The Best Documentaries on HBO Right Now (January 2022)

HBO is best known for its fantastic original programming and first-run movies, but it also has a ton of great documentaries, and you can watch them all on HBO Max.

These documentaries teach us about the world and the human condition, open up windows on celebrities we never thought we'd get, and help illuminate some of the most pressing issues of our time. If you're just starting to get into documentaries, or you're not sure where to look next, we've compiled the best HBO has to offer for your convenience and edification.

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The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971): An Important Look at the Death of a Civil Rights Activist

Chicago Police killed Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton when he was just 21 years old. — Slain Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton.
Getty Images

IMDb rating: 7.6/10

Starring: Skip Andrew, Edward Carmody, James Davis

Director: Howard Alk

Rating: n/a

Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

The 2021 drama Judas and the Black Messiah helped bring new awareness to the tragic death of civil rights activist and Illinois Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton. Now, HBO is releasing this 1970s documentary, which investigated his death shortly after it happened. The filmmakers went to Hampton's apartment, where he was shot in a police raid, and recorded footage of the scene before it was secured by law enforcement. They later used the recordings to dispute news reports and police testimony about what happened that day. Last year, the documentary was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is now being preserved by the United States National Film Registry.

Watch 'The Murder of Fred Hampton' on HBO Max on January 17th

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The Forever Prisoner (2021): The Story of Abu Zubaydah

Footage of Abu Zubaydah in the documentary 'The Forever Prisoner' — HBO

IMDb rating: 7.3/10

Starring: Stephen Gaudin, Chantell Higgins, Daniel Jones

Director: Alex Gibney

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutes

This new documentary from director Alex Gibney (The Crime of the Century, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley) examines the story of Abu Zubaydah, the first person subjected to the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques following 9/11. Those techniques were later deemed torture by others outside the agency.

Watch 'The Forever Prisoner' on HBO Max

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The Slow Hustle (2021): One Family's Quest for Answers

Sean Suiter in the documentary 'The Slow Hustle' — HBO

IMDb rating: 6.5/10

Starring: Umar Burley, Jill Carter, Kevin Davis

Director: Sonja Sohn

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

When Detective Sean Suitor was fatally shot in the head, the Baltimore Police Department called it a suicide. His family disagreed. Weeks before his death, FBI agents alleged he'd planted drugs at the scene of a fatal crash seven years earlier. He was supposed to testify in the Gun Trace Task Force trial. So, did Suitor take his own life, or was his death part of a cover-up? This documentary from director Sonja Sohn follows Suitor's widow and local investigative reporters as they try to get answers.

Watch 'The Slow Hustle' on HBO Max

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Four Hours at the Capitol (2021): An Immersive Documentary About the Capitol Insurrection

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Thousands of Donald Trump supporters storm the United States Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. The protesters stormed the historic building, breaking windows and clashing with police. Trump supporters had gathered in the nation's capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. — (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

IMDb rating: 6.8/10

Starring: Nick Alvear, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Igor Bobic

Director: Jamie Roberts

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Four Hours at the Capitol attempts to chronicle what went down on January 6, 2021, when thousands of people gathered at the U.S. Capitol building to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. Featuring never-before-seen footage and first-hand accounts from the people who lived it, the documentary is harrowing but its "just the facts, ma'am" insistence on presenting some interviews without context makes it a flawed look at an important part of recent U.S. history.

Watch 'Four Hours at the Capitol' on HBO Max

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15 Minutes of Shame (2021): Exploring the Behavior Behind Cyberbullying

Closeup of a MacBook Pro LED backlit keyboard. — Time Mason / Getty Images

IMDb rating: 6.7/10

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Max Joseph, Monica Lewinsky

Director: Max Joseph

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Cyberbullying has become a major problem in recent decades, and this documentary film seeks to examine the social behavior behind it. The filmmakers embed themselves with individuals who've faced public shaming or cyber-harassment, while also taking a look at the bullies themselves, including politicians and the media.

Watch '15 Minutes of Shame' on HBO Max

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Hard Knocks '21: Dallas Cowboys (2021) – An In-Depth Look at 'America's Team'

IMDb rating: 8.5/10

Starring: Liev Schreiber, The Dallas Cowboys

Director: Shannon Furman

Rating: TV-MA

Episodes: 5

The latest season in the Hard Knocks documentary series takes a look at "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys. They failed to make it to the playoffs for the second consecutive year in 2020 after losing to the New York Giants in week 17. Narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, the season follows the five-time Super Bowl champs during training camp and the preseason. Avid sports fans, and Cowboys fans in particular, will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the NFL.

