Jump to Content

2021 : Documentary : 4 Stars Movies - Sort: Most Popular

Amy Renner Amy Renner

Dec. 10, 2022

Filter menu Filters Showing 1-20 of 23 movies

Limited VOD / Digital

GUNDA chronicles the unfiltered lives of a mother pig, a flock of chickens, and a herd of cows with masterful intimacy. Using stark, transcendent black and white cinematography and the farm's ambient soundtrack, Master director Victor Kossakowsky invites the audience to slow down and experience life as his subjects do, taking in their world with a magical patience and an other worldly perspective. GUNDA asks us to meditate on the mystery of animal consciousness, and reckon with the role humanity plays in it. Executive produced by Joaquin Phoenix.

G Drama Documentary 1 hr, 33 mins

  • 3.7

67%

33%
ADVERTISEMENT

Frank Stallone has remained one of the most versatile talents in Hollywood for over four decades. His music career has earned him three Platinum Albums, ten Gold Albums, five Gold Singles and seen him top the charts worldwide. His movie soundtracks have audiences across the globe gripped to some of the most iconic movies; including The Expendables 2, Rocky I, II and III, Rambo II, Paradise Alley, Over the Top and the Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive, which earned him Golden Globe and Grammy Nominations. All the while Frank’s on-screen career has seen him act in over 60 films and TV shows, including Tombstone and the cult hit Barfly. So why does Frank remain one of the least known famous faces in Hollywood? Find out as we go behind the scenes of Hollywood's elite, in this fascinating documentary, told by Frank himself and those that know him best.

G Documentary 1 hr, 13 mins

  • 3.7

54%

46%

How far do you have to travel to find yourself? And what sacrifices are you willing to make to get there? Veiga Grétarsdóttir is the first person in the world to attempt to kayak the 1,300 mile circumference of Iceland, counter-clockwise and against the current, an achievement that has been compared to climbing K2. Veiga’s personal journey is no less remarkable. She was born 44 years ago as a boy in a fishing village on the far west coast of Iceland. By the age of 38 Veigar had a wife and family but decided that she could no longer live as a man and decided to undergo gender reassignment. The inner struggle for Veigar to become Veiga was a journey as difficult if not more so than the solo kayak expedition she undertakes. These two stories of conflict and struggle are intertwined as the film follows her amazing 103 day journey around Iceland, with the magical, rugged coastline of the country a backdrop to the story of Veiga’s transition.

NR Documentary 1 hr, 28 mins

  • 4

80%

20%

Homeroom follows Oakland High School’s class of 2020 as they confront an unprecedented year. Anxiety over test scores and college applications gives way to uncertainty springing from a rapidly developing pandemic. Efforts to eliminate the school district’s police force unfold against the backdrop of growing nationwide demands for systemic change.

NR Documentary

  • 4

60%

40%
ADVERTISEMENT

Tells the story of the legendary cookbook author and television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even about women. Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, mouth-watering food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child's surprising path, from her struggles to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, to her empowering story of a woman who found fame in her 50s, and her calling as an unlikely television sensation.

PG-13 Documentary 1 hr, 35 mins

  • 4.5

97%

3%

American jazz musician Billy Tipton developed a reputable touring and recording career in the mid-twentieth century, along with his band The Billy Tipton Trio. After his death in the late 80s, it was revealed that Tipton was assigned female at birth, and his life was swiftly reframed as the story of an ambitious woman passing as a man in pursuit of a music career.

NR Documentary 1 hr, 20 mins

  • 4.5

67%

33%
ADVERTISEMENT

Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe. Moments in the lives of each of the characters are linked by the journey of a young Japanese boy through an epic landscape; narrated passages from Naoki’s writing reflect on what his autism means to him and others, how his perception of the world differs, and why he acts in the way he does: the reason he jumps. The film distils these elements into a sensually rich tapestry that leads us to Naoki’s core message: not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say.

Documentary

  • 3.7

56%

44%

Tells the inside story behind the Salvator Mundi, the most expensive painting ever sold at $450 million, claimed to be a long-lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. From the moment it is purchased from a shady New Orleans auction house, and its buyers discover masterful brushstrokes beneath its cheap restoration, the fate of the Salvator Mundi is driven by an insatiable quest for fame, money and power. But as its price soars, so do questions about its authenticity. Is this multi-million dollar painting actually by Leonardo – or do certain power players simply want it to be?

