travel documentaries 2022

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72 Dangerous Places to Live, Dark Tourist, and more: Sate your wanderlust with the best travel shows and documentaries on Netflix

You'll love these amazing travel documentaries.

Traveling is something that many people wish they could do more of. Whether you lack the time, money, or know-how to travel the world, though, it can be comforting to watch others do it from the comfort of your couch. A great travel show or documentary can be a wonderful escape and a reminder that the world is much bigger than the tiny slice of it you live in every day. What’s even better is that many great travel documentaries on Netflix, if you’re willing to go looking for them.

These documentaries will deliver stunning panoramic shots of the U.S. National Parks , as well as plenty of international wonders, and a little bit of good food as well. If you like all kinds of docs, travel or not, we’ve got you covered with Netflix documentaries (or maybe you’re just really into crime docs and action flicks). We also have an overall guide on the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix shows .

72 Dangerous Places to Live (2016)

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Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020)

The chef show (2019), street food collection (2020), tales by light (2015), dark tourist (2018), midnight asia: eat dance dream (2022), jack whitehall: travels with my father (2017), lorena, light-footed woman (2019), the world's most amazing vacation rentals (2021), our planet (2019), salt fat acid heat (2018), editors' recommendations.

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Have you ever found yourself looking through all the movies on Netflix, only to find that actually choosing one to watch is very taxing? That's not even mentioning all the Netflix shows to dig through. If you know you're looking for a particular kind of movie, that can help, but even then, there can be too many movies to choose from. Luckily, we've been watching tons of great sci-fi movies and have already determined which ones rise to the top of the pile on Netflix. So if you're looking for the best sci-fi movies on Netflix this year, you've come to the right place. If you're looking for Netflix movies that will keep you occupied for a whole weekend or an evening, you can also check out our list of the best sci-fi series on Netflix right now.

What is the definition of an action movie? Can there even really be a complete explanation of the genre? Some feature the kinds of stunts that no mere mortal would ever dare to attempt, while others attempt to be more grounded. Still, others have outlandish premises that take us to new, far-off worlds. It's a genre that contains multitudes, but what makes an action movie great is its ability to thrill and captivate its audience. Over the course of its history as a streaming service, Netflix has been home to a number of great action titles. Some are funny, and others are deadly serious. The only thing we know for sure, though, is that the best action movies on Netflix are sure to please. We've also rounded up some of the best action movies on Amazon Prime worth watching if you've seen all these, as well as a few great action movies available on Hulu. Looking for even more films to stream online? We've found the all-around best Netflix movies, Amazon Prime movies, Disney Plus movies, and movies on Hulu to watch this month.

Uncharted (2022)

Japanese anime and the many Western series that were influenced by the genre continue to get more and more popular. As they do, every streaming site is eager to lockdown plenty of exclusive anime titles that will draw fans of the format to their services. Netflix has long had a stockpile of great action movies, but it turns out that the streamer also has a pretty excellent library of anime series as well, which is in addition to their great animated shows. The best anime on Netflix draw from a wide array of influences, but should give every fan of the form something to chew on.

While there are plenty of great action series on this list, anime is home to a wide array of different kinds of stories, and all of those stories are represented in one form or another on this list. Netflix is even moving into adapting some of these anime into live-action, although opinions are mixed on whether that strategy is going to work out. Whatever you think about that venture, though, this list is full of Netflix anime titles that are sure to make every anime fan happy.

23 Binge-worthy Travel Documentaries on Netflix (2024)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: April 14, 2024

If you enjoy watching travel shows (whether for inspiration or research) you are in for a treat with this selection of the best travel documentaries on Netflix in 202 4

This eclectic list of Netflix travel documentaries and series will take you across every continent to meet the people, cultures, history and geography, natural wonders and wildlife that make up our beautiful planet.

Chosen by travel bloggers this is a selection of the best travel documentaries available on Netflix around the world.

Please bear in mind that not all these shows may be available on Netflix in your location ! If you would like unrestricted access to 15 Netflix libraries around the world (including Germany/USA/UK) we recommend Surfshark VPN. You only need 1 subscription to cover every gadget in your house. Click here for more information about Surfshark

Taco Chronicles

With surfshark vpn you can, dark tourist, down to earth, grand tours of the scottish islands, expedition happiness.

• Chef's Table

Somebody Feed Phil

Extreme engagement.

• Joanna Lumley's India

Chasing Coral

Magical andes, cuba and the cameraman, jack whitehall travels with my father, restaurants on the edge, tales by light, christiane amanpour: sex & love around the world, the serpent, the dawn wall, my octopus teacher, anthony bourdain: parts unknown, street food series (latin america and asia), more tv shows & movies from countries around the world, 23 best travel documentaries on netflix.

If you didn’t love the idea of eating tacos in Mexico City already, Taco Chronicles will make sure you do! In fact, you’ll discover that there’s even more to authentic Mexican tacos than you ever knew about.

In Taco Chronicles, you’ll go on a taco journey to Mexico City and beyond, to discover the unique types of tacos eaten in Mexico’s various regions and states. The show does start off in Mexico City, with the king of Mexican tacos — the taco al pastor.

From Mexico City, enjoy a virtual Mexican culinary food tour to its neighbouring state of Hidalgo, home of barbacoa (BBQ) tacos. Beyond Central Mexico, this food and travel documentary takes you all over Mexico.

In subsequent episodes of this two-season show, you’ll discover cochinita pibil (slow-roasted suckling pig) tacos in the Yucatan Peninsula, fried fish tacos in Baja California state on the west coast, cabrito (goat) tacos in Northern Mexico, and more.

Places/countries featured – Mexico

Chosen by Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo

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Over recent years, the public’s fascination with dark tourism destinations has boomed. Sites such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz draw in thousands of tourists every year. With so many of the population sharing a fascination for dark history, it is no wonder that so many have tuned into Netflix’s ‘Dark Tourist. 

The show follows journalist David Farrier as he travels around hoping to experience the most macabre destinations that the world has to offer. Farrier’s quest to unearth the morbid takes him to several high profile dark tourism destinations, including the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, on a JFK assassination tour and he even witnesses an exorcism in Mexico City.  

Although Farrier sometimes comes across as a mediocre Louis Theroux, this thought-provoking travel show succeeds in its aim and transports you into the unknown. The result is an interesting series that explores the darker side of life (and death).

Chosen by Sheree   of Winging the World

In the Netflix series Down To Earth , actor Zac Efron and wellness author Darin Olien travel across the globe learning about the wellness and sustainability efforts being made in numerous destinations.

Each of the eight episodes focuses on a different location and aspect of sustainability or personal wellness.

In the first episode, you’ll learn all about harnessing the earth’s energy in Iceland. From there, travel to Paris to see their efforts to reduce bottled water impacts, learn about sustainability in Costa Rica, and nutrition in Sardinia.

Also included in the series are food education in Lima, post-hurricane sustainability in Puerto Rico, London pollution reduction efforts, and Iquitos wellness in the Peruvian Amazon.

In one of the most intriguing segments, they learn about tap water differences from a water sommelier. The series lends a glimpse into some beautiful destinations and what locals are doing to keep them beautiful for decades to come.

Chosen by Samantha of PAonPause.com

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Historian and film-maker Paul Murton brings you on a fascinating journey to many Scottish islands over four seasons. He meets with locals; finds hidden gems; and explores the rich, unique, and sometimes tragic history of each of the islands. 

You may be surprised to find yourself binge-watching this relaxing travel documentary series. You will get caught up in Murton’s contagious curiosity about its people and his great admiration for its beauty. Every episode is filled with stunning scenery. The high production quality and engaging soundtrack heighten the enjoyment of the show. Fans can follow this up with his three other Scottish travel series.  

Queue up, Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands to enjoy some dreamy armchair travel or to gain a deeper understanding of the islands as you plan your trip to Scotland .  

Places featured: Isle of Skye , Islands of Loch Lomond, Hebridean Islands, Orkney Islands, and many more

Contributed by Erica at Trip Scholars

Expedition Happiness is a home movie/travelogue that follows the story of a German couple as they give up their life in Germany to do an epic road trip in the Americas with their dog Rudi.

The couple, whose names are Selima and Felix, purchased a yellow school bus in Florida for 9500 USD. After working on it for three months, they transformed it into their “Loft on Wheel”, a comfortable, spacious, and well-equipped adventure bus. 

The itinerary was to start in Alaska near Denali National Park , drive all the way down to Central America, cross over to South America, and finish in Argentina.

On their adventure, they documented all the incredible landscapes they saw, the people they met, and more.

Whether they were able to finish their epic adventure or not, you will have to find out on Netflix! 

Chosen by Sean of Living out Lau

Chef’s Table

Even if you’re not a foodie but love to travel, be sure to watch Chef’s Table on Netflix. This documentary series features renowned Chefs from around the world who are creating inspired culinary experiences.

Now in its 6th season with 30 episodes, the series doesn’t just showcase a chef’s creations, but takes you on a journey through each of their personal stories that has led to their creativity.

World renowned chefs like Italy’s Massimo Bottura will inspire you with how he came from humble beginnings to being on the world culinary stage. But one chef in particular has inspired us to travel for her food — Chef Ana Rôs, owner of  Hiša Franko restaurant  in Kobarid, Slovenia. 

After initially pursuing a career track in business, she spent years honing her craft and experimenting with the local foods of her native Slovenia. Today, she is now one of the top chefs in the world, Hiša Franko is one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World and newly Michelin-rated — and our dinner there on my birthday might possibly be the best meal of my life.

Watch the series and decide where your next culinary adventure will be.

Chosen by Lori of travlinmad.com

In “Somebody Feel Phil”, the creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Phil Rosenthal, travels the world to indulge in the scrumptious local cuisine and to learn more about the culture of these destinations.

There are currently four seasons on Netflix and each episode features a different city around the world. This documentary does a great job of portraying local customs and traditions and viewers will feel like they’re actually in that city with the locals.

Phil has a childlike wonder to him when he’s learning about the different cultures and he answers basically any potential questions the viewers could have about the destination. One of the best parts about the documentary is watching Phil turn the strangers he meets into his family. 

Places featured – Bangkok, Saigon, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, New Orleans, Mexico City, Venice , Dublin, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Cape Town, New York City, Marrakesh, Chicago, London, Seoul, Montreal, Rio De Janeiro, San Francisco, Singapore, the Mississippi Delta, and Hawaii. 

Chosen by Disha of Disha Discovers

While most people get engaged and then begin planning their perfect wedding, Tim and PJ, stars of the Netflix show Extreme Engagement, do anything but that. Instead, Tim and PJ get engaged and then set out on a worldwide exploration of marital traditions around the world. 

The couple journeys to places such as Mongolia, Brazil, China, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea facing challenging experiences along the way that has them questioning their relationship and each other. 

You get to see a glimpse inside the cross-cultural challenges associated with a new romance along with an interesting insight into how other cultures celebrate love and marriage. 

Chosen by Michelle Snell from That Texas Couple

International travellers Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach cross the world and push their limits on an expedition to find genuine, unforgettable experiences.

DEPARTURES is an international award-winning and inspiring television travel series that will take you on the journey of a lifetime and beyond. From epic landscapes to unforgettable culture, learn what it takes to make it all happen through personal successes, crushing disappointments and memorable new friendships that could only be made by travelling abroad.

With two episodes for every continent, DEPARTURES will arm and reassure your wanderlust with hours of riveting programming that captures the beauty, drama, wonder and humor of taking a leap abroad.

DEPARTURES covers every aspect of world travel, showing you exactly what to expect at destinations around the globe. From beaches in Bali and cruising in the South Pacific Islands, to trekking on Mt Kilimanjaro and sailing up icebergs off Greenland, DEPARTURES takes you straight into a location’s unique atmosphere… giving viewers insight into a whole new way of life.

Places featured – Nearly 30 countries around the world including Japan, New Zealand and Russia

Chosen by Casandra of Karpiak Caravan Adventure Family Travel

Joanna Lumley’s India

Joanna Lumley is a British actress probably most well-known for her role as the outrageous Patsy of Absolutely Fabulous. What is perhaps less known about her is that she was born in Kashmir, India, in 1946, and the descendent of British colonists in India going back to 1777.

Originally aired in 2017 with three episodes, Joanna Lumley’s India takes viewers on a personal trip across the country where she explores modern India and finds connections to members of her own family and the experience of being and speaking English in India .

Lumley has also hosted travel shows on Japan, the Silk Road, the Caribbean, and the Trans-Siberia express train.

Places featured:  Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Gujarat, Mumbai, Ranthambhore National Park, Delhi, and Srinagar, Kashmir.

Chosen by Mariellen of Breathedreamgo

Chasing Coral is a fascinating documentary about the disappearance of coral around the world. In this chasing coral, a team of divers, researchers and photographers set out on an ocean adventure to document the bleaching of Coral in warming seas. This phenomenon is when corals lose their beautiful and vibrant colors to become white, dying shortly after. 

The point of this documentary is to show that the coral’s death is the result of climate change and the rise in temperatures that are absorbed by the oceans. 

The documentary takes us to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world such as the Florida Keys, Hawaii and the Bahamas. More than that, this documentary also shows the important damage climate change has done to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

I definitely recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to really understand the impact of human activity on the ocean’s ecosystem. 

Chosen by Camille from Everything Yoga Retreat

Magical Andes is one of the best travel documentaries on Netflix if you are looking to learn about the natural gems of South America. When searching amongst the 100’s of other documentaries you’ll find this particular docuseries created by Luis Ara and Alexandra Hardorf concentrates solely on the magical landscape of the Andes mountain range. 

This docuseries not only shows you all about the longest continental mountain range in the world, but talks about the wildlife, lakes, and forests, deserts, volcanoes, and other Mother Earth creations that exist in that region. 

Magical Andes focuses on truly stunning imagery and gives you a look into some of the  best places to visit in South America  that you simply wouldn’t see passing through in a car.

Places featured  – In season one, the Netflix documentary features spectacular views from Argentina and Chile. Then from the Aconcagua desert in Bolivia over to some of the more ancient cultures in Peru. The lush mountain of Colombia and Ecuador are also featured.

Chosen by Daniel of LayerCulture.com

If you’ve ever thought of visiting Cuba there are many Cuban movies and documentaries to help you to research your trip, but none are as epic as this one. 

Many people believe that Cuba is a country frozen in time, but this Netflix documentary features Jon Alpert’s travels to Cuba over a span of nearly five decades. 

And while the relationships between the United States and Cuba has been fragmented at times, he visited each time as an American journalist. It starts in 1970s, just over a decade since the Cuban revolution when the country was thriving. 

Instead of giving his perspective on Cuba, he interviews three families who share their own stories of every day life. He continues to visit Cuba to find these families to update their stories. Over the decades the political situation and relationship with the United States changes quite dramatically.

And while he also interviews Fidel Castro, most of the film is really about everyday Cubans and their highs and lows.

Chosen by Ayngelina of Baconismagic.ca

Jack Whitehall is a British comedian who attended private school and has a somewhat disjointed relationship with his father Michael because of this. Jack also never got to take a gap year before going to university so season one of Travels with my Father is all about Jack finally embarking on a traditional ‘gap year’ trip to Southeast Asia. The twist is he takes his father with him so they can strengthen their bond.

The series takes place in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and highlights some of the gap year activities that can be done including full moon parties on the beach and visiting Angkor Wat. By the end of their travels, they reflect on what they have learned about each other and themselves.

The show continues in a similar fashion in the subsequent seasons where Michael takes Jack on a culture and history tour around Europe, Jack shows Michael everything the US has to offer, and both his mother and father join him for a road trip in Australia.

Chosen by Steph from Book It Let’s Go!

If you love travel, design and food, Restaurants on the Edge needs to be on your Netflix list. In each episode, the show highlights a restaurant in a stunning location. 

The restaurants get a makeover from a design expert and the menu often gets an upgrade from the show’s chef, the goal is to take struggling restaurants and make them sustainable for the business owners. 

There are currently two seasons of Restaurants on the Edge on Netflix, with locations throughout the world. 

In season one, you’ll be treated to beautiful ocean views in Malta, as well as stunning architecture. The views continue with a cliff side restaurant in Costa Rica. 

Season two will take you around the world again, with restaurants in Finland, St. Croix and Arizona. 

Not only is it fun to see the upgrades these restaurants go through, but it’s also inspiring to see the impact the changes have on each person’s life making this show a must-watch. 

Chosen by Alenis of seasaltandfog.com  

If you are a fan of Italy, Italian art and History, then watch the gorgeous and surprisingly brutal history of the famous Medici’s of Florence.

The Netflix show is so well done with gorgeous cinematography, beautiful costumes and stage settings. The show includes all the surrounding countryside and historic sites that document the Medici Family and their major influence on Florence, Venice, and even Rome (two popes were related to the Medici family).

It also showcases early Catholic power and greed. The Pope had absolute power and a religious mission that seemed corrupt whichever person was Pope and ruler. 

The Medici focus really hits the major sites of the city and also the start of the Renaissance period in Italy. The crowning of the main dome in the cathedral was a major achievement during this time frame and it was really fascinating to see how this was depicted and shown in development and the struggles of the Medici family to get this undertaking done.

Also, it was interesting to see how easy it was during that time frame to create wealth and also lose it depending on your affiliations and business relationships with the pope and other influential rulers of that time.

Watch the Medici’s on Netflix and if you visit Florence, you’ll gain a better understanding of the Medici fame and fortune in the area.

Chosen by Noel of Oahu Travel Now

Below Deck is a series of reality TV shows. Each show is set on a luxury yacht which is rented out by wealthy charter guests, but the real action is with the young yacht crew, or yachties, who serve them, the characterful captains who lead them and the stunning locations. The original Below Deck was so successful that it rapidly gained two spin offs, Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

The original Below Deck saw the crew sail around Sint Maarten in the Caribbean, followed by seasons in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, Tahiti, Thailand and Antigua.

Below Deck Mediterranean’s locations have included Mykonos in the Greek Islands, Split and Cavtat in Croatia, the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the Cote d’Azur in the south of France and Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands. Below Deck, Sailing Yacht has only had one series, set in Corfu.

Contributed by Helen of HelenOnHerHolidays.com

The documentary series “Tales by Light” follows renowned professional filmmakers and photographers as they visit worldwide destinations and capture fascinating content which highlights different features of the natural world. 

Every episode focuses on a different subject such as wildlife, the oceans, landscapes, adventure activities, or cultural practices and traditions. The distinct approaches of the featured photographers really help to bring the stories to life and this program presents many less well-known countries and regions in a compelling way using panoramic landscapes and stunning visuals. 

The first season explores multiple destinations per episode, with visits to Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Alaska and Colorado in the United States, Vanuatu, the Himalayas, Antarctica, Ethiopia and Uganda.

The second season covers Kenya, Norway, Brazil, the Bahamas, India and Namibia, and the third season highlights Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Australia.

This series presents a journey across the globe and is sure to inspire travellers who are looking for their next adventure.

Contributed by Claire from  Claire Pins Travel  

In this cultural travel show, CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour (who in the past has covered major stories from countries like  Iran , Rwanda, and Pakistan) travels to six different cities around the world to explore women’s love lives across multiple cultures. She talks to experts in the field as well as everyday people — revealing facts and details that give a very insightful glimpse into the culture and values of women around the world. 

Christiane is a natural at asking just the right questions and at shining a spotlight on the stories of the women in each city.

