15 Excellent Documentaries and Docuseries You Should Watch (2023)

Documentary TV shows and specials have been a part of television almost from its early beginnings. There is no question, though, that streaming has been a boon for this category of programming.

Whether it’s an intimate portrait of a pop culture icon, a thoughtful exploration of history, or a frank conversation about some of today’s thorniest cultural issues, viewers have more opportunities than ever to explore the world through moving images.

As is often the case with streaming, however, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the explosion of content.

Not to worry, though. We’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of great documentaries and docuseries available to stream from the last five years.

Here, in no particular order, are 15 documentaries and docuseries you should definitely watch.

1. Lincoln’s Dilemma (Apple TV+)

Despite volumes of material about Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln’s Dilemma manages to offer a fresh perspective on the 16th president.

It tells the story of a flawed politician shaped by his time. But also a man moved by his empathy to evolve while in office. It deconstructs the near-perfect myth of Abraham Lincoln and presents a more compelling and aspirational figure than we grew up learning about.

Just as importantly, the series re-examines the Civil War and the push for emancipation. It centers Black people- free and enslaved-as pivotal and active participants in both.

It’s a re-centering that not only expands our understanding of how the end of slavery came about but also speaks to the long bottom-up process of social movements and cultural change in general.

Lincoln’s Dilemma isn’t the story of Lincoln and his generals. It is the story of the people who pushed a leader to do better and embrace the ideals of democracy and freedom. Or, to paraphrase the man himself, to listen to his better angels.

2. The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks (Peacock)

Her name and face are among the most recognizable from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Still, Rosa Parks’s full story remains largely unknown.

Co-opted to fit a particular narrative about the movement and U.S. history, much of Mrs. Park’s life and legacy gets flattened into a single moment. Peacock’s, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks looks to rectify that.

Produced by Soledad O’Brien and adapted from Jeanne Theoharis’s excellent biography of the same name, the film gives viewers a much fuller picture of Rosa Parks’s life, activism, and political philosophy.

It paints the portrait of a woman with radical politics who was intentional in her actions and devoted a lifetime to fighting injustice. It’s a candid and provocative account of a woman whose full story has never been more needed or inspirational.

3. The U.S and The Holocaust (PBS.org and the PBS Streaming app)

The U.S. and The Holocaust is a three-part series by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein. It examines the U.S. response to the Holocaust.

The series contextualizes the Holocaust and the rise of Hitler as part of a history of global antisemitism and racism. A history that includes the eugenics movement and Jim Crow laws in the United States.

It celebrates the actions of individual Americans who protested, boycotted, and performed heroic feats to save the people they could. However, it also exposes how U.S. policies and politics failed those fleeing one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history.

“During the Second World War, millions of Americans fought and sacrificed to defeat fascism, but even after we began to understand the scope and scale of what was happening to the Jewish people of Europe, our response was inadequate and deeply flawed,” said Novick.

Adding, “This is a story with enormous relevance today, as we are still dealing with questions about immigration, refugees, and who should be welcomed into the United States.”

4. Disclosure (Netflix)

Disclosure is a moving look at the depiction of trans people in TV and film. It shows how popular culture has reflected and generated fears and biases about gender. Fears that often contribute to the real-world harm of trans people.

Looking as far back as the silent era, the film traces the long, largely unexamined history of trans representation. It is a history that dehumanizes and vilifies trans people but has evolved as trans activists and creators push back and advocate for better representation.

More than just a review of history, the film also explains why it matters. Through interviews with people such as Laverne Cox (who is also a producer on the film), Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton, and Chaz Bono, the film connects what we see on the screen to the experiences of trans people.

Disclosure changes how we understand some of our most familiar characters and stories. It challenges us to re-examine our assumptions and better understand the trans community.

5. The Last Movie Stars (Max)

Ethan Hawke takes a raw and intimate look at the lives, careers, and romance of two of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Drawing on unpublished interview transcripts for Newman’s abandoned memoir and conversations with Newman and Woodward’s friends, family, and colleagues, The Last Movie Stars gives viewers insight beyond the public personas and seemingly effortless charisma.

