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Some films don't just document reality—they change it. Join us as we count down our picks for the most shocking and world-altering documentaries ever made, from exposés on animal cruelty and government corruption to heartbreaking accounts of genocide and abuse. These films forced audiences everywhere to confront uncomfortable truths about the world we live in.
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00:00It was very obvious to me that Macaulay had taken away its place in Michael's best friend category.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the documentaries that best exposed the ugly realities of
00:12our world, and even led to real change.
00:15Hi, it's Michael Moore here to see Charlton Heston.
00:18Okay.
00:20Number 20, The Cove.
00:21When I see a dolphin looking at me, and his eyes tracking me, and I lock eyes with that animal,
00:27there's a human response that makes it undeniable that I'm connecting with an intelligent being.
00:32Directed by Louis Sahoyos, this documentary debuted to instant controversy, especially in Japan.
00:38The Cove was an exploration of Japan's dolphin hunting drive in Taiji, its brutality exceeding that of even whale hunting.
00:45Sahoyos recorded secret footage of dolphins being herded into a cove, with the youngest sold to marine parks, and the
00:50rest killed.
00:51When they asked us if we wanted to partake in a secret ops mission to uncover the dolphin slaughter, we,
00:58without hesitation, said absolutely, sign us up.
01:01After the film's release, Taiji became the center of global controversy, with activists arriving to protest this animal cruelty.
01:07Taiji leaders insisted their methods were lawful, and SeaWorld representatives denied purchasing dolphins from this drive.
01:14Later documentaries were released rebutting many claims from the film.
01:17The Cove definitely hit a nerve.
01:19We have a moral obligation, and let it not be said that you didn't know about it, you know about
01:24it.
01:24Number 19, Dear Zachary, a letter to a son about his father.
01:28When I break up with somebody and put them on a plane and send them 1,300 miles away, I
01:33said, they knock on my front door, I'm going out the back door, and I'm calling the police.
01:38This award-winning film, directed by Kurt Kenny, is a very personal one.
01:42Dear Zachary follows the murder of Kenny's close friend, Andrew Bagby, who was shot five times.
01:47Bagby's girlfriend, Shirley Jane Turner, was arrested as a suspect while pregnant.
01:52She eventually gave birth to Bagby's child, Zachary.
01:55Bagby's parents tried to get custody of Zachary, but a judge denied them, ruling Turner was not a danger to
02:01others.
02:01The best shot we had at keeping Zachary alive was I killed her myself.
02:08Turner went on to take her own life, and that of her child's.
02:12This case sparked outrage, and inspired a huge campaign to change federal bail laws to protect children, and consider their
02:18safety in these criminal cases.
02:20This film opened many people's eyes.
02:22I am going to continue to scream long and loud about bail for someone accused of what Shirley did to
02:30my son.
02:30Number 18, Icarus.
02:32This Icarus flew dangerously close to the sun.
02:35Brian, we are playing the most dangerous game in the history of sport.
02:40Director Brian Fogel's investigation into the world of illegal doping led him to uncover a truly enormous sports scandal.
02:47Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov provided evidence that Russia was trying to cheat in the Olympics with a state-sponsored program.
02:54But who is supplying steroids to the national team?
02:56Right.
02:57Before, there was not any concern.
02:59Not only that, but Rodchenkov revealed that he himself covered up the Russian team's urine samples for clean ones during
03:05the 2014 Winter Olympics.
03:07After an independent agency verified his claims, Rodchenkov was placed in witness protection.
03:12Amid worldwide outrage, the Russian government denied all involvement.
03:16Talk about corruption.
03:17Corruption has gone to the depths of that part of the process, which would be most disturbing.
03:26Number 17, Food Incorporated.
03:28This film is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.
03:31Food Incorporated is an expose of the cruel and environmentally unsustainable practices of corporate farming.
03:37As an environmentalist, it was pretty clear to me that business was the source of all the pollution.
03:41Business was the source of basically all the things that were destroying this world.
03:46The film claims the meat production of chicken, beef, and pork involved the abuse of both animals and the human
03:52employees that work in the factories.
03:53The documentary also criticizes the use of petroleum products in agriculture, advocating for stronger food safety laws.
04:01Multinational food companies declined being interviewed for the documentary.
04:04Once the film was released to ensuing public outrage, they issued responses to the documentary's claims.
04:09It's eye-opening, all right.
04:11It's terrible, it's terrible.
04:12How can a farmer defend himself against a multinational corporation like Monsano?
04:16Number 16, Surviving R. Kelly.