While this show focuses heavily on love and sex, viewers will get to learn a whole lot about the overall mentality and life approach of each country — making this a perfect travel show that fosters deeper cultural appreciation.

Places featured – Tokyo (Japan), Delhi (India), Beirut (Lebanon), Berlin (Germany), Accra (Ghana), Shanghai (China)

Chosen by Jiayi of The Diary of A Nomad

Released at the beginning of 2021, The Serpent is not a travel show in and of itself, but it will inevitably allure travelers into visiting the many places explored by the main characters.

Aired on Netflix, the series tells the real story of Charles Sobhraj, a French serial killer of Indian and Vietnamese origins who in the mid-1970s drugged, robbed and killed a large number of backpackers travelling between Thailand, India and Nepal. 

Sobhraj and his Quebecoise girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc were finally identified as the authors of the crimes thanks to the work of Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg, who, albeit the many reservations of the Dutch ambassador to Thailand, set to investigate the disappearance of a Dutch couple and through a series of lead eventually managed to uncover the culprits.

Places featured: Over the course of 8 episodes you will be taken to Bangkok, the coast of Thailand, the peaks of Nepal, the streets of several Indian cities and even to Paris .

Chosen by Claudia Tavani of My Adventures Across The World

When Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson free climbed the Great Wall of the El Capitan rock face in the Yosemite National Park in 2018, the news spread like wildfire.

Dawn Wall is a US documentary about this story of perseverance and adventure.

Cameras follow these legendary free climbers as they undertake this nearly impossible task. It took Cadwell 7 years to reach the goal and we are given a detailed look into the events that led to this decision and the struggles that were involved throughout the journey.

There’s one constant theme that runs throughout the story and that is the strength of the human spirit.

This captivating documentary with great visuals should not be missed. The documentary is in English, but subtitles are available in different languages that include Spanish, French, and Chinese. 

Places featured : Yosemite National Park

Chosen by Rai from A Rai of Light

My Octopus Teacher is an award-winning and very heart-touching documentary on Netflix that covers how a filmmaker spent a year trying to capture a wild octopus on camera and also form a friendship with it. 

For about a year, Craig Foster films a wild octopus he came across while trying out free-diving through an underwater kelp forest in South Africa.

Over the period, Craig and the octopus develop a bond with the octopus almost showing Craig around and not being uninhibited by his presence as he follows it.

Craig watches as it protects itself, loses an arm to an attack and then regrows it too. At the end of the documentary, the octopus naturally passes away after mating and trying to protect its eggs. 

Filmed entirely near Cape Peninsula in South Africa, this beautiful documentary is not to be missed as it covers an offbeat relationship between man and nature. 

Places featured – A kelp forest off False Bay near Simon’s Town in South Africa

Chosen by Lavinia of Continent Hop

For the foodies of the world, who travel the world, and are strident realists about the world, “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” is an absolute must-watch.

Rugged, painfully honest, internationally renowned chef Anthony Bourdain travelled the globe in search of authentic food, people and life experiences. With no time for nonsense and all the time in the world for simple food done to perfection, he takes the viewer to eating establishments from tiny street food stalls to the finest of fine dining.

In his search for amazing food in amazing places, he guides you from the brutality of the Bornean jungle to the madness of Seoul’s foodie nightlife and the pure joy of a perfectly cooked steak in an Argentinian steakhouse accompanied by a glass of locally bottled Malbec. 

Parts Unknown leaves you an appetite for dinner and a bigger one for travel. Wanderlust is baked into every episode.

Chosen by Rosie of the Flying Fluskeys

The Street Food series is one for foodie lovers around the world to enjoy! Each episode follows the story of a local chef and how they started their now-famous street food shops.

From family restaurants to cultural fusions, you learn about a destination through food from the people who make it possible.

Volume one takes place in various Asian destinations, such as Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Delhi (India), Seoul (South Korea), and others.

The second volume takes place in Latin America, highlighting food in Salvador (Brazil), Bogota (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Oaxaca (Mexico), and more.

It is a delicious docuseries that will keep you salivating and also inspire you to understand how food and travel are one. Street Food will also encourage you to get out of your comfort zone if you normally avoid street food!

It is the ideal blend of travel and food for everyone to indulge in from home.

Chosen by Sojourner of Sojournies.com

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Love and Road

The 20 Best Travel Shows on Netflix to Watch in 2024

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Whether you’ve been missing the thrill of traveling or are currently feeling inspired to pick the destination for your next adventure, travel shows can help. Netflix has no shortage of cool travel documentaries and shows, but we’ve decided to pick 20 of the best travel shows on Netflix.

If you’re traveling right now, or if some of these shows are not available in your country, use a VPN to access them without any restrictions. To play the shows, open up your VPN app and select a server located in a different state. If the show is available in your country, but you’re currently traveling internationally, choose the server of your home country to enjoy the show. 

Now let me tell you why these Netflix travel shows are worth watching and don’t blame me if you get hooked on some (or all) of them.

The best travel shows on Netflix

Before we start, let me tell you that this list is in no particular order. It’s up to you to choose the one you want to watch first, but we recommend watching them all. At home, traveling for a holiday, or at a new destination, these Netflix travel shows and documentaries will set you in the mood for discovering new places, tasting exotic food, maybe even cycling, driving, or just staying at home until you finish all the seasons. Lol 

The list is divided into travel shows or documentaries focused on nature, food, dark tourism, cycling and cars, photography, family travels, and specific destinations. Enjoy it!

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The best travel and nature Netflix shows 

Arguably one of the most famous travel documentaries on Netflix, Our Planet takes you on a world tour of earth’s fascinating creatures. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough and filmed in Ultra High Definition, this show takes you to over 50 countries and perfectly captures the wonders of the earth. 

Our Planet is the perfect Netflix travel show to give you some new ideas for your bucket list. Trust us!

Untamed Romania

While most seasoned travelers deeply appreciate Romania’s natural beauty, it is still overlooked in the mainstream media. Untamed Romania is a feature-length film celebrating the country’s immaculate wildlife.

Untamed Romania is one of the best Netflix travel documentaries for those who love nature and want to discover a new destination to travel to.

The best travel and food Netflix shows 

Down to Earth

Down to Earth documentary follows Zac Efron, the actor, and wellness expert Darin Olien as they explore healthy and sustainable practices across different cultures. This documentary showcases the diversity and creativity seen across the globe to make the most of one’s resources.

It’s intriguing and can be inspiring, not only about travel but how we think of sustainability and health. 

Street Food Asia

Sometimes the most accessible way to connect to a different culture is food. Asian food holds a special place in the world regarding street food and is probably one of the most universally beloved cuisines today. Street Food Asia takes you on a food journey across Asia and Southeast Asia’s best food cities, including Bangkok, Delhi, Osaka, and Singapore.

Street Food Asia is one of our fave travel shows on Netflix. We love Asia and Asian delights you can only find from street vendors. If you have never visited this part of the world, watch this show, and it will open your mind to a new world of flavors, aromas, and ways of life. If you are craving an Asia trip, watch it and plan international travel soon. 

Also, read our guides and articles about Asian destinations as they have many travel and food recommendations. Read our guides about Thailand , Vietnam , Indonesia , Malaysia , The Philippines , China , Taiwan, India , and Cambodia .

Ugly Delicious

Ugly Delicious is another food travel show where a star chef David Chang is looking for the world’s most satisfying grub with his buddies. Despite being a professional chef, Chang isn’t pretentious with his picks and takes us on a cross-cultural food trip filled with laughter.

Another great travel and food show on Netflix about food culture.

Somebody Feed Phil

In this series, we follow the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, Phil Rosenthal, as he explores world cuisines and meets the locals. Phil’s upbeat attitude is probably one of the best parts of the Somebody Feed Phil travel show together with a lot of food scenes that will help your plan your future trip to incredible destinations including Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On this Netflix travel show, you will visit cities like Bangkok , spend days in Mexico City , see Lisbon , and many more. Well-known travel destinations are pictured with flavors and a local touch.

High on The Hog: Culinary Journey From Africa to America

This show explores African American soul food and its long journey from Africa to North America. It has been dubbed the most engaging history of African American cuisine. It traces the process of cultivating, harvesting, cooking, and serving the food that enslaved Africans brought with them to the States.

This Netflix cultural travel and food show will take you on a true gastronomic journey. 

Restaurants on the Edge

As you might be able to guess from the name of the show, these hour-long episodes take us to restaurants that are located in some of the most stunning locations in the world but are struggling with their menus and dishes. They are located on the edge of the world but are also on the edge of closing down.

This travel show on Netflix pictures unique locations and a bit of drama, as you can expect. 

Netflix shows about travel, cycling and cars

Biking Borders

This one is for lovers of slow traveling and less-known countries. Two friends go on a 15,000 km bicycle journey worldwide, including the Balkans, Central Asia, and other countries, to build a school in Guatemala.

Rob and I love cycling, so this Netflix travel documentary series is tremendously appealing to us. Biking Borders is also an excellent travel inspiration for those who dream of traveling by bike or going on a cycling holiday. And if this is you, read our article about cycling on Taiwan’s East Coast and cycling in Spain .

Pedal the World

This is another Netflix travel documentary that portrays a world tour on wheels, but this time our protagonist visits 22 countries during his year-long journey, searching for the meaning in life and discovering something new in each country.

Pedal the World is an inspiring and realistic epic road trip that might give you ideas of how you want to spend your life and what really matters. 

Paul Hollywood’s Big Continental Road Trip

Paul Hollywood studies the ties between popular cars in Europe and their local culture and identity as an actor and a baker. In this short but educational Netflix documentary , Hollywood will visit France, Germany, and Italy.

This isn’t your Netflix show if you are looking for food and baking goods. But if you like cars, speed, a bit of history and traveling in Europe, you will enjoy the ride. 

Netflix travel shows about a specific destination

Katla  

This travel series focuses on Iceland, specifically the volcano Katla , which began constantly erupting just recently. The show has eight episodes and does a wonderful job portraying Iceland’s breathtaking beauty . Katla serves as a great reminder of all that we still don’t know about the earth. 

This Netflix travel show is a powerful trigger for wanderlust, and it will make you want to book a trip to Iceland as soon as possible. 

Magic Andes

A documentary following five characters from the Andes, South America’s breathtaking mountains. It is a fascinating series that highlights real people living in communities located under the mountains and paints a nuanced picture of the region of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia .

After watching Magic Andes read our Peru travel guides , and for sure, you will want to visit South América. If you are worried about safety, then read our guide to the safest countries in South America , and you will be surprised. 

Guatemala: Heart of the Mayan World

This documentary focuses on Guatemala’s rich landscape and culture, the territory where 2000 years ago, the fascinating Mayan civilization collapsed. The Mayan influence is still all over Guatemala and Central America, and this documentary does an amazing job of connecting the dots between the past and the present.

Guatemala: Heart of the Mayan World is an inspiring Netflix travel documentary that will add interesting facts to your travel knowledge, and it might make you want to explore more of Latin America. 

Zulu Man in Japan

Starring South African rapper Nasty C, this Netflix travel documentary focuses on Japanese culture. The film takes place in Tokyo, where Nasty C explores the city’s go-to places, culture, sounds, and much more.

Zulu Man in Japan was released in 2019. It’s a 44-minute episode, perfect for those days that you want to have just a little dose of wanderlust knowing that you won’t be addicted to long travel series. 

The best Netflix travel show for unusual tourists

Dark Tourist

Filmed by journalist David Farrier, the author of the 2016 hit documentary Tickled, Dark Tourist takes a different approach to tourism. Farrier travels to places associated with death or tragedies that have turned these destinations into tourist attractions. You can expect anything from haunted places, nuclear lakes, and unusual and weird destinations. Those spots might not be on your travel bucket list, but it is interesting to know that they exist so you can avoid them on your next holiday. 

It’s one of the most-watched travel shows on Netflix, so it’s worth trying.

Netflix show for photography and travel lovers

Tales by Light

Created by Abraham Joffe, this show embraces the art of travel photography and film and the people behind them. This is an Australian documentary/reality travel series on Netflix that follows photographers around the globe as they chase that perfect shot.

This Netflix travel documentary is a good match for those who love photography and travel. It’s perfect for inspiring you to travel and photograph more. 

The best Netflix show about traveling with family

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father

A comedian Jack Whitehall and his uptight father, Michael Whitehall, travel across the world together. The show starts with Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, with the second season focusing on Eastern Europe. The third season explores the American West, the fourth features Australia, and the fifth is all about the United Kingdom, their homeland. On this last season expect everything from dining with Gordon Ramsay to searching for the Loch Ness monster.

A great Netflix travel show for those thinking of traveling with family. It also sparkes a reflection of our relationships with parents and how travel can be a good way to get together or break apart.

Netflix show that combines travel and design

Cabins in the Wild

This show takes place in Wales and follows engineer Dick Strawbridge and craftsman Will Hardie as they inspect eight unique cabins built for a pop-up hotel in Wales. Their final goal is to construct a cabin of their own.

If you like the British Tv series, chances are you will love Cabins in the Wild as well. If you like architecture and construction shows too. This type of Netflix show combines different elements, from traveling to design, making you want to have a cabin in the wild just for you. 

We end our list of the 20 best Netflix travel shows here. Drop us a comment if you have watched any of them or if you have any other good travel series to recommend. 

Love these Netflix travel shows and documentary ideas? Pin it for later!

4 thoughts on “The 20 Best Travel Shows on Netflix to Watch in 2024”

I’m so glad you mentioned The Latchkees! I’ve been obsessed with their adventures since I saw their episode on Netflix. It’s amazing how they make travel look so effortless and fun. I’m definitely adding some of the other shows on your list to my queue 😍

Such a great show!

I can’t believe I never knew about some of these shows! The Travel Diaries is definitely going on my watchlist. 😍

Glad you enjoyed it!

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Top 20+ best travel documentaries 2024.

Are you searching for the best travel documentaries ? Read our reviews below to find inspiration!

Documentaries, like virtually every other cuisine of celebrity, have thrived lately. Chalk this up to streaming solutions old and new pouring billions into initial content to fulfill their readers’ insatiable enthusiasm for new films and shows or just the glut of intriguing stories waiting to be informed. Rarely strikes in the box office, nonfiction narratives are especially well-suited to on-demand screening, nevertheless, offering individuals who invest hours binge-watching milder fare the rare chance to feel as though they’re learning something because they sit on the sofa.

Obviously, an amount never equals quality, so we’re devoting our entire year to seeing as many movies and string to pluck the very best that’ll expand your cognitive and emotional horizons. Below you will discover the top documentaries available in 2024 (such as docuseries, the kind which might have gained more than any other in your streaming revolution). You’ll discover streaming hits, vague treasures, and theatrical props, but all of them share one common attribute: They will help you understand the planet, for better or for worse.

Top 20+ Best Travel Documentaries

Last update on 2024-04-16 / Affiliate links / As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

‘Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution’

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Executive produced from the Obamasthis documentary investigates the milestone motion towards equality and accessibility for individuals with disabilities-and it all began with a bunch of teens in summer camp, only down the street from Woodstock. What starts out as an investigation of a close-knit set of individuals turns to the minute-by-minute documentation of a nation-wide effort. From minute one, you are feeling that the frustration, anger, and jealousy that serve because of the required spark for change.

Murder into Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story

Netflix delivers a fresh look at the event of Cyntoia Brown, a young girl who served 15 years behind bars for murder before being granted clemency in 2018 by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Celebrity assistance from Rihanna, Kim Kardashian West, and LeBron James attracted attention to and aided her launch. But, Cyntoia didn’t authorize the documentary.

The newest Netflix docuseries ponders why”infants would be the best puzzle.” Infants follow 15 babies during their first year of life since they develop in and find out about the world around them. The documentary stocks extensive interviews with investigators, who discuss the science supporting their development. Prepare for some serious infant fever watching these cute little ones.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

The beautiful story of Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old world-renowned sushi master using a very small restaurant inauspiciously situated in a Tokyo subway station, the first of its type to be awarded three Michelin stars.

This stunning and thoughtful movie portrays Ono’s lifelong pursuit of devotion whilst investigating the toll that his obsessive devotion exacts on his connections. An intriguing glimpse into Japanese culture.

Chef’s Table (2017)

Each episode of the Emmy-nominated docuseries visits another global location to get an in-depth interview with among the world’s most renowned chefs.

Creator David Gelb also directed the critically acclaimed Jiro Dreams of Sushi, as well as both productions, discuss a similar psychological and artistic sensibility hallmarked by persuasive narratives and mesmerizingly beautiful cinematography. Check out a detailed article on What is cinematography?

Sahara with Michael Palin (2002)

The traveling documentary is a brilliant account of the numerous civilizations and areas dotting the beautiful Sahara desert. In the arid shores in Morocco, refugee camps in Algeria, into the mysterious deserts of Timbuktu and magnificent starlit nights at Nigeria, this 4-episode attribute also considered one of the very best travel documentaries on Netflix ever resides deep to the enchanting African odyssey.

Aside from exploring the different hidden jewels of this fantastic desert, the characteristic also comprises Palin’s rendezvous with numerous Muslim scholars, tribes, and refugees to emphasize the different cultural and religious beliefs that the individuals of this desert abide by.

The documentary not only highlights the vastness of the isolated desert areas but additionally beautifully highlights the many prevalent cultural influences in Africa and practices like polygamy and female genital mutilation.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013)

How can it be like living in the coldest place in the world for a year? The harsh climatic conditions create Antarctica nearly inhabitable and also an enigma for the entire world. This visual masterpiece highlights the inhabitable features of this continent and traverses the audiences through the lifestyles of scientists and technicians living in isolation over the continent, braving the unforgiving winters. If you’re a nature enthusiast, you may love its opulence even in its own bitter hardness.

Traveling isn’t only about pristine beaches, intimate lanes, and lush valleys. Living in a location where the sun does not shine for months and if it will, it forgets to place, is something you ought to encounter. Ever heard of Survival of the Fittest? You need to see one of the very best travel documentaries of all time. Get up, close, and personal with it!

180 Degree South (2010)

180 Degree South is an assimilation of this unforgettable journey undertaken by Jeff while recreating the epic trip hauled off by Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins throughout their road trip in 1968. Jeff’s travel was adventurous as he opted to surf, sail, and scale before eventually making it into Chile.

Watch it to get exciting experiences, gritty travelling, and the proper technique invented before pulling such jobs.

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (2008)

‘The North Sea and the sand are the beginning for me…’ states Agnès Varda, prestigious filmmaker of the Nouvelle Vague and photographer of genius, who dated 80 in this autobiographical collage of private memory and atmosphere, takes us into the shores that shaped her youth, her marriage, her artwork and outside.

‘Time passes, except about the shores, which are classic…’ she motives, recalling fondness Belgian sands at La Panne and Middelkerke. And notably the port town of Sète at France’s southern area of Occitanie, where she talks of visiting fishermen at the 1940s dwelling in rough tents on the dunes, canvas walls slung with storm lamps and older pans.

Noirmoutier, the French island in the Bay of Biscay, ” recalls her husband Jacques Demy particularly enjoying, and she movies it in tribute, and using this freshness it is since becoming a destination for lovers of the film. ‘What’s the cinema?’ Varda inquires,’It’s LIGHT coming from someplace…’ We watch her sailing up the Seine at a wooden vessel, directly beneath the Ponts des Arts, the craft painted the sun-flashing yellowish of this Provençal sunflower which Varda always appeared to incorporate in her films.

