Top 20 Best Documentary Films of the Last Decade

this list could have easily been a top 40 everyone I'm Rebecca and welcome to watchmojo.com the read the New York Post that means we're looking at the greatest documentaries released between 2010 and 2009 teen alright let's check it out I don't felt we really may be sad for that number 20 won't you be my neighbor honest and unassuming Fred Rogers was nevertheless a beacon of hope and an endless source of entertainment to the millions of children who tuned in to his weekly television program Mister Rogers neighborhood I end the program by saying you've made this day a special day by just your being you the 2018 documentary won't you be my neighbor peels back the curtain on Rogers a man who was never afraid to broach difficult topics such as death and divorce with his young audience and who ultimately embodied all that's good and kind about humanity [Music] you are feeling a beautiful portrait of one man's enduring legacy the film would be named by Time magazine as the second best of 2018 and would later take home an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature much to show as a youngster I wasn't a lot of good of pretty slopes and a disability left your heart and hearing my number 19 20 feet from stardom they might not be household names but that doesn't mean you haven't heard them Morgan Neville's enlightening and moving documentary about background singers shifts the spotlight from the stars to the talents we seldom hear about I started to sing with Mick she sings the lyrics follow me and with a lot of personality which is what was needed filled with powerful female voices and irresistible music 20 feet from stardom is a sincere tribute to their struggles and triumphs thanks to eloquent emotional interviews deft direction and a killer soundtrack it met with universal acclaim from critics and took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards there's not as much work for background singers because different ones have called me over the years and just asked me are you working cuz my phone hasn't been ringing number 18 minding the gap by examining the lives of three friends united by their love of skateboarding minding the gap shines a light on some of the darkest aspects of our society including racism domestic abuse and poverty she works and I watch him or I work and she watches him I don't know and other than that were both pretty much around directed by Bing Liu who also serves as one of the film's primary subjects the dog was shot over a 12-year period and captured the struggles faced by the three young men as they came of age in Rockford Illinois in my insurance I'm a licensed so you don't have to redo anything in your pocket life is like license registration and I was like sure dubbed quote a rich devastating essay on race class and manhood and 21st century America by New York Times writer ao Scott minding the gap was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards and holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes I've never been able to deal with myself because I'm so busy I'm not even convincing other people I'm convincing myself I'm a good person number 17 Apollo 11 Apollo 11 is proof that you can make an engaging and thought-provoking documentary without the use of narration or interviews 38 year old civilian Neil Alden Armstrong to become the first human being to touch the moon the film which focuses on NASA's successful 1969 attempt to land men on the lunar surface consists entirely of archival footage some of which had never before been seen by the public by depicting this triumph of human achievement in a manner that's devoid of frills the film manages to create a truly visceral experience for the viewer one that grabs hold and doesn't let go a masterwork in film restoration and editing Apollo 11 1 / critics at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the documentary Grand Jury Prize [Music] number 16 citizen 4 to say that citizen 4 was the documentary of 2014 would be a gross understatement it pretty much swept the best documentary category at award ceremonies the world over including the Oscars I feel the modern media has a big focus on personalities totally and I'm a little concerned the more we focus on that the more they're gonna use that as a distraction it's about Edward Snowden the former CIA employee and computer contractor who in 2013 leaked classified NSA documents that exposed global surveillance programs run by the United States and its allies and government is becoming that of the the ruling and the ruled as opposed to actually you know the elected and the elector the documentary takes place primarily inside Snowden's Hong Kong hotel room as director Laura Poitras and journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill interview him a thrilling and thoughtful film about a subject that should concern us all citizen four is an absolute must see I knew what the risks were if I get arrested I get arrested number 15 going clear Scientology and the prison of belief this documentary is a poignant look at one of the most controversial religions in the world today Scientology he asked me what's ruining your life I fell in love I'm in love with this woman it's impossible I don't know what to do I need some help and she said we can help