Top 20 Best Documentaries on Netflix 2022

Some of the best documentaries on Netflix are quirky, intimate, and personal tales. Recently there has been a rise in the popularity of docuseries. This allows viewers to follow a story to deeper levels.

Netflix has many documentaries to offer that are on a wide range of topics. These include sports, true crime, filmmaking, the lives of musicians, careers of players, and others.

1. Are There Documentaries on Netflix?

It is easy to look for the best documentaries on Netflix. Initially, you could run a search for a documentary or docuseries. Once you start to watch something, you will find Netflix best documentaries showcased to you as per your watch list and preferences. In this way, you can stay updated as and when good Netflix documentaries are released on this platform.

2. Does Netflix Produce its Original Documentaries?

The best documentaries on Netflix are produced as Netflix Originals. They are directed by different directors, as per those who have an insight into the particular topic or individuals. The best Netflix documentaries are of varied topics here, allowing viewers to take their pick on what they wish to see among the top documentaries on Netflix.

3. Top 20 Best Documentaries on Netflix 2022

The best documentaries on Netflix, in the top twenty categories, are listed below:

1) Gaga – Five Foot Two

This documentary is about a famous singer and celebrity, directed by Chris Moukarbel. It goes deeper than surface level and proves to be a comprehensive insight into her life. This film on Lady Gaga’s life was released in the year 2017. It covers her life around the time when she wrote and released the album, Joanne.

It also talks about her casting in the movie, A Star Is Born. The movie was directed by Bradley Cooper. The documentary also talks about her and Taylor Kinney’s engagement and how it ended. It also talks about how she battled fibromyalgia and juggled many things at once.

2) Athlete A

This is one of the best Netflix documentaries, in the category of sports and athletes. This particular movie is directed by John Shenk and Bonni Cohen. It showcases the inner workings of the gymnastics program in the US.

It showcases an investigation that had been led by journalists about a team doctor who was accused of sexually assaulting young girls. The film also delves into the history of the program which has an environment of repeated abuse, for the training of young girls. It definitely opens the eyes of the viewers.

3) Crip Camp

This is a Netflix documentary, created by Jim Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, which was drawn from the movie American Factory, produced by the Obamas. The film shines a light on individuals who spent most of their lives fighting for human rights.

Many attended Camp Jened in the seventies, which was created for helping disabled teens. There is archived footage of the camp, which follows the lives of people who then spent the next decades in activism. The documentary shows how the people had to push for the smallest of changes.

4) 13th

This is a title that features often among top documentaries on Netflix. It is directed by Ava DuVernay who also created Selma, an acclaimed film. This particular documentary looks into mass incarceration among minorities as a result of the thirteenth amendment. 

It is all about widespread incarceration among African Americans and other minority classes. The movie explores decades since the amendment was launched, to show how people were targeted by the government, the media, and businesses.

5) My Octopus Teacher

Among new documentaries on Netflix, you could look up this title. It is about snorkeling in the waters, off the South African coast. It documents how Craig Foster went snorkeling and encountered an octopus. He interacts with the creature every day to learn as much as he can.

There is much that the film shows about intelligent animals, all shown through underwater photography. The way it survives in the kelp forest is also well documented here. The film showcases the complex underwater world as well as the majesty it holds.

6) Murder Among Mormons

This is a documentary spanning three episodes which are considered among the best on Netflix. It spans three hours in total but showcases historical documents which could upend the church of Latter Day Saints. Key parties were often found dead from mysterious bombings.

There are interviews of the present day along with archival footage that tells the story in compelling ways. Those who would like to know more about the Mormon church will surely like to see this documentary that shows the beginning of the church and how it ended.

7) American Murder: The Family Next Door

This is a documentary, directed by Jenny Popplewell, a Netflix original. It chronicles the murders of the Watts family in 2008, through home video footage, text messages, law enforcement records, and posts on social media.

It looks into how Shanann Watts disappeared along with her children. All other events that followed after that are captured in the documentary. The film focuses mainly on victims, which makes it stand out among true crime films.