04:18This is something unprecedented in the history of popular music, with, I believe, hundreds of victims.
04:24An unflinching investigation into the abuse allegations against popular R&B singer Robert R. Kelly, this Lifetime documentary changed the
04:31game for good.
04:32In the series, several women testified that they had been assaulted by Kelly when they were underage, with the abuse
04:38stretching over decades.
04:39He would say things like, um, well, you know, if you love me, you won't try to change me.
04:44You know, if you love me, you'll accept me how I am.
04:47Famous musicians like Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, and Sierra condemned him and removed their collaborations from streaming services.
04:54Shortly after the documentary's release, new allegations came out, and Kelly was finally arrested.
05:00In 2021 and 2022, he was convicted and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
05:05Justice at last was served.
05:08Number 15, Blackfish.
05:10Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, this documentary follows the story of an orca named Tilikum, held captive at SeaWorld.
05:16Tilikum was the one we really loved to work with.
05:20He was very well-behaved, and he was always eager to please.
05:23After being captured in 1983, and harassed by other captive orcas, Tilikum went on to display aggressive behavior.
05:30He attacked multiple trainers, and even killed three people.
05:33A SeaWorld trainer is recovering today after a terrifying ordeal in front of a horrified audience.
05:39Blackfish also posits that SeaWorld's claim that their captive orca's lives were comparable to their wild counterparts was false.
05:45In response, SeaWorld alleged that the documentary misrepresented how the company trained and cared for the orcas.
05:51So why keep Tilikum there?
05:53This guy, he's proven track record of killing people.
05:57He's clearly a liability to the institution.
05:59Why keep him around?
06:01Either way, the public response was seismic, causing SeaWorld's revenue to drop significantly.
06:06New legislation was proposed, including updating the Animal Welfare Act of 1966.
06:11The Truth Won Out
06:12Number 14. White Light, Black Rain. The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
06:18This sobering documentary follows the testimonies and even lives of 14 Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
06:26Nagasaki.
06:36Mostly children or teens at the time, many survivors eventually fell sick to the radiation.
06:41Heartbreakingly, they even blamed themselves for their illness.
06:44The film also includes the testimony of four Americans involved in the attacks, including one who claimed to have witnessed
06:50the bombing firsthand.
06:51We flew around for a bit as the mushroom cloud grew, and we could see down on the ground, a
07:00curtain of dust was spreading out.
07:03Released on the 62nd anniversary of the attacks, the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007
07:09Sundance Film Festival, forcing us to confront hard truce about wartime atrocities.
07:18Number 13. Citizen Four
07:20I'm not afraid of you. You know, you're not going to bully me into silence like you've done to everybody
07:25else.
07:25Americans' knowledge of unethical government surveillance is largely due to this critically acclaimed documentary.
07:31Directed by Laura Poitras, the film follows Poitras as she receives a strange email by one Citizen Four,
07:36claimed to have evidence for the illegal wiretapping practices by the National Security Agency.
07:41Poitras, along with Gren Greenwald and Ewan McGaskill, went to Hong Kong to meet with Citizen Four.
07:47This turned out to be former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, now a whistleblower resisting extradition attempts to the U.S.
07:54We were able to get the information that needed to get out out, and you and Glenn are able to
08:01keep reporting, regardless of what happens to me.
08:05Citizen Four had global impact outside the U.S., spreading newfound awareness of government surveillance,
08:11and data collection worldwide. This won't be easily forgotten.
08:15Number 12. Leaving Neverland
08:17Whatever your feelings on legendary singer and entertainer Michael Jackson, this HBO documentary certainly had a massive impact.
08:23Leaving Neverland follows the testimony of two men who claimed to have been abused by the late singer when they
08:28were younger.
08:29I'd have a bad outfit on that was just like his, and so I would dance. We, like, side moonwalked
08:39and did a few moves together.
08:40The response was huge on all levels, both the critical reception and backlash, with radio stations pulling Jackson's music and
08:48removing his name from marketing.
08:49The Jackson estate, meanwhile, sued HBO for violating a non-disparagement clause.
08:54Other documentaries rebutting Leaving Neverland claims were released, claiming Jackson was a victim of yellow journalism.
09:00Talk about it having a massive impact.
09:02When you spend years like that, and you don't sleep well, you kind of go crazy.
09:10Number 11. The Missing Picture
09:12This French film, directed by Rithi Pan, follows the impact of the Cambodian genocide on its people and society.
09:19Using both news footage and clay animation, the documentary follows the historical events that led to the Khmer Rouge's rise,
09:26recreating its atrocities.
