Max has a normal variety of movies, and his documentary library alone contains enough gems to enjoy hours of captivating viewing. But if you’re undecided, don’t worry: we’ve searched a bunch of documentaries about Max and settled on the ones you’re sure to have. Take the time to look.
These films demonstrate the versatility of the documentary genre, both in terms of subject matter and form. They will immerse you in the best school basketball, concerts, the fight for racial justice, and much more.
Here, in alphabetical order, are the best documentaries on Max streaming now.
Marc Silver’s 2015 documentary chronicles the 2012 death of teenager Jordan Davis, who was shot multiple times in a parking lot while listening to music with friends. Her attacker was convicted of first-degree murder, but only after a mistrial and extensive media coverage. The documentary uses interviews with Davis’ circle of family members, as well as footage from the trial, to perfectly illustrate the stark reality of Florida’s self-defense laws. * — Proma Khosla, senior entertainment reporter.
How to watch: 3 minutes, Ten Bullets is now streaming on Max.
Andrew the Giant is a thoughtful examination of what it means to be larger than life. He pays tribute to André Roussimoff for his contributions to sports entertainment by identifying him as a pioneer who fully understood how gigantism, the medical condition to blame for his seven years, works. standing figure and four, may simply elevate him to the prestige of a living myth. Interviews with wrestling figures like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Vince McMahon offer a rare glimpse behind the Kayfabe curtain by documenting Roussimoff’s acute awareness of the fandom he encouraged and how his example transformed the WWF franchise into a massive showcase. of the functionality that exists today. WWE. — Alexis Nedd, senior entertainment reporter
How to watch: Andre the Giant is now streaming on Max.
Welcome to the Action Park! This New Jersey water and amusement park, built by former Wall Street tycoon Gene Mulvihill, was home to attractions such as the Cannonball Loop and Alpine Slide. It was also very poorly managed and caused many injuries and deaths. Class Action Park shows just how crazy history Action Park was, from the park’s crazy rides to Mulvihill’s shady tactics to keep his business afloat.
Through a combination of fun animations and interviews with comedians who frequented Action Park as kids, Class Action Park helps keep things nice and fun. However, he shows the obligatory seriousness and restraint when he talks about the deaths that have occurred in the park. Overall, Class Action Park is a wild documentary about a truly wild place. Come for descriptions of the crazy attractions and stick around for nuanced exploration of nostalgia and formative years in the 1980s. Belen Edwards, Entertainment Journalist
How to watch: Class Action Park is now streaming on Max.
Everything Is Copy is the most productive kind of love letter: one that expresses admiration for the subject, but is also lucid about its quirks and imperfections. Journalist Jacob Bernstein explores the life, career, and death in 2012 of Nora Ephron, whom we meet. as an editor and filmmaker of films such as Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Julie
Interviews with prominent family and friends (including Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Mike Nichols), along with archival interviews and excerpts from Ephron’s own paintings, paint a portrait of a brilliant, ambitious guy who lived the motto stated in the title: “Everything is a copy,” meaning that everything that happens in life can serve as a curtain for a later story. While you wouldn’t mistake Bernstein’s documentary for a work by Ephron herself, the film’s warmth, candor, and humor make it a fitting tribute to the icon she was. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Everything Is Copy is now streaming on Max.
Originally conceived as a behind-the-scenes account of the Rolling Stones’ legendary 1969 U. S. tour, Gimme Shelter was eventually reshaped through the cases that unfolded around it. Although the film delves into other moments of the British band’s cross-country journey, its price as An Old Document is most evident in the on-the-ground account of Altamont’s notorious 1970s informal gig and the cases that led up to the present day.
The filmmaking team led by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin captured it all, and Gimme Shelter, a triumph of the cinéma vérité movement, is the result. — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Gimme Shelter is now streaming on Max.
In their famous 1976 film, Grey Gardens, brothers and documentary crew Albert and David Maysle make a stop at a dilapidated mansion in the Hamptons. There, they describe the intriguing and tragic lives of a lonely mother and daughter, both named Edith Beale, in a winding and sinuous character examines like no other.
Parents of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, the life stories of “Little Edie” and “Big Edie” are sensational in the documentary, with many arguing that the film takes an inherently exploitative view of its subjects and their obvious struggles for their intellectual aptitude. But when it comes to fascinating imagery, Gray Gardens is a must-see: It captures an exclusive circle of family members at the center of a larger discussion about the decline of political royalty and American culture in the ’60s. * — Alison Foreman, entertainment reporter
How to watch: Grey Gardens is now streaming on Max.