8) High Score

This is a docuseries that span six episodes. It is also regarded as one of the best documentaries on this platform. It involves an in-depth look into how video games originated. The stories are told by people who made the products themselves. The story also follows how arcade games moved to in-home consoles.

It also chronicles how NES changed the game and how Sega built strategies to challenge the other competitor in the market, Nintendo. Many would want to see the second season where N64 and other brands and their stories are explored.

9) The Last Dance

Directed by Jason Hehir, it is about basketball and not about dance as the title says. It is a docuseries that spans 110 episodes. Across a total of 10 hours of viewing time, the docuseries talks about the final season of Michael Jordan when he played with Chicago Bulls.

It also showcases his career as a whole and earlier life. Along with him, there are reflections on the careers of teammates such as Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. The show keeps going to and fro, in the context of the Bulls season of 1997 and 1998. 

10) The Speed Cubers

This documentary is directed by Sue Kim. It spans 40 minutes but packs in much content. It details stories of solvers of the Rubix Cube such as Feliks Zemdegs of Australia. He remained uncontested till Max Park of America challenged him.

The film shows how the tale is all about heroism and friendship.  Max is Feliks’ hero and Feliks encourages as well as congratulates his rival Max. The stories here are heart-warming, uplifting, and positive.

11) Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness

This is a quirky documentary, on the lighter side. It is directed by Rebecca Chaiklin and Eric Goode, spanning seven episodes. It follows Joe Exotic’s exploits, titled here the Tiger King.

He is a confident and flamboyant owner of the big cat private zoo he holds in Oklahoma. His story is a strange one, including a bid for the US presidency, guns, murder for hire plots.

12) The Great Hack

This is a documentary, released in 2019, by Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer. It takes a look at the Analytica scandal between Facebook and Cambridge. It shows how Facebook denied how it allowed personal data from its servers to be exploited for commercial reasons.

Brittany Kaiser was the whistleblower of Cambridge Analytica. The film then does a deep dive into how data is the most valuable among resources on this planet. How the same data can target users, ads, viral videos, and new stories, to swing public opinion or results of major elections.

13) Miss Americana

This Netflix documentary looks into Taylor Swift’s life and career. Some feel that the movie is tailored by the artist herself, to project her self-image the way she wants it. It manifests her feminist awakenings and how she discusses her political opinions, all in real-time. It focuses more on her as a person and less on her music.

Some might feel that the movie is manicured but it does showcase moments of true insight. It is also fascinating how it shows Swift coming to terms with who she is as a human as well as one of the famous people in the world of celebrities.

14) American Factory

This documentary is famous, mainly because it was produced by the Obamas. It focuses on how the skilled workforce gets opportunities and is treated in the American industries. Directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, it showcases the defunct plant of General Motors in Dayton, Ohio.

This is now converted into a glass-making factory by a Chinese billionaire. Those who have worked on factory floors and been standing by the picket lines will like to follow this story. This title was the first production under the banner of Higher Ground as well as by Participant Media.

15) Knock Down the House

It is a documentary about a political figure, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.  Directed by Rachel Lears, it documents how politicians at grassroots and insurgent levels have fought established, entrenched power.

Lear also follows several female politicians here who sought to win their battles. It also shows how campaigns were launched and movements built. This is an inspiring film that is worth watching.

16) Abducted in Plain Sight

It is a documentary about a true crime which is done in a wild, crazy manner. Directed by Skye Beorgman, the narrative is about the Broberg household. Their daughter is abducted twice by Robert ‘B’ Berchtold, their neighbor.

Details of the abduction do seem stranger than fiction but they showcase the methods that Berchtold used to rip apart the neighbor’s family so that he could get Jan.  Details showcased in the movie make the script jaw-dropping, even though it is all based on a true narrative.

17) Power of Grayskull: Definitive History of He-Man and Masters of the Universe

This documentary has been written and directed by Robert McCallum and Randall Lobb. It shows how the story of the muscle-bound hero was created and how it went on to become a toy in the Mattel franchise.

