The best documentaries on Netflix - Android

Here are the best Netflix documentaries currently available on the streaming service to keep you educated and informed.

The number of documentaries on Netflix has exploded in recent years. From classic features to original documentary series, there’s enough content to keep your evenings educational for months. However, finding the best documentaries on Netflix can be difficult due to its notoriously finicky algorithm and interface. To help, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best Netflix documentaries currently available on the platform.

Also read: The best health and food documentaries on Netflix

We have included both documentary features and series covering a wide variety of topics. Whether you’re a political junkie, a nature lover, or a true crime fan, there is sure to be something for you.

The best documentaries on Netflix:

Editor’s note: This best documentaries on Netflix list will be updated as documentaries leave and other new arrivals make their debut on the streaming service.

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1. Wild Wild Country

This first item on our list of the best documentaries on Netflix is an original docuseries from the platform. It tells the story of the followers of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (A.K.A. Osho), who moved en masse to a rural community in Oregon. As the group grew in power and wealth, they began to assert their control in strange and increasingly illegal ways. What makes this series stand out is the extensive use of footage and interviews from the community itself, which were initially created as promotional materials.

There are six hour-long episodes in total, but at no point does it feel long. It’s engaging and binge-worthy, which is no small feat for a documentary.

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2. Casting JonBenet

Casting JonBenet makes our list of the best Netflix documentaries not because of its topic, but rather because of the way it tells its story. It deals with the death of American child beauty starlet JonBenet Ramsey, who was found strangled in her home at age six. Instead of simply telling the story and playing existing footage, the filmmakers put out a casting call for a fictional film in Ramsey’s hometown.

The result is a strangely intimate look at how the story evolved in the minds of everyday people once the media got hold of it.

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3. Shirkers

Shirkers isn’t about a global conspiracy or maniacal serial killer. It’s just a simple story of a group of young filmmakers in Singapore and their encounter with a strange man who would eventually run off with their film. That’s not a spoiler, it’s the premise of the entire documentary. What this documentary lacks in gravitas it makes up for in charm. Seeing how the group developed into adults and how it affected their professional and personal lives is fascinating.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted Netflix documentary that won’t leave you in tears, this is the one.

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4. Strong Island

Strong Island is yet another documentary focused on racial injustices in the United States. This time, the victim is the filmmaker’s brother, a 24-year-old African-American teacher, who was killed in 1992 by a white mechanic. The all-white jury ultimately accepted his claim of self-defense, leading to questions around the efficacy of the justice system.

The documentary relies heavily on pulling your emotional strings, so if you’re the analytical type it might not be for you. That said, the production quality alone merits a spot among the best documentaries on Netflix.

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5. Tales by Light

It’s said an image can tell a thousand words, but the best photos can do more than that. A striking shot can bring out feelings, tell stories, and make history, but what does it take to produce such an important visual?

Tales by Light takes you through multiple photographers’ and filmmakers’ quests for some of the most impressive creative content out there. All creators come from different areas of their art and prove there is more than technical know-how to their success.

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6. Icarus

Icarus starts out as a simple documentary about how easy it is to fool doping tests in professional sports, but it quickly spirals out of control when the filmmaker enlists the help of head of Russia’s anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov. Grigory is quite the character, and through his friendship with the filmmaker, he reveals the secrets of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program at great risk to his own life.

This thrilling Netflix documentary won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2017.

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7. 13th

13th is easily the heaviest and most timely film on our list of the best documentaries on Netflix. The title is a reference to the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which freed the slaves and prohibited slavery. While this was a major step forward at the time, it included an elephant-sized loophole by excluding criminals. This documentary outlines how that loophole was exploited by those in power to keep African Americans and other minorities powerless and imprisoned.

This is not a feelgood Netflix documentary for a weekday evening, but it’s an important issue that continues to plague communities all around the country. It was nominated for an Oscar and took home several other awards, including an Emmy for Best Documentary.

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8. Making a Murderer

Making a Murderer is one of the first original Netflix documentaries to gain popularity in the general public. It has a lot in common with other true-crime series like Serial and HBO’s The Jinx, so if you enjoyed those, this one’s for you.

The two-season docuseries tells the story of Steven Avery, who was a frequent target of local law officials in a rural country in Wisconsin. A concerted effort was made to convict Avery for a murder despite a lack of strong evidence connecting him to the crime.

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9. 20 Feet from Stardom

There are plenty of documentaries about famous singers and rock stars, but have you ever wondered about the lives of the background singers? That’s what makes this Academy Award-winning feature documentary so interesting.

20 Feet from Stardom turns the spotlight to the back of the stage and highlights the careers of Darlene Love, Judith Hill, and several other backup singers. It’s tempting to assume this doc