I had the fantastic fortune to interview Varda if she was 90, only months before she died, and that I took a lot of sunflowers as a gift – she obtained them with a yelp of joy, saying they reminded her of French reds, her eyes hot as landing lights.

Stream on Amazon, Google Play and YouTube

Tokyo Idols (2017)

Fascinating and at times creepy look in the eccentric world of teen idols in Japan and their fanatical middle-aged devotees.

Shows how otaku (pop culture geeks) select the escapist fantasy provided by those budding starlets, some as young as 10, over connections with real girls.

Conan Without Borders (2018)

Late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien hits the street in this show that brings him along with his sense of comedy to far-flung destinations.

Street Food

The founders of’Chef’s Table’ take to the roads at a food-centric show that attracts audiences to some of the planet’s most energetic cities to find the rich tradition of road delicacies. In the hawker stalls of Singapore into the food carts of India,’ Street Food’ highlights the tales of perseverance and civilization which bring life into a nation’s cuisine. This is the best travel and food documentaries Netflix.

Winning an Academy Award for the Best Documentary, Free Solo shares the unbelievably intimate narrative of free soloist climber Alex Honnold along with his unwavering determination in preparing for the growth of his life. From the documentary, Honnold attempts to realize his lifelong dream of scaling the world’s most renowned rock: the 3,200-foot El Capitan at Yosemite National Park… and he plans to do it with no rope. If you’re searching for a gripping adventure story, this is it.

Visible: Outside on Video

Apple TV+ brings this historical documentary about LGBTQ+ representation on tv throughout the previous twenty decades. Essential characters, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, and Oprah Winfrey, along with other private first-person interviews illuminate the progress toward approval off and on the little screen.

‘Tiger # ‘ng: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’

This Netflix docuseries was a massive hit (pun certainly intended, sorry). If all your friends have not told you about it, the show covers Joe Exotic, the bizarre polygamist musician and presidential candidate that owned and operated a zoo of large cats. Yes, it is as odd as it seems. Oh, and he is in jail on a murder-for-hire plot, that’s the driving force of the story. The show is presently becoming backlash from a number of the interviewees in addition to animal rights activists, but the deep dip into the mad world of major cat owners, and also the terrible conditions that the animals have problems, was eye-opening for me personally.

Losing Sight Of Shore (2017)

Losing Sight Of Shore is one of the best time travel documentaries of the past ten years. The movie follows four female friends as they train, strategy, then sail (at a rowboat) from California across the Pacific to Australia. It is absolute insanity. The film is harrowing, emotionally wrought, and superbly executed. It keeps you on the edge of your chair as you feel that the wonderful ups and unpleasant downs of traveling on the border.

This is a superb way to spend 90 minutes one of this week also, possibly, it will motivate you to get out there also.

Fire At Sea (2016)

Traveling is not always about Instagram hashtags and wanderlust. At times it’s about success. Fire At Sea delivers a harrowing glimpse into the realities of refugees fleeing Northern Africa to get Europe – especially Sicily, Italy in this circumstance. The film juxtaposes the way the little backwater city became the flashpoint for refugees landing in Europe. It is a stark narrative of humanity, suffering, and soul to overcome and endure.

‘Cheer’# ‘

Another one you might already know of, you need to absolutely run to see Netflix docuseries Cheer. In the event, your friends have not told you all relating to this in gushing terms, here is the gist: The Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team is considering if perhaps not the greatest teams in the country. It’s 40 members in total, and being chosen is only the start. The show carries us through”creating the mat,” a.k.a. cto choose team associates to compete at the finals. From the time we reach the National Cheerleading Championship, we have fallen in love with half of the group (Jerry!!). It is a pleasant, feel-good balance to a few of the others on this listing.

‘Miss Americana’

After Taylor Swift took the point in the 2019 American Music Awards, where she had been named Artist of the Decade, she started her operation by singing”The Man” while dressed in primitive white shirt apparel together with all the titles of her six records in large black decoration, reminiscent of a prison uniform’s stripes.

The outfit and tune were a nod to what the singer had disclosed on societal media 10 days before: That Scoot Borchetta and Scooter Braun, founders of significant Machine Tag Team, her former label, were preventing her from performing tunes from her record. Suffice to say, it has been a crazy couple of years from the renowned singer’s lifestyle. Director Lana Wilson was along for the ride, after Swift for its highly awaited documentary premiering on the opening day of the year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Hillary recounts the life and livelihood of the former First Lady and presidential candidate on Hulu. There is lots of time to see before going to the polls to the 2020 presidential election. Obviously, no Hillary Clinton documentary could be complete without touching the contentious 2016 election, yet this account features interviews with Hillary, Bill, Chelsea, and much more to get a private standpoint.

Roll With Me

If there was ever a time to put our problems in view, it is right now. While we might have tendencies to feel sorry for ourselves because we socially space from normality, let us have a second (or even 90 minutes in this instance ) to see the narrative of a newly-sober paraplegic because he tries to bounce back from the stone bottom via a 3,100-mile wheelchair trek across the USA.

See also:  Top 30 Best Travel Items 2024 Review

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The 20 Best Adventure Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies To Stream Right Now

Post Summary: The Best Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies 

Don’t have time to travel right now, but still want to be transported somewhere else? Berty and I have found ourselves scrolling through old pictures on our phones, reminiscing about those amazing hiking trails in Glacier from last summer or gorgeous places on the Oregon Coast . 

Sooo, while phone pictures are great reminders of past trips, we’re getting our travel fix now by watching travel documentaries and travel movies ! They are an awesome way to transport yourself into another world and experience the adrenaline rush, culture, or experiences right from the comfort of your own couch.

In this post, we’re sharing our recommended travel documentaries and travel movies across a wide span of streaming services. We’re aware that people may not have all of these (or any!) but we tried to cover as many as we could to share our recommendations.

We hope you can find a new travel series to enjoy alongside us!

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Adventure Travel Documentaries and Travel Movies To Feed Your Wanderlust

Is this a complete list? Absolutely not! We don’t cover much about food tourism, and that’s an entirely different topic with a HUGE range of shows to explore.

In this particular post, we’re sharing more travel documentaries on the adventurous side of things, to inspire epic adventures and maybe even a rush of adrenaline!

We hope you enjoy our travel movie picks, and let us know in the comments if you have any more to add to this list!

NETFLIX TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES

The dawn wall.

Love climbing? You’ll really love The Dawn Wall . This documentary follows Tommy Caldwell in his attempt to climb Yosemite’s Dawn Wall (the section of El Capital that the sun hits first in the mornings) and the incredible backstory that led him to this monumental feat. 

Follow the world’s adorable animals in this documentary series from the makers of Blue Planet and Planet Earth. Follow exotic animals from over 50 countries and see how they thrive in the wilderness. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, this travel documentary will give you all the warm fuzzies. 

National Parks Adventure

Bummed that your favorite national parks are closed? Experience them in this amazing travel movie narrated by Robert Redford! He shares the history of America’s national parks, from the tall Redwoods to the vast stretches of the Grand Canyon . You’ll be inspired, awe-struck, and ready to plan your next adventure before it ends.

Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

A traveling comedian takes his risk-averse father around the world . A funny travel documentary about trying new things and bonding with the person you love across the world!

Dark Tourist

David Farrier ventures out into the world of Dark Tourism, which is traveling to unpopular places for their notoriety in death , destruction , or all-around spookiness . From war zones to Chernobyl, David brings you to the places you never want to go…but kind of do. 

Tales By Light

Follow Simon Lister, a photographer that traveled the world with camera in hand, only to soften his heart for the poor and disadvantaged he encountered. He partnered with UNICEF to bring awareness to small communities in need , sharing the unique stories of the people in them. 

This travel documentary is for you if you love feel-good shows , with panning drone shots of the beautiful landscapes he encounters. 

The Alpinist

Following the life of quiet, solitary life of Marc-André Leclerc, you’ll learn about the man who redefined solo climbing by tackling some of the most daunting and dangerous peaks in the world! If you love mountaineering and climbing, this is definitely one of the best travel documentaries to watch.

AMAZON PRIME TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES AND MOVIES

The secret life of walter mitty.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of our favorite travel movies to watch for world inspiration! Following the story of the lifeless day-to-day schedule of photo developer Walter Mitty, he begins to have exciting daydreams about seeing the world.

All this comes to the forefront when he gets an opportunity to travel and track down a photo, to be used for the final issue of the magazine firm in which he works. This movie is filled with gorgeous shots of some of the most beautiful areas of the world – it will definitely give you a little bit of wanderlust!

Idaho The Movie

Tim Woodward narrates this gorgeous travel documentary all about…you guessed it, Idaho! If you’ve ever been curious about all the buzz around this state, whet your travel appetite with the Emmy-Award-winning documentary. (It also has a sequel!)

Love Idaho? You’ll want to plan a trip to the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail in the summertime!

Alone is a reality show that follows the lives of ten individuals, all placed in isolation from the rest of the world on a quest for survival. Their goal is to see who can survive in the wilderness the longest , and some seasons have contestants going for months before the last person is left standing!

The first, second, and fourth seasons are all filmed on Vancouver Island , which is an interesting way to see the wild, less-reached areas of the island. Berty and I love this series because we learn a lot about survival strategies and love hearing the stories of the individuals! 

If you love climbing documentaries like Free Solo, you’re going to love Meru! This documentary follows the attempts of three professional climbers , attempting Mount Meru, one of the riskiest climbs in the world. 

They face all kinds of challenges, ranging from terrible weather, difficult climbs, and mental blocks. If you have been curious about what it’s like to be an elite climber, this is the travel documentary for you!

HULU TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES

A show by Vice, Abandoned is about exploring abandoned structures all around America . Following the story of pro skateboarder Rick McCrank, he’ll take you to some of America’s most forgotten places and show you the beauty that still lies there. Watch the trailer here.  

Man Vs Wild

Man Vs Wild is a popular and exciting travel documentary series that follows Bear Grylls on his always-exciting adventures into the far reaches of the world. From survival tips to risky quests , he takes you on adventures that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Rick Steves Europe

Rick Steves is one of the most popular and well-known travel writers of our time. He has helped thousands of people plan amazing trips all around the world, but most notably around Europe!

The graphics in this travel documentary series are a little on the cheesy side (recorded in the early 2000s), but you’ll come to the other side of this show with expanded cultural knowledge, history, and a long bucket list of places to explore in Europe !

DISNEY PLUS TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES AND MOVIES

This adorable feel-good movie is about a grumpy old man and a boy scout that take an unpredictable adventure. Tying thousands of balloons to his home , the dynamic duo fly to South America to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing Paradise Falls. 

Free Solo is a documentary about US climber, Alex Honnold in his attempt to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without the aid (or safety) of ropes . Sweaty palms will set in right from the beginning – Alex’s camera crew shoots at angles that make even the most risk-seeking individuals have a pit in their stomach! 

This documentary follows the days leading up to the climb, interviews with his closest friends and family, and the nail-biting climb carefully documented every step of the way!

Read More: How To Spend 24 Hours In Yosemite National Park

Living in an idyllic Polynesian village, Moana is the daughter of the chief who is constantly searching for her purpose and identity. When her community is thrust into danger, she sets out on a mission to the open waters to save her people . Meeting the demi-god, Maui, and other mystical creatures, Moana’s adventure is full of twists and turns as she becomes a master way-finder on the open sea.

Young Miguel dreams of being a musician , despite his family’s aversion to music. Going behind his family’s back to prove he has what it takes to be a famous musician like his idol, Ernest de la Cruz, he stumbles upon the other side of life, the Land of the Dead . 

Funny characters, Miguel’s ancestors, and mystical beasts help Miguel as he navigates his way back home and discovers his true family history. 

Ratatouille

Being a rat in Paris can have its disadvantages, especially if you are an aspiring chef ! Remy the mouse dreams of being a famous chef in Paris and with the help of an unlucky garbage boy (Linguini) he gets to put his skills to the test.

If you are dreaming about visiting Paris, this is a fun way to immerse yourself in the culture of the city, without having to plan your own Paris itinerary!

Want To Plan Your Own Trip? Read Our 3 Day Paris Itinerary!

The Rescue is one of the most miraculous travel documentaries that happened just a few years ago! In 2018, a Thai soccer team of 12 boys wandered into a cave and became trapped by water flooding into the space.

The Thai navy and friends gathered together the best cave divers in the world to plan a rescue mission to save the boys and their coach. Watch the full movie to see this exciting and nerve-wracking story unfold!

Even More Travel Documentaries and Movies To Watch At Home

• Down To EarthThe Goonies
• The Darjeeling Limited
• Into the Wild
• 180 Degrees South
• Interstellar
• Stand By Me
• The Hobbit Series
• Indiana Jones
• Call of the Wild
• Lord of the Rings
• The River Wild
• The Way Back
• Vertical Limit
• Captain Fantastic
• The Revenent

What are some other travel documentaries and travel movies? Anything we missed? Share your favorites in the comments below!

More travel inspiration.

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Find Me directed by Tom Huang. You can watch it for free on Tubi! Literally one of my favorite movies!

Thanks for the travel movie suggestion, Alexandra!!

Idaho: The Movie is everything! Definitely makes you want to go on an Idaho road trip ASAP. Loved stress-watching Free Solo and the Dawn Wall, will have to check out Meru. And – the Walter Mitty soundtrack is the best adventure music ever. Thanks for this fun movie round up!

Love it Sarah! Yes, we totally recommend Meru. If you loved the Dawn Wall and Free Solo, Meru is the next level!!

9 Best Travel Documentaries You Can Watch Right Now (Netflix & Prime Video)

Whether you’re in-between trips or searching for inspiration for your next holiday, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have all you travel junkies covered.

Here are the 9 best Netflix and Prime Video travel documentaries available now for your bingeing pleasure, viewable from the comfort of your own couch or wherever your nomadic journeys may take you.

Most Popular Travel Documentaries on Netflix & Prime Video

1. ugly delicious (2018-).

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 7.8 | Netflix

Genre: Food Travel Documentary

Locations: United States, Italy, Mexico, China, Japan, Vietnam, Denmark,

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then the way to the heart of a culture must be through its food. Award-winning chef David Chang and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville team up to bring you both a comical and thought-provoking take on the deep impact food has on personal relationships and cultures as a whole. Chang travels to acclaimed restaurants and humble kitchens throughout the world searching for not only the best tasting grub but also exploring the culinary and cultural origins of dishes that are common the world over. Be sure to watch the battle of Italian stuffed pasta vs. Asian dumplings.

2. Residente (2017)

90 Mins | IMDb: 8.1 | Netflix

Genre: Music, Travel Around the World

Locations: The Caucuses, Siberia, China, West Africa, Puerto Rico and more

After receiving the results of a DNA test, beloved Puerto Rican rapper Residente embarks on a globe-trotting journey to discover his roots, both ethnically and musically. His journey takes him from Europe to Asia to Africa and eventually home again, and along the way he explores the history, war, poverty, beauty, and social injustices of each region through their people and their music. His message: We are all interconnected, and music is the world’s universal language. A stunning soundtrack and insightful storytelling make this a must-see.

3. Dark Tourist (2018-)

Genre: Gothic Travelogue, Travel Around the World

Locations: Colombia, United States, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Benin, South Africa

Looking for an unconventional (or frightening) holiday? Journalist David Farrier has compiled a long list of macabre destinations for the bravest travelers. As an industry, dark tourism is characterized as traveling to places that are associated with death or disaster; it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely fascinating to watch while you Netflix and Chill. If you’d like to observe a Mexican exorcism, explore a town abandoned due to radiation, or witness the cleaning of a mummified corpse in Indonesia, this is the show for you.

4. Stephen Fry in America (2018-)

1 season, 6 episodes | IMDb: 8.0 | Netflix

Genre: BBC Travel Documentary

Locations: United States

If the voodoo stuff isn’t up your alley and you’re looking for lighter fare, British comedian Stephen Fry’s journey through America’s 50 states (in a British taxi, no less) will do the trick. The hilarity lies in watching a foreigner explore America’s national and regional quirks; that and Fry’s famous British wit. His honest examination of what makes America—well—so American (the good, the bad, and the ugly) is what makes the show authentic, and frankly worth watching.

5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

82 Mins | IMDb: 7.9 | Netflix

Genre: Biographical, Food, Japan Travel

Locations: Japan

The awe-inspiring story of 85-year-old sushi legend Jiro Ono must be seen to be believed. He is the auspicious owner of a sushi-only restaurant–located underground in a Tokyo subway station—that seats 10 people—that serves dishes at $300 a plate—and has three Michelin stars. This lovely documentary details the triumphs and flaws of his personal life and his unyielding drive for perfection and the toll it inevitably took on his relationships. This isn’t just a film for foodies, it’s a fascinating look at Japanese culture as well.

6. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

100 Mins | IMDb: 7.8 | Netflix

Genre: Exploration, Road Less Traveled

Locations: Antarctica

Follow Werner Herzog to the end of the world; Antarctica’s largest habitation, McMurdo Research Station. There he finds a breathtaking and fierce world known only to the few who have ever had the chance to travel there. His documentary is in part expeditionary, and of course, promises extraordinary cinematography from stunning underwater dive footage to magnificent polar landscapes. But it’s also deeply personal as he looks into the strange yet familiar lives of the people who have made such a hostile environment their home. It also provides a philosophical look at the effects humans are having on earth’s most precious environments and wildlife.

7. Desert Runners (2013)

95 Mins | IMDb: 7.6 | Prime Video

Genre: Adventure Travel, Drama

Locations: Chile, Antarctica, China, Sahara Desert, UK

Chronicles four inspiring extreme athletes who are attempting to complete the Four Deserts: a series of 250-kilometer marathons run through the world’s most hostile environments, its four deserts (the Atacama in Chile, the Gobi in China, the Sahara in Africa, and Antarctica) within the same calendar year. The documentary takes you through their grueling training, the highs and lows of their personal lives that inspired them to even dream of undertaking such a feat, and their successes and failures as they attempt what seems to be the impossible. The scenery is visually stunning and if this film doesn’t make you want to get off the couch I don’t know what will.

8. Tales by Light (2016)

2 Seasons, 12 Episodes | IMDb: 8.3 | Netflix

Genre: Photography Travel Documentary

Locations: Brazil, Bahamas, India, Namibia, Kenya, Antarctica, Vanuatu, and More

This is travel gluttony at its finest. Tales by Light may be one of the most visually stunning documentaries on Netflix, and its unconventional take on the travel doc makes it especially intriguing. See the earth’s wonders through the lenses of six professional photographers, each searching for the perfect shot in their own unique style and photo concentration. When you get past all the eye candy you’ll be equally captivated by the stories each photographer wants to tell through their work.

9. Life Off Grid (2016)

85 Mins | IMDb: 6.6 | Prime Video

Genre: Eco-Living, North-American Travel

Locations: Canada

Ever wonder what it’s like to live completely off the grid, with no connection to electrical or natural gas infrastructures? See what it’s like to disconnect as Jonathan Taggart and Phillip Vannini travel across Canada visiting and interviewing 200 people doing just that. The film is fascinating as it examines not only the challenges but also innovations off-gridders have come up with to survive in this unconventional (yet strikingly natural) way.

Honorable Mentions

Okay, here are a few more goodies, because…

Well, why not?

You can never watch too many good travel documentaries, right?

• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
• Valley Uprising
• Somebody Feed Phil
• Man Up & Go
• Expedition Happiness
• Pedal the World
• Planet Earth
• The Moaning of Life

There you have it: the 9 best travel documentaries available on Netflix and Prime Video right now, plus a few extra just for kicks. Now you have no reason to not scratch that travel itch. Go grab a bucket of popcorn and get ready to book those plane tickets.

Bring on the wanderlust.

Written By Kate Mark

Kate is a mid-lifer who quit a growing corporate career to reawaken her passions and her lifelong dream of traveling the world.

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13 Best Travel Documentaries on Netflix (2023)

These Netflix documentaries about travel will pacify your wanderlust between trips as you explore the world from the comfort of your couch.

Here are some of the best travel documentaries on Netflix in the US as of July 24, 2023. Many are also available in other countries. Watch them while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.

Also, don’t miss the bonus list of travel documentaries on Amazon Prime below.

Table of Contents

Netflix Travel Documentaries

1. dark tourist.

Netflix meets Vice in this travelogue by New Zealand filmmaker David Farrier, who sets his sights on the world of dark tourism.

From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, he visits macabre — and sometimes dangerous — tourist destinations around the world.

Countries : Various

2. Street Food: Latin America

Experiencing street food culture is one of the joys of travel. This mouth-watering docuseries travels to Latin America to meet the local stars of street food.

Countries : Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia

3. Street Food: Asia

This inspiring series from the makers of Chef’s Table is as much about the compelling survival stories of these talented street chefs as it is about their signature dishes.

The first season takes the viewer to nine Asian destinations.

Countries : Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam

4. Pedal the World

Over the course of one memorable and adventure-filled year, German-born Felix Starck documents his 18,000-kilometer bicycle journey across 22 countries.

The Oscar-nominated heart-rending true story of the rangers risking their lives to save Africa’s most precious national park and its endangered gorillas.

Country: Congo

6. Chef’s Table

Each episode of this Emmy-nominated docuseries visits a different international location for an in-depth interview with one of the world’s most renowned chefs.

Creator David Gelb also directed the critically acclaimed Jiro Dreams of Sushi , and the two productions share a similar emotional and artistic sensibility hallmarked by compelling narratives and mesmerizingly beautiful cinematography.

7. Magical Andes

No English subtitles available for trailer – but you don’t need them to admire the stunning photography

From Argentina to Colombia, this inspiring documentary follows five characters who share their deep connection to South America’s majestic mountains.

Countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

8. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Chef David Chang brings his trademark irreverent humor and curiosity to Vancouver, Marrakech, Los Angeles, and Phnom Penh as he explores the culture and food accompanied by various celebrity guests.

Countries : Canada, Morocco, US, Cambodia

9. The Trader (Sovdagari)

At only 23 minutes, this award-winning documentary short provides a fascinating and poignant window into impoverished rural life in post-Soviet Georgia.

The camera follows a traveling trader as he sells secondhand goods in exchange for potatoes. Beautiful cinematography that captures the stark Georgian landscape.

Country: Georgia

10. Ugly Delicious

Smart-ass chef David Chang leads his buddies on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world’s most satisfying grub.

Each episode of this highly original show tackles a topic like tacos, pizza, or dumplings, examining its cultural and culinary history and visiting different countries to compare how it’s made.

Warning: Chang can be obnoxious, and racial and political commentary is liberally sprinkled throughout the show, which may not be to everyone’s taste.

11. Period. End of Sentence.

This Oscar-winning documentary short takes us to rural India, where local women fight the stigma surrounding menstruation by manufacturing low-cost sanitary pads.

Country: India

12. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling book, this visually stunning series travels to the home kitchens of Italy, the southern islands of Japan, the heat of the Yucatán, and to Berkeley’s Chez Panisse.

Samin’s contagious laugh and genuine passion for cooking inspire as she explores the central principles of what makes food delicious.

Countries: Italy, Japan, Mexico, United States

13. Taco Chronicles

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer; click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix Warning: Don’t watch if you’re hungry. Explore the complex histories of the world’s most beloved tacos in this love letter to the iconic handheld food.

Country : Mexico

Travel Documentaries on Amazon Prime

See below for some of the best travel documentaries on Amazon Prime Video. I’ve indicated whether each is free to Prime members or available for rental.

Note that these films may also be found at your local library.

A Map for Saturday

Classic travel documentary that follows a variety of solo budget travelers — from teens to seniors — through 26 countries on four continents.

Young filmmaker Brook Silva-Braga trains his inquisitive lens on backpackers lending a hand to tsunami victims, trekkers forming brief but intense relationships, and fascinating moments of self-discovery and adventure.

Available for rental on Amazon Prime .

This inspiring documentary follows the record-breaking round-the-world voyage of Dutch teen Laura Dekker, youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime.

This beautifully filmed docu follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey to Patagonia of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, legendary founders of The North Face and Patagonia sportswear and pioneering conservationists.

Along the way Johnson gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life, and attempts to climb a Patagonian peak.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime .

Countries: Mexico, Chile

You may also like:

• Travel Essentials You Never Knew You Needed
• Netflix TV Shows and Movies Filmed in Morocco
• Best Russian Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime
• German TV Series on Netflix and Amazon Prime

About Ingrid

Ingrid left software engineering at age 43 to devote herself to language learning and travel. Her goal is to speak seven languages fluently. Currently, she speaks English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is studying Italian.

Reader Interactions

July 5, 2018 at 3:56 pm

Definitely going to start ploughing my way through some of these before I head off next!! 🙂

July 5, 2018 at 10:38 pm

Definitely… Netflix travel shows provide some of my best inspiration! 😉

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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The best travel documentaries to stream right now

By Condé Nast Traveller and Antonia Quirke

There are films that make you want to travel . But that’s easy. Just point a camera at an April meadow or a Sicilian back street and most of us salivate. And then there are films that make you feel like you have actually, physically travelled to a place. That leave you suffused with the sensations of its air and sounds. As though the camera lens has been your own eyes, noting details of light against brick, hills stepping inland, fruit and cigarettes on a table, springs gushing out of rocks, courtyards hanging with people and flowers, shirts on a line across a high, unstable balcony. So much that it can begin to feel spooky: you muddle the movie’s memories with your own.

Passing Stromboli on a boat one summer I thought, ‘Been there.’ I hadn’t. I’d just seen the movie, and more recently Ingrid Bergman’s own cine-film footage of the shoot (see below.) But still, I got off, and walked around. And it was true. I had been there already. The mesmerising, almost drugging déjà vu! Here are some more of the best travel documentary films that have that very singular effect.

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

Be immersed in the wonders of nature with this uplifting Netflix original, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards. Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, it follows the unexpected friendship between filmmaker Craig Foster and a wild octopus in a South African kelp forest. After swimming in the remote location near Cape Town and discovering this curious marine animal, Foster decided to visit the same spot every day to learn and understand more about the creature and subsequently form a strong bond with it.

In one hour and 25 minutes of beautiful imagery and filmography, this documentary leaves you feeling sentimental about human connections, our extraordinary interactions with other life – and intrigued about what else lies below the ocean’s surface… By Cordelia Aspinall

'My Octopus Teacher' is available to stream on Netflix now

Cher and the Loneliest Elephant documentary (2021)

Watch the trailer below

Released in the USA on Thursday 22 April to mark Earth Day 2021 , this heart-warming wildlife documentary follows singer Cher’s mission to rescue a captive elephant named Kaavan. Kaavan, a Sri-Lankan born elephant, was sent as a gift to the daughter of the president of Pakistan and ended up, confined, in Islamabad Zoo. After a global petition via Change.org and Twitter received more than 400,000 signatures, a five-year fight for his freedom began, with none other than global pop superstar Cher stepping in after she spotted the campaign online. Having been confined for more than 35 years (the duration of its life) and given the title ‘the loneliest elephant in the world’, the five-tonne animal was relocated across Asia to a 30,000-acre Cambodian wildlife sanctuary.

With teary moments and incredible footage of the massive process involved in the transportation of Kaavan to Cambodia, this is a moving story focusing on the unsettling trauma the elephant was forced to experience, yet it has an uplifting end. Not only does the film with Cher’s narration walk you through this elephant’s long struggle of neglect and maltreatment, it also shines a light on the cruelty that so many animals around the world endure every day. It is a moving yet educational documentary hooked on a powerful true story. Cher co-founded the animal rights organisation Free the Wild as a result and even released the song 'Walls' inspired by her experience. By Cordelia Aspinall

'Cher and the Loneliest Elephant' is available on Smithsonian Channel from Wednesday 19 May 2021

MAN ON WIRE (2008)

‘I remember the vastness of New York . The altitude! It was all so alive!’ Was a city ever so breathtakingly captured as in this celebrated account of the mist-swagged August morning in 1974 when French wire-walker Philippe Petit illegally rigged a cable between the twin towers of the World Trade Center and made eight entirely improbable crossings in 45 minutes. Dressed all in black, his slender figure carrying its long balancing pole occasionally kneels on the thin wire (he even lies down – how your stomach heaves!), saluting the dazzling morning, and his own skill and chutzpah, as the startled pedestrians on the streets far below gaze up weeping and gasping while steam filters up through cracks in the pavement in that quintessential NYC way. Even though the crossings themselves are all in fact captured only in stills taken at the time by Petit’s assistants and friends you somehow remember the whole marvellous incident in moving images. It’s the city itself that’s doing that to you: its inherent dynamism, its irrepressible atmosphere of perpetual motion.

Lily Bonesso

Toby Skinner

Tabitha Joyce

Noo Saro-Wiwa

We see Manhattan photographed here from so high above (much as we see it in the 1933 King Kong ), the Hudson spreading like glitter – like nitrate itself – in any black-and-white images. And the colour of apricot in colour stills, under blue swags of cloud and summer sky. ‘Everyone was spellbound by the watching of it,’ exhales a policeman dispatched to arrest Petit, who was ultimately charged with trespass and disorderly conduct. But the city embraced him.

Stream on Amazon , Google Play and YouTube

FREE SOLO (2018)

An immense, waning moon stares into a canyon’s abyss of sharp stones. A fierce river below spurts along the valley, wild grasses on the banks rolling in the wind like feathers or fur. All this the free-climber Alex Honnold sees – or does he? Fixed like Spider-Man to the side of a cliff, climber’s white chalk clinging to the back of his blistered hands, as the evening flushes rose right across Yosemite National Park. A film that follows Honnold in 2017 preparing to climb the infamous El Capitan – ‘3,200 feet of sheer vertical granite… the centre of the rock-climbing universe’ – without ropes. You sweat in sickly fear for his safety while also completely revelling in the fresh air every frame seems to blow your way, the bright warmth of sun on boulder, the absurd beauty of distant trees, the sight of a rainbow slicing through the foaming heart of a waterfall. You emerge healthier and freer somehow, just for having watched it. Your own limbs spasm as though you walked all day. Despite it being a compelling story of self-induced terror (what drives the angel-faced Honnold remains a mystery), you remember more the awesome sights, the very visceral sensation of movement.

Stream on All4

SEASPIRACY (2021)

Not one for the faint of heart, this 90-minute Netflix documentary has been hitting audiences hard in quite a few ways. It’s from the team behind C owspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (another in-depth spotlight, this time on the impact of agriculture on our planet), and you can expect to see similar themes, upsetting footage and quite controversial interviews with figures in the global fishing industry. The film, directed and narrated by British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, sets out to explore the damaging effects of mass-scale commercial fishing on marine life and the levels of pollution in waters around the world. Expect to learn about the importance of dolphins, sharks and whales for our oceans ’ ecosystems, that sustainably sourced seafood might not be all that it seems, and that, ultimately, we should all be reducing our fish consumption. You might very well be off fish by the end, but it’s also worth reading around some more: there are some conflicting views about the film and whether the scientific points it makes are factually out of context. Katharine Sohn

Seaspiracy is available to stream on Netflix now

Chasing Coral (2017)

You may not be able to travel to see the Great Barrier Reef , the subject of this Netflix documentary, for much longer if we don't do something about climate change and ocean warming. The film uses hi-tech camera equipment and time lapses to show the deterioration of the coral as it turns from 'colourful, vibrant ecosystems into barren, lifeless wastelands,' writes Condé Nast Traveler US 's Sebastian Modak. You'll feel truly gutted once the movie's over, but it will have you planning a trip to Australia , and other areas with endangered natural wonders, within minutes of the rolling credits.

Stream Chasing Coral on Netflix

THE WHALEBONE BOX (2020)

Here’s a treat. Andrew Kotting – our most quietly influential experimental filmmaker – released a film online that sweeps us up on a pilgrimage to return a box made of whalebone to a far beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, whence the whale bones originally came. So, we cram in a car with Kotting and the psychogeographer Iain Sinclair and rumble north (filming mostly on a camera-phone) all overseen by Kotting’s daughter Eden, who wears a pagan crown of ivy and seems to be conjuring the whole mysterious and somehow healing road trip in a fever-dream. It’s a perfect evocation of that desire to travel. To move, to be en route, to feel twinges of uneasy excitement, to spin out illusionary ideas of a distant location. The place names whirl by: Ardlui, Mallaig. (At one point we suddenly find ourselves in a Templar castle in the Pyrenees.) Inside the car there’s that super-seductive sense of a gang travelling light, seeing what happens and who they might meet along the jagged coastline. ‘There are places you go, to access time,’ Kotting tells us, as the startling white sand of Harris glows in its near-sinister, beckoning way, under racing skies full of clouds like shredded curtains, and sudden glimmers of wet, green Hebridean sunlight.

Streamed exclusively on MUBI

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999)

A phenomenon as much as a movie, the spectacular success of the Buena Vista Social Club album and film had a limitless impact on the Cuban tourist industry. Some 20 years later, the music you hear on street corners in that city is more likely to be the music of pre-revolutionary Cuba defined in the film, by a cadre of musicians (some in their 70s and 80s) who had long fallen out of favour, only to be made world famous in their dotage.

I especially love when the camera sways out onto the streets of Havana, filming fast and in natural light the life there: the men working on immense old cars observed by stray dogs the colour of a sweet cold beer; the breeze off the sea playing against shirts; children rolling wooden toys before them; the unloading of mountains of bananas; residents of stuccoed tenements easing vast, scratched and defunct Fifties American fridges out of doors past murals of Che, as though demonstrating the very sickness of capitalism that Guevera railed against. Guitarist Compay Segundo recalling how, aged five, he would light his grandmother’s cigars in Santiago. Or baritone crooner Ibrahim Ferrer showing us the wooden carving he has always kept of Lazarus, and the little bowls of honey, rum and perfume he would offer to it, for good luck – which finally came to him after years of penury and shoe-shining in Havana after the film was released. Every frame takes you to that city, that climate. The smoky smell of the pavements as the sun grows stronger.

Stream on Google Play and YouTube

THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (2008)

‘The North Sea and the sand is the start for me…’ says Agnès Varda, esteemed filmmaker of the Nouvelle Vague and photographer of genius, who aged 80 in this autobiographical collage of personal memory and feeling, takes us to the beaches that shaped her childhood, her marriage, her art and beyond. ‘Time passes, except on the beaches, which are timeless…’ she reasons, remembering with fondness Belgian sands at La Panne and Middelkerke. And especially the port city of Sète in France ’s southern region of Occitanie, where she speaks of seeing fishermen in the 1940s living in rough tents on the dunes, canvas walls slung with storm lamps and old pans. Noirmoutier, the French island in the Bay of Biscay, she recalls her husband Jacques Demy particularly loving, and she films it here in tribute and with such freshness it’s since become a destination for fans of the movie. ‘What is cinema?’ Varda asks, ‘It is LIGHT coming from somewhere…’ We see her sailing up the Seine in a wooden boat, right under the Ponts des Arts, the craft itself painted the sun-flashing yellow of the Provençal sunflowers that Varda always seemed to feature in her movies. I had the good fortune to interview Varda when she was 90, just months before she died, and I took a bunch of sunflowers as a gift – she received them with a yelp of happiness, saying they reminded her of French summers, her wise eyes warm as landing lights.

GRIZZLY MAN (2005)

‘Sometimes images themselves develop their own mysterious stardom…’ narrates German director Werner Herzog, over this his most heart-rending film. Part ‘kind warrior’ part ‘samurai’ the conservationist-activist Timothy Treadwell lived for 13 summers with wild Kodiak bears in remote areas of the Alaskan peninsula, shooting 100 hours of footage of those bears in their natural habitat. Styling himself as a Prince Valiant, his eventual death-by-Kodiak was shockingly violent, and Herzog shapes Treadwell’s sad, strange story as a tribute to ‘wild, primordial nature’ where his subject was truly at home. As you watch, you’re convinced you too can feel the fresh air on your own skin, the nip of mosquitoes, the pelter of rain. The long evenings spent alone, the vast plateau of mountains, the tide flats, the tumbled jags of glaciers, the sensation of Treadwell’s hands calloused like leather, the yelp of light in the mornings, the changing Alaskan sky.

In one scene, little slim foxes (called Ghost and Spirit) wake him by pressing their noses and paws against the walls of his tent, and he runs with them across a flower-studded meadow, delirious with the surprising gift of such companionship and freedom that would make any child’s heart explode. To be friends with the animals! ‘He captures such glorious improvised moments the likes of which studio directors with their union crews could never dream of,’ says Herzog, with patent admiration, himself an absolute master of putting not just nature, but the profound euphoria of travel on film. Think of those moments in Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre, when the hero walks the High Tatra mountains of northern Slovakia, or the Partnach Gorge in the Reintal valley in southern Germany . Rhapsodic.

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)

Even though this documentary is almost entirely set inside a 10-seater Tokyo restaurant with no view, its location somehow comes to feel as though the whole history of Japan might be contained within its temple-like walls. Jiro Ono (now 94) is Japan’s most famous sushi master. He left home aged nine to become an apprentice, opening his own restaurant in the 1960s that now has a three-Michelin-star rating, which means (says one food critic) ‘It’s worth visiting that country just to visit the restaurant.’ Jiro is modest and stern, and we glimpse snatches of his past – anecdotes about his harsh infancy or an alluring black-and-white photograph of his father formally seated in 1927 wearing a sheeny kimono, an image with unforgettable resonance and romance, that seems to far, far predate the Taisho era.

Inside the restaurant – a capsule of absorption, firmly sealed in its own private weather – every day proceeds without alteration. The rice is steamed and hand-fanned, the halibut and squid and eel finely sliced and pressed together. ‘Press the sushi like you’re pressing a little chick,’ Jiro advises. ‘The world has turned outside, but he has remained the same,’ someone says, as the camera occasionally takes us outside to the brooding, energetic Tokyo streets, where it always seems to be raining and the crowds hurry. Down to the fish market full of tottering porters and barrow-pushers rhythmically going to and fro, where the best tuna trader drags frowningly on his hand-cupped cigarette, his hair slicked like Elvis, dreaming of the days when the fish were fat as pianos.

Stream on Amazon , and Netflix (US)

THE EPIC OF EVEREST (1924)

Not just one of the most important travel films ever made, but a precious artefact. A time capsule, a relic. If the third attempt to ascend Everest culminated in the sad deaths of the determined English climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, the moving image of their expedition (shot by Captain John Noel with a hand-cranked camera sometimes using high-powered telescopic lenses) has thankfully survived. Some of the earliest filmed records of life in Tibet are here, and several frames have been tinted in the original reds and purples of the first screenings in 1924, thanks to meticulous restoration by the BFI.