It examines the insecurities, personal demons, and flaws fans rarely saw with honesty and compassion. As a result, the series also becomes an engaging inquiry into celebrity, art, and relationships.

What makes The Last Movie Stars stand out so brightly is how Hawke brings viewers into the process of making the series itself.

Some of the series’ best moments are the peeks into the Zoom conversations Hawke had with contributors. Even more interesting is watching Hawke puzzle out what the series’ thesis ultimately is.

The Last Movie Stars is both a deep dive into the lives of Hollywood royalty and an up-close look at the process of making meaning through storytelling.

6. Descendant (Netflix)

Returning to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown (The Order of Myths andThe Great Invisible) tells the story of the discovery of The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States illegally carrying enslaved Africans.

As Brown documents the efforts to find the ship and the eventual success of those efforts, she turns the spotlight onto the community of descendants still living in the area known as Africatown.

Brown shows the community grappling with what their past means to them and what justice should look like. She also highlights their fight to preserve their heritage and protect their community from modern industrial threats.

Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company Higher Ground backed Descendant. It premiered to critical acclaim, including winning a special jury prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

7. The Beatles: Get Back (Disney+)

Peter Jackson takes viewers into the creative process of one of the most influential bands in history with The Beatles: Get Back.

The series uses nearly 60 hours of unseen footage and over 150 hours of unheard audio. It brings viewers into the studio with the Beatles as they try to record 14 new songs in anticipation of their first live show in nearly two years.

Filmed shortly before the band broke up, the series underscores the tensions and stresses straining the Fab Four’s relationships. At the same time, it shows the bond they shared despite the cracks that had formed. It illustrates the creative spark of their collaboration, even during such a volatile time.

Along with the look behind the scenes, The Beatles: Get Back offers fans another incredibly cool treat. Included with the recording session footage, the series features the group’s last live performance for the first time in its entirety.

The Beatles: Get Back is a journey through time and an up-close look at the messy process of collaboration and creativity.

8. We Need to Talk About Cosby. (Showtime)

The uncomfortable and, at times, polarizing subject of Bill Cosby’s fall from “America’s Dad” to a notorious sexual predator is the topic of writer/director W. Kamau Bell’s docuseries, We Need to Talk About Cosby.

Through candid interviews with comedians, journalists, and Cosby survivors, Bell unpacks the complicated legacy of Cosby’s career and the impact of his crimes.

He grapples with how to think about Cosby’s undeniable influence on popular culture and, specifically, what he meant to the Black community (a debated topic even before his crimes became front-page news).

Bell leans into the discomfort and asks hard questions about what Cosby’s story says about society, celebrity, and what it means when our heroes become villains.

9. Girl in the Picture (Netflix)

Every good list of documentaries and docuseries needs at least one good true-crime story. One of the most well-received in this category is Netflix’s The Girl in the Picture.

Directed by Skye Borgman, no stranger to the true crime genre, the film is based on the books A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon by Matt Birkbeck.

At the center of the story is a woman known as Sharon Marshall. Marshall was abducted as a child, sexually abused, and forced to marry her kidnapper. She eventually died in a suspicious hit-and-run accident.

What sets The Girl in the Picture apart from many other true crime entries is its focus on the victim rather than the perpetrator. The story is gruesome, and the film doesn’t shy away from the more sensational details of the crime. However, the film focuses on Birkbeck’s years-long effort to figure out Sharon’s true identity.

The focus on Sharon makes the film all the more heartbreaking, but it’s an important deviation from many other true crime films and shows.

Ultimately, the film is more about giving voice to the victim than the evil that happened to her. The Girl in the Picture is a rare true crime story where the villain doesn’t define the story, and it is all the better for it.

10. Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (Max)

One of the most popular topics for TV documentaries and docuseries in recent years is cults. Over the last few years, a flurry of cult documentaries and docuseries hit streaming channels. Some cults even have more than one film or series about them.

In 2020, Clay Tweel took on one of the most infamous cults in recent history, The Heaven’s Gate cult.

The four-part series examines the history of the cult from its beginning in the 1970s to its shocking end in 1997.

