The documentary library at HBO Max has many gems for hours of compelling viewing. We've watched hundreds of documentaries on HBO Max and picked out the ones that you have to watch.
The documentary genre is versatile in terms of subject matter and form. They'll show you everything from high school basketball to fights for racial justice.
Here, in no particular order, are the best films on the streaming service.
1. 3 1/2 minutes of gunfire.
Jordan Davis was killed in a parking lot while listening to music with friends. The film follows Davis and his friends, family, and trial proceedings after his attacker was found guilty of first-degree murder, but only after a mistrial and extensive media coverage.
3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets is now available to watch on the internet.
2. The Giant is named André the Giant.
The documentary is about what it means to be larger than life. It shows how much Roussimoff has contributed to sports entertainment by showing how he understood how gigantism could elevate him to the status of a living myth. Interviews with wrestling stars like Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, and others give a rare glimpse into the behind the curtain of wrestling, and how Roussimoff inspired and transformed the WWF franchise into the massive performance showcase it is today.
You can now watch the show on the internet.
3. The park is called Class Action.
Death trap or fun time? Credit: Max.
The park is called Action Park. Cannonball loop and the Alpine slide were attractions at the New Jersey amusement and water park built by Gene Mulvihill. The cause of many injuries and deaths was severely mismanaged. The story behind Action Park was insane, from the park's madcap rides to Mulvihill's shady tactics for keeping his venture afloat.
Class Action Park keeps things light and humorous through a mixture of animation and interviews with comedians who attended Action Park as children. When discussing the park's deaths, it still exercises proper seriousness and restraint. Class Action Park is a documentary about a truly wild place, with descriptions of the insane rides and a nuanced exploration of nostalgia and childhood in the 1980s.
Class Action Park is available on the internet.
4. Everything is copied.
The best kind of love letter is one that's effusive in its admiration of its subject, but also clear-eyed about her quirks and flaws. The life and career of the writer and director, known to us as Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia, and to Bernstein as his mother, was explored by journalist Jacob Bernstein.
Interviews with family members and famous friends like Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Mike Nichols, along with archival interviews and excerpts from Ephron's own work, paint a portrait of a brilliant and ambitious spirit who lived by the motto "everything is copy." The film's warmth, candor, and humor make it a fitting tribute to the icon she was.
Everything is Copy is available to watch on HBO Max.
5. Gimme shelter.
Gimme Shelter was originally conceived as a behind the scenes account of the Rolling Stones' 1969 U.S. tour. The film does include some moments from the UK band's cross-country trip, but it is the events leading up to the Altamont Free Concert in 1970 that are the most valuable part of the film.
In 1969 a huge free concert was staged at the Altamont Speedway in California to try and duplicate the success of Woodstock. The Hells Angels motorcycle club provided security for the event, but it ended in a stabbing during the Stones performance. Gimme Shelter, a triumph of the cinéma vérité movement, was the result of the filmmaking team led by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin.
Gimme Shelter is now available to watch.
6. The Grey Gardens.
"Little Edie" was in Grey Gardens. Credit: Tom Wargacki
Albert and David Maysles were part of the documentary team that made Grey Gardens. They profile the intriguing and tragic lives of a mother and daughter, both named Edith, in a strange and winding character study.
Many argue that the film takes an exploitative view of its subjects and their mental health conditions, because the life stories of "Little Edie" and "Big Edie" are sensationalized in the documentary. Grey Gardens is a must-watch because it captures a unique family at the heart of a broader dialogue about the decline of political royalty and Americana.
Grey Gardens is now available on the internet.
7. The county is in the USA.
When a group of coal miners go on strike in Kentucky in the 1970s, the Duke Power Company retaliated and wheat was discovered. Barbara Kopple's film follows the miners and their supporters into the front lines of the fight, from picket lines to town hall meetings to more intimate moments of grief or rage.
As the battle spills over into violence, what emerges is a portrait of hard-won courage against an all-too-familiar villain. It's still considered to be one of the best documentaries of all time, almost half a century after it won the Best Documentary award at the 1977 Oscars. It's as powerful and urgent as it was when it was released.
You can now watch it on the internet.
8. Hoop dreams.
Arthur Agee is in a movie. Fine Line/Kartemquin/Kobal.
Arthur Agee and William Gates are two young men from inner city Chicago who dream of playing in the NBA. They are both recruited to play basketball at St. Joseph's high school in the film, but over the next four years they will both play different sports. Steve James explores issues of race, class, and how sports recruitment can cross into the realm of exploitative and put too much pressure on young players through Agee and Gates basketball careers.