It was initially a competitor toy to Kenner. It also follows how the brand had its low points in the eighties and nineties and went through resurgence through savvy creativity and dedication of the fan base. The film spans a total of 95 minutes and showcases lengthy chats with the creatives behind the scenes.

18) Ugly Delicious

It is a unique documentary about food culture. There are eight episodes here that include delving into food items such as tacos, barbeque, and pizza. David Chang, a world-renowned chef investigates them.

It also aims to chart how culture was shaped through food. The film also shows how food changes from one place to another as well as the people who eat such food and why they do so. There is a second season as well which explores the role of parenthood in food and how food culture is affected by displacement.

19) Five Came Back

This is a docu-series spanning three episodes. It is said to be an adaptation of a non-fiction book authored by Mark Harris. The film is directed by Laurent Bouzereau and it looks into the war effort that different filmmakers put in during World War II.

It specifically follows the works of five Hollywood directors. They had been enlisted to make different documentaries to showcase how support was gained, troops were trained and to document different events. Interestingly it has Meryl Streep narrating the events and features interviews of different folks such as Guillermo del Toro and Steven Spielberg.

20) They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead

This is a documentary about how the notorious film, The Other Side of the Wind, was made. It chronicles a long journey of working, shooting, editing, reshooting, and so forth of the said film.

It also gives insight into Welles’ career. It shows how he worked on Citizen Kane and how his work faded in the later years.

4. Download Documentaries to Mobile Devices Using the Netflix App

In order to watch the best documentary on Netflix, download them and watch on the go, steps to do so are as follows:

• Log into Netflix app on your smartphone or tablet.
• Visit Home Page and find the new documentaries on Netflix.
• You will find the latest and trending shows and movies showcased here.
• If you are looking for a particular title, you can use Search and find the same.
• Once you find the title of the show you wish to watch, click on the downward arrow on it.
• That will allow you to download the title and save it.

In the above manner, the best docuseries on Netflix can be downloaded using the mobile app. As per your subscription plan, you will be able to download a maximum of 100 titles.

You can do so on more than one device as well. However, the titles get saved for a limited time after which you need to re-download them. Also, once you start watching a documentary film, you need to finish watching the same within 48 hours.

5. Download Netflix Documentaries with a 3rd-Party Netflix Downloader

There is another convenient way to download the best documentaries on Netflix. This can be done using a third-party download software, StreamFab Netflix downloader.

         

This downloader software can help you download and stream videos with a resolution of 1080p. You can download the best Netflix documentaries with this software in MP4 format and save them as per the video quality of your preference.

Steps to download the best documentary on Netflix using this software are:

• Download the software on your desktop or laptop.

         

• Once installed, open its main interface.
• Find the tab for Streaming Services on the left-hand side panel.
• Sign up or log in to your Netflix account from the right-hand side where all the supported streaming services are listed.
• Once you sign in, choose and play the show or movie you wish to download.
• When the video starts to play, click the Download Now button on the following popup window to download the documentary immediately.

• Or you can also add the video to the task queue for a while using the Add to Queue button, and then manually start to download process from there.
• Once it is downloaded you can play it on your computer, or transfer the downloaded videos to any of your devices to watch there.

There you have it! It’s easy to download Netflix videos with StreamFab Netflix Downloader and it gives you faster downloads, plus, you can save the titles in different video quality.

Final Wrap-Up

The list of best documentaries on Netflix is an extensive one. You can choose to watch a title as per your interest. Indeed, the best Netflix documentaries are a long list that you can find on this platform, many of which are Netflix original productions.

As also mentioned, you can download top Netflix documentaries using the app or with the help of a 3^rd party software like the StreamFab Netflix Downloader mentioned above. Keep in mind the latter allows you to keep the downloaded videos permanently, transfer the downloaded videos from your computer hard drives to other devices, and watch the downloaded videos with your own media player software other than the Netflix app.