Using first-hand accounts from former members and never-before-seen footage, Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults is an insightful look at the group’s bizarre beliefs that never loses sight of the human tragedy at the center of the story.

11. My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

My Octopus Teacher is the heartwarming story of the bond between filmmaker Craig Foster and a small octopus.

During a low point in Foster’s life, when he was depressed and burned out, he returned to his hometown of Cape Town. He began documenting his daily cold-water free dives in a kelp forest in False Bay.

There, he encountered a young octopus which he followed for nearly a year. In a remarkable turn of events, the octopus took a shine to Foster. The octopus brought Foster into her domain for months, granting him rare access to her world.

The film chronicles the impact Foster’s interactions with the octopus had on him, sharing the lessons he took from their relationship and the ways it changed his outlook on life.

My Octopus Teacher gives viewers an up-close look at one of the world’s most mysterious animals through a poignant story about transcendent friendship.

12. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is another entry on this list from Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company, Higher Ground.

The film is an origin story of sorts. At its center is a summer camp named Camp Jered.

Described as a “loose, free-spirited camp designed for teens with disabilities,” it is largely unknown to most people today. Yet, even if people don’t know the camp’s name, they have felt the ripple effects of its existence.

In the 1970s, the camp hosted a group of teens. A group that included Judith Heumann, who would later become a disability rights pioneer. It was a transformative experience for Heumann and others.

Their experience at Camp Jared was a vital spark that helped lead to the disability rights movement. A movement that led to things like the Americans with Disability Act and shaped our understanding of what equal access means for millions of disabled Americans.

Crip Camp is an uplifting and joyful look at a moment that helped launch something that fundamentally changed society and continues to reverberate today.

13. The Janes (Max)

Oscar-nominee Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water) and Emmy-nominee Emma Pildes (Jane Fonda in Five Acts) bring the story of the Jane Collective to the screen for HBO’s film The Janes.

The Jane Collective was an underground network of women who risked their personal and professional lives to provide over 11,000 abortions to women in need during the pre-Roe era.

Speaking for the first time about their work, the surviving members of the Collective recount how they defied the law to give women access to free and safe abortions.

The Janes became even more relevant as it was released just a month after the leak of the draft Dobbs v. Jackson opinion, which reversed the court’s decision on Roe v. Wade when it later became official. A decision that made abortion legal across the country and ended the need for the Collective more than 50 years ago.

The context in which The Janes premiered amplifies its weight and resonance. At its heart, however, the film is an empowering story of seven women’s activism and audacious resistance.

14. Minding the Gap (Hulu)

In his 2018 debut documentary, Minding the Gap, filmmaker Bing Liu takes us on a personal journey. Through the film, Liu explores the lives and the friendship between himself and two other young men brought together by a love of skateboarding.

With over 12 years of footage, Liu captures how these young men’s lives diverge. He exposes unseen connections between all three that illuminate harsh truths about masculinity, generational divides, and the journey from childhood to adulthood.

“The heart of the film, which had been exploring how skateboarders deal with masculinity and child abuse, suddenly became much more immediate and personal… Eventually, I realized that I had to become an active and vulnerable participant for a more honest story,” Liu said of the film.

“In the course of completing the film, I realized that Zack, Keire, and I were all harboring toxic experiences buried under the weight of years of not processing the past… The film has given me a sense of clarity about myself and how, while there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, some ways of coping aren’t sustainable.”

Minding the Gap was nominated for multiple awards following its release, including an Academy Award. President Obama also listed it as one of his favorite films of 2018.

15. Summer of Soul (… Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Hulu)

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson transports viewers back in time for his debut film, Summer of Soul (… Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).

Using never-before and little-seen footage, Thompson recounts the history of The Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place over six weeks in 1969.

Viewers are treated to rare performances from some of the most influential musicians in music history, including Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and The 5th Dimension.

It is a precious collection of footage that, until now, was mostly unavailable to the public.

Summer of Soul celebrates Black history, culture, fashion, and art. It is a testament to the power of music, particularly in contentious political times.

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What are some of your favorite TV documentaries and docuseries? Let us know in the comments below!

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