Tiger King delves into the bizarre subculture of big cat collectors and private zoos in America. At its center is the flamboyant Joe Exotic – zookeeper, country singer, and convicted felon – and his bitter feud with Carole Baskin, an animal sanctuary owner. Across seven episodes, the saga spirals from quirky to downright outrageous, involving murder-for-hire plots, polygamous marriages, and shocking animal abuse revelations. The story unfolds with jaw-dropping interviews and archival footage, painting a portrait of obsession and egos run amok. Equal parts darkly comic and disturbing, this series offered an escapist thrill ride that had viewers alternately laughing and aghast, all while reflecting uneasily on the ethics of exotic animal ownership. It remains an unforgettable time capsule of pandemic-era TV and a reminder of truth’s ability to out-weird fiction.
2. The Last Dance (2020)
Airing on ESPN and Netflix, The Last Dance became the most-watched documentary in ESPN’s history, averaging over 5.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S. and reaching a global audience on Netflix. This 10-part sports documentary series about Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty arrived at the perfect moment – April 2020, when live sports were on pause – and it dominated the cultural conversation. The series not only satisfied basketball fans’ nostalgia but also captivated those who knew little about the sport, thanks to its riveting storytelling. Hailed by critics and fans alike, The Last Dance went on to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, solidifying its place as a sports documentary classic.
At its core, The Last Dance chronicles the final championship season of the Bulls in 1997–98, interwoven with the broader saga of Michael Jordan’s career and the team’s meteoric rise. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access, from locker-room footage and candid practice moments to extensive interviews with Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, coach Phil Jackson, and other NBA luminaries. We see Jordan’s sheer competitive drive and the behind-the-scenes tensions – contract disputes, personality clashes, and the pressure of maintaining greatness.
The narrative jumps back and forth in time, highlighting key milestones like Jordan’s early years, his first retirement, and triumphant return, all culminating in that storied sixth championship run. Through intimate one-on-one interviews, including remarkably open reflections from Jordan himself, the series reveals the human side of an icon. The Last Dance is as much about the cost of greatness and the psychology of leadership as it is about basketball, delivered with a pulse-pounding soundtrack and masterful editing that leaves viewers exhilarated.
3. American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
This feature-length Netflix documentary became a true-crime sensation, drawing 52 million households in its first 28 days and securing the title of Netflix’s most-watched documentary film at the time. American Murder: The Family Next Door stood out in a crowded genre for its innovative storytelling: the filmmakers use real-life footage – including social media posts, text messages, home videos, and police body-cam recordings – to unfold the tragic story. The result is an immersive, tension-filled narrative that feels less like a retelling and more like watching events play out in real time. Viewers, many of whom were already familiar with news of the case, were transfixed by this intimate glimpse behind the headlines. The documentary sparked widespread discussions about domestic violence hidden behind the façade of a “perfect” family, and it underlined Netflix’s prowess in turning true-crime stories into must-see TV.
American Murder chronicles the 2018 disappearance of Colorado mother Shanann Watts and her two young daughters. At first, Shanann’s seemingly devoted husband Chris pleads for his family’s return – a chilling on-camera appeal that is included here. The film then carefully pieces together the timeline leading up to that moment, drawing on Shanann’s own Facebook videos and texts to friends that reveal cracks in their marriage. As police investigators get involved, we see actual interrogation footage and hear audio from Chris’s polygraph test, lending an eerie authenticity to the unfolding mystery. The suburban dream veneer is stripped away to expose infidelity, financial strain, and ultimately the unthinkable act Chris committed. By never using reenactments or talking-head interviews, the documentary maintains a stark vérité style. The everyday digital artifacts of Shanann’s life – cheerful social media updates, loving texts – now carry a heartbreaking weight as clues to her fate. In the end, American Murder offers a sobering look at the discrepancy between appearances and reality, and it honors the victims by allowing Shanann to posthumously narrate her own story through the data she left behind.
4. The Social Dilemma (2020)
Another Netflix hit from 2020, The Social Dilemma tapped into growing global anxiety about the impact of social media – and people watched in droves. In its first month, around 38 million households streamed this documentary-drama hybrid, and its reach has only grown since; the filmmakers have estimated over 100 million viewers worldwide to date. Acclaimed for bringing complex tech issues to the mainstream, The Social Dilemma won two Emmy Awards and was lauded by educators and parents as essential viewing. It struck a chord with audiences of all ages, especially those concerned about teenagers glued to their phones and the spread of misinformation online. By combining candid interviews with Silicon Valley insiders and dramatized fictional scenes, the film made abstract algorithms and surveillance capitalism feel deeply personal and urgent.
At the heart of The Social Dilemma is a stark warning: if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. The documentary features former executives and engineers from Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other tech giants who confess that the platforms they helped build are designed to be addictive and to subtly manipulate user behavior. Their testimony is interwoven with a scripted storyline following a typical American family. We watch a teen boy descend into social-media addiction and radicalization as algorithmic puppeteers (visualized as AI avatars) nudge his every click and view. Meanwhile, his younger sister grapples with self-esteem issues exacerbated by Instagram likes, and their mother struggles to keep the devices from taking over their lives. These illustrative vignettes might feel a touch on-the-nose, but they effectively drive home the film’s points about fake news, political polarization, and mental health harms. By the documentary’s end, as experts call for humane tech design and policy regulation, viewers are left both enlightened and unsettled. The Social Dilemma succeeds in turning abstract data and charts into a compelling narrative about the hidden biases of the feeds we endlessly scroll – challenging each of us to rethink our own relationship with our screens.
