swap_horiz Streetwise Alternatives

1

Apollo 11

'Apollo 11' is a breathtaking immersive experience that uses never-before-seen footage and audio recordings to recreate...

Technology Exploration History Science

9.0 Excellent

2

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan

Martin Scorsese’s “No Direction Home” chronicles Bob Dylan’s transformative period from 1961 to 1966. The documentary me...

Music Film Biography Scorsese

9.0 Excellent

3

The Gatekeepers

“The Gatekeepers” presents a profound examination of Israel’s security apparatus through the recollections of six former...

Security Israel Politics Film

8.7 Great

4

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

The documentary Hearts of Darkness meticulously chronicles the chaotic production of Francis Ford Coppola’s *Apocalypse...

Film 1990S Production Hollywood

8.6 Great

5

Welfare

Frederick Wiseman’s *Welfare* offers an unflinching look at the daily operations of the Waverly Center in New York City...

1970S Bureaucracy Poverty Wiseman

8.6 Great

6

4 Little Girls

The film *4 Little Girls* meticulously documents the tragic 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmi...

History Film Civil Rights Spike Lee

8.5 Great

7

How to Survive a Plague

The documentary How to Survive a Plague chronicles the rise of activist groups ACT UP and TAG in the early days of the A...

Health Activism Film Aids

8.5 Great

8

This Is Not a Film

Jafar Panahi’s *This Is Not a Film* offers a unique cinematic experience created during a period of restriction in Iran....

Politics Film Cinema Iran

8.5 Great

9

Los Angeles Plays Itself

Thom Andersen’s *Los Angeles Plays Itself* examines the city’s cinematic representation from the early 2000s. The docume...

Film 2000S Los Angeles Essay

8.4 Great

10

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

“The Story of Film: An Odyssey” chronicles the evolution of cinematic art across global traditions. This expansive serie...

History Global Series Film

8.3 Great

11

Listen to Me Marlon

The documentary Listen to Me Marlon explores the life and career of Marlon Brando through a unique lens. Constructed pri...

Acting Film Biography 2010S

8.3 Great

12

Gates of Heaven

Errol Morris’s *Gates of Heaven* (1978) investigates the cultural significance of American pet cemeteries. The film expl...

Classic Film Errol Morris Pets

8.3 Great

13

Of Fathers and Sons

Talal Derki’s “Of Fathers and Sons” presents an intimate and unsettling look at a Syrian family deeply involved with ISI...

Family Film War Syria

8.3 Great

14

The Overnighters

“The Overnighters” documents the experiences of a small-town pastor in North Dakota who provides temporary housing for o...

Film Religion Oil Labor

8.3 Great

15

Into Great Silence

“Into Great Silence documents life within the Grande Chartreuse monastery, home to Carthusian monks since the 17th centu...

Film Monastery Contemplative Religion

8.3 Great

16

Let the Fire Burn

“Let the Fire Burn” examines the tragic 1985 confrontation between Philadelphia police and the Black Panther Party’s MOV...

History Philadelphia Film Policing

8.3 Great

17

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

This documentary explores the life and work of musician Daniel Johnston, a self-taught artist who created intensely pers...

Music Mental Health Film Biography

8.3 Great

18

LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton

LaLee's Kin is a 2001 HBO documentary by Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke, and Albert Maysles on poverty and schooling in...

Education Film South Poverty

7.8 Good

19

The Eagle Huntress

The Eagle Huntress is Otto Bell's 2016 documentary about Aisholpan Nurgaiv, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl entering Mongolia'...

Youth Film Sports Mongolia

7.8 Good

20

They Call Us Monsters

They Call Us Monsters is Ben Lear's 2016 documentary about three teenagers in a Los Angeles juvenile hall taking a scree...

Youth Film Justice Prison

7.3 Good