Harlan County, USA drops us into small-town Kentucky in the 1970s to show us a time, a place, and a community — and to reveal wheat happens when a group of coal miners go on strike, incurring the wrath of the Duke Power Company. Barbara Kopple’s film follows the miners and their supporters (including their ferociously determined wives) into the front lines of the fight, from picket lines to town hall meetings to more intimate moments of grief or rage or everyday life.
As the battle intensifies, spilling over into violence, what emerges is a gritty portrait of hard-won courage against an all-too-familiar villain, captured through Kopple’s principled perspective. Harlan County, USA won Best Documentary at the 1977 Oscars, and almost half a century later, it’s still regarded as one of the best documentaries of all time. It’s as riveting, as powerful, and urgent as it was the day it was released. — A.H.
How to watch: Harlan County, USA, now airs on Max.
Hoop Dreams delves into the lives of Arthur Agee and William Gates, two young men from downtown Chicapass who dream of making it big in the NBA. Both were drafted to play in St. John’s prestigious basketball program. John’s High School. Joseph at the beginning of the film, however, over the next four years, they take very different paths. Through the basketball careers of Agee and Gates, director Steve James explores the issues of race, class, and how athletic recruiting can move into the realm of exploitation and put undue strain on young players at risk.
What’s amazing about Hoop Dreams is the point of intimacy James achieves with Agee and Gates. Follow their travels on and off the basketball court as they and their families revel in their parents’ separations, sports injuries, and monetary hardships. The resulting documentary makes you feel like you’re living life alongside Agee and Gates, so you desperately need them to succeed. All of this comes to a head in the thrilling and tense basketball sequences. Even though those plays were played decades ago, James makes it seem like each and every missed shot is a missed opportunity and every successful play is a big win.
How to watch: Hoop Dreams is now streaming on Max.
If you are a fan of the mythical musical corporation of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, or of musical theatre in general, this is the documentary for you. Director D. A. Pennebaker helps keep a close eye on the company’s original cast and orchestra as they conduct an intense 15-hour recording session. You listen to corporate highlights like “Being Alive” and “Getting Married Today” and see Sondheim at work. The film’s most productive and standout series comes near the end, when the wonderful Elaine Stritch struggles to record “The Ladies Who Lunch. “It’s a gripping portrait of a performer seeking to triumph over tiredness and her own frustrations, and a very productive film. wrapping up this stellar documentary. -BE.
How to watch: Original Cast Album: Company is now streaming on Max.
Years after Robin Williams’ suicide in 2014, the loss of his ability and presence still hurts. Come Inside My Mind uses interviews with the people closest to him (his son, his ex-wife, his most productive friends, and many others) as well as archival footage to create a portrait of an incredibly skilled user who battled an intellectual illness for most of his life. Marina Zenovich’s documentary chronicles Williams’ entire life, from a frequently lonely formative few years to a meteoric rise in comedy, as well as his struggles with addiction and a troubled career, despite his established prestige as a legend. Snippets of his performances remind us (though no one wants to remind us) that there has been, and probably never will be, another with Williams’ iconic spark.
How to watch: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is now streaming on Max.
In 1978, Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s first openly gay elected official, shot inside City Hall through a guy who claimed to have eaten too much sugar the night before. Six years later, filmmaker Rob Epstein made this masterful documentary about Milk’s career, his rise from activist to politician, and what his shocking death meant for a network already under siege from all sides. It is one of the most important documents of this era. The 2008 Gus Van Sant biopic, starring Sean Penn in the title role, does a decent job. It’s hard to bring the story to life, but Epstein’s film pulls it out of the water on all fronts, basically because even Penn can’t fake the fiery magnetism that the real-life deal Milk carried everywhere. —Jason Adams, entertainment journalist
How to watch: The Times of Harvey Milk is now streaming on Max.
When Sandra Bland, 28, was arrested for a traffic violation and discovered hanging on her cell phone a few days later, a two-year legal ordeal began. Filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner document her family’s war against law enforcement while sharing Bland’s own video blogs. and a history of activism. Although her death was a suicide, questions remain, as does the tragic moment in Say Her Name. * — P. K.
How to watch: Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland is now streaming on Max.
In Transhood, director Sharon Liese documents the lives of four young trans people (ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) who lived in Kansas City for five years. It is a poignant portrait of his subjects’ formative years and their respective transitions.
Transhood is intimate but never invasive, and follows its subjects with a benevolent and sympathetic gaze. From consultations on gender-affirming remedies to interactions with friends, we meet Phoenix, Avery, Jay, and Leena, as well as their parents, whose and The Sacrifices fuel some of the film’s most emotional moments. Transhood does not see its subjects as monoliths of the trans experience. Rather, it celebrates the differences and similarities between their journeys and discovers good looks in their transitions, while inspiring a wonderful dose of compassion and empathy.