Watch 'Hard Knocks '21: Dallas Cowboys' on HBO Max

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Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump (2021) – For Fans of Local Television News

A chicken walks by some television satellite dishes in 'Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump' — HBO

IMDb rating: 6.7/10

Starring: Vern Van Winkle, Deanna O'Donnell, Eunette Gentry

Director: n/a

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 3 hours

This six-part documentary goes behind the scenes of a privately-owned TV station in the small town of Pahrump, Nevada. Featuring a colorful cast of characters, it shows the team working to extend their viewing audience into the greater Las Vegas area, combat financial troubles, and more. Avid news watchers will enjoy seeing how broadcasts come together behind the cameras.

Watch 'Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump' on HBO Max

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Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes (2021): A Showcase of Ronan Farrow's Pulitzer-Winning Journalism

Jon Lovett and Ronan Farrow — Getty Images

IMDb rating: 7.2/10

Starring: Ronan Farrow, Ken Auletta, Fabio Bertoni

Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Rating: TV-14

Episodes: 6

This six-part documentary series is based on Ronan Farrow's bestselling book and podcast Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and A Conspiracy to Protect Predators. The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist helped expose Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as a sexual predator in 2017. Catch and Kill is his account of that investigation and the intimidation he received from high-priced lawyers and other operatives of the wealthy and powerful people who wanted the story to remain silent.

Watch Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes on HBO Max

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Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018): Best Documentary for the Kid in All of Us

IMDb rating: 8.4/10

Starring: Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, John Rogers

Director: Morgan Neville

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Looking for a heavy dose of nostalgia? Won't You Be My Neighbor? details the life and career of beloved TV icon Fred Rogers, host of the children's television show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Over 900 episodes aired on PBS from the 1960s to 2001. If you're reading this, odds are you grew up with the kindly Mr. Rogers and his bevy of puppet friends. The film humanizes him while also confirming what most of us already knew—that Fred Rogers was a wonderfully empathetic human being who genuinely loved children.

Watch 'Wont You Be My Neighbor?' on HBO Max

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The Crime of the Century (2021): A Sobering Look at America's Drug Epidemic and Those Responsible

prescription drugs. — Owaki / Kulla / Getty Images

IMDb rating: 8.2/10

Starring: Lenny Bernstein, Roy Bosley, Alec Burlakoff

Director: Alex Gibney

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Nearly 841,000 Americans died from a drug overdose between 1999 and 2019, according to the CDC. Opiate abuse is a serious problem in the country, and this two-part documentary turns a critical eye toward Big Pharma and the corrupt system that allows it to overproduce drugs and distribute them recklessly. With the help of leaked documents, whistleblowers, interviews with opioid addicts, and more, the series puts forth the argument that drug companies largely helped create an epidemic it's also profiting from while costing Americans thousands of lives.

Watch 'The Crime of the Centry' on HBO Max

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Tina (2021): Simply the Best

Tina Turner in the HBO documentary 'Tina' — Ryan Stetz (HBO)

IMDb rating: 9.2/10

Starring: Tina Turner, Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey

Director: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 58 minutes

This new HBO 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?).

Watch 'Tina' on HBO Max

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Tiger: A Look at One of Golf's Greats

Golfer Tiger Woods in the HBO documentary 'Tiger' — HBO

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Starring: Tiger Woods

Director: Matthew Hamachek, Matthew Heineman

Rating: TV-MA

Episodes: 2

This new two-part documentary examines the life and career of famous golfer Tiger Woods. A child prodigy, he became one of the most celebrated athletes ever, but his dedication and obsession with the sport also led to a downward spiral that ended with an arrest, scandals, and an eventual comeback at the 2019 Masters. The series interviews some of Tiger's closest friends and family and, for the first time, interviews the woman at the center of the sex scandal that tarnished his reputation in 2009.