09:28Pan himself lived through the Khmer Rouge's regime as a child, with he and his family taken to a labor
09:33camp.
09:33He escaped to Thailand and eventually France.
09:36Critically acclaimed, The Missing Picture provides powerful insight into how genocidal regimes decimate human rights, erase identities, and suppress cultural
09:45heritage.
09:46It's an ugly picture, but a true one.
09:48Number 10. Earthlings
09:50Since we all inhabit the Earth, all of us are considered Earthlings.
09:54The realities of animal abuse are brought into sharp focus in this powerful documentary.
09:59Earthlings was directed by Sean Monson, with narration by Joaquin Phoenix,
10:03chronicling the cruel practices of pet stores, animal experimentation, puppy mills, and factory farms.
10:10Such methods still sail today under the flag of science, which is an insult to true science, as well as
10:16human intelligence.
10:17It's an eye-opening expose, drawing explicit parallels between animal abuse and the antisocial prejudices of racism and sexism.
10:25Earthlings' impact was seismic.
10:27It even played an unexpected role in the Lutsk hostage crisis, with the hijacker demanding the Ukrainian president recommend the
10:34film to everyone on social media.
10:35Talk about getting the word out.
10:37But it takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.
10:43And it is actually within us to grant them a happy life.
10:46Number 9. One Child Nation
10:48The disastrous effects of China's one-child policy are explored in this searing film, directed by Nang Fu Wang and
10:55Xia Lingxiang.
10:56Implemented to curb China's population growth, the policy led to forced abortion and sterilization practices,
11:02as well as child abandonment and even human trafficking.
11:05A large number of abandoned babies created opportunities for human traffickers all over China.
11:11Baby girls comprise the bulk of the victims, with most families favoring baby boys, leading to a marked gender ratio
11:18imbalance.
11:19Wang herself even had a family member who abandoned her cousin in 1989, and details their unsuccessful attempts at finding
11:25her.
11:26It is a devastating film, exposing the many-faceted horror government policy can reportedly inflict.
11:32If these memories of the one-child policy fade away, the only thing left will be propaganda.
11:38Number 8. Waltz with Bashir
11:48This animated documentary, directed by Ari Fulman, was a controversial one.
11:53In it, Fulman meets with his old friend, Boaz, once an Israeli soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War.
11:59Boaz recounted how he would kill the dogs, so they would not alarm villagers to their presence.
12:04Although Fulman, too, was an Israeli soldier during the war, he cannot recall memories of his experiences there.
12:15It becomes clear that Fulman had suppressed memories of the massacre, with his mind protecting himself from the complete knowledge
12:22of his complicity.
12:23Chilling, but honest, the film premiered to both critical acclaim and backlash, becoming banned in Lebanon and other Arab countries.
12:31The truth is elusive, but it still hurts.
12:33Number 7. 13th.
12:36For a film that sheds light on the U.S.'s prison industrial complex, look no further than this award-winning
12:41documentary.
12:42They are often the kinds of kids that are called super predators. No conscience, no empathy.
12:47Director Ava DuVernay explores the U.S.'s massive prison industry and its roots in slavery, particularly Jim Crow laws that
12:54criminalize minor offenses for former slaves, effectively disenfranchising them.
12:59Joranda has spent the last 16 years in prison, and she'll die there, because she was sentenced to life without
13:04parole.
13:04This racialized criminalization continues to the present day, with the war on drugs, the over-policing of marginalized communities, and
13:11the rise of private prison contractors.
13:13The film was a wild success, garnering both acclaim and criticism, holding up a mirror to the dark heart of
13:19U.S. politics.
13:20The difference now is somebody can hold up one of these, get what's going on, they can put it on
13:26YouTube, and the whole world has to deal with it.
13:29Number 6. The Killing of America.
13:31For a Japanese perspective on American violence, this Sheldon Renan-directed film is a must-see.
13:37The film explores the rise of American serial killers, school shootings, and the effects of famous assassinations, particularly John F.
13:45Kennedy's and John Lennon's.
13:46His rifle is found hidden near the assassin's window.
13:52Two days later, as Oswald is escorted to a car in the basement, a gunman jumps out of the crowd
13:59of reporters.
13:59Some killers, the documentary posits, have even become celebrities and pop culture icons.
14:05Released in Japan in 1981, and later in the United States in 1982, the documentary received a mixed reception, with
14:11some critics feeling that it does not go deep enough in its sociological analysis of U.S. violence.
