Biographical Documentaries
by kevinodwyer | created - 3 months ago | updated - 6 days ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (2023)
102 min | Documentary
A look at the life of poet, Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.
Directors: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson | Stars: Nikki Giovanni, Taraji P. Henson, James Baldwin, Marion Barry Jr.
Votes: 624
2. Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023)
TV-14 | 104 min | Documentary
The biography of renowned actor Rock Hudson is examined in this relevant investigation of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity, from his public "ladies' man" character to his private life as a gay man.
Director: Stephen Kijak | Stars: Rock Hudson, Roy Scherer, Ken Hodge, Richard Hodge
Votes: 1,326
3. Stan Lee (2023)
TV-14 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography
100 years of dreaming. 100 years of creating. 100 years of Stan Lee.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Kevin Feige, Jack Kirby, J.C. Lee, Joan Lee
Votes: 2,608
4. Arnold (2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Documentary, Biography
Follows the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his days of lifting weights to his successes in Hollywood, his time serving as governor of California, and both the joys and volatility of his family life.
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Sylvester Stallone, Ken Waller
Votes: 21,742
5. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (II) (2023)
R | 95 min | Documentary, Biography
Follows the life of beloved actor and advocate Michael J. Fox, exploring his personal and professional triumphs and travails, and what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Davis Guggenheim, Tracy Pollan, Sam Fox
Votes: 15,222
6. Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
TV-MA | 116 min | Documentary, Biography
Anna Nicole Smith, featuring never before seen footage of the iconic Playboy and Guess jeans model, who blazed a trail through the 90s before her tragic death at the age of 39.
Director: Ursula Macfarlane | Stars: Anna Nicole Smith, RuPaul, Ozzy Osbourne, Arsenio Hall
Votes: 3,300
7. Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023)
TV-MA | 69 min | Documentary, Biography
Follows actor, model, and icon Brooke Shields as she becomes a woman who discovers her power after being a sexualized young girl. She shows the dangers and triumphs of gaining agency in a hostile world.
Stars: Brooke Shields, Scaachi Koul, Isobel Coleman, Meenakshi Durham
Votes: 2,707
8. Pamela: A Love Story (2023)
TV-MA | 112 min | Documentary, Biography
Follows the life of pop culture icon Pamela Anderson, including never-before-seen archival footage and personal journals.
Director: Ryan White | Stars: Pamela Anderson, Fran Drescher, David Hasselhoff, Yasmine Bleeth
Votes: 12,769
9. Icahn: The Restless Billionaire (2022)
TV-14 | 101 min | Documentary, Biography
Explores the fascinating contradictions at the heart of the famed financier, Carl Icahn. Amassing close to $20 billion dollars over the last half century and at the forefront of some of the most legendary business deals of our times.
Director: Bruce David Klein | Stars: Carl Icahn, Andrew Ross Sorkin
Votes: 958
10. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)
TV-14 | 92 min | Documentary
Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.
Director: Joshua Rofé | Stars: Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, John Thamm
Votes: 6,754
11. Val (I) (2021)
R | 109 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary centering on the daily life of actor Val Kilmer, featuring never-before-seen footage spanning 40 years.
Directors: Ting Poo, Leo Scott | Stars: Val Kilmer, Jack Kilmer, Mercedes Kilmer, Joanne Whalley
Votes: 14,363
12. The Donut King (2020)
90 min | Documentary, Animation
This documentary tells Ted Ngoy's story that is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption.
Director: Alice Gu | Stars: Ted Ngoy, Christie Suganthini, Chet Ngoy, Savy Ngoy
Votes: 1,144
13. Pretending I'm a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story (2020)
TV-PG | 73 min | Documentary
The story of how skateboarding became a part of the mainstream by focusing on the success of the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" video game franchise.
Director: Ludvig Gür | Stars: Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska
Votes: 835
14. The Black Godfather (2019)
TV-MA | 118 min | Documentary, Biography
Follows the life of Clarence Avant, the ultimate, uncensored mentor and behind-the-scenes rainmaker in music, film, TV and politics.
Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Clarence Avant, Hank Aaron, Gwen Adolph, Dina R. Andrews
Votes: 1,538
15. Restrepo (2010)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger | Stars: The Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Juan 'Doc Restrepo, Dan Kearney, LaMonta Caldwell
Votes: 24,424 | Gross: $1.33M
16. We Were Here (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
Directors: David Weissman, Bill Weber | Stars: Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark, Eileen Glutzer
Votes: 2,280
17. Chasing Ice (2012)
PG-13 | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.
Director: Jeff Orlowski-Yang | Stars: James Balog, Svavar Jónatansson, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone
Votes: 8,866 | Gross: $1.33M
18. Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)
R | 106 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The history of the independent film company, The Cannon Film Group, Inc..
Director: Mark Hartley | Stars: Sam Firstenberg, David Paulsen, Luigi Cozzi, Menahem Golan
Votes: 5,994
19. Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015)
R | 128 min | Documentary, Biography
A look at the personal and private life of the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Steve Jobs, Alex Gibney, Steve Wozniak, Michael S. Malone
Votes: 6,501 | Gross: $0.49M
20. Author: The JT LeRoy Story (2016)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography
The story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Laura Albert, Bruce Benderson, Terrence Owens, Ira Silverberg
Votes: 1,262 | Gross: $0.09M
21. The Lovers & the Despot (2016)
Unrated | 98 min | Documentary, Biography, Thriller
The story of the South Korean actor, Choi Eun-hee, and her ex-husband and film director, Shin Sang-ok, who were individually kidnapped and reunited by dictator and film fan Kim Jong-il to force them to develop North Korea's film industry.