Watch 'Tiger' on HBO Max

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The Lady and the Dale (2021): An Audacious Auto Scam

Elizabeth Carmichael in the documentary 'The Lady and the Dale' — HBO

IMDb rating: 6.8/10

Starring: Elizabeth Carmichael

Director: Nick Cammilleri and Zackary Drucker

Rating: TV-14

Episodes: 1

This documentary film from Emmy-winning producers Mark and Jay Duplass details an ambitious auto scam perpetrated in the 1970s by an entrepreneur named Elizabeth Carmichael. She promised a fuel-efficient vehicle, called The Dale, at a time when Americans were suffering through a gas crisis. But, it was all a fraud, as investigators found out when they went to the factory she was supposedly manufacturing the cars at and found it empty. If you enjoy tales of audacious criminals, this is worth a look.

Watch 'The Lady and the Dale' on HBO Max

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Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (2020) – A Look at America's Biggest Mass Suicide

Marshall Herff Applewhite, founder and co-leader of the religious cult Heaven's Gate, speaks to his followers via television. — Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images

IMDb rating: 7.3/10

Starring: Robert Balch, Janja Lalich, Benjamin Zeller

Director: Clay Tweel

Rating: TV-MA

Episodes: 4

Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults is a four-part documentary series about the strange UFO-based religious movement that led to a tragic mass suicide. The series talks with former members and loved ones and includes never-before-seen footage and first-person accounts. Decades later, many just remember vague jokes about Nike shoes and Kool-Aid. This documentary is a good refresher on a chilling and unusual moment in U.S. history.

Watch 'Heaven's Gate' on HBO Max

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The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart – An Iconic '60s Musical Trio

Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees — HBO

IMDb rating: 8.2/10

Starring: Barry Gibb

Director: Frank Marshall

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes

This documentary chronicles the lives of the 1960s musical trio The Bee Gees. The three brothers, Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, wrote over 1,000 songs during their career. They had 20 No. 1 hits. Their biggest tune, "Stayin' Alive," was immortalized in pop culture thanks to the film Saturday Night Fever, actor John Travolta, and a flashy white suit. The documentary interviews Barry Gibb and features archival footage of Robin and Maurice. There's also never-before-seen concert performances, home videos, and interviews with a variety of notable musicians.

Watch 'The Bee Gees' on HBO Max

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Between the World and Me: An Adaptation of the Critically-Acclaimed Book

Artwork from the HBO documentary 'Between the World and Me.' — HBO

IMDb rating: 7.4/10

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance

Director: Kamilah Forbes

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Between the World and Me is based on the critically-acclaimed best-selling book from Ta-Nehisi Coates. Written as a letter from Coates to his teenage son, it's a raw recounting of Coates' life and a sobering look at racial inequality in America. This film adaptation combines animation, archival footage, and appearances by Coates, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. It's just as pointed as its source material, and just as relevant in America's current socio-political landscape.

Watch 'Between the World and Me' on HBO Max

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David Byrne's American Utopia (2020): A Joyous Meditation on Art

David Byrne performs in 'David Byrne's American Utopia.' — HBO

IMDb rating: 8.3/10

Starring: David Byrne, Chris Giarmo, Angie Swan

Director: Spike Lee

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Director Spike Lee has adapted Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and Brian Eno's show American Utopia, and it's a boisterous celebration of life and art. Talking Heads fans will enjoy classic songs like "Once in a Lifetime" and "Burning Down the House," along with a timely cover of Janelle Monae's "Hell You Talmbout." And if you're not a David Byrne fan, well, maybe this movie can convince you to convert.

Watch 'American Utopia' on HBO Max

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John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020): A Tribute to an Inspiring Activist

A mug shot of civil rights activist John Lewis, following his arrest in Jackson, Mississippi for using a restroom reserved for 'white' people during the Freedom Ride demonstration against racial segregation, 24th May 1961. Kypros/Getty Images

This original documentary film examines social behavior by embedding with individuals from across the U.S. who have been publicly shamed or cyber-harassed – while exploring the bullies, the bystanders, the media, psychologists, politicians and experts in between. 15 MINUTES OF SHAME is about one of the most pressing and unaddressed issues of modern life, brought to you by the people who know it best.

IMDb rating: 7.1/10

Starring: Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Director: Dawn Porter

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Good Trouble is a look at the life and activism of the late Congressman John Lewis, a prominent figure in the United States' Civil Rights movement. During his lifetime, he participated in thousands of protests, was arrested more than 40 times, and spent three decades as representative of Georgia's 5th congressional district. This portrait of his life is timely given America's current socio-political climate, and some of the archival footage is moving, especially when you consider how much of Lewis' work remains unfinished.

Watch 'Good Trouble' on HBO Max

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