Best Documentaries 2023
For his latest film, acclaimed documentarian Davis Guggenheim focused his camera on Michael J. Fox, the beloved actor who gave us Alex P. Keaton, Marty McFly, and Teen Wolf, and the result was a thoughtful, intimate portrait of Fox’s personal and professional life that earned nearly universal acclaim and a spot at the top of our Best Documentary category.
#1
Adjusted Score: 107271%
Critics Consensus: Poignant and profound, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie offers a captivating inside look at the life and career of a beloved entertainer.
Synopsis: The film, which will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements, will recount Fox's extraordinary story in his own words --...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 102757%
Critics Consensus: Kokomo City is a rousing docu effort that illuminates trans lives within a world of adverse circumstance and invariable optimism.
Synopsis: In the wildly entertaining and refreshingly unfiltered documentary KOKOMO CITY, filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 103154%
Critics Consensus: 20 Days in Mariupol offers a grueling but vital look at the devastating impact of war.
Synopsis: As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 102672%
Critics Consensus: As ambitious and provocative as its subject, The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a fascinating glimpse of a remarkable life.
Synopsis: Shere Hite's 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 102431%
Critics Consensus: A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping -- and frightening -- glimpse of life under oppression.
Synopsis: A suspenseful, riveting portrait of the lengths people will go to gain freedom, BEYOND UTOPIA follows various families as they...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 101769%
Critics Consensus: A Disturbance in the Force pulls back the curtain on an infamous chapter from a beloved franchise in delightfully entertaining fashion.
Synopsis: In 1977, "Star Wars" became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 100354%
Critics Consensus: While fittingly echoing Yogi Berra's famously sunny disposition, It Ain't Over persuasively makes the case for his incredible achievements on and off the baseball diamond.
Synopsis: An intimate portrait of a misunderstood American icon, this emotional and uplifting documentary about Yogi Berra takes us beyond the...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 100057%
Critics Consensus: Enthralling for fans as well as those who've never read one of his bestsellers, The Pigeon Tunnel pulls back the curtain on a master of the espionage thriller.
Synopsis: Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 99080%
Critics Consensus: Woooo! An engaging tribute to the rock pioneer, Little Richard: I Am Everything should shut up anyone who doubts the title's veracity.
Synopsis: LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n' roll, exploding the whitewashed...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 96010%
Critics Consensus: Absorbing purely as a chronicle of her remarkable career, Joan Baez I Am a Noise is also moving as a depiction of one woman's personal journey from pain to peace and forgiveness.
Synopsis: Neither a conventional biopic nor a traditional concert film, JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE is a raw and intimate...
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99%
