The 20 Best Documentaries On Netflix To Watch Now

Cleared out your watch-list? Here are 20 documentaries on Netflix to throw into the mix.

Looking for a good documentary to get stuck into? With such an extensive slate of documentaries on Netflix, we thought we’d help you narrow down the list and let you in on which ones are worthy of a spot on your watch-list. Whether you’re interested in true crime, sports, music, technology, social issues, the environment, or eccentric zookeepers, we’ve got documentaries that will inspire and shock in equal measure, warm your heart or send chills straight down your spine. Scroll through for our pick of the 20 best documentaries to watch on Netflix now.

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The 20 Best Documentaries On Netflix To Watch Now

Cheer

Ready? OK! Follow the competitive cheerleaders of the 14-time National Championship winning team at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, as they prepare for the final competition at the National Championship. In this Emmy-winning sensation, the stakes on the mat are high as the young athletes face injuries, personal setbacks and triumphs. The second season catches up with the team following their rise to fame and expands to showcase Navarro’s fiercest rival: Trinity valley Community College.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

The Tinder Swindler

This British true crime documentary will have you thinking twice the next time you swipe right. From the producers of The Imposter and Don’t F**k with Cats, The Tinder Swindler unravels the jaw-dropping story of a prolific conman who posed as a billionaire playboy on Tinder, and the three women who fought to bring him to justice.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Living Undocumented

Shedding light on America’s immigration debate, this harrowing documentary series follows the roller-coaster journeys of eight undocumented immigrant families as they face potential deportation. Executive produced by Selena Gomez, Living Undocumented reveals the struggles many must endure to chase the American dream.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

My Octopus Teacher

A filmmaker forges an unexpected intimate bond with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest in this Oscar-winning favourite. Over the course of a year, the eight-legged cephalopod shares her secret world with the humble diver, imparting lessons of loyalty, resourcefulness and resilience. This wonderful tale will have you suction cupped to your seat and reaching for the tissue box.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Found

Amanda Lipitz’s heart-touching documentary film, Found, follows three adopted American teen girls who discover that they are blood-related cousins. After an online meeting, they are inspired to embark on a courageous journey to China in the hopes of meeting their birth parents, confronting complicated and emotional questions along the way.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

The Pharmacist

This hard-hitting documentary zooms in on America’s devastating opioid epidemic. After losing his son in a drug-related shooting, small town pharmacist Dan Schneider is confronted with the ripple effects of addiction. Sensing a crisis long before the opioid epidemic had gained nationwide attention, Schneider embarked on a mission to save his community, channeling his grief to take on a prolific “pill mill” doctor in New Orleans.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

This intimate three-part documentary charts Kanye West’s whirlwind career, filmed over two decades. The first instalment, titled “Act 1: Vision”, starts with filmmaker Clarence “Coodie” Simmons who was invited by Kanye to New York to document his rise in the hip-hop industry. In the following instalments, the series goes on to detail Kanye’s multiple Grammy wins, the death of his mother and his unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Seaspiracy

Produced by the director of the groundbreaking award-winning film on factory farming, Conspiracy, comes this deep dive into the global fishing industry, challenging notions of sustainable fishing and bringing to surface the various devastating human impacts on marine life. Spoiler alert: don’t be surprised if you find yourself swearing off fish after!

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Life in Colour with David Attenborough

No documentary round-up would be complete without an Attenborough nature doc. This 2021 docuseries uses revolutionary camera technology to reveal how different animals see and use colour to survive and thrive in the wild. Alongside a band of exotic co-stars, the great Sir David Attenborough leads the way through this vibrant journey around the globe.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Icarus

When American cyclist Bryan Fogel explores the option of doping to win an amateur cycling race and connects with the director of Russia’s national anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov (now Putin’s most-wanted whistleblower), he happens upon a major international doping scandal in this Oscar-winning exposé.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Athlete A

This riveting docuseries delves into the world of elite competitive gymnastics and unveils the unchecked abuse behind the sequinned leotards and ribbon. Following the intrepid reporters who broke the story of USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s decades of abuse, this series features first-hand accounts from a number of brave gymnasts, including “Athlete A” Maggie Nichols.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Don’t F**K With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

Following a group of amateur internet sleuths, this unconventional three-part true crime documentary chronicles the crowd-sourced amateur investigation into a series of shocking animal cruelty acts committed by Canadian pornographic actor Luka Magnotta, leading up to the murder of Chinese international student Jun Lin.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky

This all-access documentary film spotlights record-shattering Korean girl band BLACKPINK and details their hard-earned meteoric rise to fame, tracing back to their years as trainees and debut in 2016. Not always glitz and glamour, this raw documentary shows the ups and downs of the life of a K-Pop star.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Unsolved Mysteries

From unexplained disappearances to bizarre paranormal encounters, this gripping revival of the iconic documentary series features 12 new spine-chilling mysteries. With the original creators and the producers of Stranger Things weighing in, fans of the old series won’t be disappointed with this Netflix reboot.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

The Social Dilemma

Brought to us by the award-winning director of Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral, this perturbing documentary-drama hybrid explores the problematic human impact of social networking. From the co-inventor of the Facebook like button, to the president of Pinterest, the tech experts behind our favourite social media platforms give us a wake-up call and warn us of their own creations.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

This hit docuseries pounced on us at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in the U.S. and was perhaps so popular due to the fact that it was the one thing wilder than the reality we were experiencing. It sure isn’t every day you hear about a zookeeper that went to prison for murder for hire. Just be ready for some big cats and even bigger personalities.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

From summertime sports to budding romances, this inspiring historical documentary shows what it was like to live in Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp for the physically disabled. Offering an illuminating insight into life as a disenfranchised teen, we challenge you not to be moved by their determination in a world of isolation and discrimination.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Taylor Swift: Miss Americana

This raw and unfiltered documentary offers a peek into Taylor Swift’s life over a metamorphic period in her career (spanning her Reputation Stadium Tour and the roll-out of her seventh studio album Lover), as she learns to accept her role not only as an entertainer, but as an influential woman “harnessing the full power of her voice”.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

14 Peaks follows fearless and fun-loving  mountaineer Normal Purja and his skilled team of Sherpas as they attempt to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks within a record time of under seven months (the previous record was over seven years). Featuring more than 100 hours of footage, this moving documentary film presents a truly inspiring display of courage, perseverance and pushing the limits of human endurance.

Watch the documentary trailer here.

Spelling the Dream

There are good spellers and then there are GOOD spellers. This documentary chronicles the ups and downs of four Indian-American students as they compete to win the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee. With fascinating perspectives from CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Fareed Zakaria, comedian Hari Kondabolu, the 1999 Scripps winner and more, the film offers an insightful exploration into Indian Americans’ decades-long success at the iconic US tournament and what it means for their community.

Watch the documentary trailer here.