you with that the film provides viewers with a history of both Scientology and its founder the infamous l ron Hubbard as well as interviews with former members who are more than willing to divulge information about the abuse they face during their time as members of the church I know this because I used to do it when I was the head of the Office of Special Affairs director Alex Gibney who also produced the documentary the Armstrong lie in 2013 does an excellent job of crafting a film that holds nothing back in its pursuit of the truth I studied geography in school those volcanoes didn't exist 75 million years ago number fourteen searching for sugar man endlessly entertaining thoroughly engaging and totally delightful searching for sugar man was a breath of fresh air for cinema goers into thousand twelve the wildly unexpected doc tells the story of a mysterious American musician named Sixto Rodriguez who captured the hearts and minds of apartheid-era South Africans despite being a complete unknown in his home country any revolution needs an anthem and in South Africa cold fact was the album that gave people permission to free their minds the film is primarily about the efforts of two men to locate Rodriguez whom they had long considered to be dead did you believe that it was a good album I did my best with it searching for sugar man won all the awards upon release including the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and after watching it he will understand why few Doc's from the 2010s will make you laugh cry and cheer as much as this one this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience this number 13 I am NOT your negro this documentary was inspired by the unfinished memoir remember this house written by the late outspoken social critic James Baldwin I missed Harlem Sunday mornings and fried chicken and biscuits a mr. music I missed the style that style possessed by no other people in the world the original manuscript focused on notes and letters written by Baldwin that discussed the lives of his friends and civil rights leaders Martin Luther King jr. and Malcolm X the 20th century or modern Uncle Tom or a religious Uncle Tom who was doing the same thing today to keep Negroes defenseless in the face of attack that Uncle Tom did on the plantation to keep those Negroes defenseless in the in the face of the attack of the Klan in that day I am NOT your negro expands upon Baldwin's work in order to examine racism in America both today and in the past narrated by samuel l.jackson the film is a stark and honest look at a societal blemish that continues to permeate the country the film was highly acclaimed and in 2016 scored a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards a brutal and humiliating thing which barely destroyed whatever relationship this girl and I might have been able to achieve number 12 tickled if searching for sugar man was the most unexpected documentary of the past decade then tickled was its most bizarre it follows David farrier a New Zealand journalist who discovers an odd video for competitive endurance tickling there was a CET competitive endurance tickling group we got here and uh first of all I give a shout out to you general Bryan media for making this happen despite the inherently humorous nature of the subject matter the truth at the heart of this documentary is anything but fun rebuffed at every turn and facing legal action from the producers of the videos farrier presses on and discovers something so sinister it needs to be seen to be believed then to top it all off jana Bryan media told us they were flying three people across the world from New York to New Zealand to see us they're clearly serious about stopping this documentary critics called the documentary quote a stranger than fiction voyage and quote not a film you'll soon forget yeah we can vouch for that I'm about to meet this man who's been such a threatening figure in so many lives number eleven Oh Jay made in America produced by ESPN films this documentary tackles one of the most infamous and divisive figures in American history former football player celebrity and murder suspect Oh Jay Simpson he would like glide he never really picked his feet learned a couple of inches off the ground so he's like slithering through a hole Oh Jay made-in-america is the documentary everybody and their grandmother was talking about in 2016 that's not the OJ that there was behind closed doors and certainly not with her and she told me that through a combination of news footage and interviews director Ezra Edelman crops a compelling film series that uses Simpsons rise and fall as a microcosm for the bigger issues that plagued America in the 80s and 90s winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature LJ made in America is a roller coaster of a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish they said I heard it over and over that was payback for Rhonda came number 10 fire one of the most talked-about documentaries of 2019 fire was on everybody's radar when it premiered on Netflix as we were like about to take off he's like yeah I bought this plane like six months ago I just got my license I ended up teaching myself and you can use Microsoft Flight Simulator in details the infamous story of fire festival a failed business venture in the Bahamas