Directors: Ross Adam, Robert Cannan | Stars: Choi Eun-hie, Paul Courtenay Hyu, Shin Sang-ok
Votes: 1,074 | Gross: $0.06M
22. I Am Heath Ledger (2017)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography
Friends and family of the late actor Heath Ledger remember his life and career.
Directors: Adrian Buitenhuis, Derik Murray | Stars: Heath Ledger, Ben Harper, Kim Ledger, Sally Bell
Votes: 6,905
23. Get Me Roger Stone (2017)
TV-14 | 92 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary exploring the life and career of notorious Republican dirty trickster and longtime Trump adviser, Roger Stone, who helped create the real estate mogul's political career.
Directors: Dylan Bank, Daniel DiMauro, Morgan Pehme | Stars: Roger Stone, Donald Trump, Jane Mayer, Jeffrey Toobin
Votes: 7,735
24. Spielberg (2017 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 147 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.
Director: Susan Lacy | Stars: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Butler
Votes: 8,306
25. Wormwood (2017)
40 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
In 1953, Army scientist Frank Olson takes a fatal plunge from a hotel window. In 1975, a bombshell report ties his death to a top-secret experiment.
Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Parker, Christian Camargo, Scott Shepherd
Votes: 4,711
26. Seeing Allred (2018)
TV-14 | 96 min | Documentary, Biography
Women's rights attorney Gloria Allred takes on the biggest names in American culture as coverage of sexual assault allegations in the media become more prevalent.
Directors: Roberta Grossman, Sophie Sartain | Stars: Gloria Allred, Lisa Bloom, Hillary Clinton, Bill Cosby
Votes: 1,466
27. Bobby Kennedy for President (2018)
TV-MA | 245 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
This four-part documentary series weaves together rare and exclusive footage of attorney general, U.S. senator, and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s.
Stars: Paul Schrade, Peter Edelman, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis
Votes: 2,098
28. Hal (2018)
90 min | Documentary, Biography
Hal Ashby's obsessive genius led to an unprecedented string of Oscar®-winning classics, including Harold and Maude (1971), Shampoo and Being There. But as contemporaries Francis Ford Coppola... See full summary »
Director: Amy Scott | Stars: Hal Ashby, Norman Jewison, Haskell Wexler, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 681 | Gross: $0.05M
29. Divide and Conquer (2018)
Not Rated | 107 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary that explores the rise and fall of the late Roger Ailes, from his early media influence on the Nixon presidency to his controversial leadership at Fox News.
Director: Alexis Bloom | Stars: Tony Waag, Babette Bombshell, Catherine Corcoran, John Reardon
Votes: 647 | Gross: $0.04M
30. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy, featuring interviews with him on death row.
Stars: Stephen Michaud, Bob Keppel, Kathleen McChesney, Ward Lucas
Votes: 32,929
31. The Great Hack (2019)
TV-MA | 114 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The Cambridge Analytica scandal is examined through the roles of several affected persons.
Directors: Karim Amer, Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Brittany Kaiser, David Carroll, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik
Votes: 25,028
32. Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord (2021)
TV-MA | 96 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Max S. reveals how he built a drug empire from his childhood bedroom in this story that inspired the series "How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)."
Directors: Eva Müller, Michael Schmitt | Star: Maximilian Schmidt
Votes: 5,882
33. While We Watched (2022)
94 min | Documentary, Biography, News
How independent news reporting in India and beyond is increasingly under threat by budgetary cuts and especially, extremists leveraging alternative platforms to spread misinformation.
Director: Vinay Shukla | Stars: Ravish Kumar, Sushil Bahuguna, Deepak Chaubey, Sushil Mohapatra
Votes: 2,258
34. Pencils vs Pixels (2023)
Not Rated | 83 min | Documentary, Biography
It is a celebration of the unique magic of 2D hand-drawn animation and an exploration of how the Disney of the late 1980s and early 1990s led to an animation boom that was quickly upended by the computer animation revolution that followed.
Directors: Bay Dariz, Phil Earnest | Stars: Ming-Na Wen, Kevin Smith, Seth MacFarlane, Leonard Maltin
Votes: 242
35. Beyond Utopia (2023)
PG-13 | 115 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The story of several families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen.
Director: Madeleine Gavin | Stars: Hyeonseo Lee, Sung-eun Kim, So-yeon Lee, Sue Mi Terry
Votes: 3,409
36. Remembering Gene Wilder (2023)
92 min | Documentary, Biography
A special tribute documentary honoring Gene Wilder's life and career.
Director: Ron Frank | Stars: Alan Alda, Mel Brooks, Harry Connick Jr., Burton Gilliam
Votes: 216
37. Free Meek (2019)
TV-MA | 195 min | Documentary, Biography
Chronicling the life of Philadelphia based rap artist, Meek Mill, from his rise in music to his incarceration and eventual release from prison.
Stars: Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Van Jones, Paul Solotaroff
Votes: 531
38. Stormy (2024)
TV-MA | 109 min | Documentary
Behind the curtain with Stormy Daniels as she shares her story. The film follows her reinventing herself while grappling with events from 5 years earlier that made her an unlikely American icon.
Director: Sarah Gibson | Stars: Stormy Daniels, Travis Partin, Joy King, Olivia Nuzzi
Votes: 689
39. Steve! (2024– )
TV-MA | 191 min | Documentary
Follows the life and career of actor Steve Martin.
Stars: Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Lorne Michaels, Adam Gopnik
Votes: 1,181
40. Jim Henson Idea Man (2024)
Documentary, Biography | Post-production
This Documentary will feature interviews of fans of Jim Hensons work, interspersed with footage from Jim Henson's works, including Wilkins and Wontkins Commercials that were previously lost.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Jim Henson, Brian Henson, Fran Brill, Dave Goelz
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