How to watch: Transhood is now streaming on Max.
Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker David France’s third film, Welcome to Chechnya, takes audiences on a guerrilla-style investigation into the anti-gay purges still raging in Russia’s constituent republic.
Not only does the explosive project detail the abhorrent policies created by Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to criminalize homosexuality, it also delves into the insidious culture the government has instilled in its citizens to encourage hate crimes. It’s a painful watch that demands attention from viewers, focusing in large part on the courageous efforts of underground networks working to help LGBTQ people escape the region.
What distinguishes this document is its urgency. Making documentaries allows us to read about problems or occasions in more detail, as well as preserve them as old records. Welcome to Chechnya does so with heart-wrenching heroism, urging the Western public to at least acknowledge the genocide that continues to this day.
How to watch: Welcome to Chechnya is now streaming on Max.
Photographer Nan Goldin collaborated with Citizenfour filmmaker Laura Poitras on this wily Oscar-nominated portrait of Goldin’s complex life, and what they came up with was a moving masterpiece about the inescapable intersections of art, self, and activism. Interweaving Goldin’s traumatic childhood with her relationships, her celebrated documentation of NYC in the 1970s and ’80s, and her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a profound portrait of an unstoppable force — one who’s fueled by a keen sense of righteousness and love. Goldin’s managed to turn her own frailties into her greatest strengths as an artist and a human being, as evidenced in this unforgettable documentary. — J.A.
How to watch: All the beauty and bloodshed is now streaming on Max.
In 1972, legendary singer Aretha Franklin went to church to record her live gospel album Amazing Grace during two nights of performances. All of this was also captured on camera, but while the album has become the best-selling live gospel album in history, all weather, symbol and sound synchronization issues kept the edition filmed over a span of (see notes) forty-five years.
Part of the problem, however, was Franklin herself, because for unknown reasons, she continually sued the manufacturer who had purchased the footage from Warner Brothers and attempted to turn it into something that could be released. It wasn’t until after Aretha’s death. in 2018 that his family made a deal with him, and (sorry, Aretha!) Thank goodness they did: Amazing Grace captures the singer at the peak of her powers. Side note: this will be combined with the Rolling Stones document below. , as Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts are noticed in the audience dancing along with everyone else. -J. A.
How to watch: Amazing Grace is now streaming on Max.
Getting director David Lynch to talk about his cryptic, hallucinatory work and its meanings has always been like pulling teeth. And so this 2016 documentary from filmmakers Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Rick Barnes, and Jon Nguyen is vital because it’s probably the closest we’ll ever get to anything of that sort. Lynch is more than happy to talk about his actual hands-on process, especially with regards to his painting, as well as his life story — his childhood in Montana, his big transformative move to Philadelphia, and what led to his breakthrough Eraserhead. And, as ever when it comes to Lynch, we’re then meant to put together those pieces into a pattern that means something to us. He doesn’t make it easy, but he does make it worthwhile. — J.A.
How to watch: David Lynch: The Art Life is now streaming on Max.
Unlike David Lynch, this 2015 documentary proves that director Brian De Palma can’t be silenced about his paintings, nor would he need to. Here, Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow simply pointed a camera at the guy and then asked him to talk about his Movie(s; What they were given were hours and hours of footage, which they then combined into this roughly two-hour monologue about the highs and lows and breathtaking sides of cinema. De Palma’s monologue is set in scenes from his superbly sordid cinema; everything from Carrie to Body Double to Dressed to Kill is covered, but it’s his lesser-known films like Casualties of War that end up sparking the ultimate fascination. It’s a masterclass in filmmaking by a master filmmaker. —J. A.
How to watch: De Palma is now streaming on Max.
My favorite thing that documentaries can do fairly effortlessly is transport you to a totally alien and unexpected world and drop you right in there, making it suddenly seem not at all alien but instead deeply familiar — empathy by way of immersion. One such standout is Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s Oscar-nominated 2019 film Honeyland, which chronicles the life of a Macedonian beekeeper named Hatidže and her blind, bedridden mother Nazife.
The drama unfolds in Hatidže’s life when he meets nasty new neighbors who temporarily begin to destroy nature’s delicate balance, in which his already precarious lifestyle is more desirable than 10 Hollywood blockbusters. It’s a miniature story that resonates around the world, told. with such complexity and intimacy that it takes your breath away. (And when Hatidže appeared at the Oscars that year, I cried. )– J. A.
How to watch: Honeyland is now streaming on Max.
