10 Greatest Documentaries of the Last 10 Years, Ranked

10 Greatest – A decade of documentaries delivered everything from intimate art and memory to political thrillers and systemic indictments. Here are 10 standout films—ranked—spotlighting the stories that linger long after the credits roll.

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction—and, in documentary form, it can be even more fascinating. Over the last 10 years. filmmakers have taken audiences to daring and risky places. telling stories some people never dared to tell. These are the documentaries that managed to feel both urgent and unforgettable: a mix of personal journeys. cultural milestones. and hard truths that don’t let you look away.

10. ‘Faces Places’ (2017)
There’s a specific kind of charm in ‘Faces Places’—not the sugary kind. but the warm. human kind that grows as the story goes. The French documentary follows legendary French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda and renowned street artist/photographer JR as they travel through the French countryside in a van fitted with a portable photo booth.

The pair plaster colossal black-and-white portraits of everyday people onto barns. houses. and water towers. turning ordinary landscapes into something that feels alive. The film honors “the forgotten. ” but its beating heart is the intergenerational bond between a young. camera-obsessed JR and an aging. visually impaired cinematic icon Varda. As they push each other creatively and emotionally. ‘Faces Places’ becomes a memory film—charming. grounded in hope and joy. and quietly tender about aging.

9. ‘Summer of Soul’ (2021)
‘Summer of Soul’ doesn’t just celebrate music—it reclaims a cultural event that history doesn’t always keep close. The documentary, directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, offers an unprecedented look at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Using restored archival footage. the film brings the six-week event back into focus as a celebration of Black joy. culture. and the healing power of music.

The documentary rescues legendary performances by artists including Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Sly and the Family Stone. It also refuses to frame the decade only through its dark moments; instead. it chooses pride and community. underscoring that 1969 held more than just the moon landing and Woodstock. With a DJ and music producer at the helm. the film moves with toe-tapping rhythm and tight pacing. bolstered by contemporary interviews from festival attendees and the artists themselves—anchoring the moment inside the broader Civil Rights movement and shifting cultural attitudes.

8. ‘Collective’ (2019)
If you want a documentary that feels like a damning unraveling, ‘Collective’ brings it. The film, directed, written, produced, shot, and edited by Alexander Nanau, follows the aftermath of a 2015 Bucharest nightclub fire that killed 64 people.

Nanau’s documentary exposes systemic corruption within the Romanian healthcare system. focusing on how diluted hospital disinfectants contributed to the deaths of burn victims who otherwise would have survived. The film runs on parallel tracks: investigative journalists at the Gazeta Sporturilor newspaper and whistleblower Vlad Voiculescu. the newly appointed Health Minister with a reform-minded agenda.

‘Collective’ frames the tragedy as more than a single catastrophe. Through a fly-on-the-wall approach with no manipulative musical score or talking-head interviews. it centers the viewer’s attention on how free press matters. how political greed can be lethal. and how everyday citizens suffer when governments prioritize profit over human lives.

7. ‘My Octopus Teacher’ (2020)
Don’t let the title fool you—‘My Octopus Teacher’ is a delight. even when it’s asking heavy questions. Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. the documentary follows filmmaker Craig Foster as he begins daily freediving in a South African kelp forest while experiencing burnout and depression.

What starts as an immersion becomes a year-long friendship with a wild octopus. The film uses that bond to challenge traditional boundaries between humans and wild animals. while also depicting the harsh realities of ocean life. Underneath the beauty is a story meant to shift how you think about living, dying, and resilience in nature.

It’s a personal journey toward healing for Foster, but it’s also a broader reminder that nature can teach life-altering lessons—and that connection can be as real as any philosophy.

6. ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ (2018)
Growing up with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood often means remembering the sweater, the gentleness, the steady voice. But ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ insists on looking closer at Fred Rogers himself.

Directed by Morgan Neville. the documentary takes viewers through the life. philosophy. and legacy of Rogers. the beloved creator behind a show that treated every child as special and worthy of love exactly as they are. The film blends archival footage and interviews with family, friends, and colleagues, building an emotional journey rooted in nostalgia.

It also reveals something deeper: Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister. and the film portrays his radical. unwavering message as he spent his life tackling the world’s toughest topics. There are moments of self-doubt too, which makes the whole portrait feel more human. ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ lands as an emotional masterpiece—something like a rainbow after the storm of today’s society.

5. ‘Navalny’ (2022)
‘Navalny’ turns a real-life political fight into a tense. gripping narrative that refuses to treat its subject like a distant figure. Directed by Daniel Roher, the documentary chronicles Alexei Navalny’s life, a near-fatal assassination attempt, and the investigation that followed.

