25 Incredible Documentaries on Netflix

"There is NEVER anything good on Netflix" is something I hear people say all the time. I have to disagree. While they are lacking in new releases, they make up for it in older movies, classic TV series' and documentaries. I am a huge fan of biographies, documentaries and pretty much any true stories. Below I have listed 25 documentaries that I have watched in the last few years on Netflix. Since the movie rights have certain limitations per region and year, they may not all be available to you right now. (but I'm sure most will if you are in Canada)

I have put a few of my favourite ones at the top of the list and as you move down, you will find that there are some that are more 'light'. Save those for the nights where you don't want to watch something as heavy. With this list, you can watch a new movie almost every night for a month. Not bad Netflix.

25 Documentaries on Netflix:

• God Grew Tired of Us - Story of the "Lost Boys" who fled villages, formed surrogate families and sought refuge from war in Sudan. 

• Exit Through The Gift Shop - An inside look at 'street art', vandalism and a really famous guy with a secret identity named Banksy. 

• No Impact Man - A family in New York City attempt a full year in an apartment while making no impact on the environment. This means no power, no fridge, no toilet paper. 

• Big River Man - The story of an endurance swimmer from Slovenia who make's an insane attempt at swimming the entire length of the amazon river. The best part is, he is overweight, in his 50's and drinks 2 bottles of red wine a day... even when swimming.  I seriously thought this was a mockumentary after watching, but it is real, he is real. A must watch.

• Blackfish - A controversial movie about how whales are treated at Seaworld. Not sure if it's still available but check out the website to find out more info. Very sad for animal lovers.

• Gasland - The movie focuses on communities in the US impacted by natural gas drilling, specifically 'fracking'.   

• Bobby Fisher Against the World - The story of his life from a troubled childhood to his rock star status as a world chess champion to his life as a fugitive.   

• We Live in Public - The crazy story of Josh Harris who started a live audio and video webcasting website in 1993. His ideas were pretty much the first ever reality TV/Web shows.

• Young at Heart - Heartwarming story of a group of senior citizens who have formed a choir and sing covers of Jimi Hendrix, Coldplay, Sonic Youth and many other unexpected artists. 

• Craigslist Joe - Follows Joe as he tries to live for one month where everything in his life has to come from the Craigslist website. All he starts with is a laptop, cell phone, toothbrush and clothes on his back.   

• Vegucated - The story follows 3 meat loving New Yorkers who attempt to go Vegan for 6 weeks. A real eye opener for anyone concerned about weight and health.

• Life 2.0 - Takes you behind the scenes of the virtual world Second Life to see how people get addicted to the 'game' and how it affects their lives. 

• Teenage Paparazzo - Chronicles the relationship of a 14 yr old paparazzo and actor Adrian Grenier (Vinnie from Entourage)
• Sons of Perdition - Behind the scenes look into the lives of teenagers exiled from their families and community by Warren Jeffs and the FLDS Church (aka cult)    

• Hungary for Change - Exposes secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want you to know about strategies designed to keep you coming back for more.  

• Confessions of a Superhero - Showcases 4 men who work in Hollywood, dressing as superhero's for tourists. 

• The Whale - True story of a young, wild killer whale who lost contact with his family on the coast of BC and turned up alone in a narrow stretch of sea called Nootka Sound.  

• Waiting for Superman - The film analyses the failures of the American public education system by following several students trying to get into a charter school.    

• Being Elmo - Follower Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo, the Sesame Street character. (after I saw this, news came out about Kevin's private life that was very shocking)    

• Short Game - An in-depth look at the best 7 year old golfers in the world and how they handle the pressure and lifestyle. 

• Venus & Serena - An inside look at the lives of the sisters from birth as their father groomed them to become the best in the world. 

• Usain Bolt - Shot over 7 months, the doc takes a unique look at the Olympic champion from his hometown to his life on the road.   

• Woody Allen - Follows the notoriously private film legend for over a year and a half and shares his life story. Including how he has made a film almost every single year since 1965. 

• Becoming Chaz - Documents Chaz's (Cher's son) journey through gender transition and how his family and friends are dealing with the changes.  

• Never Say Never - Yes, this is a Justin Bieber story, but I think it is a lot more than that. It showcases how Scooter Braun found Justin on YouTube at age 13 and used social media to help propel him to be one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Anyone interested in marketing and digital media should watch this movie. 

Additions that friends have suggested:

• Who Killed The Electric Car
• Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
• I am
• Food Matters

If you have any suggestions for me, list them in the comments and I will add!

Thanks!
Kate