Hoop Dreams has a level of intimacy with both Agee and Gates that is astounding. He follows their journeys on and off the basketball court as they and their families experience separations, sports injuries, and financial struggles. The documentary makes you feel like you are living with Agee and Gates, so you want them to succeed. It all comes to a head in the basketball sequence. Even though these games were played decades ago, James makes every missed shot feel like a lost opportunity and every successful play feel like a massive victory.
Hoop Dreams is now available on the internet.
9. 20 feet from the stars.
Love is in the air. Merry Christmas to you. The person is Lisa Fischer. The person isClaudia Lennear. Tta Vega. Some of the biggest musicians of our time sound even better because of these names. 20 Feet From Stardom is a documentary about background singers and their impact over the decades. There is a power to what we do. "No one has publicly acknowledged it until now," says Pendarvis, who was a backup singer for Sting and David Bowie.
It is an amazing two hours of incredible voices that finally get the recognition they deserve, including the first Black background singers working in the studios amongst a predominantly white industry, and one of the most prolific session groups. There is a strong moment when MerryClayton was a Black singer recording a backup for the song "Sweet Home Alabama" in the 70s.
20 Feet From Stardom can be watched on HBO Max.
10. Come Inside My Mind is a song by Robin Williams.
Robin Williams was in New York City. Credit: Sonia Moskowitz.
The loss of Robin Williams' talent and presence still hurts. Come Inside My Mind paints a portrait of Williams through those closest to him; his son, ex-wife, best friends, and many more, a portrait of someone immensely, inordinately talented who battled mental illness for most of his life. Williams' life is chronicled in a documentary by Marina Zenovich, who chronicled his life from a lonely childhood to a comedy rise and addiction to a troubled career. There was and likely will not be another Williams performance, even though clips of his performances remind us.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is available to watch on the internet.
11. The life and death of a woman.
The credit is given to the cable channel, HBO.
Two years ago, when Bland was found dead in her jail cell after being arrested for a traffic violation, a legal battle began. Kate Davis and David Heilbroner document the family's battle with law enforcement while sharing Bland's own video blogs and history of activism. Her death was ruled a suicide, but it still has questions and can't be undone.
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland is available to watch on HBO Max.
12. It was Spellbound.
Spellbound has it all. Fascinating people. There are heroes and villains. There are twists and turns. The documentary is about a national spelling bee.
The 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is the spelling competition equivalent of the Super Bowl in the United States, was chronicled in a 2002 Academy Award-nominated documentary. Jeffrey Blitz weaves a fascinating picture of high-level competition and the people that help to shape it in his film Spellbound.
Spellbound is now available on the internet.
13. There is a problem with Apu.
Hari Kondabolu found a racist caricature in the Simpsons character that damaged a whole generation of South Asian Americans. South Asians were almost invisible in Hollywood at a time when brown face and offensive accents stood in for representation.
Aasif Mandvi, Kal Penn, Sakina Jaffrey, Hasan Minhaj, and many more are examples of South Asian American talent and stories who carry the burden of Apu.
The Problem with Apu is available on the internet.
14. Transhood.
Leena was auditioning for a role in "Transhood." The credit is given to the cable channel, HBO.
In Transhood, director Sharon Liese documents the lives of five people, four of whom are children and two of whom are teenagers. It is a moving portrait of its subjects, ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming.
Transhood is intimate but never intrusive, following its subjects with a caring and understanding eye. We get to know Phoenix, Jay, and Leena, as well as their parents, whose support and sacrifice fuel some of the film's most emotional moments. Transhood doesn't want to lift Phoenix, Jay, or Leena up as monoliths of the trans experience. Rather, it celebrates the differences and similarities between their journeys and finds the beauty in their transitions, all while inspiring great amounts of compassion and empathy.
Transhood is now available on the internet.
15. Chechnya, welcome to it.
Welcome to Chechnya is the third film from David France, and it takes viewers on a guerilla-style investigation into the anti-gay purges that still plague the republic of Russia.
The project details the policies created by Putin and Kadyrov to criminalize homosexuality, as well as the culture the government has instilled in its citizens to encourage hate crimes. It is a painful watch that demands attention from viewers because of the efforts of underground networks to help the LGBTQ people escape the region.
The urgentness is what makes this doc stand out. We can use documentary filmmaking to examine issues in greater detail, as well as preserve them for the historic record. Welcome to Chechnya encourages western audiences to acknowledge the genocide that continues to this day.
Welcome to Chechnya is available on the internet.
The write up comes from a previous list.
