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MOVIEPIQ · DOCUMENTARY · CURATED LIST

Best Documentary Movies On A Long Flight From The 2020S That Are Actually Worth Watching

These documentary films were selected by the Moviepiq editorial team for a long flight. Popularity and critic scores don't factor in here. Emotional fit does.

The best documentary movies on a long flight from the 2020s that are actually worth watching. Includes Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sk...

Flights are underrated for cinema. No domestic distractions. Nowhere else to be. The altitude helps, somehow. This is a list worth saving for the gate.

The 2020s have already produced films that will be studied for decades - lean, precise, unafraid to take audiences seriously.

A great documentary finds the universal in the specific. One person's story becomes everyone's story.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me movie poster
1
2022 · ★★★★½ 8.5/10

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky movie poster
2
2020 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

Record-shattering Korean girl band BLACKPINK tell their story - and detail the hard fought journey of the dreams and trials behind their meteoric rise.

My Octopus Teacher movie poster
3
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.9/10

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.

Friends: The Reunion movie poster
4
2021 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.

Miss Americana movie poster
5
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

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.

What makes a documentary essential viewing is specificity. These films don't deal in generalities - they follow real people making impossible choices in real moments.

The Social Dilemma movie poster
6
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.5/10

This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.

Money Heist: The Phenomenon movie poster
7
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.4/10

A documentary on why 'Money Heist' sparked a wave of enthusiasm around the world for a lovable group of thieves and their professor.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts movie poster
8
2022 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.

American Murder: The Family Next Door movie poster
9
2020 · ★★★½☆ 7.3/10

Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary examines the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children, and the terrible events that followed.

The Tinder Swindler movie poster
10
2022 · ★★★½☆ 7.0/10

Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, an Israeli conman wooed women online then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now, some victims plan for payback.

Not every highly-rated film deserves its rating. These do. Watch them without expectations and see what you think.

After watching a great documentary, the world looks slightly different. That's not a small thing.

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