Documentary Movies 2023 List

With Sylvester Stallone • Arnold Schwarzenegger • Quentin Tarantino • Thom Zimny

For nearly 50 years Sylvester Stallone has entertained millions with iconic characters and blockbuster franchises, from Rocky to Rambo to The Expendables. This retrospective documentary offers an intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer, paralleling his inspirational underdog-story with the indelible characters he has brought to life.

With Max Rainer • Kilian Lieb

Two worlds collide in an idyllic German tourist town: A group of mysterious Dutchmen and their eccentric leader Xennt want to take over a vast NATO bunker under the town. Xennt promises the village a prosperous future, but doubts spread among the residents. As an underworld manifests itself beneath the streets of the quaint town of Traben-Trarbach, its people puzzle over Xennt's true intentions.

With Jialing Zhang

A documentary about surveillance technology and censorship that follows the stories of people in China who have been monitored. A warning for democracies, it sounds an alarm about the increasing worldwide use of surveillance tools.

With Jennifer Baichwal • Dewayne 'Lee' Johnson

Tells the story of groundskeeper Lee Johnson and his fight for justice against agrichemical giant Monsanto, the manufacturer of the weed killer, Roundup.

With Dawn Porter

Lady Bird Johnson’s personal audio diaries from inside the White House. History as it happened. The powerful and award-winning new documentary - from acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter.

With Jonah Hill

World-renowned therapist Phil Stutz sits down for an unusual, heartfelt session with friend and patient Jonah Hill, bringing to life Stutz’s visualization exercises, called The Tools, and sharing how to apply them to pursue “active love.”

With Roger Ross Williams

Using innovative animation and expert insights, this documentary based on the award-winning bestseller explores the history of racist ideas in America.

With Jordi Évole

Face to Face with ETA: Conversations with a Terrorist presents an exclusive interview with one of the key figures in the ETA organization: Josu Urrutikoetxea, also known as Josu Ternera. Hosted by Jordi Évole, this documentary looks at the terrorist group and some of its more significant moments upon its dissolution in 2018. Almost 50 years after an attack, this conversation helps provide answers to one of the terrorist group’s victims.

With Dakota Johnson • R.J. Cutler • Elise Pearlstein • Nicole Newnham • Shere Hite • Molly O’Brien • Kimberley Ferdinando • Trevor Smith

Shere Hite's pioneering study of women’s sexuality, "The Hite Report," sold millions, but also triggered a ferocious media backlash. So why do so few remember Shere Hite today?

With Tyler Perry • Gelila Bekele • Armani Ortiz

Documentary about writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head and media titan Tyler Perry.

With Tracey Arcabasso Smith

A filmmaker unearths a pervasive history of multigenerational trauma in her Italian-American family. As decades of secrets, home-movies, and long-avoided conversations surface, a family once bound by tradition forges a new path forward.

With Jeff Daniels • Barry Sanders

Bye Bye Barry is the long-awaited documentary film that reveals in intimate detail the unprecedented journey of Barry Sanders. One of the giants of the sport, Sanders displayed a style and flair that has never been duplicated. Bye Bye Barry, the definitive first-hand account of Barry Sanders’ remarkable life story.

With Anna Hints

Women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences inside an Estonian smoke sauna. Cleansing their bodies and baring their souls, they embrace the healing power of sisterhood. Anna Hints’ Sundance-winning documentary celebrates the centuries-old smoke sauna tradition, recognized on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

With Neil Patrick Harris • Andrew Jenks

Feature-length documentary that captures the incredible true story of the Cabbage Patch Kids, leaving nothing untouched, including the fundamental dispute over who originated the idea. From the marketing genius of the “hospital” in an idyllic North Georgian town where children “adopted” the dolls and solemnly pledged to love and care for them, to the subsequent business deal that gave rise to utter retail pandemonium, the film takes viewers on the wild ride through the Cabbage Patch Kids’ highs, lows and undeniable legacy.

With Jeffrey Checker • Denise Checker • Nathan Smith

The Old Mill, in Dundee Michigan, is haunted by spirits; but what kind of spirits? Are they there for good, or evil?

With Susan Sarandon • Queen Elizabeth II • Isabelle Rosellini • Fabrizio Ferri

Queen Elizabeth II was the most photographed, the most loved and talked about woman on the planet. A portrayal of the story of The Queen from a new perspective.

With Beyoncé

Accentuates the journey of RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, from its inception to the opening show in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri.

With Sharon "Rocky" Roggio

A feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. It chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ prejudice. Featuring Commentary from prominent scholars as well as opposing pastors, including the personal stories of the film’s creators, and original music by Grammy winning artist Mary Lambert, 1946 is at once challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.

With Jason Hehir

An HBO Original Documentary Series in association with The Boston Globe, explores the enduring, painful toll the 1989 Stuart case had on those involved, Boston race relations, and how a community can be affected in a rush to justice.

With Tylor Norwood

Enter the spectacle and drama of a megafire, alongside a firefighting team struggling to save anything they can while protecting each other. The Fireline documentary takes audiences into the firescape, to feel for the first time what those fighting these blazes face, especially as climate change makes megafires larger and more frequent. It's an intimate portrait of a system stretched to its breaking point, revealing the friendship, heartbreak, and exhilaration experienced by those who go to war against this elemental force.

With Steve McQueen

A documentary about Amsterdam under Nazi occupation during World War II.