While they may not be quite as popular as their fictional counterparts,documentaryfilms are an important and necessary part of our cultural landscape. These non-fiction films educate us on vital issues and inspire us to push for real social change, and sometimes, they do all that while still providing an entertaining experience.
Maxhas a sizable collection of great documentary films, ranging from biographical works to movies about horrifying real-life crimes and even some on the lighter side of life. In this article, we’ll be looking at the documentaries available on Max that have earned one of the highest honors in cinema these days: a100% Rotten Tomatoes Score. The score, which is calculated based on the number of positive reviews a movie or show has received from recognized critics, has faced its share ofcriticisms, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a widely used tool that’s a generally reliable mark of quality. Read on to discover our list of the best documentaries with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score that you can stream on Max right now.
For more recommendations, check out our lists of thebest movies on Max, thebest shows on Max, and thebest documentaries on Max.
‘Honeyland’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Directed byTamara KotevskaandLjubomir Stefanov,Honeylandis a Macedonian conservationist documentary that follows the life of one of the last keepers of wild bees in Europe.Hatidže Muratova, the film’s subject, is a Macedonian beekeeper of Turkish descent living in the village of Bekirlija. The documentary shows Hatidže’severyday lifetaking care of wild bees from the mountains surrounding Bekirlija while also exploring her relationships with her ailing mother and the neighbors invading her land. Through her story, the film explores themes of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and exploitation of natural resources, focusing on the deteriorating ecosystem of bees and its impact on the ecological balance.Honeylandhad its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. A universally acclaimed, innovative, and timely film,Honeylandhas earned several accolades. Most notably, it’s the first documentary film ever to receive Academy Award nominations in both the Best International Feature Film category and the Best Documentary Feature category.
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‘Stop Making Sense’ (1984)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.7/10
Stop Making Sense
Directed byJonathan Demme, the Academy Award-winning director ofThe Silence of the Lambs,Stop Making Senseis a 1984 concert film featuring the rock bandTalking Heads. Executive produced by the band’s longtime manager,Gary Kurfirst, the documentary was filmed over four nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre. Featuring all four core members of the band —David Byrne,Chris Frantz,Tina Weymouth, andJerry Harrison— the film includes performances of many of the Talking Heads’ biggest hits, from 1977’s “Psycho Killer” to 1983’s “Burning Down the House.” Besides songs from the band’s repertoire, the movie also includes songs from their solo and side projects. An energetic, colorful work of live entertainment,Stop Making Sensewon several accolades in its time and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest concert films ever made. In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, honoring the cultural legacy of the movie. A 4K restoration of the film was re-released in theaters by A24 in September 2023.
‘3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.2/10
3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets
Written and directed byMarc Silver,3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bulletsis a documentary that examines the 2012 shooting ofJordan Russell Davis, a Black teenager who was shot at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. The film looks at both the shooting itself and the subsequent trial, as well as media coverage of the crime and the protests that resulted from the shooting.3 1/2 Minutespremiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim and won the Special Jury Prize for Documentary - Social Impact. It also went on to make the shortlist for the 2016 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, though it ultimately missed out on a nomination. A painful, timely film,3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bulletsis a gut-wrenching documentary that scores above its contemporaries because of the way it chooses to let the facts tell the story instead of relying purely on knee-jerk emotion. The result is a film that’s tragic, thoughtful, and thought-provoking.
‘The Truth vs. Alex Jones’ (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.5/10
The Truth vs. Alex Jones
Directed and produced byDan Reed,The Truth vs. Alex Jonesis a documentary film that follows families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as they take internet conspiracy theoristAlex Jonesto court. Filmed over four years with unprecedented courtroom access, the film explores two defamation lawsuits brought by the families against Jones and his website, InfoWars, for spreading lies about the shooting.The Truth vs. Alex Joneshad its world premiere at the 2024South by SouthwestFestival, and the film has received universal acclaim from critics. It’s a well-crafted exposé of an individual who has clearly and demonstrably profited from spreading misinformation and taking advantage of tragedies, with little to no thought about the consequences. Not only does the film document Jones’s trial proceedings, but it also shows the devastating consequences of his conspiracy-focused content. The cases culminated in a historic award of nearly $1.5 billion in damages, with Jones subsequently declaring bankruptcy.
‘Welcome to Chechnya’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.9/10
Welcome to Chechnya
Directed by American reporter, author, and documentarianDavid France,Welcome to Chechnyais a 2020 documentary film about the anti-gay purges in Chechnya in the late 2010s. The film follows activists rescuing survivors of torture from the region, featuring footage captured using hidden cameras, cell phones, GoPros, and handycams. It’s a harrowing and eye-opening piece of investigative journalism that documents all-too-recent and ongoing horrors. The movie is also a technological trailblazer, utilizing advanced AI-based techniques and visual effects technology so that viewers can see real faces and emotions without revealing the actual identities of the interviewees.Welcome to Chechnyawon the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing at the 2020Sundance Film Festival, where it had its world premiere. The film was also nominated for the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize and went on to receive several more accolades, not to mention universal critical acclaim.