Every second is a marvel, the images profound. Mallory and Irvine facing the climb of their lives in modest tweed jackets. Tibetan babies in stone villages, their skin slathered in yak butter, lying out happily in the sun. A Tibetan gentleman showing his glimmering ear to the camera, dangling its pendant earring of gold and aquamarine. A baby donkey born during the long march west, expected to walk 25 miles on its first day of life, collapsed in the mud (‘How tired and sleepy he is!’). Ancient castles and monasteries stud the mountains, hermit lamas dwelling in cliff-built cells predicting doom for the mission, climbers snow-blind and in states of collapse or trudging past ice-caves and picking off stalactites, as though they were great jags of lickable sugar on a fairy palace.

The mountain itself – Tibet’s Goddess Mother of the World – seems to physically pulsate with (as a title card tells us) ‘lofty solitude. Grand, solemn and unutterably lonely.’ And then the image of Mallory and Irvine ascending up, and up, and up, only to disappear, eternally out of sight. ‘We may think of ourselves and nature,’ warns the original text on screen, with what feels like definitive prescience. ‘We spring from nature. In life, we defy her.’

Stream on BFI Player

JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY (1959)

Perhaps the ultimate concert film, made during the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival on Rhode Island, headlined by (among others) Thelonious Monk and Dinah Washington, Gerry Mulligan and Chuck Berry. How many times you wish yourself into the frame! To be among that happy, confident, peanut-crunching crowd. Because the camera has such a lovely, casual eye, it’s like a friend describing little moments and scenes, interested, curious, relaxed.

We see Monk take the stage with his bamboo-rimmed dark glasses. Sal Salvador on guitar with a buzz cut, eyes closed in bliss. Anita O’Day singing Tea for Two in a black hat fringed in white feathers, snapping her fingers as she sings, her gloves immaculate. The crowd sways and giggles and sighs, a jewel-box of capri pants and Breton tops. Strappy yellow sundresses and cat-eyed shades, baked shoulders and freckled clavicles draped with hipster cardigans. Well-fed babies are passed down rows to be greeted with kisses by mothers waving choc-ices. Beyond, the water of Narragansett Bay is a sparkling blur dotted with pretty racing boats called Nomad and Pixie. ‘The weather out here is summery, with a smoky haze on the horizon,’ someone thrills over a tannoy, as the camera picks out brown, sandalled feet dangling from a crow’s nests during a race.

Sometimes it feels like everything is reflected in the glistering water of the movie; all of the USA’s post-war reach and ambition. It has the optimism of a Cadillac. The ‘Dionysian potential of American life,’ as John Updike put it; that ‘carnival under the dome of heaven, every fair day.’ To me, this film captures precisely that gorgeous, lost moment in time and place, when Ted Hughes was gazing at his new and glamorous wife, Sylvia Plath, recalled in the poem 18 Rugby Street, ‘So this is America, I marvelled. Beautiful, beautiful America !’

60th-anniversary edition available on DVD

INGRID BERGMAN: IN HER OWN WORDS (2015)

‘I don’t want any roots. I want to be free.’ Ingrid Bergman’s will to travel came from deep within her. Sweden , California , Italy , France, London – she was able to up and move, reinvent herself, leaving lovers and children behind, documenting it all with a cine-camera – and her own footage occupies the majority of this powerfully alluring film. ‘I wanted desperately to get out in the world,’ she said, in letters to friends. ‘It’s as if a bird of passage is living with me.’

And so we follow her through the various stages of her life, with different husbands, and all her pretty infants blowing about like bright petals across the terraces of various villas and hotels (Hotel Raphael in Paris was her favourite). She’s here, driving around Rome in a white convertible, laughing at the paparazzi. Or clambouring with fishermen about the Aeolian island of Stromboli, sweeping shining hair from out of her tear-filled eyes. Or knitting topless in the powerful sunlight, all broad shoulders and witty expression. Diving into a pool in Hollywood, using a magnum of Champagne as a life buoy. And best: her robust, salty skin tanned the colour of rosewood against an unglamorous raincoat on the isolated, harshly granite island of Dannholmen off the Swedish west coast, where she joined the local sailing school, and where her ashes were scattered after she died. ‘I love your island,’ she’d said to her third husband, seeing his modest wooden house in 1958, with its rusted anchor sitting sentinel off the grey and merciless rocks. ‘Good,’ he’d nodded. ‘Let’s get married, then.’

Stream on Amazon

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (2018)

Chef and food writer Samin Nosrat’s four-part series focuses on the four ingredients she thinks makes food delicious. In Italy she explores fat, in Japan she finds salt, in Mexico it’s acid and in the USA there’s heat. Her smile and spontaneous dancing are irresistible viewing, not to mention the sizzling close-ups of her adventurous, elemental cooking. Meredith Carey

Stream Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix

Chef’s Table Pastry (2018)

This is a four-episode-only spin-off from the Emmy award-winning Chef’s Table. The show kicks off with Christina Tosi and her New York Milk Bar empire, an instant hit into the series. Also on the menu: Jordi Roca, Will Goldfarb and Corrado Assenza. Mesmerising and delicious – don't think about watching without sweet snacks to hand. MC

Stream Chef's Table Pastry on Netflix

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (2016)

Set in a tiny Tokyo diner that's only open from midnight to 7am, the fictional show follows the Midnight Diner's owner and clientele as they share their trials and joys, all while eating whatever the owner, called Master, dishes up. In the diner, pork miso soup is the go-to, but Master will cook visitors anything they order, as long as he's got the goods to make it. Episodes are a little more than 20 minutes long, so it's the most bingeable of the bunch. Watch with subtitles and don't - seriously, don't - watch while hungry. MC

Stream Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories on Netflix

Travels with My Father (2017)

Follow stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, in this six-episode Netflix original across Southeast Asia . The series tracks the duo as they finish the gap year Jack never got to complete, just a few years late (eight, to be exact). MC

Stream Travels with My Father on Netflix

Stephen Fry in America (2012)

In this six-part mini-series, Stephen Fry drives around all 50 US states in a London cab. Football games at the University of Alabama and lobster fishing in Maine are on the menu. Expect a lot of laughs and a surprise appearance from Morgan Freeman. MC

Stream Stephen Fry in America on Netflix

Chef's Table (2015)

If you've ever raised an eyebrow at food as art, set aside some time to watch this Netflix original docu-series. Each 50-minute episode profiles one of the world’s most extraordinary chefs (such as Peruvian Virgilio Martínez, pictured, the owner of Lima's Central restaurant, and Swede Magnus Nilsson) as they create impossibly complicated dishes. MC

Stream Chef's Table on Netflix

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Margaret’s Travel Treats: 10 of the Best Travel Documentaries to Feed a Curious Mind

by Carolyn Ray | Jul 7, 2021

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Last updated on August 7th, 2022

(Lead Image Photo Credit: B@rmaley via Shutterstock)

Travel documentaries on walking, trains, gardens and more to ease your border blues

Curated by Carolyn Ray, JourneyWoman Publisher

and In June, we hosted our first Community Call with Australia and New Zealand (and happily, women from North America, London and other parts of the world attended too!) We talked about many topics, and spent a few minutes discussing films and documentaries. After our call, Margaret Byrne, a long-time JourneyWoman in Australia, sent me a beautiful spreadsheet with almost 80 films listed and asked that we share it with you.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been binging on as many of these as I can – clearly there is a market for British celebrities to host travel shows! 

Although some countries’ borders are open to travellers, many are not, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. This list of Margaret’s top picks is for you – the women with the border blues!  (If you haven’t met Margaret yet, she’s also one of our Facebook Group moderators!)

Note that while many of these are on paid video streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, BBC you can also find them on YouTube.

All video credits:BBC, YouTube, ITV

JourneyWoman Margaret Byrne in Australia 

1. Joanna Lumley’s Travels 

Joanna Lumley is probably best known for her role in the BBC’s Absolutely Fabulous series. Today, however, you can find the British actress travelling the world. (And at age 75, she’s showing us how it’s done!) 

I watched her trek to the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights (2008) – ‘the true wonder of the world,’ as she puts it.  

Other shows include Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean,  Joanna Lumley:The Search for Noah’s Ark, Joanna Lumley’s Nile and Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey.  The most recent is Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a four-part travelogue covering eight countries  from 2018.

All are available on Netflix and other platforms, although there may be an additional charge.

2. Micheal Palin’s Travels  

We know English actor Sir Michael Edward Palin best for his role in Monty Python or a Fish Called Wanda, but since 1980 he has been making travel documentaries. His new career as a travel writer for the BBC has taken him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara, the Himalayas, Brazil,  Eastern Europe and most recently North Korea in 2018.

Some of his documentaries include: Around the World in 80 Days, Full Circle, Himalaya with Michael Palin, Sahara with Michael Palin,  Michael Palin’s New Europe and Brazil with Michael Palin.

I enjoyed Pole to Pole , which documented a 245-day, 50,000-mile trip taken by Palin and a film crew around the rim of the Pacific Ocean in 1995 and 1996, beginning on the Diomede Islands between Alaska and Russia.  Wait until you get to the part with the swarm of black flies!

Read more about him on his website here . 

3. Julia Bradbury: Walking 

Julia Bradbury is a television presenter and outdoor walking enthusiast who has dedicated her career to sharing beautiful walks from all over the world. 

I particularly like her walks, as she discusses the importance of walking and how it can help to relieve stress and anxiety. Even 20 minutes is enough to lower stress levels! 

Read more on Julia’s website here . 

4. Michael Portilio: Railway Journeys

Next on my list of documentaries to watch is Michael Portillo’s railway journeys on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw’s 1913 Continental Railway Guide. Portillo is called “a weirdly compelling host” by the Guardian ‘s Stuart Heritage, who says “Portillo got this job because undiluted joy for railways radiates from his very being.” So there. That is a beautiful thing, is it not? 

The series includes Great Australian Railway Journeys, Great American Railroad Journeys, Great British Railway Journeys, Great Continental Railway Journeys, Great Canadian Railway Journeys and Great Asian Railway Journeys. Most appear to be available on Apple TV.

For more on the series visit BBC’s website.

5. Monty Don’s Gardens 

Monty Don is the UK’s leading garden writer and broadcaster. He has been making TV programs for over 20 years on a range of topics, including gardening. He has been lead presenter of the BBC’s Gardener’s World since 2003 and since 2011 the program has come from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire.

His documentaries chronicle his visits to the world’s gardens in Japan, France, Italy and my favourite – Paradise Gardens, which took me back to Spain and Morocco. I wish I had understood the importance of gardens before visiting! (The photo shows the fountain in the gardens of the Generalife Palace, La Alhambra, Granada). 

More here: Monty Don Website and for upcoming virtual events check here .

6. Ewan McGregor + Charley Boorman: Long Way 

Having just watched Halston on Netflix, I was interested to see the ‘real’ Ewan McGregor and he didn’t disappoint. After the first episode of Long Way Up (on Apple TV) , I was hooked. Maybe it’s the eco-friendly approach to travel, or the electric Harleys – but travelling from Ushuaia to the US is also my dream travel experience. (I just want to do it in the opposite direction). This is less of a travelogue and more about the challenges of travelling with electric vehicles, but still entertaining nonetheless.

In addition to narrating nature documentaries, other series in his travels with his friend Charley includes:

Long Way Round  ( LWR ), which documents the 19,000-mile (31,000 km) journey from London to New York City on motorcycles in 2004-2005.

Long Way Down  documents a 2007 motorcycle journey from Scotland through 18 countries in Europe and Africa to Cape Town in South Africa. 

To learn more visit Apple TV.  

7. Sir Tony Robinson: Ancient Tracks  

In Britain’s Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson, Tony walks along Britain’s oldest roads to find the truth behind the megaliths, burial sites, ley lines and hidden caves along their path, and connect the clues they have left hidden in the British landscape.

There are seven episodes, which were aired in 2016-2017. These are great b because they’re all about walking, hiking and being outdoors. 

You can watch them on YouTube here . 

Women Who Shaped Toronto: the Resilient Women of St John’s Ward

Myseum of Toronto has created a virtual tour to celebrate the Toronto’s history and the resilient women who helped build the city.

8. Bill Nighy: Railway Journeys

Actor Bill Nighy may be best known as rocker Billy Mack in Love Actually (one of my favourite films ever!) or as Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean — but he has found a new role as documentary host on The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys. 

This series follows trains through some of the most scenic landscapes in the world. If you love railways and train travel, you’ll soon be yearning to go on one of these scenic railway journeys. 

Episodes feature Norway, Bavaria, Canada, New Zealand, Austria and Taiwan is upcoming.

Learn more here .

9. Susan Calman: Scotland

Comedian Susan Calman uncovers some untold tales behind Scotland’s most historic locations and share the in-depth history, characters and treasures hidden in these stunning spots. Watch a preview of Secret Scotland. Susan Calman starts her journey around Edinburgh and Scotland’s stunning East Coast.

 You can watch the preview and additional episodes here .

10. Simon Reeve 

Simon Reeve is a bestselling author and presenter of the acclaimed BBC TV travel series Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Places That Don’t Exist and Meet the Stans. In the 2008 BBC TV series Tropic of Capricorn Simon traveled around the line marking the southern border of the tropics. His accompanying book, also called Tropic of Capricorn, is published by BBC Books. In the BBC series Equator, Simon headed east around the planet, passing through troubled areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Places That Don’t Exist, Simon traveled through a group of unrecognized nations – countries so obscure they don’t officially exist. And in Meet the Stans, Simon visited the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Simon’s books include: Tropic of Capricorn: circling the world on a southern adventure The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism’ – a New York Times bestseller published in 1998 One Day in September: the story of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and Israeli revenge operation ‘Wrath of God’, which accompanied an Oscar-winning documentary movie of the same name. Simon has received a One World Broadcasting Trust award for an ‘outstanding contribution to greater world understanding’.

Others on Margaret’s list:

• Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations and Parts Unknown 
• Billy Connolly: Made in Scotland, Journey to the Edge of the World, World Tour of Australia, Route 66, Tour of England 
• Britain’s Great Cathedrals 
• Home or Away
• Escape to the Country 
• The Story of India 
• The Man in Seat Sicty-One
• Flavours of Poland 
• Penelope Keith’s Village of the Year 
• An Idiot Abroad 
• Australia with Julie Bradbuy 
• Stephen Fry in America 
• Ken Burns: The National Parks 
• Francesco’s Italy Top to Top 
• Globe Trekker
• Travels with My Father (Carolyn’s addition!) 

We also have a list of movies to inspire travel. Click here to read the article! 

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Carolyn Ray

As the CEO and Editor of JourneyWoman, Carolyn is a passionate advocate for women's travel and living the life of your dreams. She leads JourneyWoman's team of writers and chairs the JourneyWoman Women's Advisory Council and Women's Speaker's Bureau. She has been featured in the New York Times, Toronto Star and Zoomer as a solo travel expert, and speaks at women's travel conferences around the world. In March 2023, she was named one of the most influential women in travel by TravelPulse and was the recipient of a SATW travel writing award in September 2023. She is the chair of the Canadian chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), a member Women's Travel Leaders and a Herald for the Transformational Travel Council (TTC). Sometimes she sleeps. A bit.

I LOVED this page on travel documentaries. Thank you!

I would add to this list Brook Silva Braga’s “A Map for Saturday.”

So happy to see The Long Way series included. The two of them take you to non touristy spots. Long Way up is traversed with electrical Harleys. No small feat. You will find out what is the most dangerous country for the two of them.

The Netflix series, Extreme Engagement also takes you off the beaten path to eight countries. It is a reality show with a different bend. No short changes on the scenery shots. Lots of laughs.

I’m familiar with quite a number of the recommended resources but lots more to seek out, so thank you, my travel appetite is reawakening after the Covid hiatus. I’ve been travelling within Australia during the past few months as even that was curtailed due to state border closures. But some overseas adventures await!

We always strive to use real photos from our own adventures, provided by the guest writer or from our personal travels. However, in some cases, due to photo quality, we must use stock photography. If you have any questions about the photography please let us know. Disclaimer: We are so happy that you are checking out this page right now! We only recommend things that are suggested by our community, or through our own experience, that we believe will be helpful and practical for you. Some of our pages contain links, which means we’re part of an affiliate program for the product being mentioned. Should you decide to purchase a product using a link from on our site, JourneyWoman may earn a small commission from the retailer, which helps us maintain our beautiful website. JourneyWoman is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you! We want to hear what you think about this article, and we welcome any updates or changes to improve it. You can comment below, or send an email to us at [email protected] .

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Best Documentaries 2022

Documentaries left none of life’s stones unturned in 2022, from scaling up volcanoes to the edge of burning oblivion ( Fire of Love ), to tracking down the last slave ship to arrive in America ( Descendant ), to a son’s tribute to his father (Robert Downey Jr.’s Sr. ). Music played their part, with revealing looks at artists Sinead O’Connor ( Nothing Compares ), Louis Armstrong ( Black & Blues ), and a woman-fronted metal band against the Lebanese revolution ( Sirens ).

The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.

Fire of Love (2022) 98%

Descendant (2022) 100%

The Janes (2022) 100%

All That Breathes (2022) 99%

Navalny (2022) 97%

Nothing compares (2022) 99%.

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) 98%

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down (2022) 100%

Free Chol Soo Lee (2022) 100%

"Sr." (2022) 97%

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• Best of the Year

The 10 best documentaries of 2022

From rock star sagas to pivotal historical moments and majestic volcanic eruptions

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Between social media and gossip sites, it certainly feels like we know everything we need to know about the rich and famous. And yet in 2022’s crop of outstanding documentaries, one dominant theme was celebrity intimacy. People who spend a lot of time in the public eye often lose control of their own story, as the press and the public push them into soap opera narratives filled with romances, betrayals, heroism, and villainy. In film after film in 2022, the celebs pushed back, taking us deep inside their mental-health issues and family traumas, and explaining how hard it is to make fans and critics happy all the time.

It’s possible to make a “10 best 2022 documentaries” list just from those movies: Jennifer Lopez: Halftime (about the stress of putting together a Super Bowl show), Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (which tells a jazz hero’s story via his private archives), Lucy and Desi (a look back at one of TV’s most volatile couples), Nothing Compares (tracking the rise and fall of Sinéad O’Connor), The Return of Tanya Tucker (about a country-music legend reluctantly getting back to basics), Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (a harrowing glimpse at a superstar’s performance anxieties), Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (in which the now-famous stars of a Broadway smash reflect on their youth), Stutz (in which Jonah Hill celebrates both his therapist and his own therapy), Sr. (Robert Downey Jr.’s simultaneous salute to his filmmaker father and lament for the drug-fueled lifestyle they once both led), and Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (a study of athletic obsession).

As it happens, those all fell just short of the final cut on our list. But their spirit is represented by some of the list-makers below. More importantly, all these films (including the ones above) show how great documentary storytellers find original and illuminating angles on material we think we already know. Whether it’s celebrities, gun violence, systemic racism, addiction, or love, these movies made common problems feel new.

10. The Princess

The British royal family was in the news a lot in 2022, perhaps as much as they’ve been since the very public rise and fall of the romance between the current King Charles III and his late ex-wife, Diana Spencer. Ed Perkins’ surprisingly intense The Princess tells Diana’s story from her first introduction to the public as a bride-to-be to her later embrace of philanthropy and social activism — and then her eventual death while trying to flee relentless paparazzi. Using only news clips and home-movie footage, Perkins emphasizes the pressures of fame, evident in the constant questions and camera-clicks Diana faced. It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when the press and the public turn a real person into a fantasy character.