5. My Octopus Teacher (2020)
In a year filled with high-profile docs, this gentle, moving nature film emerged as an unlikely star on Netflix. My Octopus Teacher slowly gained steam through word-of-mouth, eventually enchanting millions of viewers worldwide and earning the 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. With its stunning underwater cinematography and heartfelt story, the film offered a meditative escape from the chaos of 2020 and resonated especially with viewers seeking solace in nature. Critics praised its emotional depth, and it picked up numerous accolades on the awards circuit (including BAFTA and PGA wins) alongside that Oscar triumph. Beyond the numbers and trophies, My Octopus Teacher created a cultural moment – it wasn’t uncommon to hear people over 50 and teenagers alike swapping impressions of the clever little octopus and the lessons she taught.
Set in the cold, kelp-covered waters off the coast of South Africa, the documentary follows filmmaker and diver Craig Foster on an extraordinary year-long encounter with a wild octopus. Burned out and seeking inspiration, Foster begins free-diving daily in a marine forest near Cape Town. There, he discovers a curious young female octopus who sparks his curiosity. My Octopus Teacher unfolds like a real-life fable: gradually, the octopus learns to trust Foster, eventually allowing him to follow her on her undersea adventures.
We witness astonishing scenes – the octopus outwitting pyjama sharks with inventive defensive maneuvers, playfully interacting with Foster, and later guarding her eggs in the den as her life comes full circle. Foster’s whispered narration reveals how this unlikely interspecies friendship profoundly changed him, rekindling his sense of wonder and teaching him about vulnerability and connection. The film is richly thematic: it explores the fragility of life, the intelligence of animals, and the healing power of nature. By its end, many viewers find themselves unexpectedly moved to tears. Intimate and profound, My Octopus Teacher is a reminder that profound wisdom can come from the most humble of teachers – even an eight-armed mollusk beneath the sea.
6. Framing Britney Spears (2021)
Debuting on FX and Hulu in February 2021, Framing Britney Spears quickly became more than just a documentary – it was a cultural reckoning. Millions tuned in on release night, and the film sparked an international conversation that extended far beyond Britney Spears’s fanbase. Produced by The New York Times, this documentary film dissected the pop superstar’s very public troubles and the controversial conservatorship that controlled her life, prompting many viewers to reconsider how society and the media had treated Britney. The response was enormous: celebrities voiced support for Spears, lawmakers took note, and the #FreeBritney movement – long simmering among her most loyal fans – exploded into mainstream awareness. Critically acclaimed for its empathy and insight, Framing Britney Spears won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in News & Information and earned two Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Documentary Special.
Told in a brisk 74 minutes, Framing Britney Spears charts Britney’s rise from small-town girl to global pop phenomenon and then lays bare the toll of the relentless spotlight. Through archival footage and new interviews (with friends, former associates, and culture critics), the film shows how tabloid sensationalism and a sexist double standard chipped away at Britney’s public image over the years. We see the singer hounded by paparazzi during her very public 2007 breakdown, mocked and judged by talk show hosts and bloggers while she was at her most vulnerable. The documentary’s most damning focus, however, is the conservatorship put in place in 2008 – a legal arrangement typically reserved for the gravely ill or elderly – which gave her father control over her career, finances, and personal decisions for over a decade.
The filmmakers trace how this unusual situation persisted, largely unchallenged, until devoted fans began loudly questioning its legitimacy. By spotlighting these fans and their grassroots #FreeBritney campaign, the film underscores themes of autonomy, gender bias, and media ethics. In the wake of Framing Britney Spears, public pressure on her legal situation intensified; just months later, in a real-life development seemingly catalyzed by the documentary’s impact, Britney Spears was finally released from her conservatorship. For many, this film helped right a cultural wrong, offering Britney a new narrative not of a fallen pop princess but of a woman who survived an ordeal and sparked a larger conversation about how we treat those in the limelight.
7. Seaspiracy (2021)
In 2021, Netflix’s Seaspiracy emerged as one of the year’s most talked-about and eye-opening documentaries, especially among environmentally conscious viewers. This hard-hitting film quickly swam into Netflix’s Top 10 charts across dozens of countries, suggesting an audience of many millions globally in its first weeks of release. While Netflix didn’t publish exact viewership counts for Seaspiracy, the social media buzz and heated dinner-table discussions it generated were telling: it had struck a nerve.
The documentary ignited passionate debates about the ethics of eating fish and the health of our oceans, making it far more than just “another nature doc.” It became a surprise hit in the vein of earlier food industry exposés, with its hashtag trending and celebrities endorsing its message. Seaspiracy didn’t rack up traditional awards – its biggest accolades came in the form of viral impact and even some backlash – but it undeniably succeeded in raising public awareness. Many viewers reported that, after watching, they were inspired to reduce seafood consumption or seek out sustainable options, which is perhaps the greatest honor an advocacy documentary can achieve.
