Best TV shows — documentaire on Netflix : our Top 20
At Stream Tracker, we present our selection of the best documentary series currently available on Netflix. This page gathers standout titles across a range of documentary subgenres — true crime, history, nature, science and culture — chosen for their storytelling, depth of reporting and production quality. We select and review titles based on relevance, critical reception and viewer interest, and we update the list regularly to reflect new arrivals and removals from the catalogue. Availability on Netflix can change, so use our platform to confirm whether a series is currently streaming in your region. Browse the selection to find thoughtful, informative series worth your time — and feel free to rely on Stream Tracker for up-to-date availability and quick links to each title.
Updated on 12/03/2026
2017 · 1 season
Cast and guest stars join host Jim Rash to unearth hidden facets of the Stranger Things 2 universe as they break down the newest episodes—warning: spoilers ahead.
With Jim Rash, Shawn Levy, Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Astin and Joe Keery
2020 · Michael Tollin · 1 season
Across ten episodes, this documentary reveals the untold saga of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty, combining newly uncovered archival video and audio from the 1997–98 championship run with over 100 interviews featuring well-known public figures and basketball’s most iconic names.
With Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, John Paxson and David Stern
2021 · 2 seasons
Cast out and driven by a relentless hunger for revenge, a young warrior in Edo-era Japan embarks on a brutal crusade against those who made her an outcast. Each violent encounter brings her closer to the fate she has vowed to take for herself.
With Elijah Bender, David Spafford, Nathan Ledbetter, David Eason, Oleg Benesch, Tomoko Kitagawa and Hiro Kanagawa
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2015 · Moira Demos, Laura Ricciardi · 2 seasons
Shot across a decade, this true-crime series follows a DNA-exonerated individual who, in the midst of exposing entrenched police corruption, becomes entangled as a suspect in a brutal, recent crime.
With Steven Avery and Kathleen Zellner
2019 · 1 season
A band of self-taught internet detectives, spurred into action by a sadistic predator's horrific online footage, launches a perilous hunt that drags them deep into a shadowy criminal underworld.
With Deanna Thompson, John Green, Benjamin Xu, Marc Lilge, Antonio Paradiso, Anna Yourkin and Claudette Hamlin
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2019 · 2 seasons
Witness the sweeping saga of life on Earth—how organisms have evolved, adapted and endured across billions of years—vividly brought to the screen in a bold, cinematic natural-history series.
With David Attenborough
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2020 · Kelly McPherson · 2 seasons
Ambitious and ruthless, Sultan Mehmed II mounts a sweeping military campaign to seize the ancient city of Constantinople, overturning empires and forging a legacy that will echo across centuries.
With Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu, Tuba Büyüküstün, Daniel Nuță, Damla Sönmez, Charles Dance, Tuğrul Tülek and Ali Gözüşirin
2019 · James Gay-Rees · 8 seasons
Over a ruthless Formula 1 season, drivers, team bosses and owners face relentless competition and personal rivalries, fighting for victory both on the track and behind the scenes.
With Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz Jr., Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo
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2018 · Franckie Williams, Romaine Chapman · 6 seasons
Inmates on death row for capital offenses tell their stories in their own words, offering raw, firsthand recollections of the events that led to their convictions and reflecting on motive, remorse, and the justice system.
With Lindsay Haugen, Mark Arthur, Brandon Hutchinson, Leo Little, Linda Lee Couch, Joseph Murphy and Cavona Flenoy
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2018 · 2 seasons
An in-depth look at the rise and fall of the world’s most infamous kingpins, the brutal enforcers who maintained their power, and the courageous men and women—investigators, prosecutors, and insiders—who risked everything to bring them down.
With Jesus Licciardello, Quinn Dalton, Jordan Lawson, Razor Rizzotti, Winter Dunn, Jerry Rector and Carlo Alvarez
2020 · 2 seasons
A charismatic zoo proprietor, drawn into the shadowy world of exotic big‑cat breeding and surrounded by an eccentric cast of allies and rivals, descends into chaos as a real‑life murder‑for‑hire conspiracy unravels.
With Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic, Howard Baskin, John Reinke, Saff Saffery, John Finlay and Doc Antle
2020 · 2 seasons
The competition on the mat is ruthless, but even more compelling than their grueling practices and spectacular routines are the athletes' personal journeys of hardship, resilience, and hard-won victory.
With Monica Aldama, Gabi Butler, Morgan Simianer, La'Darius Marshall, Lexi Brumback, Maddy Brum and Gillian Rupert
2018 · 1 season
A shocking true-crime case ignites when a pizza delivery driver, forced to rob a bank while wearing an improvised explosive device, is found dead — and the ensuing investigation unravels into ever-stranger and more bewildering twists.
With Kevin G. Calkins, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Trey Borzillieri
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2007 · 1 season
Growing up in suburban Brisbane in the 1980s, a young boy is forced to confront life's harsh truths as escalating threats begin to imperil his family.
With David Ackroyd, Erik Thompson, Michio Kaku, David Brin, Alan Guth, Michael Cassutt and Kim Stanley Robinson
2020 · Niall Downing, James Morgan, Ivan Youlden · 1 season
On a surreal set crafted entirely from edible materials, everyday recipes are reimagined as dazzling culinary masterpieces. Britain’s most adventurous food lovers must produce dishes that stun with inventive concepts, show-stopping presentation and unforgettable, boundary-pushing flavours.
With Jayde Adams, Carla Hall, Niklas Ekstedt and Heston Blumenthal
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2021 · 1 season
1985 Los Angeles sparkles by day, but beneath the surface a ruthless serial killer quietly stalks the city. This true-crime series follows two detectives, driven by stubborn conviction and weary resolve, as they chase leads, confront their own limits, and refuse to stop until they bring him to justice.
With Gil Carrillo, Frank Salerno, Pearl Carrillo, Tony Valdez, Laurel Erickson, Paul Skolnick and Linda Arthur
2017 · 1 season
An investigative docuseries reopens the decades-old cold case of Sister Catherine Cesnik’s murder, probing whether it is connected to a priest long accused of sexual abuse.
With Abbie Schaub, Gemma Hoskins, Jean Hargadon Wehner and Tom Nugent
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2018 · 1 season
Trailblazing artists open up about their journeys in this energetic documentary series that traces hip-hop’s far-reaching influence on global communities, style, politics and personal identity.
With Logic, Nas, Dave East, T.I., G-Eazy, 2 Chainz and Rapsody
2020 · 1 season
An eccentric troupe of animal characters, with Mother Nature as their witty guide, leads this playful science series that unveils the surprising behaviors, clever survival tactics and everyday dramas of the planet's most remarkable creatures.
With Afi Ekulona, Jeff Wild and Paul Raff
2018 · 1 season
A polarizing spiritual leader establishes a utopian settlement in the Oregon desert, and rising tensions with local residents explode into a nationwide scandal.
With Ma Anand Sheela, Jane Stork, Jon Bowerman, Ma Prem Sunshine, Philip Toelkes, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and George Meredith
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Best TV shows Netflix by genre
These documentary series represent some of the strongest nonfiction storytelling currently on Netflix. At Stream Tracker, we hope this selection helps you find something worth watching. If you’d like more curated recommendations, take a look at our other genre-based Netflix selections for more options. We'll keep those lists updated as the catalogue evolves.