spearheaded by the now notorious fraudster Billy McFarland is this guy a genius or is he a madman through candid interviews with the people McFarland enlisted to help him pull off his insane scheme fire slowly reveals how one man with a vision for the greatest party ever can ruin countless lives with a mix of hubris and ineptitude a cautionary tale of epic proportions fire is a must watch I thought something was wrong after they held us on the beach for six hours kind of funneling tequila down our throats number nine they shall not grow old loaded with previously unseen World War 1 footage Peter Jackson's seminal documentary transformed century old footage through the use of voiceover and modern colorizing techniques your day would start before dawn when I'm sure would go around this 100 yards the result was a stunning and immensely visceral cinematic experience that garnered rave reviews from critics leading to a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes but we were always told that who never heard the show would hit you because most often traveled faster than sound when asked why he chose to modernize the footage of British soldiers fighting on the Western Front Jackson succinctly replied quote the men saw a war in color they certainly didn't see it in black and white I wanted to reach through the fog of time and pull these men into the modern world so they can regain their humanity once more if that doesn't convince you to see this film nothing will they were decent so the family people and thought a great deal of their children number 8 Amy just as citizen 4 was the documentary of 2014 Amy was the documentary of 2015 main Amy request the film is about the tumultuous life of British singer Amy Winehouse who at 27 died from alcohol poisoning an incredible talent with a personality to match this documentary did an excellent job of presenting viewers with an unfiltered look at both wine houses musical ability as well as her self-destructive nature likes managed to get to hook get into her bedroom and the next checkup the doctors found out she's got heroin in her blood again the success of Amy likely came as little surprise to director Asif Kapadia seeing as how his 2010 documentary Sena about former Brazilian Formula one champion Ayrton Senna was met with similar acclaim even at racing speed Tamburello is not a corner that you would make a mistake on something on the car would have to go wrong number 7 free solo a documentary that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up free solo is the story of rock climber Alex Honnold I got quite scared in some places and then you start to panic a little bit and you have to like reel it all back in a daredevil of the highest order ha told has made a name for himself as one of the world's pre-eminent free soloists that is to say for climbing some of the biggest rock walls on earth without the use of ropes harnesses or protective gear of any kind I try to expand my comfort zone by practicing the moves over and over again free solo is about Honnold quest to conquer El Capitan an imposing rock formation in Yosemite National Park that stands 3,000 feet tall the doc delves into Han olds motivations as well as the challenges faced by the film crew attempting to capture his record breaking climb trust us this Oscar winner is worth your time he just sent the boulder problem they must be so stoked number six life itself film critic Roger Ebert was a legend in his lifetime so it's only fitting that this biographical documentary about his life was a cinematic masterpiece thriller week on Siskel and Ebert in the movies and we've got three new ones sound a little excited game sound less excited Roger begun before his passing in 2013 life itself takes its name from Ebert's memoir and looks back at a career that spanned over four decades featuring footage filmed during his final months as well as interviews with his peers and loved ones it's a tribute to an influential cultural voice that manages to be celebratory poignant and humorous all at once it is a crime that life itself was not nominated for an Oscar lets you understand hopes aspirations dreams and fears it helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us number five Icarus an investigation into the world of illegal doping wound up uncovering one of the largest sports scandals of all time if I could do that and I could get away with it that would mean that pretty much any athlete could do that and any athlete could get away with it from the very beginning filmmaker Brian Fogle was there to document it all it all started when Fogle connected with the director of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory Grigory rut chenkov who revealed to him that Russian athletes had long been participating in a state-sponsored doping program Russia won a total of 73 medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics how many of those athletes were dirty thought the twists come hard and fast in this documentary which wound up taking home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature many a documentary has started with the goal of uncovering some hidden truth but few have managed to succeed quite like Icarus what does the conspiracy it was conspiracy since 1980 let's reconsider most one in big games and every consider situation in the United