The Princess is streaming on HBO Max .

9. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Photographer Nan Goldin rose to prominence in the New York art world by documenting the communities she lived in throughout the ’70s and ’80s: the queer folks, the punks, the sex workers, and the political radicals. Laura Poitras’ documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is partly about how Goldin’s creative journey was shaped by living among misfits, artists who built their own scenes, then kept them going through the ravages of AIDS and drug addiction. But the movie is also about the stir the artist has caused as an activist by demanding that museums cut ties with the Sacklers, a well-heeled art patron family that made a lot of its fortune thanks to the opioid epidemic. Poitras insightfully connects these pieces of Goldin’s life, showing how grassroots organizing and radical honesty drive her.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is currently playing in limited theatrical release.

8. Is That Black Enough for You?!?

This thrilling fusion of cultural history and impassioned personal essay is the work of Elvis Mitchell, a veteran film critic who uses the heyday of 1970s blaxploitation movies like Super Fly and Foxy Brown as a way to dig deeply into the complicated history of Black representation in American cinema. Throughout Is That Black Enough for You?!? , clips from smash-hit action pictures like Shaft alternate with scenes from long-forgotten oddities, all interspersed with commentary by Black showbiz legends like Whoopi Goldberg and Samuel L. Jackson. But the main voice and perspective here belongs to Mitchell, whose vast cinema knowledge and experience allows him to find the larger meaning in even the smallest moments.

Is That Black Enough for You?!? is streaming on Netflix .

7. The Janes

The most obvious selling point for Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes’ thoughtful look back at abortion-rights history is that it’s suddenly relevant, given the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn its previous Roe v. Wade decision. But treating the film like homework would do a disservice to The Janes , which is less about abortion per se than it is about how feminism blossomed in the 1960s, thanks to underground networks that tried to elevate the secrets ladies whispered to each other and make them common knowledge. The surviving members of the clandestine Chicago health care organization JANE tell stories not just about connecting desperate women with helpful doctors, but about how they let those sisters know they weren’t alone.

The Janes is streaming on HBO Max .

6. 2nd Chance

Too many true-crime docs lately just play up the sordid details of sex, violence, and chicanery. And too many are split up into multiple parts in order to fill up programming hours on cable and streaming services. Ramin Bahrani’s strange, surprising 2nd Chance runs a refreshingly zippy 89 minutes, and though its story is full of death and conspiracies, it’s more of a pointed character sketch about a colorful bulletproof vest magnate who sold himself as a friend to law enforcement and the military while his company was putting lives at stake by cutting corners. Though often funny and gripping, this film is really about how we define “criminal,” and about the people we as a society — rightly or wrongly — consider worth saving.

2nd Chance is currently playing in limited theatrical release; it will be streaming in 2023 (date TBA) on Showtime Anytime .

5. Fire of Love

When French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft died on the job in 1991, they left behind a voluminous archive of notes, tapes, and photographs, which collectively offered insight into the decades they spent risking their lives to understand one of nature’s most dangerous phenomenons. But the Kraffts’ real legacy was their film and video footage, which captures eye-popping images of smoke and lava, dwarfing their fragile human figures. Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love sets those pictures — full of searing color and eerie landscapes, all abstract and alien — to a haunting score by Air’s Nicolas Godin and narration by Miranda July, turning this couple’s romantic adventures into something grandly cinematic.

Fire of Love is streaming on Disney Plus .

4. We Met in Virtual Reality

A welcome counterpoint to alarmist takes about alienation and extremism in the social media age, Joe Hunting’s lively animated documentary We Met in Virtual Reality considers the ways that interacting online has been beneficial to people with physical, neurological, psychological, or logistical limitations. Recorded entirely within the online community VRChat , the movie celebrates the real relationships that have developed within virtual spaces, hailing the creativity and bonhomie that has led users to build so many eye-catching gathering spaces populated by sexy and/or whimsically goofy human-animal hybrids.

We Met in Virtual Reality is streaming on HBO Max .

3. Descendant

Director Margaret Brown is best known for her nuanced nonfiction films about Southern culture, like her outstanding 2008 documentary The Order of Myths. For Descendant , Brown brought her cameras to a coastal Alabama community, where historians and amateur treasure-hunters were looking for an infamous shipwreck. In 2019, the discovery of the Clotilda — the last known slave transport vessel to reach American shores, arriving in the mid-19th century — sparked a lot of interest and conversation internationally. But for this film, what matters is that all the attention gave the Black Alabamans of “Africatown” a chance to reflect on how their ancestors’ stories have largely been erased from the historical record, leaving only folklore and anecdotes as the way the community preserves its truths.

Descendant is streaming on Netflix .

2. Riotsville, USA

In the late 1960s, civil unrest across America led to a national debate about possible solutions, and to two major initiatives — both covered in Sierra Pettengill’s remarkable and revelatory Riotsville USA . In one corner, a bipartisan commission studied the riots’ root causes, and found that the best way to reduce crime and violence would be to improve education, introduce job programs, and acknowledge institutional racism. In another corner, a coalition of military and law enforcement leaders constructed fake city blocks in the middle of nowhere and used them to train soldiers and officers to crack the skulls of hippies and ethnic minorities. Assembled almost entirely from archival film and TV clips, Pettengill’s film is set more than 50 years ago, but feels like it’s about the 2020s.

Riotsville, USA is available for purchase from Amazon , Apple , and Google Play.

1. Moonage Daydream

Don’t come to Brett Morgen’s sprawling, sensational cinematic experience Moonage Daydream expecting to learn the basic facts about the late pop star and experimental artist David Bowie. With the immense help of the Bowie estate — which gave the director access to a vast archive of audio and video — Morgen has produced a kaleidoscopic 140-minute movie, blending old film clips and cranked-up rock music into a dizzying swirl of sound and vision. The film frames its subject’s frequent metamorphoses as a performer and a public figure as the work of a brilliant actor, disappearing into the role of an eccentric celebrity as a way of entertaining his fans while keeping his real life and self partially shielded from view.

Moonage Daydream is available for rent or purchase on Amazon , Apple , and Google Play.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the best documentaries of 2022.

The best documentaries of 2022 reflected a diverse array of voices from around the world. Moving away from the pandemic allowed filmmakers to address new subjects in 2022, leading to a blend of personal, passionate films. The best documentaries continued to find new stories to tell. These are the best documentaries of 2022 with links in the reviews to watch them directly. 

All That Breathes

Brian tallerico.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Glenn kenny.

Niani Scott

Bitterbrush

Peter sobczynski.

Calendar Girls

Robert Daniels

Tomris Laffly

Odie Henderson

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Isaac feldberg.

Facing Nolan

Brandon towns.

Fire of Love

Matt zoller seitz.

Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches

Matt fagerholm.

George Carlin's American Dream

Hold Your Fire

I Didn't See You There

Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story

The best documentary films of 2022, ranked

Our favorite docs of the year, from moonage daydream to fire of love , prove filmmaking is in the midst of a nonfiction resurgence.

While the merits of streaming and its impact on the theatrical exhibition marketplace can be debated, there’s no doubt that the advent of digital streaming has contributed to a boom in nonfiction filmmaking. Viewers who would never have seriously considered getting in their car, seeking out a theater, and plunking down $10 or $15 to watch a documentary have indulged curiosity in the genre at a massive scale. A lot of this interest, of course, comes in the form of unambitious pop-culture rehashes and true crime rib-pokers—some uninspired or unnecessary (do we really need to hear what Casey Anthony has to say?), some actually elevated or compellingly rendered. But if those types of low-hanging nonfiction fruit are largely driving the market, there is still fascinating work being done. To wit, let’s look at 14 of the best documentaries of 2022, ranked from least to most essential. For The A.V. Club ’s overall best films list, click here !)

The shot only lasts 61 seconds, but it may forever alter your perspective on the sad, arduous life and premature, violent death of a farm animal. It comes early in Cow , Andrea Arnold’s unsparing experiential documentary about a dairy cow named Luma living on a farm in the south of England. Moments after farmers have separated Luma from yet another of her newborn calves, she looks straight into camera and plaintively moos five times over the course of one minute. Refusing to cut away, forcing us to look Luma directly in the eye and hear her cries, Arnold gives us ample time to consider what emotions the cow is trying to express. Even the most skeptical among us would have to agree that Luma is expressing an anguish that is felt no less deeply than our own… [ Mark Keizer ]

13. Blind Ambition

Sometimes, at least in the sociopolitical realm, documentaries struggle with reflecting the full emotional spectrum of real life. Subjects with lesser means are often presented in flat, simplistic strokes, and as it pertains particularly to the refugee experience, many of these movies adopt a down-tempo solemnity—as if a dour tone is the only way to make viewers care about their plight.

Co-directors Warwick Ross and Rob Coe’s Blind Ambition is a refreshing exception to this trend. It tells the incredible true story of four Zimbabwean refugees, men with no prior connection, who meet in South Africa while hustling and trying to provide better lives for their families via jobs in the service industry. After they each become sommeliers at different restaurants and hotels, the foursome come together to compete under their national flag at the World Wine Tasting Championships. Threading a needle between difficulty and hopefulness, the movie honors the melancholic and at times brutal pasts of its subjects. But it also plugs into the unadulterated joyful embrace of their unexpected and inspiring new lives. [Brent Simon]

12. Liquor Store Dreams

Director So Yun Um’s rewarding, deeply felt Liquor Store Dreams illustrates why there is still considerable value in the old adage from which many aspiring authors, filmmakers, and other artists these days seem to desperately run: “write what you know.” Using her own childhood as the film’s narrative framework, Um’s movie tells the stories of first-generation Korean immigrants who made the most of limited economic opportunities by running liquor stores in predominantly Black communities in Los Angeles, as well as the impact of this fraught existence on their children. Restless but eventually hopeful, it sifts through immigrant yearning and generational divisions to deliver a story that reflects upon the jostling, grinding nature of the lower ladder rungs of the American dream, as well as minority race relations. The result is a moving, intensely personal work that also plugs into a larger, long overdue cross-cultural conversation. [Brent Simon]

11. Nothing Compares

Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has for most of her career polarized audiences, speaking out on a wide variety of social causes while also grappling publicly with bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. Debut feature director Kathryn Ferguson’s sensitive and sympathetic Nothing Compares serves up a rich portrait of this complicated, ahead-of-her-time figure. Adroitly interweaving archival footage with exclusive interviews, the film ably chronicles the many controversies which have swirled around O’Connor (including, most famously, her incendiary 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live , in which she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II to protest his silence on the sexual abuse of children endemic in the Catholic Church), challenging and deconstructing the frequent media portrayal of the singer as unhinged by rooting these characterizations in an industry and a broader culture itself gripped by misogyny and patronization. [Brent Simon]

10. Claydream

Will Vinton was a pioneering figure in animation, a would-be second Walt Disney who in the 1980s brought “claymation” to the forefront of the medium through the creation and application of a variety of dazzling new techniques. The fact that no one really knows his name—his rebranded, formerly eponymous studio wrested it away from him two decades ago—and he’s gone on to garner considerable acclaim, fanciful origin story and all, speaks to a time-honored Hollywood axiom: when the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Claydream ’s director Marq Evans, in telling this fascinating story, raises questions about the complex intersection of art and commerce, and whether, in today’s world, if accomplishment in the first realm matters at all if there isn’t a baseline competency and some protective guardrails in the latter. [Brent Simon]

9. 2nd Chance

Iranian American Ramin Bahrani’s first documentary 2nd Chance focuses on Richard Davis, the founder and owner of a body armor manufacturing company that was the first to use kevlar and synthetic fibers. A gregarious, one-time pizzeria owner whose possibly dubious origin story involves surviving a shootout as a delivery driver, the Michigan-born Davis became something of a pre-Internet viral superstar by way of scores of self-produced and distributed videos in which he shot himself at point-blank range, in order to show off his company’s product. These VHS tapes, as well as in-person demonstrations, made him a celebrity among law enforcement, leading to dozens of lucrative supply contracts with police departments across the United States. Eventually, the videos would become more elaborate, peddling stories with entire arcs, as well as a very specific sociopolitical view. Bahrani’s biographical film is, oddly enough, the rise-and-fall story of an independent filmmaker. [Brent Simon]

8. The UnRedacted

Screened at Sundance under the controversial (or is that merely triggering?) title Jihad Rehab , director Meg Smaker’s The UnRedacted is a fascinating, clear-eyed look at attempted de-radicalization of former Gitmo detainees at a unique Saudi detention facility, focusing for the most part on three Yemeni men—Nadir, Mohammed, and Ali—swept up in America’s vaguely defined and even more dubiously prosecuted “war on terror.” Affording no easy answers, the film delivers a portrait of the tangled geopolitical priorities and cultural differences which complicate attempts to dismantle terrorist ideologies among non-hardcore believers. (The movie’s disowning by Sundance and its cancellation by other festivals in the wake of protests, meanwhile, tells an equally fascinating parallel tale, rooted in no small part in identity politics.) [Brent Simon]

Debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was announced as an addition to the slate only after the festival began, Navalny picked up both the U.S. Documentary Audience Award and Overall Festival Favorite prizes. Directed by Daniel Roher ( Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson And The Band ), the movie tells the story of Alexei Navalny, a lawyer whose anti-corruption activism catapulted him to the status of Russia’s chief opposition leader—a target of assassination by Vladimir Putin. Coursing with sociopolitical currency and edited like a thriller by Maya Hawke and Langdon Page, the movie highlights Putin’s specific criminal illegality but also the deep insecurity, paranoia, and inherent frailty of (would-be) autocratic rulers everywhere. [Brent Simon]

6. Eternal Spring

One could program an entire nonfiction festival, of considerable quality, of documentaries banned in China over the last half-dozen years, some for reasons quite obvious and others for reasons less so. And Eternal Spring ’s inclusion would be a no-brainer. Canada’s official international film Academy Award entry, it tells the story of an infamous television hijacking, and the subsequent consequences for those involved. When members of Falun Gong, an outlawed spiritual practice, took over the feed for a government-controlled satellite broadcast in China, their aim was to refute government messaging and correct the public record about their religion. For comic artist Daxiong, this move meant he had to flee his home. Like last year’s Flee , executive produced by Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Eternal Spring infuses a somewhat conventional narrative arc of a refugee tale with compelling 3D animation. [Brent Simon]

5. Moonage Daydream

As a documentarian, Brett Morgen trades heavily in montage and associative editing, and his latest masterpiece highlights the connective rich tissue between David Bowie’s music and its incredibly expressive, performative essence. By combining music, interview audio, and archival footage with original video imagery, Morgen communicates powerful depths about the ideas behind the art itself, as well as the era from which it was sprung. In this regard, Moonage Daydream connects as a charged evocation of the interior creativity from a timeless artist, an immersive glimpse at the frenetic impulses that drove Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, and beyond. [Brent Simon]

4. Theater Of Thought

If Werner Herzog’s boundless curiosity for human life and the world in which we live could be captured and bottled, it could provide sustainable free energy for Earth’s entire population. The 80-year-old legend, possessing one of the most eclectic career filmographies out there, has always oscillated back and forth between fiction and nonfiction work, and his latest effort in the latter field, Theater Of Thought , finds him turning his inquisitiveness inward, speculating in whimsical fashion on whether humans of the future will have autonomy over our own ideas and judgments—or whether our brains will inevitably become fused with technology in the coming decades. If that sounds either stuffy or more suited to a science-fiction action film, this documentary provides a wonderful vehicle for its open-ended questions, thank you very much. Flitting to and fro, indulging narrative digressions as well as his characteristically droll narration (sample: “The New Jersey turnpike allows no hint of the past”), Herzog’s endlessly probing film unfolds like the coolest theoretical scholastic presentation you never had a chance to experience as a teenager. [Brent Simon]

3. All That Breathes

A world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Documentary Competition, director Shaunak Sen’s movie focuses on two brothers, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who rescue and treat injured birds. Their work connects back to their childhood in New Delhi, where black kites were revered. Now, the creatures are falling from the sky—suffering and dying from pollution-related disease. The quiet, absorbing brilliance of All That Breathes is the way in which Sen takes this very personal family tale, and connects it to much larger existential questions, without ever overwhelming the narrative. [Brent Simon]

2. Three Minutes – A Lengthening

It takes only a few more moments than the duration in the title of Three Minutes: A Lengthening to realize what this documentary is going to be. Other voices will appear on the soundtrack, and the filmmakers will tell a story. But the visual element—the primary canvas for cinema as art—is going to focus only on these three minutes of footage for the entire film. Not that it’s on a loop. The imagery runs backward and forward, gets freeze-framed, goes through different filters, and is blown up, reduced, diced, and re-assembled like playing cards. But director Bianca Stigter fully commits to this formalist dare—and it pays off tremendously… [ Jordan Hoffman ]

1. Fire Of Love

Director Sara Dosa’s documentary is a one-of-a-kind story of both science and romance, a movie which captures the overlapping unpredictability and ineffable beauty of both volcanoes and human bonds, and the unknown length of fuse which each ultimately possesses. Narrated by Miranda July, Fire Of Love is constructed around hours of jaw-dropping, never-before-seen 16mm footage. On the surface, it tells the story of Maurice and Katia Krafft, pioneering married French volcanologists who throughout the 1970s and ’80s studied, photographed, and recorded lava flows all across the globe. But the movie, a delicate work rooted in collagist sensibility and anchored by a wonderful score from composer Nicolas Godin, also undertakes a more substantive interrogation of nature and humankind’s relationship with it. Vibrating with swollen vulnerability and a counterbalancing infectious curiosity about the world, the best doc of 2022 is the type of film which leaves the trajectory of your day inarguably changed—colors a little brighter, feelings a bit rawer, reflections a bit heavier. [Brent Simon]

The Best Documentaries Of 2022, Ranked

The documentaries released in 2022 are a versatile mix. Sure, the year saw the expected Netflix true-crime series (including the return of the hit "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot) and celebrations of trailblazers ("Say Hey, Willie Mays!"), but we also got the light-hearted, high-spirited stories of unbelievable fraudsters ("The Tinder Swindler"), deeply disturbing stories of human evil ("Our Father"), and scandalous stories of corporate evil ("White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch").    

The genre is in undergoing a bit of a boom. For lovers of non-fiction filmmaking, it feels like we have more options now than ever. Last year's critical hit "Flee" redefined what a documentary film looks like, paving the way for the critically acclaimed Canadian animated documentary, "Eternal Spring (長春)." Apple TV+ released a speculative nature documentary series depicting an imagined cretaceous period with "Prehistoric Planet." Neon's trippy indie hit "Moonage Daydream" celebrates David Bowie in a manner wholly unique and fitting for the experimental pop star. Sure, we got some of the expected, good-old-fashioned documentaries in 2022 — but we also got a slew of films and TV series pushing the limits of what the genre looks and feels like. 

The best documentaries of 2022 are the ones that balance factual content with exceptional execution. I personally feel that one should walk away from the viewing experience with a newfound understanding or appreciation for a subject. It's not enough to just tell an interesting story — it needs to be told particularly well. There are lots of great documentaries that are released each year, but it takes something special to be the best.  

