  31. 30 For 30: American Son
  32. Untold: The Murder Of Air McNair
  33. The Turnaround
  34. Happy Campers
  35. Return Of The King: The Fall & Rise Of Elvis Presley
  36. The Menendez Brothers
  37. Spermworld

Best Documentaries 2023:

  1. Beckham
  2. Telemarketers
  3. Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
  4. Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God
  5. The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
  6. American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
  7. Depp V. Heard
  8. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
  9. BS High
  10. Arnold
  11. Beyond Human Nature
  12. The Secrets Of Hillsong
  13. Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story Of American Gladiators
  14. Take Care Of Maya
  15. Shiny Happy People
  16. Waco: American Apocalypse
  17. Stolen Youth: Inside The Cult At Sarah Lawrence
  18. Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child
  19. Untold: Johnny Football
  20. Untold: Hall Of Shame
  21. Sam Now
  22. All The Beauty and The Bloodshed

Best Documentaries 2022: (Click Here To See The List In Letterboxd)

  1. The Tinder Swindler
  2. Sins Of Our Mother
  3. The Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes
  4. Untold: The Girlfriend That Didn’t Exist
  5. Icahn: The Restless Billionaire
  6. Rich and Shameless: Girls Gone Wild Exposed
  7. Mind Over Murder
  8. The Girl In The Picture 
  9. I Just Killed My Dad 
  10. The Most Hated Man On The Internet 
  11. Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey
  12. Trust No One: The Hunt For The Crypto King

Best Documentaries 2021:

  1. Tiger
  2. Bruno Vs. Tyson
  3. Woodstock 99
  4. WeWork: The Making & Breaking Of A Unicorn
  5. Untold: Crime & Penalties
  6. Some Kind Of Heaven
  7. Beanie Mania
  8. Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer
  9. Framing Britney Spears
  10. The Way Down: God, Greed, & The Cult Of Gwen Shamblin
  11. Memories Of A Murderer: Nilsen Tapes
  12. Untold: Breaking Point
  13. Untold: Malice At The Palace
  14. Tina
  15. The Alpinist
  16. In & Of Itself

Best Documentaries 2020:

  1. The Last Dance
  2. Tiger King
  3. The Scheme
  4. Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez
  5. 30 For 30: Vick
  6. My Octopus Teacher
  7. McMillions
  8. 69: The Saga Of Danny Hernandez
  9. The Comedy Store
  10. The Social Dilemma
  11. The Vow
  12. 30 For 30: Chuck & Tito

Best Documentaries 2019:

  1. I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
  2. Leaving Neverland
  3. Fyre
  4. The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley