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The best documentary movies of all time
The highest-rated documentary movies, ranked by Lantern Score, with where to watch each one. Top three right now: Free Solo (8.9), Blackfish (8.9), Exit Through the Gift Shop (8.9). How the score works.
- 1
Free Solo8.9 - 2
Blackfish8.9 - 3
Exit Through the Gift Shop8.9 - 4
Grizzly Man8.8 - 5
Amy8.8 - 6
Senna8.7 - 7
Searching for Sugar Man8.7 - 8
My Octopus Teacher8.7 - 9
The Tinder Swindler8.6 - 10
March of the Penguins8.5 - 11
Bowling for Columbine8.4 - 12
An Inconvenient Truth8.3 - 13
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened8.2 - 14
Super Size Me8.1 - 15
The Social Dilemma8.1 - 16
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts8.1 - 17
Inside Job8.0 - 18
Waltz with Bashir8.0 - 19
Man on Wire8.0 - 20
Citizenfour8.0 - 21
Jackass Forever7.8 - 22
American Animals7.7 - 23
Fahrenheit 9/117.5 - 24
Money Heist: The Phenomenon7.5 - 25
Friends: The Reunion7.4
About this list
Best documentary movies of all time lists the 25 highest-rated movies in the genre, ranked by Lantern Score: one number on a 10-point scale that combines IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, so a title has to impress audiences and critics alike. Free Solo leads with 8.9, and the list runs from 2002 to 2022, with an average score of 8.3. Only titles with plenty of votes qualify, so a film rated by a handful of people can't crowd out proven favourites. Open any title for its full score breakdown, cast, and where to stream, rent or buy it.