14:17Still, it is a gruesome mirror to American brutality that still feels unfortunately relevant.
14:22And then a month later, I'm up living with my grandparents in the mountains, and ten months later, I murdered
14:25them.
14:26Number 5. Abducted in Plain Sight.
14:28My name is Jan Broberg, and I was abducted and brainwashed as a child by a trusted family friend.
14:33Directed by Skye Borgman.
14:34This documentary's surreal story is a chilling one.
14:38In 1970s Idaho, the young Jan Broberg was kidnapped by family friend Robert Birchtold, not only once, but twice.
14:45When Birchtold lied to Broberg's parents, claiming Jan had become a sex worker who was into substance use, her mother's
14:51reply is a shockingly understated,
14:53Oh dear.
14:55The family's odd response drew outrage from viewers, although Jan herself defended her parents as victims of Birchtold's manipulations.
15:01Does he still want you to marry him and all that?
15:05No, I want to marry you.
15:07Does he want to marry you?
15:09Stranger than fiction, Abducted in Plain Sight opens our eyes to the realities of grooming and manipulation, and the consequences
15:16of blind trust.
15:17Number four, The Look of Silence.
15:20A companion piece to his game-changing the act of killing, director Joshua Oppenheimer returns to the 1965 Indonesian communist
15:28purge, this time through the victim's perspectives.
15:31Upon watching Oppenheimer's 2012 film, optometrist Adi Rukun is stunned to recognize the men who killed his brother.
15:38Rukun visits and interviews the killers themselves, which include his uncle, none of whom express remorse.
15:52Rukun's response is the titular look of silence.
15:56Horrific, disturbing, and downright frustrating, the look of silence is a deep dive into the impacts of murder on the
16:02individual and society, as well as the psyches of killers involved in such crimes.
16:07Now, if I'm angry, I don't want to come back like this.
16:10Who knows if there was a case that was done yesterday.
16:12Number three, Bowling for Columbine.
16:15And out in a little town in Colorado, two boys went bowling at 6 in the morning.
16:20Yes, it was a typical day in the United States of America.
16:25Granted, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9-11, a sharp exploration of what led to the 2003 invasion of Iraq after the
16:309-11 attacks, is certainly memorable.
16:32But this seminal documentary by him tackles one of the biggest problems in America today, gun violence, particularly school shootings.
16:40Something overwhelming about that kind of viciousness, that kind of predatory action, that kind of indiscriminate killing.
16:53The film investigates the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, with Moore trying to understand how this massacre happened,
17:00and America's high violent crime rate in general.
17:03It was there that Tamarla's son found a small .32 caliber gun, and took it to school.
17:08A searing indictment of America's permissive culture of gun violence, the conclusions drawn are still very much timely, and relevant
17:14even decades later.
17:16I don't have any opinion, though, as to why that is, that we are the unique country, the only country,
17:20that does this, that kills each other on this level with guns.
17:23Number two, the act of killing.
17:30Director Joshua Oppenheimer's landmark film sent shockwaves throughout the world.
17:35In this film, Oppenheimer asked some of the participants of the Indonesian mass killings of 1965 to 1966 to reenact
17:43their crimes.
17:44Many of the killers were gangsters or from paramilitary groups, particularly the Pankasila youth group, who confessed about their murders
17:51and even assault of young girls.
18:00One of them, Anwar Kongo, surmised he has killed as many as a thousand people and confessed that he still
18:05gets nightmares over his actions.
18:07The act of killing sparked praise, discussion, and controversy, as well as leading to Adi Rukan identifying the murderers of
18:14his brother.
18:15The banality of evil has never been so, well, banal.
18:24Number one, Shoah.
18:29There are many excellent and influential Holocaust documentaries, including 1956's short but impactful Night and Fog.
18:37But for a truly thorough exploration of one of Europe's biggest atrocities, Claude Landsman's nine-hour epic, Shoah, is a
18:44requisite watch.
18:45In this film, Landsman explores the death camps in Treblinka, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the extermination camp of Kelmno, and the ghetto
18:53in Warsaw.
18:54Landsman includes countless testimonies from survivors, perpetrators, and bystanders alike.
19:10Unused material for the film was eventually made into five other feature-length films.
19:14Universally praised and included in the Memory of the World International Register in 2023, Shoah is a witness to the
19:21worst of humanity.
19:22Du côté a rien de Varsovie, la vie continuée de la façon la plus naturelle et la plus normale comme
19:29le passé.
19:30Which documentary really spoke truth to power and changed the way you saw the world?
19:34Let us know in the comments down below.
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