The best documentary of every year
The highest-scoring documentary from each year, scored 0–100 on IMDb ratings, critics, major awards and box office against every film from the same year. Pick a year for its full list of documentaries.
- 2026: Maternal Instinct Score 70.4 · 8 documentaries
- 2025: Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert Score 63.4 · 22 documentaries
- 2024: No Other Land Score 68.7 · 23 documentaries
- 2023: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Score 73.8 · 14 documentaries
- 2022: Jackass Forever Score 64.6 · 29 documentaries
- 2021: Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) Score 64.2 · 27 documentaries
- 2020: My Octopus Teacher Score 64.6 · 33 documentaries
- 2019: Honeyland Score 61.5 · 25 documentaries
- 2018: Free Solo Score 71.4 · 26 documentaries
- 2017: Icarus Score 60.7 · 26 documentaries
- 2016: O.J.: Made in America Score 66.6 · 33 documentaries
- 2015: Amy Score 70.6 · 31 documentaries
- 2014: Citizenfour Score 66.5 · 24 documentaries
- 2013: Blackfish Score 61.9 · 25 documentaries
- 2012: Searching for Sugar Man Score 66.5 · 25 documentaries
- 2011: Pina Score 62.8 · 28 documentaries
- 2010: Inside Job Score 68.7 · 23 documentaries
- 2009: This Is It Score 65.8 · 15 documentaries
- 2008: Waltz with Bashir Score 66.2 · 21 documentaries
- 2007: Earth Score 66.0 · 13 documentaries
- 2006: An Inconvenient Truth Score 75.3 · 13 documentaries
- 2005: March of the Penguins Score 74.1 · 14 documentaries
- 2004: Fahrenheit 9/11 Score 72.2 · 10 documentaries
- 2003: Touching the Void Score 61.9 · 11 documentaries
- 2002: Bowling for Columbine Score 69.1 · 10 documentaries
- 2001: Winged Migration Score 62.8 · 3 documentaries
- 2000: The Gleaners & I Score 55.6 · 5 documentaries
- 1999: Buena Vista Social Club Score 57.0 · 6 documentaries
- 1998: The Last Days Score 53.2 · 2 documentaries
- 1997: Little Dieter Needs to Fly Score 55.8 · 4 documentaries
- 1996: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills Score 61.1 · 4 documentaries
- 1995: The Celluloid Closet Score 53.8 · 1 documentary
- 1994: Hoop Dreams Score 64.7 · 2 documentaries
- 1992: Baraka Score 58.2 · 2 documentaries
- 1991: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Score 60.4 · 3 documentaries
- 1990: Paris Is Burning Score 58.7 · 1 documentary
- 1989: Roger & Me Score 56.9 · 2 documentaries
- 1988: The Thin Blue Line Score 55.9 · 4 documentaries
- 1987: Eddie Murphy: Raw Score 61.3 · 1 documentary
- 1985: Shoah Score 57.7 · 1 documentary
- 1984: Stop Making Sense Score 65.2 · 2 documentaries
- 1983: Sans Soleil Score 52.2 · 1 documentary
- 1982: Koyaanisqatsi Score 55.5 · 3 documentaries
- 1981: The Decline of Western Civilization Score 53.9 · 1 documentary
- 1979: Richard Pryor: Live in Concert Score 54.4 · 1 documentary
- 1978: The Last Waltz Score 55.0 · 3 documentaries
- 1977: Pumping Iron Score 50.5 · 1 documentary
- 1976: Harlan County U.S.A. Score 59.4 · 2 documentaries
- 1975: Grey Gardens Score 48.0 · 1 documentary
- 1974: That's Entertainment! Score 58.3 · 2 documentaries
- 1973: F for Fake Score 55.2 · 1 documentary
- 1972: Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii Score 63.1 · 1 documentary
- 1970: Woodstock Score 78.0 · 3 documentaries
- 1969: Salesman Score 52.3 · 1 documentary
- 1968: Monterey Pop Score 50.5 · 1 documentary
- 1967: Titicut Follies Score 55.7 · 2 documentaries
- 1966: The Endless Summer Score 51.9 · 1 documentary
- 1962: A Dog's Life Score 22.7 · 1 documentary
- 1938: Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations Score 47.6 · 1 documentary
- 1935: Triumph of the Will Score 36.6 · 1 documentary
- 1929: Man with a Movie Camera Score 64.1 · 1 documentary
- 1927: Berlin: Symphony of Metropolis Score 44.1 · 1 documentary
- 1922: Nanook of the North Score 75.0 · 2 documentaries