States in 1984 number four exit through the gift shop directed by the elusive street artist Banksy Exit Through the Gift Shop is the documentary the world didn't know it needed that's not that's not the graffiti nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards the film is an exploration into both the world of underground street art and a biographical look at tea Agata a french videographer who ultimately transforms into the artist mr. brainwash how can I get this guy said impossible it's impossible though the film received considerable praise upon its release people quickly began to speculate that it was all an elaborate hoax perpetrated by none other than Banksy himself however the film's producers vehemently deny these accusations we think a story this crazy has to be true it was magic that this person let me film you know I felt like I had the piece that will finish the project number three black fish black fish is a prime example of how documentary films can have lasting consequences maybe because he was alone maybe because he was hungry maybe because he just liked you who knows what was going on in his head focusing on a captive Orkin aimed Tilikum and his drowning of three people the dock is an expose of sea world's treatment of killer whales what I found really odd at first was the way they were acting around as well and what they had told us seemed to me to be two different things the film took the world by storm upon its release creating fierce opposition to sea world's use of these majestic marine mammals in their theme parks a critical success the film picked up a nomination for Best Documentary at the 2014 BAFTAs clearly the film had an impact on the industry as SeaWorld announced in 2016 it would no longer use orcas for live performances they're not your whales they own number 213 in 13th director Ava Duvernay tackles one of America's worst dilemmas mass incarceration named for the 13th amendment to the Constitution which prohibited slavery but failed to prevent the government from using it as a form of punishment Thirteenth claims that since its inception this oversight has been exploited to lock up a disproportionate number of african-americans we had parole in this country as a mechanism for getting people out of jails in prisons when it was clear that they were no longer a threat to public safety an examination of the cruel distortion of the law and a passionate call to end its negative effect on black America 13th isn't just one of the best documentaries of this decade but of all time it's always been Idaho potatoes they're planted grown harvested packed and shipped by inmates variety described the film as having a quote piercing relevance to our current social economic and political climate and we are inclined to agree having people truly understand that when black lives matter everybody's life matters I don't think it would be crazy to say that we're living in a golden age of documentaries and one of my favorites is won't you be my neighbor how about you guys have you seen any or all of these do you have any idea what's at number one well let's run through some honorable mentions and then we'll see our choice for top doc of the decade Vivaldi Piazza Val de la falda visage hallelujah cognizant automaton lfo2 certainly thanks Agong solo cody and conformity i can guarantee you that this kid was not raised in an english-speaking family you know I don't know who he is but the person who was I was interviewing could not have been Nicholas boy she said do you know who it was I said yes no I know that Geoff Bowes isn't your dad and you said how do you know that he said cuz I'm your dad before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one the act of killing if you still haven't seen this documentary stop what you're doing and go watch it no seriously we'll wait the act of killing is about the infamous Indonesian mass killings of the 60s but told in a wholly unique way director Joshua Oppenheimer tasked Anwar Congo a former death squad leader to reenact his killings for the camera but in the style of whichever film genre he'd like the result is a documentary unlike any other by hello boogie too bad Nikita chiba-chiba a [ __ ] didn't any other karma what did is higher as Anwar begins to recreate his own atrocities a glimmer of humanity begins to emerge within him an emotional roller coaster unlike any you've ever seen the act of killing is one of the most powerful documentaries of the decade so what do you think are there any we missed let us know in the comments which documentary you think I should watch this weekend or come tell me on Instagram or Twitter at Rebecca Braden also be sure to LIKE and subscribe and please 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Keywords: top documentary films of the decade, top documentaries of the decade, best documentaries of the decade, best documentaries from the decade, best documentaries from 2010s, greatest documentaries from the decade, top documentary movies, best docs, top docs, documentaries you need to see, documentaries worth watching, must watch documentaries, fyre festival, must see documentary movies, well-received documentaries, documentary, top 10, top 20, watch mojo, watchmojo

Id: i6WEyU1NfNI

Length: 22min 6sec (1326 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 24 2019