MOVIEPIQ · DOCUMENTARY · CURATED LIST

Best Documentary Movies With The Family From The 80S And 90S That Changed Cinema Forever

The best documentary movies with the family from the 80s and 90s that changed cinema forever. Includes Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Free Solo, 13th and more — ...

Family film nights require a film that doesn't ask anyone to leave the room. Something that works for different ages without boring anyone to the point of checking their phone.

The 80s and 90s are where a lot of cinema's DNA was written. Films that set the templates still running today.

Documentaries work when they trust their subjects. The best ones get out of the way and let reality speak.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? movie poster
1
2018 · ★★★★☆ 8.4/10

An intimate look at America's favourite neighbor and the life, lessons, and legacy of Fred Rogers.

Free Solo movie poster
2
2018 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's El Capitan.

13th movie poster
3
2016 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

An in-depth look at the US prison system and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.

Searching for Sugar Man movie poster
4
2012 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock musician Rodriguez.

Amy movie poster
5
2015 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

The story of Amy Winehouse, in her own words, featuring archival footage and recordings.

The documentaries that stay with you are the ones that refuse to simplify. They show you the mess of a real situation and trust you to sit with it.

Man on Wire movie poster
6
2008 · ★★★½☆ 7.7/10

A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, and illegal, high-wire routine performed between the World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974.

Icarus movie poster
7
2017 · ★★★½☆ 7.9/10

When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his project into a geopolitical thriller.

The Act of Killing movie poster
8
2012 · ★★★★☆ 8.2/10

A documentary about the 1965-66 Indonesian mass killings, in which former paramilitary leaders re-enact their crimes.

20 Feet from Stardom movie poster
9
2013 · ★★★½☆ 7.8/10

Backup singers discuss their careers and relationships with the stars they support.

Bowling for Columbine movie poster
10
2002 · ★★★★☆ 8.0/10

Michael Moore explores the culture of guns and violence in the United States.

Some films don't just tell stories — they change what stories can be. These are the ones that shifted what came after them.

The best documentaries don't resolve neatly. They give you something to carry. These do that.