The film follows Navalny’s clash with Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin and carries the feeling of a political thriller built from real stakes. The documentary received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award.

It highlights scenes of spy work and a fight for democratic reform. leading to the grave decision to fly home and take a stand. Even as the film leans into the spectacle of his actions. it holds onto the heartbreak of his untimely fate—making the climax feel like a symbol of resilience rather than just a finale.

4. ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ (2022)
Few documentaries manage to connect personal pain to public accountability with this much force. ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. ’ directed by Laura Poitras. follows renowned photographer Nan Goldin—an Oscar-nominated subject whose life becomes a blueprint for activism.

The documentary is structured across two timelines, dividing its story into distinct chapters. One tracks Goldin’s personal journey through trauma, addiction, and New York’s underground art scene. The other charts her relentless campaign to hold the billionaire Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis.

Across those timelines, the film emphasizes Goldin’s belief in the intersection of art and political struggle. In the present, she leads the fierce activist group called P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now). In the past, she rebels and immerses herself in LGBTQ+, drag, and bohemian communities while fighting against the AIDS epidemic.

Poitra’s approach ties the personal and the systemic together, portraying how private trauma can fuel systemic change. It’s described as intensely intimate and private, with gravitas and inspiration—pushing viewers toward action for themselves.

3. ‘Cameraperson’ (2016)
‘Cameraperson’ has a different kind of power: it turns the documentary camera back on the person holding it. The autobiographical collage documentary. directed by Kirsten Johnson. strips away traditional narrative and weaves together outtakes from Johnson’s 25-year career shooting major documentaries.

The film intercuts that professional material with intimate personal footage. exploring the ethical responsibilities of filmmaking and how the camera shapes memory. It moves across epic locales. including postwar Bosnia. Nigeria. and Yemen. while also returning to quiet moments with Johnson’s two young twins. her father. and poignant footage of her mother as she succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease.

Johnson’s own perspective becomes the subject. The documentary questions the emotional and psychological toll placed on the cameraperson who documents trauma and suffering. and it explores the ethics of who is behind the lens and the subject that lens captures. ‘Cameraperson’ functions like a visual diary of Johnson’s life and career—one she can share with the world.

2. ‘Flee’ (2021)
‘Flee’ asks how you tell a trauma story while protecting the person at the center of it. The international collaboration tells the true story of “Amin Nawabi,” an Afghan refugee who reveals his traumatic journey to Denmark to his close friend, director Jonas Poher Rasmussen.

The documentary centers Amin as he confronts a 20-year secret: his family was separated while fleeing. As he tries to build a future with his partner, the film becomes a powerful look at trauma, memory, and the true meaning of “home.”

Using animation to protect Amin’s identity while visually recreating his memories, ‘Flee’ pairs that approach with archival footage to craft a deeply personal account. It explores displacement, the loss of a home country, and coming of age as a gay man in Europe.

The film’s technique isn’t just stylistic—it’s presented as a way to invite audiences into Amin’s memory, giving him an identity beyond “refugee.” ‘Flee’ also marked the first time a film was nominated for Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature, and Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.

1. ‘13th’ (2016)
At the top is ‘13th,’ a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay that doesn’t hesitate to connect history, law, and modern reality. The film examines the history of racial inequality in the United States and argues that the nation’s prison system is a modern extension of slavery.

The title refers to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery but includes a loophole allowing forced labor as a punishment for a crime. ‘13th’ traces how different administrations shaped mass incarceration, naming Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton.

It invites viewers in through activists. politicians. historians. and formerly incarcerated individuals. all educating audiences on the amendment’s history in the face of the modern Black Lives Matter movement. The documentary uses sobering historical footage and gut-wrenching personal accounts. presenting a complex academic argument in an accessible and emotional way. The film also leans on diverse perspectives—experts. scholars. and victims—aiming to show the crisis from multiple angles without overwhelming viewers.

‘13th’ still resonates 10 years later, and the documentary leaves the impression that it’s not just important to revisit—it’s important to keep listening to what it’s saying about accountability across the political aisle.

The list may be ranked, but the through-line is clear: these documentaries didn’t merely entertain. They stayed with audiences—through art and music, through grief and reform, through identity and survival, and through the hard histories that keep shaping the present.

documentaries top documentaries last 10 years Faces Places Summer of Soul Collective My Octopus Teacher Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Navalny All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Cameraperson Flee 13th