The genre is boffo, with filmmakers exploring everything from punk lore and political heroes to baby pangolins and the origins of global disparity. Whether you feel like bawling, getting riled up, or just learning something utterly surprising, this year’s crop of documentaries has something for everyone. Here are 7 must-see docs from 2025 that you won’t be able to resist.
1. Daughters
Prepare to feel all the feels. Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, Daughters tracks four girls and their imprisoned fathers as they get ready for a special and emotional father-daughter dance within prison walls.
It’s heartbreaking, tender, and impossibly strong. The film, which debuted at Sundance and is now streaming on Netflix, presents a powerful Black girlhood, family, and resilience. As Mashable so succinctly put it, “Daughters is easily one of the best documentaries you’ll see all year.”
2. Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché
This personal documentary delves into the life of punk legend Poly Styrene through the eyes of her daughter and co-director, Celeste Bell. Narrated by actress Ruth Negga and featuring readings from Poly’s diaries, the documentary uncovers a gritty and intensely personal journey beyond music. It’s streaming on Apple TV and Prime Video.
3. We Want the Funk!
Stanley Nelson is back with another lively documentary tracing the origins and ascension of funk music. With interviews from James Brown, George Clinton, and David Bowie, the documentary explores funk’s international influences—from West Africa to contemporary hip-hop. It’s half history lesson and half celebration, and it’s on PBS.
4. Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey
Oscar-winning director Pippa Ehrlich (My Octopus Teacher) is here with another heart-stopping animal tale—this one about a rescued baby pangolin taken from South Africa’s black market wildlife trade. Kulu’s Journey is both a conservation plea and a heartwarming story of unexpected friendship. Available now on Netflix.
5. Planetary Defenders
This documentary provides an inside glimpse of the actual asteroid hunters at NASA. It’s full of compelling science, but it also asks a thrilling question: What if we detect a planet-killing object on its way to us? The film is streaming on NASA+, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV.
6. The Invisible Doctrine
Based on the bestseller by George Monbiot and co-directed by Peter Hutchison, this documentary charts the history of neoliberalism—a system of thought that remade capitalism. It simplifies complicated history with force and urgency, making the connections between economics, inequality, and climate collapse. In some theaters and on DVD.
7. Titan
This compelling Netflix doc centers on the OceanGate submersible tragedy that resulted in five fatalities while on a Titanic expedition. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is under scrutiny by director Mark Monroe, investigating the technology, ambition, and hubris leading to the tragedy. Soon to be available on Netflix.
From the depths of the sea to corridors of power, these documentaries reveal just how interesting real life can be—sometimes stranger, frequently more powerful, and always worth viewing.