PG-13 Documentary

  • 3.5

83%

17%
Expansion New York

Many know the name Alvin Ailey, but how many know the man? Ailey’s commitment to searching for truth in movement resulted in pioneering and enduring choreography that centers on African American experiences. Director Jamila Wignot’s resonant biography grants artful access to the elusive visionary who founded one of the world’s most renowned dance companies, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

PG-13 Documentary 1 hr, 22 mins

  • 4

67%

33%

Fully supported by Michael Schumacher’s family, Schumacher features rare interviews and previously undisclosed archival footage and draws a very sensitive yet critical portrait of the seven-time World Champion. The documentary explores the many facets that made and define this complex athlete and accompanies him on his meteoric rise in this challenging and dangerous sport, which is followed by millions worldwide. His strong will and triumphant fight to win against all odds put Michael Schumacher at the centre of global attention. Michael Schumacher’s journey has captured the imagination of millions, but there is a lot more than motor racing to the success of this very private man. However, it is not only his fighting spirit and striving for perfection that define Michael Schumacher as a person; his self-doubt and insecurities complete the picture of a sensitive and reflected man. At the heart of Michael’s story are his parents, his children and Corinna Schumacher, his childhood sweetheart and the love of his life. They are now ready to tell his story…

Sports Documentary

  • 3.6

67%

33%

Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science's efforts at cultivation. They're guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly-trained dogs. They live a simpler, slower way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land, seemingly straight out of a fairy tale. They're untethered to cell phone screens or the Internet, opting instead to make their food and drink by hand and prioritizing in-person connections and community.

The demand for white truffles increases year after year, even as the supply decreases. As a result of climate change, deforestation, and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters' secrets are more coveted than ever. However, as it soon becomes clear, these ageing men may just hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.

Documentary

  • 4.2

79%

21%

Blood Brothers tells the extraordinary and ultimately tragic story of the friendship between two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century: Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, and Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam’s - and black America’s - most incendiary and charismatic leader.

PG-13 Biography Documentary

  • 4

64%

36%

Documents the glory years of Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius. Opening the door to his studio, Balanchine’s private laboratory, they reveal new facets of the groundbreaking choreographer: taskmaster, mad scientist, and spiritual teacher. Today, as his former dancers teach a new generation, questions arise: what was the secret of his teaching? Can it be replicated?

NR Documentary 1 hr, 28 mins

  • 3.7

33%

67%

Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat, a full decade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation, Pauli Murray was already knee-deep fighting for social justice. A pioneering attorney, activist, priest and dedicated memoirist, Murray shaped landmark litigation—and consciousness— around race and gender equity. As an African American youth raised in the segregated South— who was also wrestling with broader notions of gender identity—Pauli understood, intrinsically, what it was to exist beyond previously accepted categories and cultural norms. Both Pauli’s personal path and tireless advocacy foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time.

PG-13 Documentary 1 hr, 31 mins

  • 4

44%

56%

Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) covered some of the city’s most dramatic events and changed breaking news forever. An entirely unique view of Los Angeles presented through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, WHIRLYBIRD reframes many of the city’s pivotal moments, including the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson pursuit.

Documentary

  • 4

25%

75%

Hell or High Seas follows U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Grieger and writer Stephen O’Shea as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime — sailing around Cape Horn, the world’s most treacherous ocean waters. The film is a moving portrait of a veteran using his own painful journey with PTSD to find healing for himself, and pave a smoother path for veterans returning to civilian life.

Adventure Documentary

  • 4

87%

13%

Justin Bieber: Our World takes viewers backstage, onstage and into the private world of the global superstar as he prepares for a record-breaking New Year’s Eve 2020 concert. After a three-year hiatus from a full concert, Bieber delivers an electrifying performance on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton Hotel for 240 invited guests — and millions of fans across the globe watching via livestream.

PG Documentary Music

  • 4

29%

71%

Shot over five years, the documentary reveals the unwavering fight led by Jon Stewart, John Feal and Ray Pfeifer as they take on the U.S. government to get healthcare and benefits for the thousands of responders who are suffering with life-threatening and financially devastating illnesses from toxins released at Ground Zero after 9/11.

Documentary

  • 4

60%

40%
Limited VOD / Digital

Summer 1969. The astronauts of Apollo 11 successfully land and walk on the moon. The crew will now quarantine for 21 days following contact with lunar material. The clock starts when the hatch is closed on the lunar surface. 3 days later they return to Earth…

Documentary

  • 3.5

53%

47%

The story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband.

Documentary

  • 3.8

83%

17%

More to Explore

Find and discover more on Movie Insider and across the web.

30-Day Free Trial

Watch thousands of movies 24/7 on Amazon Prime.

Go now
Production Listings

Find and discover movies filming now.

Go now