12. Light & Magic

The Disney+ docuseries "Light & Magic" is essential viewing for film nerds history buffs like myself. The six-series tells the story of one of (if not the ) most influential special effects studios in the world: Industrial Light & Magic. ILM revolutionized the movie-making industry with the visuals it created for "Star Wars: A New Hope" in 1977 (then just titled "Star Wars"), and continued to up the ante with groundbreaking, mind-melting set pieces in films like "Raiders of the Lost Arc" (Nazi face melting!), "Poltergeist" (a house  im plodes!), and "Jurassic Park" (realistic dinos!) — all accomplished with cutting-edge techniques. 

"Light & Magic" covers the history of ILM, from George Lucas' founding of the studio to the present-day innovations. The documentary uses a combination of talking head segments, archival footage, and old photos to celebrate the men and women who put ILM on the map. Big names like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron lend a level of prestige to the content, while less widely known creatives — like stop-motion specialist Phil Tippett and artist and supervisor Dennis Muren — provide fascinating, behind-the-scenes insight into some of Hollywood's most famous special effects sequences. 

There's a reason why "Light & Magic" is at the bottom of this list: as interesting as the documentary is, it often feels biased.  The series struggles to obfuscate the fact that the ILM's glory days are past; sure, the special effects studio still produces great work, but they aren't untouchable industry leaders anymore. Disney owns Lucasfilm, which in turn owns ILM — making the objectivity and motives behind this Disney+ original "a bit sus" (as the kids say). It reads as slightly dishonest, putting a bit of a bitter aftertaste on an otherwise fantastic docuseries.  

11. Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & the Internet

Netflix does true crime well — but with "Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & the Internet," the streaming giant offers something a little different. The docuseries is a horrifying exploration of the "dark" side of internet culture (but not too dark! At least not yet), looking at everything from virtual sex crimes to the rise of white nationalist groups. The first episode offers a really brutally honest look at the danger of swatting and also the kind of narcissism and immaturity that encourages and rewards that kind of behavior online. The third episode, "I'm Not a Nazi," presents an eye-opening look at the insidious ways alt-right groups operate online. The final episodes, a two-parter called "The Stingray," begins as a general story of two hackers but transforms into an investigation of the ethical problems with the tech used by law enforcement. 

Netflix's "Web of Make Believe" is a strong collection of documentaries with a unique angle. Even those who live online far too much (like myself — I'll need to touch grass once the snow melts) will likely be surprised by the major reveals and twists herein. Not every episode is perfect; I personally found "A Murder in D.C." a bit boring, and the "Sextortion" episode, although interesting and tastefully done, did feel tonally inconsistent with the rest of the series. Still, though, I turned this Netflix docuseries on at random and found myself unable to pull away. 

10. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

One part artist biography, one part social issues exposé, and two parts unapologetic celebration of queer subcultures, Laura Poitras' documentary " All the Beauty and the Bloodshed " is easily one of the most personal documentaries of 2022. The film centers on photographer Nan Goldin and her advocacy work challenging the Sackler family — particularly, their role in creating the opioid epidemic. 

The Sacklers controlled Purdue Pharma, which produced the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. Knowing how dangerous the drug was, the company heavily marketed it regardless, then used that money to buy public prestige in the form of large donations to cultural institutions in exchange for getting a building or scholarship named after the family (often museums). It makes sense for someone like Goldin to take them down: not only is she a reputable artist well-known in the global art community, but she a recovering opioid addict herself, thanks to OxyContin.

Like with "Casa Susanna," "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" benefits from a high level of historic photographs. Goldin's portfolio serves as an unapologetically gritty backdrop, showing viewers the lives of gay, lesbian, and transgender New Yorkers in the early 80s, and the unique community they created — along with Nan's transition into activism during the AIDS epidemic. The film reverberates with a punk rock energy that is irresistible and inspiring. 

Unfortunately, Poitras' documentary bites off a bit more than it can chew. The opening shots of the Sackler protests are dramatic and compelling, but the film struggles to keep up that momentum. What's more, not much time is spent on explaining the wrongdoing of Purdue (and by extension, the Sackler family) — so those interested in that topic will need to supplement that elsewhere.

9. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Netflix's "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing" is a chilling look at how a company's reputation can flip almost overnight. Boeing was once one of the most respected American manufacturing companies, known for its engineering excellence and commitment to best-in-class quality. However, following the merger with McDonnell Douglas in the mid-90s, the company's culture changed internally, leading to a slip in those once-leading standards. As the documentary presents, the resultant cost-cutting measures led to the tragic Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

In October, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610, a domestic flight in Indonesia, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing everyone onboard. Then, in March 2019 — less than six months later — Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 also crashed, just minutes after the plane became airborne. Both planes involved were the brand-new MAX 8 designs. Although the manufacturer did its best to skirt responsibility and maintain the safety of its planes, eventually, Boeing did ground its fleet of 737 MAX airliners — but not before hundreds of innocent people tragically lost their lives.   

"Downfall: The Case Against Boeing" documents the company's history, from its trailblazing beginnings to its public fall from grace. For those interested in understanding why the 737s crashed, the film presents an easy-to-follow investigation into the faulty system responsible for the planes' malfunction, as well as the contributing factors — namely, some money-saving shortcuts that had disastrous repercussions. This is one of those cautionary tales about corporate greed that will make you think twice about putting faith in a brand name.   

8. Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery (Defunctland)

I bet you weren't expecting to see a YouTube documentary on here! Defunctland's most recent upload, " Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery ," is a bonafide documentary, complete with archival images and interviews with people involved. As a 30-something Canadian woman who spent her teen years listening to Led Zep and learning to play Nirvana songs, I don't have much nostalgia for the Disney Channel nor its theme — but Defunctland's earnest fascination with the subject had my rapt attention.  

Defunctland is a YouTube channel created by Kevin Perjurer with videos that document "defunct" amusement park rides and other related lost media (mostly old TV shows). The videos are, essentially, a fond exploration of '80s, '90s, and early aughts nostalgia, with an emphasis on history and cultural studies. Fitting with the rest of the channel, "Disney Channel's Theme" is essentially an investigation into an influential pop culture relic that went under-recognized at the time. Despite how iconic the short channel ID sequences were, the origins of Disney Channel's sound signature is unknown — or at least it was, until Defunctland busted that mystery wide open. 

"Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery" is a really heartfelt, passionate exploration of what is admittedly a pretty niche topic. It's also just very well done. As is often the case with Perjurer's videos, the production itself is a step above most of what's on the platform. The 90-minute documentary is well-paced, using compelling visual segments to great effect. There's also a message at the end and a real, genuinely unexpected twist at the end — both great elements that make the viewing experience that much more satisfying. The video is not without flaws — it is severely limited by clear budget constraints, as well as access to "star" talent and general resources. Still though, being able to take what could easily be dismissed as an irrelevant or frivolous bit of trivia and turning it into an engaging story is impressive for any documentary, let alone something self-produced for YouTube.   

7. The Janes

HBO's 2022 documentary "The Janes"  is a brutally honest portrayal of life before Roe v. Wade. The film tells the story of "The Janes," a network of activists who defied American law to help women find safe and affordable access to abortions. It's a retrospective that serves a purpose: reminding us all what's at stake if the laws are changed. Whether you're personally pro-choice or pro-life, "The Janes" forces the viewer to confront an uncomfortable reality: when abortion access is limited, women die.

HBO is known for its documentaries, and "The Janes" lives up to the network's reputation. While nothing groundbreaking is happening here, the documentary is solid (if conventional). The subject matter isn't exactly ripe for exploration (the film isn't eye-opening like "Paradise Lost" or "Beware the Slenderman," nor is it personal and intimate like "Jane Fonda in Five Acts" or "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind"), but it is particularly relevant at this moment in history, especially for American audiences. 

What's impressive though, is how empowering "The Janes" feels. Women have a right to bodily autonomy, and "The Janes" doesn't waste anyone's time by arguing that perspective as though there's a counterpoint — it's not up for debate. Without ever feeling preachy or needlessly provocative, the documentary simply presents the facts openly and honestly, then celebrates the women who dedicated their lives (and risked their freedom) to help people in need. 

6. Eternal Spring (長春)

"Eternal Spring (長春)" is Canada's official entry for the 2023 Oscars — and not just in the Documentary Feature Film and Animated Feature Film categories, but also in the International Feature Film category. That, more than anything, speaks to how special this documentary is.

"Eternal Spring" tells the story of an infamous hijacking — and the subsequent fallout for those involved. In 2022, members of an outlawed spiritual practice, Falon Gong, took over the feed for a government-controlled TV broadcast in Changchun, China, using the equipment to directly contradict the government's messaging and set the record straight about their religion. For comic artist Daxiong (best known for his work on "Justice League" and "Star Wars"), this move meant he had to flee his home. For many of his fellow practitioners, the consequences were far, far worse. 

Daxiong largely leads the story, using his artwork — rendered in 3D animation — to recreate the events. The style really emphasizes the hand-drawn aspect, including textures evoking the streaky, imperfect look of marker fill. The aesthetic this creates in "Eternal Spring" is really unique; I was actually reminded of the Wii game "Mad World," which I'm sure no one except me remembers (I loved it!) but essentially was like gritty illustrated action brought to life. Daxiong has a personal stake in the story, making the inclusion of his artwork additionally meaningful. The movie draws comparisons to "Flee," but here the animation has a more integral role in the story rather than just being the medium used to tell the story.

5. We Need To Talk About Cosby

"We Need To Talk About Cosby" is by no means fun to watch — documentaries concerned with uncovering uncomfortable truths very rarely are. And, of course, Bill Cosby's shocking release from prison in 2021 only adds another layer of frustration and disgust to an already horrendous, nauseating story of abuse, exploitation, and assault. Yet, writer/director W. Kamau Bell composes his four-part docuseries with such care that this hard-to-talk-about topic becomes impossible to ignore.

Showtime's "We Need To Talk About Cosby" is what the title implies: a necessary conversation about "America's Dad." Comedian and bonafide pop culture fixture Bill Cosby was virtually untouchable for decades, and even today has supporters, despite overwhelming evidence of his misdeeds. Bell responds to this with an honest and frank discussion; rather than wallow in the horrific actions and lingering trauma (something true crime is far too often guilty of), the director presents a case for how the man became such an important role model, especially for Black communities in America. After laying the groundwork for Cosby's celebrity status and infallibility, he empowers women to tell their stories of abuse — as well as the ways in which Cosby's fame and reputation made them doubt their own experiences. These combined forces created a perfect storm for sexual predation to flourish. 

We are living in a post #MeToo age, but we should not rest on our laurels. "We Need To Talk About Cosby" is essential viewing for anyone who can stomach the topic because it does such an excellent job of investigating the ways that social power and celebrity can warp critical thinking. Those who still are unable to accept that the gentle Jell-O-selling, sweater-loving father figure is a monster are not stupid or evil — they're just trapped in an ideology that was designed to trap them. 

4. Prehistoric Planet

Did you know that the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex could swim? Or that the terrifying Carnotaurus — the primary antagonist in Disney's "Dinosaur" — may have used his itty-bitty forearms for an adorable mating ritual? These are just some of the theories I learned from watching Apple TV+'s "Prehistoric Planet, " a five-part series produced by BBC Studios. Following in the footsteps of the BBC's landmark nature documentary "Planet Earth," "Prehistoric Planet" pushes the envelope for the subgenre: Unlike most dinosaur-based documentaries, this series uses photorealistic CGI to depict its subjects interacting with their environment, achieving a degree of realism unlike anything audiences have seen before.

With Jon Favreau as showrunner, David Attenborough as narrator, and Hans Zimmer as one of the composers, there's a ton of talent behind "Prehistoric Planet" — and it shows. Sure, dinosaurs have become more prevalent onscreen over the last few decades, thanks to the "Jurassic Park" franchise and movies like Disney's "Dinosaur," but it's still genuinely very fun and gratifying to watch these giants stomp around the cretaceous period. Seeing a T-Rex stomp through suburbia in "The Lost World" is cool and all, but it's ultimately fantasy. The sequences in "Prehistoric Planet" are equally as manufactured, but the appeal is that we might be seeing something that really did happen. And this is the highest quality visuals we have so far when it comes to scientifically accurate CGI renderings. 

While this is a truly excellent offering and easily one of the best documentaries of 2022, the docuseries does suffer from a few minor shortcomings. By adhering to the general formula of other BBC nature docs (i.e. "Planet Earth, "Life," etc.) "Prehistoric Planet" robbed itself of much-needed context that could have aided the viewing process, such as subtitles (to keep track of names like "quetzalcoatlus" or "kaikaifilu") or talking head segments with paleontologists to explain what evidence the theories are based on. 

3. The Colour of Ink

Brian D. Johnson's " The Colour of Ink" is a Canadian documentary  that had me enthralled from beginning to end. I never expected to love this film — but the topic was mildly interesting and I like to support Canadian filmmakers. What I saw, however, absolutely blew me away.

"The Colour of Ink" is a beautiful, vibrant celebration of art throughout the ages, with a focus on ink itself. The documentary follows Toronto artist and small-batch ink-maker, Jason Logan, as he interviews other artists who work with the medium. What begins as a personal journey into Logan's world gradually spreads out to a much larger, and more philosophical, discussion of the role art plays in human history, and the pleasure to be found in working with the ephemeral. The artists he talks to all have their own fascinating stories, which contribute to the documentary's overall celebration of unique perspectives and individuality. Industrial ink today is manufactured to be consistent and permanent. The ink Logan creates, however, is much more natural and organic — it is made from items he encounters out in the world and is not intended to last forever. As he tells Margaret Atwood in one scene, that's the whole point. 

The best documentaries are those that take unassuming, niche ideas and manage to craft a compelling film exploring the topic. The Colour of Ink" achieves this in spades. Johnson's direction in " is mesmerizing; the cinematography is gorgeous, presenting the art and nature at its center as impossibly grand. This is one of those films that demands to be seen on a large screen in 4K Ultra HD — not because it's exciting or action-packed, but because there's just so much to see. 

2. Moonage Daydream

I never really got into David Bowie. Apart from the odd standout — "Heroes," "Space Oddity," "Rebel, Rebel," etc. — his albums just didn't speak to me. I'd put them on occasionally (I had his complete discography on my iPod Nano, an ancient device teens used back when cell phones were less commonplace and looked a bit like TV remotes), but the music never really grabbed me. I'd think it was good, just not great.

The 2022 documentary "Moonage Daydream" taught me something: it's not that I never got  into  David Bowie, I never  got  David Bowie. His music isn't meant to be the background soundtrack to every day. It's visual, it's performative, and it demands to be seen. His art is daring, expressive, and — weirdly — kind. There's an inclusivity to his work that I didn't appreciate until now.  

Written, directed, and produced by Brett Morgen, "Moonage Daydream" is a trippy, vivid, and vibrant story of who David Bowie  was , told through clips of old interviews, performances, and more. But unlike last year's "Get Back," "Moonage Daydream" is more than just pure historical footage: Morgen artfully combines music, interview audio, and archival footage with original video imagery — some of which is very abstract — to communicate ideas. We the audience are not passive observers — we're being told Bowie's story told through his own words, but like we've never seen before. An extra-sensory montage that is highly effective and endlessly compelling. 

It's about the best posthumous tribute imaginable, but  my God  — I am devastated every time I reflect on how this bright, beautiful human being was taken from the world too soon. 

1. Fire of Love

I've never seen a film quite like "Fire of Love" before. The National Geographic documentary is the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, two volcanologists who fell in love and dedicated their lives to pursuing their shared passion: the science of volcanoes. These bold French researchers chased volcanic activity around the world, getting up-close-and-personal footage of eruptions, lava flows, and other related phenomena. It was a pursuit that contributed to our understanding of the natural world, but one that would ultimately cost them their lives. 

Throughout their careers, Katia and Maurice Krafft became minor celebrities in the relatively small world of volcanology, thanks to the somewhat unorthodox nature of their partnership and their undeniable onscreen chemistry. The two were able to fund their expeditions through selling their findings in the form of documentaries, books, lectures, etc. — which means that Katia and Maurice left behind not only a rich archive of on-site materials, but also footage of themselves doing publicity circuit interviews. Director Sara Dosa uses these various resources to celebrate the volcanologists, using the material to investigate who they were as scientists, explorers, and lovers. 

"Fire of Live" makes best use of the visual medium, combining various strategies to engage audiences. The documentary uses subtle tricks to meld the contemporary elements with the 4:3 screen ratio footage, giving the film a retro quality throughout. There's a playfulness to the couple that is echoed in the Dosa's direction, which is frank, dignified, and respectful. Dosa does not manipulate the couple's image but rather attempts to show them as fully realized human beings, warts and all. The narration provides much-needed context — and at times, is reading directly from personal writings, providing an audience a glimpse at Katia and Maurice's inner lives. It's a deeply personal documentary and a truly magnificent entry in the genre.

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Top Documentaries of 2022

One of the pleasures of voting on the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which occur in early November each year, is it serves as a forcing function for watching movies that fly below the public's radar and can often be missed. These 10 films shouldn't be missed. Here's my other list, The Top 22 of 2022 . - Keith Simanton - Senior Film Editor, IMDb

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Good Night Oppy (2022)

PG | 105 min | Documentary

The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.

Director: Ryan White | Stars: Angela Bassett , Jon Stewart , Stephen Colbert , David Letterman

Votes: 4,513

2. Navalny (2022)

R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography

Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.

Director: Daniel Roher | Stars: Alexei Navalny , Yulia Navalnaya , Christo Grozev , Dasha Navalnaya

Votes: 29,796

3. The Ghost of Richard Harris (2022)

106 min | Documentary

Richard Harris a fascinating man as seen through the eyes of his three sons, BAFTA Award-winning actor Jared Harris, actor Jamie Harris and director Damian Harris.

Director: Adrian Sibley | Stars: Jared Harris , Damian Harris , Jamie Harris , Manuel di Lucia

4. Moonage Daydream (2022)

PG-13 | 135 min | Documentary, Biography, History

A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey. From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen, and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.

Director: Brett Morgen | Stars: David Bowie , Trevor Bolder , Ken Fordham , Mike Garson

Votes: 14,393

5. Fire of Love (2022)

PG | 98 min | Documentary, Biography

Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.

Director: Sara Dosa | Stars: Katia Krafft , Maurice Krafft , Miranda July , Alka Balbir

Votes: 14,333

6. The Automat (2021)

TV-PG | 79 min | Documentary, History

Documentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.

Director: Lisa Hurwitz | Stars: Mel Brooks , John W. Romas , Carl Reiner , Krystyna Romas

Votes: 1,559

7. The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

PG-13 | 156 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

24 Travel Documentaries You Should Watch ASAP

1. 180° south (2010).

Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.6 Filming Locations: Chile, Mexico

2. Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.8 Filming Locations: Antarctica

3. Austin To Boston (2014)

Duration: 1 hour 12 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.2 Filming Locations: USA

4. Unbranded (2015)

Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.3 Filming Locations: Western America

5. Baraka (1992)

Duration: 1 hour 36 minutes IMDb Rating: 8.6 Filming Locations: 23 countries

6. Hit The Road India (2013)

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes IMDb Rating: 6.8 Filming Locations: India

7. Blindsight (2006)

Duration: 1 hour 44 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.3 Filming Locations: Tibet

8. The Endless Summer (1966)

Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.8 Filming Locations: West Coast of Africa, Australia , New Zealand , Tahiti

9. Life In A Day

Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.7 Filming Locations: 192 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

10. Frozen Planet (2011)

Duration: 9 episodes of 1 hour each IMDb Rating: 8.9 Filming Locations: The North and South Poles

11. A Map For Saturday (2007)

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.9 Filming Locations:  Argentina , Australia, Brazil, USA, India, England , Spain , Thailand, Italy

12. Touching The Void (2003)

Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes IMDb Rating: 8.1 Filming Locations: Peru, France , Switzerland

13. Samsara (2011)

Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes IMDb Rating: 8.5 Filming Location: Over 25 countries in 5 continents

14. Riding Solo To The Top of The World

Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes IMDb Rating: 8.2 Filming Location:   Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir

15. The Edge Of Never

Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.3 Filming Location: France, USA, Canada

16. Stephen Fry In America 

Duration: 6 episodes of 1 hour each IMDb Rating: 8.0 Filming Location: USA

17. Under An Arctic Sky 

Duration: 39 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.1 Filming Location: Iceland

18. Sacred Planet 

Duration: 40 minutes IMDb Rating: 6.2 Filming Location:   Mulu, Sarawak, Malaysia ,  Namibia, Thailand, British Columbia, Southern Alaska

19. Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

IMDb rating: 7.7 / 10 Seasons: 3 Episodes: 11

20. Around the World in 80 Days

Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes IMDb Rating: 5.9 / 10 Filming Locations: USA

21. Sahara with Michael Palin

Duration: 60 minutes * 4 episode IMDb Rating: 8 Filming Locations: Sahara Desert

22. Antarctica: A Year on Ice

Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.6 Filming Locations: Antarctica

23. K2: Siren of the Himalayas

Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.2 Filming Locations: Pakistan

24. The Maidentrip

Duration: 1 hour 22 minutes IMDb Rating: 7.5

This post was published by Yash Saboo

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The 19 Best Documentaries of 2022 (So Far)

The best of the best.

Through the past few years of social and political upheaval, documentaries have emerged as one of the best ways to understand how we've gotten to this place. The best documentaries are truly awe-inducing, introducing audiences to impressive stories from the past or new ways to understand influential public figures. 2022 is shaping up to be another year of great documentaries, including some that reexamine the legacy of public figures, and others that present a social issue from a historical lens to show how much—or how little—has changed. (Documentaries debuting at the Sundance Film Festival can be viewed via the festival's many virtual screenings.)

'Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy'

Jeen-yuhs is an inside look at prolific rapper and producer Kanye West from his earliest days. Directed by Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, West's longtime friends and collaborators, the doc covers more than 20 years of unseen footage of West's years as a musician and entreprenur.

Watch on Netflix

'The Princess'

After a year full of Princess Diana content (including a dramatic season of The Crown and a whole stage musical), 2022 is starting off with a in-depth documentary about the People's Princess. In addition to profiling Diana, this doc will also look at how her royal life and the circumstances of her death have affected public opinions of the royal family for years.

Watch on HBO Max

'We Need to Talk About Cosby'

This doc from comedian and CNN host W. Kamau Bell examines the rise and fall of Bill Cosby, using archive footage and cultural and political analysis. The prescient doc covers his past as a beloved icon and star of The Cosby Show to being convicted for sexual assault.

Watch on Showtime

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'The Janes'

In 1972, seven women were arrested in a raid on a Chicago apartment. The crime: running an underground network to get women safe and affordable abortions in a pre- Roe v. Wade America under the collective JANE. Premiering ahead of the Supreme Court decision on the Mississippi abortion ban, The Janes may be the most timely doc of the year.

'Lucy and Desi'

In her documentary debut, Amy Poehler directs this tribute to the professional partnership and marriage between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Watch on Prime Video

'Downfall: The Case Against Boeing'

This doc follows the mysterious cases of two Boeing 737 airplanes that fell out of the sky mid-flight in late 2018, as well as the backlash following the crashes. It also reveals the concealment that occurred within the company, and the allure of Wall Street stock prices, that allowed the ultimate cause of the crashes, a faulty part, to go on the planes.

'Gaming Wall St'

Last year, a group of investors on the subreddit r/wallstreetbets took on Wall Street tycoons directly in a battle over the stock price of Game Stop. This two-part docuseries, narrated by Succession 's Kieran Culkin, explains the phenomenon by interviewing some of the traders either truly believed in Game Stop as a company, or just wanted to stick it to the big banks.

'Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u'

This doc follows the newly-minted Grammy winner and "Driver's License" on a road trip from Salt Lake City to LA, while also taking fans behind the scenes of the recording process for her hit debut album Sour .

Watch on Disney+

'The Andy Warhol Diaries'

The Andy Warhol Diaries is an intimate look at the life of the renowned visual artist from a new angle, showing the aftermath of his attempted murder and his entry into the film industry through diary entries he wrote at the time.

'Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off'

This doc shows the personal history and legacy of the skateboarding legend, giving fans who mostly know the skater's ubiquitous brand a look at what fueled him to become a decorated athlete and pop culture icon.

'White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch'

Abercrombie & Fitch went from being the mall clothing brand of the early '00s to a former pop culture phenomenon marred by controversy. This highly-anticipated doc includes interviews from former employees, executives, and models laying out the dark side of the brand, including its problematic former CEO Mike Jeffries.

While preparing for her 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, Jennifer Lopez looks over her iconic career as a singer, actor, and all-around star, while reflecting on her personal memories throughout her life.

'Janet Jackson'

In this four-part docuseries, pop music icon Janet Jackson looks over the mostly-untold story of her life and career, from her singing debut alongside her famous family at age seven, to the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction that threatened her career.

Watch on Lifetime

'The Book of Queer'

This five-part docuseries tells the untold histories of LGBTQ+ icons and trailblazers, with star-studded retellings à la Drunk History .

Watch on Discovery Plus

'Not So Pretty'

Narrated by KeKe Palmer, this docuseries investigates health concerns in the cosmetics industry, raising awareness on the dangerous risks of some cosmetic ingredients and procedures. (Don't be surprised if you revamp your beauty routine after watching.)

'Menudo: Forever Young'

This four-part docuseries will cover the rise and fall of the global sensation Menudo, the most iconic Latin American boy band in history, and the abuse and exploitation behind the band.

'A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting'

This poignant documentary on the 2018 Pittsburgh shooting puts the lives of the victims and survivors at the forefront, showing how the resilient community moved forward after the antisemitic attack.

This Oprah Winfrey -produced documentary chronicles the life of Sidney Poitier, who broke through the racial bias of Hollywood and became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor.

Watch on Apple TV+

'Light & Magic'

This six-part docuseries shows the story behind Industrial Light and Magic, the visual effects company behind the technological film developments used in films including the Star Wars franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark , Terminator 2: Judgment Day , and Jurassic Park .

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The Best Documentaries of 2022

Who received the true story treatment this year? None other than Louis Armstrong, Benjamin Franklin, Willie Mays—and more.

Thankfully, the very best of 2022's slate of documentary films shifted back toward good-intentioned, impartial filmmaking—which feels a bit insane to even have to point out. But here we are, There's Trish Adlesic's A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting , which put the focus squarely on the victims of the tragedy at its center. Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues is can't-miss ode to a man who transcended jazz music. And Good Night Oppy ? Well, that little space rover simply made our hearts melt. So rejoice, documentary obsessives, these are the best of the year.

Sr . wasn't supposed to turn out like this . The film began with Robert Downey Jr. setting out to make a documentary about his father, the great director Robert Downey Sr., but as the elder's health declined the project transformed. The making of the film became a means to keep living for Sr., and a surprisingly affecting portrait of life and death emerged. Add to that Downey Jr.'s candor about his relationship with his dad, and Sr. became about fathers and sons, too. Don't miss it.

Good Night Oppy

In 2004, a rover—named Opportunity, Oppy for short—landed on Mars with a 90-day mission in sight. Lo and behold, Oppy stuck around for 15 years, exploring Mars with a human-feeling level of curiosity. All we'll say about Good Night Oppy from here is: prepare yourself for a Pixar amount of tears and a parasocial relationship with a space rover.

This Place Rules

There are few people on this planet better fit for this moment—whatever this moment is—than Andrew Callaghan . Just learning about the 25-year-old savior of gonzo journalism now? Well, do Esquire a favor and watch a few episodes of Callaghan's web series, "All Gas No Brakes," where he reports from the most batshit front lines of the country, from a Bigfoot hunting expedition to 2019's Area 51 raid. Along the way, Callaghan—with an astonishingly quick wit, or at least quick enough to keep up with Chet Hanks —manages to get people to say the quiet parts out loud. Callaghan's This Place Rules , where he follows the buildup to the January 6 attacks, is a hilarious (and mortifyingly revealing) pulse check for our reeling country.

Releases on HBO December 30 .

A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

Just over four years ago, the mass shooting at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue devastated the Jewish community—and sparked another wave of the always-raging gun control debates in our country. In her empathetic portrait of the shooting and its aftermath, director Trish Adlesic puts the focus squarely on the victims of the tragedy . The result is a rare, stunning portrait of human resilience in the face of loss.

Fire of Love

Following the careers of famed French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, Fire of Love puts viewers up close with active volcanoes—one of Earth’s most destructive and near-apocalyptic forces. The two volcanologists bond over their shared obsession chasing these erupting behemoths as they collect samples of the bubbling and scorched earth that lit a flame for their love in the process.

Say Hey, Willie Mays!

Already missing baseball? Hell, are you a Phillies fan who's already missing baseball? Sheesh. Tough loss. Either way, please accept this gift of Say Hey, Willie Mays! , director Nelson George's great love letter to the Giants icon.

Earlier this year, HBO brought us the true story of the Jane Collective, a group of Chicagoans in the '60s and '70s that helped women find safe abortions in the pre- Roe v. Wade era. Of course, The Janes has only become more relevant since Roe v. Wade was overturned shortly after the documentary's debut—especially as we near a critical midterm election.

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

At least once a year, a documentary takes on a once-in-a-generation icon, somehow digs up an astounding amount of archival footage, and delivers something that transcends the genre. This year, that documentary is Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues . Watch. Listen. Meet one of the greatest jazz musicians to ever live.

Light & Magic

Ever wonder how Star Wars , you know, pulled it all off? How about Indiana Jones ? Honey I Shrunk the Kids , anyone? Enter Light & Magic , the ultimate profile of Industrial Light and Magic, the visual effects company behind Hollywood's greatest technological developments of the past 40-odd years. Screenwriting great Lawrence Kasdan directs this six-episode docuseries , in what will absolutely be your nerdiest binge of the year.

NYC Point Gods

Playing point guard—floor general, spiritual leader, physical dynamo—is pure art. Few hoops documentaries has ever captured the spirit of basketball quite like NYC Point Gods , which dove into the very heart of legendary New York City point guards Stephon Marbury, Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith, and more.

Benjamin Franklin

Is there a documentary filmmaker more prolific than Ken Burns? (We've ranked all of his films here , if you want to get lost in a rabbit hole today.) In April, he turned his eye to founding father Benjamin Franklin, to characteristically brilliant results.

Lucy and Desi

For those of you who thought Being the Ricardos wasn't a faithful depiction of the relationship between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz , then Lucy and Desi is for you. In her feature directorial debut, Amy Poehler set the record straight with what may end up as most enduring portrait of the Hollywood stars.

We Need to Talk About Cosby

Director W. Kamau Bell wrestles with Bill Cosby’s legacy in this four-part docuseries that features extensive interviews with the comedians Cosby influenced, the actors who worked with him, and the many women who came forward in the 2010s to accuse him of sexual assault.

In his review of jeen-yuhs for Esquire , Alan Light described the Netflix docuseries that profiles Ye as “a remarkable, possibly unprecedented chronicle of the making of a major artist.” The series director, Coodie Simmons, began filming West more than 25 years ago, right before he caught his big break producing albums for Roc-a-Fella records. A lot has changed for the artist since then and a lot could still happen. But jeen-yuhs is the best portrait we have to date of the polarizing artist who, like him or not, has changed hip-hop and fashion completely.

Neymar: The Perfect Chaos

A Neymar documentary featuring interviews with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and David Beckham? It's as good as you think. Sounds like the best way to make 2022 the year you finally get into soccer .

The Tinder Swindler

Shimon Hayut is a conman for the digital era. Posing as an heir to a diamond fortune, the 31-year-old Israeli defrauded dozens of women he met on Tinder to the tune of nearly $10 million dollars. Eventually a Norwegian tabloid caught wind of Hayut and began interviewing the victims, helping connect the dots between his crimes. This breezy documentary recounts the whole ordeal from the perspective of the women who eventually brought Hayut down.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song

It's all in the title, isn't it? Hallelujah explores Leonard Cohen's curious, culture defining song, which has been covered and replayed an immeasurable amount of times. Trust us: after watching this documentary, you'll only want to listen to the song more.

Navalny, one of our Best Movies of 2022 , recounts the harrowing and surreal assassination attempt of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The film begins in the immediate aftermath of Navalny’s poisoning and follows the former presidential candidate as he recovers alongside his family and makes disturbing discoveries about the forces behind the hit. Spoiler alert: It was exactly who you think it was.

We Met in Virtual Reality

Haters of virtual reality, the metaverse, clunky Oculus headsets, come hither. We Met in Virtual Reality is the counterargument. The HBO documentary which premieres July 27 is filmed entirely in VR—we don't need to tell you how wild that is—and profiles people who count their virtual lives are as essential as anything in our IRL world.

The Captain

ESPN keeps knocking out the all-timers, one by one. Michael Jordan in The Last Dance . Tom Brady in Man in the Arena . In 2022, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter saw a fittingly serviceable highlight-reel treatment in The Captain .

@media(max-width: 73.75rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.4375rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.5625rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}} Best of 2022

The 20 Best Memoirs of 2022

The Best Books of 2022

The 10 Best TV Shows of 2022

The 25 Best Albums of 2022

The Best Nonfiction Books of 2022

The 23 Best Action Movies of 2022

The Best Comedy Specials of 2022

The Best Movies of 2022

The 45 Best Songs of 2022

The 2022 Esquire Spirit Awards

The Best Video Games of 2022 (So Far)

Screen Rant

10 best documentaries of 2022 (so far), according to imdb.

From The Janes to The Captain, these documentaries are among the best of 2022 (so far), according to IMDb.

The Captain,  a documentary series about Hall of Fame baseball player Derek Jeter, is available to stream now on FuboTV or ESPN+. It gives inside looks at the life of Jeter and the ongoings of the New York Yankees, and as episodes are released through August 2022, it is steadily becoming a highly regarded documentary by critics.

Crossing the halfway mark of 2022, the year has already yielded some great and relevant documentaries. From hilarious movies like  Jackass Forever   to serious, necessary accounts like  The Janes,  some documentaries released this year are already making waves on IMDb .

Jackass Forever - 6.9

After a seven-year hiatus from the   franchise, Johnny Knoxville returns in Jackass Forever  for some of the most outrageous and dangerous stunts of his career, alongside his longtime friends and some new stars. With breathtaking stunts involving a bear and side-splitting moments at a food truck,  Jackass  is back in full swing.

Related: The 10 Scariest Injuries Of Steve-O's Career

Fans might not first associate this franchise with the documentary genre, but it falls into the category; in fact, it might easily be the funniest documentary franchise in history.

The Most Hated Man On The Internet - 7

One of the most anger-inducing documentaries to surface in 2022 is  The Most Hated Man On The Internet,  which follows a man who takes trolling to the worst possible extent. After leaking photos of Charlotte Laws' daughter on the internet, Charlotte makes a bold decision to stop the tyranny of Hunter Moore, the "life ruiner" and creator of the revenge porn site "Is Anyone Up?"

This intense and enthralling story of a few people's boldness in standing up to a dark internet criminal is gripping from start to finish. It shows that with courage and love, Hunter Moore could be stopped and wasn't going to take the life away from all of the people he exploited against their will.

The Tinder Swindler - 7.2

Of the more popular documentaries of 2022 is Netflix's  The Tinder Swindler .  It follows Simon Leviev, a man with many dark secrets, most of which were shockingly revealed in  The Tinder Swindler .  This dark tale, while not about murder, has an eerie atmosphere and grim yet unbelievable story.

Ultimately, this documentary may serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of the internet as well as a deep revelation about the cunning and disturbing sides of Simon. Its solid research, testimonials, and use of archived footage makes the documentary all the more compelling.

The Janes - 7.2

A potent documentary about the secret, underground service known as JANE,  The Janes  tells the story of seven women who started the service to give women abortions at a time when they were illegal. This documentary gained traction after its release as another insight into the history of women's rights in America.

Fans of the documentary   might enjoy other movies similar to  The Janes  for their powerful storytelling on the feminist movements that provided access to abortion for unwanted pregnancies.

Return To Space - 7.3

NASA isn't the only space exploration company making a name for itself anymore; SpaceX—founded by Elon Musk—is making its own groundbreaking progress. In  Return To Space,  the storylines of these cosmic companies overlap, revealing decades of secrets and developments made between the two.

This documentary is highly rated on IMDb for its portrayal of historical and new developments in the field of space travel. It begs to answer the question: how likely is it for a human to return to space in an exploration?

Facing Nolan - 7.7

Facing Nolan  is defined by  IMDb as "the definitive documentary of a Texas legend." The documentary tells the story of Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan—from the perspective of the players he faced. This raw and reverent story captures just how excellent he was at America's greatest pastime.

Related: 10 Best Movies About Baseball, According To Letterboxd

With a sort of sentimentality for the golden age of pitchers and a respect for one of the most feared pitchers in baseball,  Facing Nolan  is a refreshing spin on the sports documentary style.

Our Great National Parks - 7.9

A highly-rated documentary that is part nature and part historical documentary, is  Our Great National Parks.  This documentary is unlike many in the popular genre; it captures an awe-inspiring perspective on national parks while contending for their survival despite technological advancements.

Our Great National Parks  is a heartwarming but serious doc, offering insight into their necessity in society. Some of the filming in this documentary is intimate and unbelievably natural, conveying the power of national parks as a nucleus for nature's history.

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes - 8

A tragedy that may never be fully understood or reckoned with is that of Chernobyl. To this day, the story of Chernobyl is heartbreaking and an emotional part of history. Nevertheless, director James Jones dared to make a documentary of recently-found footage from the events.

Related: 10 Best Obscure Documentaries, According To Reddit

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes  is just that: a documented discovery of lost tapes—complete with interviews and archived footage filmed at the nuclear plant.  Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes  dares to bare the story of Chernobyl for the sake of a better understanding of the cryptic tragedy.

Benjamin Franklin - 8.3

There have been successful dramatizations and novels about Benjamin Franklin, but 2022 finally offered a highly regarded documentary of the founding father.  Benjamin Franklin  reminds the modern viewer just how much one person could accomplish in a lifetime.

Noting his work as a writer, historian, inventor and scientist, and politician, among other things, Benjamin Franklin is remembered as a true hero of America, but, the doc does not spare his failures and oddities in the process. In time, the documentary could become one of the best documentaries to buy on Amazon .

The Captain - 8.6

From July until the middle of August 2022, Derek Jeter expounds upon his life as a New York Yankee, a young baseball all-star, and his life after retiring from Major League Baseball.  The Captain  is aptly titled after the Hall of Famer's nickname, and has more to offer than sports jargon.

It is an emotional ride, starting with his aspirations of becoming a baseball player and documenting his struggles and triumphs throughout his star-studded life. After its final episode, it may eventually land among the best sports docuseries of all time .

Next:  The 10 Best New Movies To Watch On Netflix This Month