Filmmaker Raoul Peck has proven to be one of the most formidable voices in documentarymaking over the past decade, so we’ll also have to take advantage of this moment to introduce his glorious 2021 documentary series Exterminate All the Brutes (now in Max) and his 2022 Movie. Silver Dollar Road (now in Prime). But that series of existing masterpieces began in 2016 with I Am Not Your Negro, Peck’s visualization of publisher James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript on the civil rights movement, narrated through Samuel L. Jackson. Justly nominated for an Oscar, the film is so lacerating and infuriating. and sometimes even as funny as Baldwin’s prose. Next to all the photographs of the editor at advertisements and political events, it does justice to the man’s words, which in itself is a monumental achievement.
How to watch: I’m Not Yours now airs on Max.
Finally getting his comeuppance as the Black queer icon who actually invented rock and roll, this 2023 documentary from director Lisa Cortes shows us how Little Richard went from being the third handicap of twelve children of a bootlegging father in Macon, Georgia, to proper White. Teenage girls lose their minds as he plays hits like “Tutti Frutti. “Richard’s trail was omnipresent. White artists such as Pat Boone and Elvis continued to embellish their songs and play more because of the color of their skin. He also gave up music on faith at the height of his career in the 1950s, renouncing the music of satan before returning to his embrace. a few years later, and this has happened several times throughout his career. But it’s possible that the showman just isn’t contained; When a foreign renegade like John Waters imitates your style, then you know you’re a legend.
How to watch: Little Richard: I Am Everything is now streaming on Max.
When David Bowie passed away in January 2016, other people made the decision in hindsight that it was the time when humanity had moved into the most horrific timeline that brought us the chaos of the past few years. And while Brett Morgen’s 2022 musical biodoc about humans doesn’t quite make that argument, it does so in its margins why other people would feel this way. Morgen’s mind-blowing film combines functional imagery and interviews into something unique about him; It’s halfway between a concert film and a deification, and that’s perfect for me.
How to watch: Moonage Daydream is now streaming on Max.
In documenting New York City dragballs in the ’80s, director Jennie Livingston followed her subjects for a full six years, making it an invaluable record of a moment in time and position that disappeared and repositioned itself even while she was filming. Some of that was due to AIDS, some of it was due to violence and poverty, so some of the things haven’t been repositioned much after all. But the interviewees (adding prom legends like Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Willi Ninja, and Angie and Venus Xtravaganza) didn’t. Give yourself that luxury: One of the film’s most defining and shocking moments comes when we’re informed that Venus has been murdered. But the scales are slightly distributed on the stage; He doesn’t wallow in bad things, but celebrates magic and wonders if those queens are succeeding. –J. A.
How to watch: Paris is Burning is now streaming on Max.
Until we get the inevitable biopic of the most famous gay movie star to ever live (and I can’t believe who could play him), we’ll have to settle for Stephen Kijak’s very clever 2023 document on the actor. Fortunately, there are still plenty of other people who knew Rock and played with him during his lifetime, so there’s no shortage of guys who are more than willing to let go of the soup. As Tales From the City writer Armistead Maupin hilariously puts it, “If I were Rock Hudson, I’d need my mom to know right away. “
But it’s not just rumors about his sex life that make Rock’s story worth telling; The man was Hollywood’s biggest star for several years, emblematic of the 1950s and 1960s’ ideals of big, strong masculine masculinity, while being forced to hide who he was for fear that it would all fall apart. chapters in a Hollywood story, and Kijak’s film does justice to this stratospheric story.
How to watch: Rock Hudson: Everything Heaven Allowed is now streaming on Max.
A former documentary animated by Truman Capote’s revolutionary taste in the narrative of In Cold Blood, this first film by Albert, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin is considered a pioneering feature film of true cinema. According to legend, they simply chose 4 Bible vendors. continue with their cameras according to their schedules, and then the film setting itself. But what the filmmakers ended up locating in the dealers’ stories reaches mythical proportions. In the end, it’s just as striking a portrait of mid-century America, religion and consumerism, as one can imagine. One of the most vital documentaries of all time, yet undeniable and strangely funny.
How to watch: Salesman is now streaming on Max.
Asterisks (*) indicate the write up comes from a previous Mashable list.
Jason Abbruzzese is a business journalist at Mashable, covering the media and telecommunications sectors, with a specific focus on how the internet is transforming those markets and impacting consumers. Prior to working at Mashable, Jason was a market reporter and internet maker at the Financial Times. . Jason holds a B. S. in Journalism from Boston University and an MA in International Affairs from the Australian National University.
Belen Edwards is an entertainment journalist at Mashable, covering fantasy and sci-fi-themed movies and television, adaptations, animation, and more.