What makes a documentary “important”? What makes it worth referencing, or remembering, or even watching in the first place? Why, at a moment when world events are often stranger than fiction, would we veer from the vaunted, glorious escapism of big feature films and opt for something small and rooted in the real?
Documentaries can be a hard sell, but it’s one that’s getting easier all the time. Once viewed as something stiff and obligatory, documentary film has, in recent years, risen to the top of the heap—thanks in no small part to some of the earth-shaking, needle-pushing, and ultimately world-changing films that are listed here, which find their focus in war, love, sex, death, art, and everything in between. And as for this list—its only qualifier is that these are the critically acclaimed, historically important, and pivotal films that a person who cares about film (and humanity in general) should really get to know.
Below, the 87 best documentaries of all time:
Beckham (2023)
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Brace yourself for an insider’s tour of the ups, downs, and all-arounds of soccer legend David Beckham’s life—from his humble beginnings in East London to the goal that catapulted him to pop-culture stardom—with this four-part docuseries, directed by Fisher Stevens. It’s packed with never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with Beckham, his family (including Victoria), and a squad of his former coaches, teammates, and friends.