Documentary on Netflix: the best movies
24 documentary films available on Netflix today, ranked by audience rating, most recommended first. Updated September 25, 2026
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo leads with 8,8 out of 10, ahead of David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (8,4). Ratings range from 7,7 to 8,8. All were released between 2014 and 2025. The selection leans toward films from the 2020s, 16 of 24.
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The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo
After the death of her daughter at the hand of her boyfriend, Marisela Escobedo began to fight for justice not only against the murderer but also against the corrupt Mexican judicial system.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
The story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.
BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky
Record-shattering Korean girl band BLACKPINK tell their story — and detail the hard fought journey of the dreams and trials behind their meteoric rise.
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Avicii - I'm Tim
Before Avicii, there was Tim. Through his own words, witness how a prodigious musical talent became one of the defining artists of his generation.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
The secret life of a young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined when his online friends contact his family after his death.
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement.
Making Squid Game: The Challenge
Go behind the scenes and witness how the "Squid Game"-inspired reality show transformed from a scripted drama to a cutthroat, nail-biting competition.
ariana grande: excuse me, i love you
Ariana Grande takes the stage in London for her Sweetener World Tour and shares a behind-the-scenes look at her life in rehearsal and on the road.
Virunga
Virunga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa’s oldest national park, a UNESCO world heritage site, and a contested ground among insurgencies seeking to topple the government that see untold profits in the land. Among this ongoing power struggle, Virunga also happens to be the last natural habitat for the critically endangered mountain gorilla. The only thing standing in the way of the forces closing in around the gorillas: a handful of passionate park rangers and journalists fighting to secure the park’s borders and expose the corruption of its enemies. Filled with shocking footage, and anchored by the surprisingly deep and gentle characters of the gorillas themselves, Virunga is a galvanizing call to action around an ongoing political and environmental crisis in the Congo.
My Octopus Teacher
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
The Greatest Night in Pop
On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event.
Apollo 11
A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin.
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
Over 93 days in Ukraine, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution and full-fledged civil rights movement.
Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful
Karol G pulls back the curtain on her rise to stardom while navigating a sold-out stadium tour, creating new music and releasing a new album.
Disclosure
An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.
13th
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Miss Americana
A raw and emotionally revealing look at one of the most iconic artists of our time during a transformational period in her life as she learns to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer, but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice.
Creating The Queen's Gambit
A fascinating character. Exquisite sets. A wig for every era. The stars, creators and crew reveal how the hit series about a chess prodigy came to life.
Seaspiracy
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy.
Period. End of Sentence.
In an effort to improve feminine hygiene, a machine that creates low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads is installed in a rural village in Northern India. Using the machine, a group of local women is employed to produce and sell pads, offering them newfound independence and helping to destigmatize menstruation for all.
John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid
Armed with boyish charm and a sharp wit, the former "SNL" writer offers sly takes on marriage, his beef with babies and the time he met Bill Clinton.
Chasing Coral
Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called "coral bleaching" -- a sign of mass coral death -- has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater.
Take Care of Maya
When Jack and Beata Kowalski are wrongfully accused of child abuse after their 10-year-old daughter Maya visits the ER, a nightmare unfolds.
What to know before choosing
A well-rated documentary is not necessarily a fair one: audiences rate what turned them upside down, and the genre rewards reversals more than patient reporting. Ratings here are among the highest in the catalog and vote counts among the lowest — which is why the vote floor is lowered for this genre, or the page would be empty. Check the date: a current-affairs documentary ages in three years.
The Netflix catalog is the most restless of all: it changes most from month to month and most from country to country. A "best films on Netflix" list written six months ago is half wrong today, and one written for the United States is wrong here. This one is rebuilt every day from actual availability in the US, which is the only honest way to keep that promise.
Frequently asked questions
How were these 24 films chosen?
They come from the TMDB catalog, filtered on audience rating and on a minimum number of votes — without that second filter, a film rated 9 out of 10 by eleven people would outrank a classic. No place is for sale: no platform, distributor or studio can enter this list other than by being well rated.
Which film in this list is rated highest?
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo (2020), with 8,8 out of 10 from 246 audience votes.
Are these films really available on Netflix in the US?
Yes, as of the day the page was built. Availability comes from TMDB and JustWatch for the catalog in the US, and the list is rebuilt daily. Streaming catalogs move constantly: a title can leave between two passes, which is why the page carries its date.
Are there any recent releases in this selection?
8 of the 24 films came out since 2021. The rest are older, which is expected: a film needs a few years to gather enough votes to be judged at all.
Do I need an account?
No. Taro eira is free, asks for no account and no subscription, and the two-or-three-question flow works without installing anything.
See also
- Netflix
- Documentary
- Documentary on Prime Video
- Documentary on Disney+
- Documentary on Apple TV+
- Documentary on HBO Max
- Documentary on Hulu
- Documentary on Paramount+
- Documentary on Peacock
- Action
- Adventure
- Animation
- Comedy
- Crime
- Drama
- Family
- Fantasy
- Biopic
- Horror
- Musical
- Romance
- Sci-fi
- Thriller
- War
- Western
How this list is built
Films come from the TMDB catalog, filtered on audience rating and vote count, then cross-checked against real availability in the country. No paid placement, no partnerships. How we choose the films.
Film data and posters: TMDB. This app uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.