Our Favorite Documentaries on Max Right Now (August 2024)

Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023): A Tribute to a Trailblazer

One of the most talented and prominent actresses of her era, Mary Tyler Moore broke down barriers for future generations. From her supporting role on The Dick Van Dyke Show to the starring role in her own sitcom, this documentary covers the life and career of an icon through TV clips and home movies.

My So-Called High School Rank (2022): A Stressful Musical About Stress

In different parts of the country, students perform a musical about the pressures of high school and getting into college. Meanwhile, they have to actually deal with those issues. Is art imitating life, or is life imitating art?

Filmed prior to the coronavirus pandemic, My So-Called High School Rank has an unexpected twist in its final act that throws everyone's future into question.

Endangered (2022): A Bleak Look at the State of Free Press

Assaults on freedom of the press are rampant at home and abroad. Endangered follows journalists in Mexico, Brazil, and the US whose jobs have gotten significantly harder since social media has become a substitute for local newspapers and conspiracy theories now have a broader platform than the truth.

The slow extinction of trustworthy local news outlets is something that everyone should care about, no matter their political persuasions.

Master of Light (2022): A Portrait of an Artist

Classical painter George Anthony Morton spent a decade behind bars for federal drug charges. Finally free, he returns to his Kansas hometown to reconcile with his family by painting their portraits.

Master of Light is a riveting personal story about redemption, but it also serves as an art history lesson about the complex relationship between African and European realism.

Love, Lizzo (2022): An Intimate Look at a Living Legend

In Love, Lizzo, one of America's biggest stars opens up about her past, present, and future. Whether or not you're a fan of her music, it's easy to get inspired by Lizzo's message of positivity.

The documentary is a love letter to its subject, but Lizzo is so inviting and relatable that you feel like she's talking directly to you.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022): A Personal Portrait of Addiction

Photographer Nan Goldin documents her own experience with opioid addiction, leading her to advocate for other addicts. Through her art and activism, Goldin successfully brought down Purdue Pharma, one of the companies responsible for the opioid epidemic.

Narrated by the artist herself, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed debuted at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, where it took home top honors.

The Princess (2022): A Historical Reconstruction of Princess Diana's Last Days

To mark the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's shocking death, this film uses archival footage to document the events leading up to the tragedy and its aftermath. With no commentary, The Princess is a snapshot of history that unfolds exactly how the world experienced it a quarter-century ago.

There are no new revelations about Princess Diana, but if you're fascinated by her life and death, this movie is the most intimate portrait we have of the princess's final days.

Phoenix Rising (2022): Bravest 'Me Too' Documentary

In this two-part documentary, actor Evan Rachel Wood candidly recounts her early days in the entertainment industry, including the abuse she experienced off camera.

Phoenix Rising is uncomfortable to watch sometimes, but it's ultimately an inspirational story about healing and perseverance.

Tina (2021): Simply the Best

This new Max documentary offers a fresh look at music icon Tina Turner. It charts her early rise to fame, her struggles, and her return to household name status in the 1980s thanks to her album Private Dancer, an appearance in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and more. The film includes never-before-seen footage, audiotapes, photos, and interviews with celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Angela Bassett (who memorably portrayed Turner in the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It?).

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023) - A Tale of Two Lives

On-screen, Rock Hudson was a Hollywood heartthrob, the quintessential ladies' man. Behind the camera, he was a closeted gay man whose career depended on hiding his identity.

Through interviews with friends and archival footage, All That Heaven Allowed explores the challenges of being gay in Hollywood during the mid-20th century.

Moonage Daydream (2022): A Trippy Tribute to David Bowie

Take a journey through time and space, from London to West Berlin, from 1972 to 2016, with a soundtrack provided by Ziggy Stardust himself. Using never-before-seen interviews and concert footage, this documentary covers the career of legendary musician David Bowie.

Officially sanctioned by the Bowie estate, Moonage Daydream is a must-see for his fans, but it's recommended for all lovers of glam rock.

Call Me Miss Cleo (2022): The Psychic Scam of the Century

Anyone who watched TV around the turn of the century remembers Miss Cleo, the Jamaican Voodoo Priestess who could see your future for $4.99 per minute. Would you believe that she wasn't Jamaican? Whether or not she was a psychic is up for debate.

The story of Miss Cleo is stranger than fiction, and the markers of this documentary did an exceptional job of investigating the life of this enigmatic American icon.

Navalny (2022): A Timely Biography About Anti-Authoritarianism

What's it like being the primary political opposition to one of the world's most notorious dictators? Well, it's certainly not an easy life. This documentary candidly examines the trials of (now deceased) Russian politician Alexei Navalny. This movie came out before he died.

Far from a fluff piece, Navalny focuses less on the man himself and more on what happens to him because of his activism. It's sad but also inspiring.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022): A Tribute to a Sports Legend

Tony Hawk is 55 years old, but he's still skateboarding. Through original interviews and archival footage, Until the Wheels Fall Off pays tribute to the most famous skateboarder in the world.

This movie was made for fans of Tony Hawk, who may be interested in his personal life, but Hawk's story could inspire anyone to pick up a skateboard.

Donyale Luna: Supermodel (2023) - The Story of the First Black Model for Vogue

In 1966, Peggy Ann Freeman, better known as Donyale Luna, became the first Black supermodel to pose for the cover of British Vogue magazine. She started out making movies with the likes of Andy Warhol before breaking into Hollywood and opening the door for models like Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell.

A loving tribute to its subject, Supermodel is a must-watch for fashionistas.

BS High (2023): A Fake Football Coach Fools the Nation

A high school football game between the Bishop Sycamore Centurions and the esteemed IMF Academy grabbed national attention after multiple injuries on the field. Then came a shocking revelation: BS High wasn't even a real school. Relive the media circus surrounding the fictitious football team from Columbus, Ohio, that captivated the world.

The Janes (2022): An Empowering and Timely History Lesson

Before the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, an underground network of women who all went by the pseudonym “Jane” assisted in thousands of illegal abortions. The infamous Jane network was uncovered in 1972 with the arrest of seven women in Chicago, but the whole story has only recently come to light.