Best Critically-acclaimed Documentaries on Netflix 2026
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Our pick of the best Critically-acclaimed Documentaries on Netflix right now, ranked by audience rating out of the 20 titles in category code 8673. Tap any title for full details and where to watch.
See all 20 Critically-acclaimed Documentaries What are Netflix codes?
1. 13TH (2016)
Rated 8.2/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 40m. In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S.
2. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
Rated 7.8/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 33m. Based on James Baldwin's unfinished book, this visual essay explores racism through the stories of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
3. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016)
Rated 7.8/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 45m. Interviews and archival footage document the Beatles' early years -- as well as the impact international touring had on their music and pop culture.
4. Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (2016)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 36m. The cast and crew of the 1981 Broadway musical 'Merrily We Roll Along' recall joy and heartbreak during the production of a surefire hit that wasn't.
5. Fire in the Blood (2012)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2012, 1h 23m. Filmmaker Dylan Mohan Gray delves into Africa's AIDS crisis to put a human face on those caught in the battle over inexpensive, generic HIV drugs.
6. Unrest (2017)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2017, 1h 37m. In this heart-wrenching documentary, a 28-year-old Ph.D.
7. For the Love of Spock (2016)
Rated 7.6/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 51m. The son of actor Leonard Nimoy directs this moving look at his father's portrayal of Spock, the iconic 'Star Trek' character he played for 50 years.
8. Shirkers (2018)
Rated 7.4/10 on IMDb, from 2018, 1h 37m. In 1992, Sandi Tan and her friends shot a quirky film on the streets of Singapore.
9. Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang (2016)
Rated 7.3/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 19m. Known for his spectacular pyrotechnic displays, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang creates his most ambitious project yet in this breathtaking documentary.
10. I Called Him Morgan (2016)
Rated 7.3/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 31m. Decades after her release from prison for the shooting death of her jazz musician husband Lee, Helen Morgan reflects on his legacy and their lives.