‘4 Little Girls’ (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.8/10
4 Little Girls
The first-ever documentary film directed by the iconicSpike Lee,4 Little Girlsexplores the murder of four Black girls in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 — an incident that provoked national outrage, leading to a monumental change in American socio-political history. The film recounts the events of September 15th, 1963, at the 15th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, whereAddie Mae Collins,Carol Denise McNair,Cynthia Wesley, andCarole Rosamond Robertsonwere killed in a bomb blast caused by a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. A year later, the incident led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, marking a critical and pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Through archival footage, news stories, and interviews,4 Little Girlsexplores the incident and its aftermath, as well as the civil rights demonstrations that followed. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing also inspired the 1964 song “Birmingham Sunday” byRichardandMimi Fariñaand the 1963 tune “Alabama” byJohn Coltrane, both of which are featured in the film. On its release,4 Little Girlsreceived widespread critical acclaim and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
‘BS High’ (2023)
Directed byMartin Desmond RoeandTravon Free,BS Highfollows the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal. In 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, the Bishop Sycamore Centurions played against the IMG Academy. The team lost monumentally in a nationally televised football game, which eventually led to increased scrutiny and an investigation into the school’s existence after the game, revealing that Bishop Sycamore is not a real school at all. The 2023 documentary film featuresRoy Johnson, the school’s former head coach, former colleaguesJohn BranhamandAndre Peterson, journalistsAndrew KingandBomani Jones, and school sports investigatorBen Ferree, alongside the former Bishop Sycamore players.BS Highwas produced by former football playerSpencer Paysinger,Adam McKay(The Big Short), and former NFL player and television hostMichael Strahan.BS Highpremiered at the 2023Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned rave reviews from critics, with praise for its enlightening yet heartbreaking narrative. Through interviews and investigative findings,BS Highexposes the mechanics of what became one of the country’s biggest academic scams.
‘Adrienne’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Adrienneis a biographical documentary film that chronicles the life and work of actor and filmmakerAdrienne Levine, akaAdrienne Shelly, whose death in 2006 was later investigated and declared a case of first-degree manslaughter by a construction worker. Directed by her husband and actor-producerAndy Ostroy, the documentary serves as a personal exploration of grief, a tribute to the creative artist, mother, wife, daughter, and friend, and a retrospective into the achievements of the remarkable actor-filmmaker. Shelly was best known for her work in independent films, particularlyHal Hartley’sTruthandTrust, and for writing and directing the critically acclaimed 2007 filmWaitress. Her final film,Waitresswas released posthumously and eventually became an acclaimed Broadway show.Adriennefeatures several actors and filmmakers among Shelley’s friends, family, and peers, includingKeri RussellandNathan Fillion, who starred inWaitress.Andy Griffith,Paul Rudd,Cheryl Hines, and Hal Hartley also appear in candid conversations in the documentary.
‘The Janes’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Directed byEmma PildesandTia Lessin,The Janesnarrates the story of the Jane Collective of Chicago. Between 1968 and 1973, this group of female activists, who all called themselves Jane, built an underground network for women with unwanted pregnancies, performing nearly 11,000 abortions until the Supreme Court made the landmark decision to legalize abortion in 1973.The Janeschronicles the collective’s efforts in helping women in need by providing low-cost and free services and treatment, as well as how they carried out clandestine operations using code names and safe houses. The documentary features interviews with several members of the collective and shows the massive potential of collective action in the absence of justice and political power. Released in 2022,The Janesis a powerful, persuasive, and brilliantly timed narrative about women’s rights and the contemporary socio-political landscape. The film has received several accolades, including the Best Documentary Award at the 44th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
‘Harlan County U.S.A.’ (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.2/10
Harlan County U.S.A.
An acclaimed classic documentary feature,Harlan County U.S.A. is a 1976 documentary film directed and produced byBarbara Kopple, an Academy Award-winning documentarian and workers’ rights advocate who is credited with reviving the “cinema verité” style for the modern American audience. The film covers theBrookside Strike of 1973in southeast Kentucky when 180 coal miners and their wives protested against the Duke Power Company-owned Eastover Coal Company’s Brookside Mine and Prep Plant. The film elaborates on the labor tension in the coal-mining industry at the time, focusing on the workers at the Brookside Mine and their families and documenting the distress they faced while striking for safer working conditions, fair labor practices, and decent wages. The strike, which lasted more than a year, often became violent, with several miners being shot at.Harlan Countyhas been highly acclaimed for its revealing and stirring testament to the conditions of mine workers, with the film earning the Best Documentary Award at the 1977 Academy Awards.
