swap_horiz 13th Alternatives

1

Shoah

Shoah is a 1985 documentary film examining the Holocaust through extended interviews conducted by Claude Lanzmann. The e...

France Powerful Historical Movie

9.6 Brilliant

2

The Civil War

Ken Burns’s *The Civil War* offers a comprehensive examination of this pivotal period in American history. The 1990 PBS...

History Series 1990S America

9.1 Excellent

3

Minding the Gap

Minding the Gap explores the lives of three young skateboarders growing up in Rockford, Illinois during the 2010s. The d...

Coming Of Age Skateboarding America 2010S

8.5 Great

4

The U.S. and the Holocaust

This documentary series examines America’s complex relationship with the Holocaust during World War II. Through extensiv...

Series Holocaust America Ken Burns

8.4 Great

5

Titicut Follies

Frederick Wiseman’s *Titicut Follies* documents life at the Danvers State School in Massachusetts during the 1960s. The...

Mental Health 1960S America Institution

8.2 Great

6

Hearts and Minds

Peter Davis’s *Hearts and Minds* (1974) offers a critical examination of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The f...

Politics 1970S War America

8.2 Great

7

Bowling for Columbine

Bowling for Columbine examines the events surrounding the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and broader gun violence i...

Germany Movie Tragedy Social Commentary

8.1 Great

8

The Plow That Broke the Plains

“This 1936 documentary, directed by Pare Lorentz and produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, examines the ecolog...

Classic Agriculture 1930S America

8.1 Great

9

America to Me

The documentary America to Me explores race relations through the lens of everyday experiences. Steve James’s series doc...

Education Series School Race

8.1 Great

10

LA 92

LA 92 is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. C...

Archive Los Angeles Race 2010S

8.0 Great

11

The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five is a 2012 documentary film directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. The film investi...

Crime Justice Race Ken Burns

8.0 Great

12

Brother's Keeper

Brother's Keeper is a 1992 American documentary film directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. It examines the case...

Family Crime 1990S Rural

7.8 Good

13

Prohibition

Prohibition is a 2011 three-part documentary television series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick for PBS. The series...

History Series America Ken Burns

7.8 Good

14

3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets

3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets is a 2015 documentary directed by Marc Silver about the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Jor...

Crime Film Justice Race

7.8 Good

15

The Queen of Versailles

The Queen of Versailles is a 2012 documentary directed by Lauren Greenfield that follows David and Jackie Siegel, wealth...

Wealth Real Estate Film America

7.8 Good

16

Trouble the Water

Trouble the Water is a 2008 American documentary directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal and distributed by Zeitgeist Films...

Film Race Disaster Katrina

7.8 Good

17

The War Room

The War Room is a 1993 American documentary directed by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker. It follows the strategists be...

Campaign Politics 1990S America

7.7 Good

18

Descendant

Descendant is a 2022 documentary film directed by Margaret Brown examining the history and legacy of the Clotilda, the l...

History Netflix Race 2020S

7.7 Good

19

Strong Island

Strong Island is a 2017 documentary film directed by Yance Ford that examines the 1992 shooting death of his older broth...

Family Crime Justice Race

7.6 Good

20

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a 2018 documentary directed by RaMell Ross and filmed over several years in Ha...

Place Race Essay 2010S

7.6 Good