The 15 Best Documentaries on HBO Right Now (November 2020)

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

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 recounts his experiences growing up as a Black man in Baltimore and grapples with the issue of White supremacy in America. This film adaptation is a combination of a 2018 stage adaptation at the Apollo Theater, documentary footage from Coates' home life, archival footage, and animation. It features appearances by Coates, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, and many more.

Crazy, Not Insane: A Chilling Look at Violent People

This chilling new documentary profiles forensic psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, who spent her life investigating the inner lives of violent people. She worked with many serial killers during her career, including Ted Bundy. Crazy, Not Insane is directed and produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, who also did HBO's The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

The Mystery Of DB Cooper: One of America's Most Enduring Mysteries

The man known as "DB Cooper" is responsible for the only unsolved plane jacking in U.S. history. In 1971, Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727 between Portland and Seattle. He jumped out of the plane somewhere over Washington State with a parachute and $200,000. He was never heard from again. The FBI maintained an active investigation for 45 years after the hijacking, but the case remains unsolved. This new documentary takes a look at the case and profiles four people believed to be the infamous Cooper.

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

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.

A World of Calm (2020): Most Relaxing Docuseries

A World of Calm is a new, 10-episode docuseries from Nutopia, the team behind Nat Geo's One Strange Rock, and the makers of the meditation app Calm. It combines immersive imagery with narration from a star-studded cast that includes Mahershala Ali, Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Lucy Liu, Cillian Murphy, and Keanu Reeves. Each half-hour episode is built to help calm your nerves and soothe your mind. And we could all use a little of that in 2020.

The Soul Of America (2020): A Timely Look at America's History

The Soul of America is a timely documentary based on the best-selling book by Jon Meacham. Like Meacham's work, the film takes a look at the U.S.'s current political climate and its political past. Abraham Lincoln once called on the "better angels of our nature," and the documentary paints portraits of him and other presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson, along with citizen activists, civil rights pioneers, and more. The premise of the film and the book is that America has seen dark days before and found ways to prevail, and it's a much-needed message right now.

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

Good Trouble is a look at the life and activism of the late Congressman John Lewis, a prominent figure in the U.S.'s 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.

Siempre, Luis (2020): Best Pick for 'Hamilton' Fans

Siempre, Luis follows Luis A. Miranda Jr. over the course of a year as he organizes relief efforts following Hurricane Maria and works to bring his son Lin-Manuel's Broadway blockbuster Hamilton to the island nation. Described as "an unstoppable force of nature," Miranda's passion for his homeland and his family is evident, and the film portrays his struggles with humor and heart.

The Perfect Weapon (2020): A Chilling Look at Cyberwarfare

Based on the best-selling book by New York Times national security correspondent David E. Sanger, The Perfect Weapon takes a look at the rise of cyberwarfare between nations and how they use it to sabotage one another. It features interviews with top members of the military, intelligence, and political fields and spans the globe, traveling from Las Vegas to Iran, Beijing, Moscow, and more.

Being Serena (2018): Best Look at a Sports Icon

Serena Williams needs no introduction. She's one of the most famous faces in sports. She's won 39 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic gold medals, and many other accolades. This documentary series focuses on two pivotal moments in her personal and professional life: the birth of her first child and her efforts to get back on the court afterward. Viewers get a look into her career, her family life, her role as a businesswoman, and more.

More than just a sports documentary, Being Serena is a portrait of Black motherhood and Black womanhood that's just as vital now as it was when the series premiered in 2018.

Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness (2020): Best Rumination on Life's Biggest Questions

Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness is a buddy comedy docuseries that follows actor Ravi Patel as he travels the globe looking for the answers to some of life's biggest and most universal questions. His stops include Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Denmark, where he discusses topics like aging and retirement, parenting and gender roles, work/life balance, and immigration.

Usually accompanied by a friend or family member, Patel offers his own unfiltered opinions and struggles on all of these topics while comparing social norms both in the U.S. and abroad.

Hard Knocks: Los Angeles (2020): Best Documentary Series for Football Fans

Hard Knocks: Los Angeles is the latest in HBO's Emmy Award-winning sports series about the National Football League. For the first time, the show follows the head coaches of two teams, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. Since both are sharing a new home this season at SoFi Stadium, fans are getting a behind-the-scenes peek at both teams' training camp activities.

What's also notable is that Hard Knocks: Los Angeles was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. That means fans can expect a radically different training season, one filled with social distancing, mandatory temperature checks, and no preseason.

The Swamp (2020): Best Look at America's Broken Politics

Debuting on Aug. 4, The Swamp is a deep dive into the Washington political machine from the perspective of three Republican Congressmen—Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ken Buck (R-CO). Over the course of a year, cameras follow these men during events like the Robert Mueller hearing and President Trump's impeachment (the film doesn't tackle the Coronavirus, though). The documentary examines how fundraising matters above all else in Washington, and how some politicians like Gaetz are finding different ways to raise money for their campaigns.

McMillions (2020): Best Corporate Scam Documentary

McMillions is the sort of documentary that tells a story so perfectly weird that it hardly seems possible. This six part docu-series explores how one man, with a little greed and some questionable choices, managed to defraud McDonald's out of $24 million dollars. That's a lot of Bic Macs.

The fraud, of course, was centered on the Monopoly sweepstakes game that McDonalds ran between 1989 and 2001, promising fantastic prizes for buying burgers and collecting game pieces. Featuring in-depth interviews with people involved in just about every aspect of this massive web of crime, McMillions shines a light on how perpetrator Jerry Jacobson was able to carry out this bizarre act of fraud and get away with it for so long.