7 Best Documentaries Streaming Now
There’s nothing quite like settling in with a great documentary—the kind that pulls you in, opens your mind, and sticks with you long after the credits roll. Whether you’re into true crime, inspiring real-life stories, history, sports, or something totally unexpected, streaming services can put the best films and series at your fingertips. Yet with so many options out there on different platforms, finding the right one can feel a little overwhelming. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered with recommendations to help you discover the best documentaries to stream right now.
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1. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (Netflix)
Ranked the number one movie on Netflix right now, this disturbing documentary takes you on a wild ride through a shocking cyberbullying case in small-town Michigan. With twists and turns ripped from viral news headlines, you would never guess who the catfish turns out to be.
Yet even if you already know how the story ends, this movie is still well worth a watch. Just as shocking as the final revelation is how the people closest to the culprit react in never-before-seen interviews.
2. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (Netflix)
New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago in 2005, but the city is still feeling its aftershocks today. This three-part docuseries—produced by Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles, and Spike Lee—tells the emotional stories of survivors and sheds new light on the government’s failed response to the crisis.
3. Fit For TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser (Netflix)
If you watched the reality TV show The Biggest Loser during its heyday, you already know that it was not just a show, but a phenomenon. Headlined by celebrity fitness instructors Jilian Michaels and Bob Harper, the series followed contestants for 18 seasons as they fought to lose weight—apparently by any means necessary.
Fit For TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser goes behind the scenes to tell a fuller story about the indignities suffered on set, leaving participants divided about the show’s ultimate impact.
4. Quarterback (Netflix)
As football season kicks off, fans won’t need to wait until the big game to get fully immersed in the sport. Each season of this aptly named documentary series follows the ups and downs of three NFL quarterbacks’ lives and careers, starting with Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota, and Kirk Cousins in season one, and returning with Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and a Cousins reprise in season two.
Lovers of the game will enjoy seeing the sport up close and personal, but anyone watching can appreciate the drama and pressure of leading a team, as well as the personal sacrifices the players make on and off the field.
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5. The Truth About Jussie Smollett? (Netflix)
In 2019, Empire actor Jussie Smollett claimed he had been attacked outside of his apartment in a hate crime, the perpetrators using homophobic and racial slurs as they allegedly punched him and tied a rope around his neck. Soon after, the police declared their incident a hoax, determining that Smollett had staged the attack with the help of two acquaintances.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett takes a closer look at the controversy, reopening the case and the possibility of Smollett’s redemption.
6. The Yoghurt Shop Murders (HBO)
An unsolved mystery that dates back to the early 90s, The Yoghurt Shop Murders tells the story of four teenage girls who were fatally shot at a frozen yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. The series explores the theories behind each of the case’s suspects, details a dramatically overturned conviction, and leaves the audience to draw their conclusions about who was responsible for the tragedy.
7. Evelyn (Netflix)
Evelyn is the heart-wrenching story of a U.K. film director, Orlando von Einsiedel, confronting the impact of his brother Evelyn Einsiedel‘s tragic suicide 13 years prior. Together with his family, von Einsiedel sets out on a walking path that Evelyn liked to hike, while trying to make sense of his life and death.
With a coveted 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie follows the family’s raw journey toward closure, and opens a powerful conversation on a topic too often shrouded in silence.