The Best of 2018 The Best Documentary Movies of 2018  

Ranker Film

471 votes 140 voters 9.3k views 35 items

1

36 9

Won't You Be My Neighbor? Fred Rogers Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Morgan Neville. An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host, Fred Rogers.

2

37 13

André the Giant André René Roussimoff, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan André the Giant is a 2018 TV documentary film directed by Jason Hehir. The explores life of French professional wrestler and actor André René Roussimoff, better known as ...more

3

21 8

Three Identical Strangers Eddy Galland, David Kellman, Robert Shafran Three Identical Strangers is a 2018 documentary film directed by Tim Wardle. In 1980, three complete strangers accidentally discover that they are identical triplets, separated at birth.

4

18 13

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling Michael Cera, James L. Brooks, Jim Carrey The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Judd Apatow. Featuring Michael Cera reading various excerpts from personal diaries, the film looks at the life ...more

5

16 12

Whitney Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown Whitney is a 2018 British documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives, and original ...more

6

15 13

RBG Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Nina Totenberg RBG is a 2018 documentary film directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West. At the age of 84, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming ...more

7

4 3

Free Solo Alex Honnold Free Solo is a 2018 documentary directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El ...more

8

3 2

Quincy Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones, Beyoncé Quincy is a 2018 documentary filmed directed by Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones. An intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones, a unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years who ...more

9

2 1

They Shall Not Grow Old They Shall Not Grow Old is a 2018 British documentary film directed by Peter Jackson. The film was created using original footage of World War I from the Imperial War Museums' archives, most of ...more

10

9 9

Pandas Kristen Bell, Wen Lei Bi, Rong Hou Pandas is a 2018 documentary film directed by David Douglas and Drew Fellman. In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience ...more

11

6 6

McQueen Alexander McQueen, Gary James McQueen, Janet McQueen McQueen is a 2018 documentary film directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation ...more

12

5 5

Fahrenheit 11/9 Donald J. Trump, Michael Moore Fahrenheit 11/9 is a 2018 documentary film directed by Michael Moore. The film explores the 2016 United States presidential election and the subsequent presidency of Donald Trump.

13

2 2

Bad Reputation Joan Jett, Billie Joe Armstrong, Miley Cyrus Bad Reputation is a 2018 documentary film directed by Kevin Kerslake. Featuring archival footage and interviews with rock legends, the documentary explores the rise of Joan Jett in rock-n-roll ...more

14

2 2

Studio 54 Steve Rubell, Ian Schrager Studio 54 is a 2018 American documentary directed by Matt Tyrnauer. 39 years after the velvet rope was first slung across Studio 54's hallowed threshold, a feature documentary tells the real ...more

15

2 2

On Her Shoulders Nadia Murad, Murad Ismael, Amal Clooney On Her Shoulders is a 2018 documentary film directed by Alexandria Bombach. Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, tells her story of how she survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS.

16

1 1

Chef Flynn Flynn McGarry, Meg McGarry, Paris McGarry Chef Flynn is a 2018 documentary film directed by Cameron Yates. After transforming his living room into a supper club using his classmates as line cooks, 10-year-old Flynn McGarry outgrows his ...more

17

3 4

Songwriter Ed Sheeran, Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder Songwriter is a 2018 documentary film directed by Murray Cummings. The documentary follows English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran during the making of his 2017 album "Divide."

18

2 3

Pick of the Litter Pick of the Litter is a 2018 documentary film directed by Don Hardy Jr. and Dana Nachman. Cameras follow a litter of puppies from the moment they're born and begin their quest to become Guide ...more

19

1 2

Love, Gilda Gilda Radner, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader Love, Gilda is a 2018 documentary film directed by Lisa Dapolito. In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner looks back and reflects on her life and career with recently discovered audiotapes, ...more

20

1 2

Tea with the Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright Tea with the Dames is a 2018 documentary film directed by Roger Michell. Acting greats and Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith have let the cameras in on a ...more

21

1 2

Maria By Callas Maria Callas, Fanny Ardant, Joyce DiDonato Maria by Callas is a 2017 documentary film directed by Tom Volf. An intimate look at the life and work of Greek-American opera singer, Maria Callas, as told in her own words.

22

7 9

Operation Odessa Operation Odessa is a 2018 documentary film directed by Tiller Russell. The film tells the story of three friends who set out to hustle the Russian mob, the Cali cartel, and the DEA for the ...more

23

5 7

Generation Wealth Limo Bob, Florian Homm, Tiffany Masters Generation Wealth is a 2018 documentary film directed by Lauren Greenfield. A documentary that investigates the pathologies that have created the richest society the world has ever seen.

24

1 3

Active Measures Donald J. Trump, Vladimir Putin, Jeremy Bash Active Measures is a 2018 documentary film by director Jack Bryan. Russian president Vladimir Putin attacks the 2016 American presidential election in collaboration with the Trump campaign.

25

1 3

Searching for Ingmar Bergman Ingmar Bergman, Liv Ullmann, Ruben Östlund Searching for Ingmar Bergman is a 2018 documentary film directed by Felix Moeller, Margarethe von Trotta, and Bettina Böhler. A closer look at Swedish director Ingmar Bergman's life and ...more

26

8 12

Seeing Allred Gloria Allred Seeing Allred is a 2018 documentary film directed by Roberta Grossman and Sophie Sartain. Women's rights attorney Gloria Allred takes on the biggest names in American culture as coverage of ...more

27

3 8

Mercury 13 Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Jerrie Cobb Mercury 13 is a 2018 documentary film directed by David Sington and Heather Walsh. This documentary profiles women who were tested in 1961 for spaceflight, but had their dreams dashed when only ...more

28

6 13

Take Your Pills Eben Britton, Wendy Brown, Anjan Chatterjee Take Your Pills is a 2018 documentary film directed by Alison Klayman. The film explores the rise of Adderall use among students, athletes, and working professionals.

29

3 10

The Rachel Divide Esther Dolezal, Izaiah Dolezal, Rachel Dolezal The Rachel Divide is a 2018 documentary film directed by Laura Brownson. Rachel Dolezal becomes a social phenomenon when she passes herself off as an African American and becomes the head of her ...more

30

2 9

The Cage Fighter Joe Carman, Vernon Beach, Callie Carman The Cage Fighter is a 2018 sports documentary film directed by Jeff Unay. Joe Carman, a blue collar worker, breaks his promise to stop fighting and returns to mixed martial arts to fulfill his

31

0 4

John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mathieu Amalric John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection is a 2018 sports documentary film directed by Julien Faraut. A documentary set at the final of the 1984 French Open between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl ...more

32

2 11

The King The King is a 2018 documentary film directed by Eugene Jarecki. Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, a musical road trip across America in his 1963 Rolls-Royce explores how a country ...more

33

2 11

The Director and the Jedi Rian Johnson, John Boyega, Mark Hamill The Director and the Jedi is a 2018 documentary film directed by Anthony Wonke. An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars

34

1 9

Ramen Heads Osamu Tomita, Tom Takahashi, Yuki Ohnishi Ramen Heads is a 2018 documentary film directed by Koki Shigeno. Osamu Tomita, Japan's reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach ...more

35

0 7

Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist Vivienne Westwood Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist is a 2018 documentary film directed by Lorna Tucker. A profile of punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, as she fights to maintain her brand's integrity, her ...more