Filmmaker Ali Tabrizi leads the journey in Seaspiracy, starting off as an ocean-lover curious about plastic pollution and soon finding himself uncovering much darker truths about the global fishing industry. What begins as an investigation into ocean plastics (cue haunting images of bloodied whales on shores tangled in nets) evolves into a globe-trotting quest that reveals how commercial overfishing and illegal practices are ravaging marine ecosystems. Tabrizi’s camera goes behind the scenes on shark finning boats and into Thai shrimp farms where slave labor is alleged, connecting the dots between our dinner plates and the decimation of sea life. One shocking sequence takes us to Taiji, Japan, documenting the annual dolphin hunt made infamous by The Cove, underscoring how even beloved species fall victim to by-catch and meat trade.
Along the way, Seaspiracy questions the efficacy of sustainable seafood certifications and marine protected areas, implying that corruption and lack of enforcement render them toothless. The film builds to a provocative thesis: that truly saving the oceans may require a radical rethinking of consumption – effectively, urging audiences to consider giving up seafood altogether. Critics argued about the film’s selective use of science and statistics, and several marine experts pushed back on some of its more sweeping claims. Yet even the controversy served to keep Seaspiracy in headlines for weeks. Visually striking, urgent, and unapologetically argumentative, the documentary succeeds in making the viewer feel the enormity of humanity’s impact on the oceans, leaving us to grapple with an uncomfortable question: are we willing to change our ways to save marine life?
8. The Tinder Swindler (2022)
True crime continued to dominate Netflix into 2022, and The Tinder Swindler stood out as a prime example of just how engrossing (and popular) a single-episode documentary can be. This feature-length film premiered on Netflix in February 2022 and swiftly became the platform’s most-watched documentary of the year. In its first month, subscribers worldwide watched a staggering 166 million hours of the film – an equivalent of tens of millions of complete viewings – catapulting The Tinder Swindler to the top of Netflix’s global charts. Water-cooler chatter and online buzz followed, with viewers trading incredulous reactions to the audacity of the con artist at the film’s center. The documentary earned five Primetime Emmy nominations (including one for its writing), reflecting not just its popularity but also its quality as a crisply made, fast-paced thriller in documentary form. It tapped into a zeitgeist of online dating cautionary tales, arriving at a time when digital romance scams were frequently making headlines. By blending a juicy crime story with a modern moral about the dangers of social media puffery, The Tinder Swindler managed to both entertain and educate – leaving a generation of viewers warier about those too-good-to-be-true matches on their dating apps.
The story itself plays out like a Hollywood thriller, except it’s all true. The Tinder Swindler recounts the rise and fall of Simon Leviev (born Shimon Hayut), an Israeli conman who posed as the wealthy heir to a diamond fortune on Tinder. We meet three of his victims – articulate, relatable young women from Europe – who each believed they had found Mr. Right when Simon swept them off their feet with private jet trips, five-star hotels, and declarations of love. Using a mix of emotional manipulation and an elaborate facade of danger (“enemies” out to get him, he would claim), Simon duped these women into loaning him huge sums of money, which he then used to fund the same lavish wooing of his next target in a Ponzi-like scheme. The documentary cleverly uses actual text messages, glamorous Instagram photos, and even voice notes from the scammer, so viewers experience the seduction and betrayal almost firsthand.
Tension builds as the victims band together with a pair of dogged journalists from a Norwegian newspaper to expose Simon. There are nail-biting sequences where they set a trap for him – using Tinder itself as bait – and the film doesn’t shy away from the messy aftermath: Simon’s arrest, a prison sentence that turned out to be fleeting, and the frustrating reality that he faced minimal justice and even continued flaunting a high life afterward. Through sharp editing and a propulsive narrative, The Tinder Swindler highlights themes of trust and deceit in the digital age. It’s a cautionary tale reminding us that in the world of online personas, not everyone is who they claim to be – even if they shower you with roses and champagne on a first date.
9. Harry & Meghan (2022)
When Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to tell their side of the story, millions around the globe were ready to listen. Netflix’s Harry & Meghan docuseries premiered in December 2022 with unprecedented fanfare, delivering the streaming platform’s biggest documentary debut ever. In its first week alone, the series amassed nearly 100 million hours viewed, topping Netflix charts from the US to the UK and beyond. The series instantly became a pop culture flashpoint: some viewers saw it as a humanizing look at a couple escaping a toxic environment, while others viewed it through a more critical or cynical lens.
Regardless of perspective, Harry & Meghan had virtually everyone talking. It was remarkable to see a documentary – traditionally a quieter corner of entertainment – commanding such intense news coverage and social media discourse. Though it’s a documentary in format, the project had all the trappings of a Hollywood release, from its high-profile subjects and A-list director (Oscar-winner Liz Garbus) to a carefully planned rollout in the midst of royal news cycles. The series didn’t just rack up huge viewership numbers; it also prompted broader conversations about the monarchy, race, mental health, and the intrusive nature of tabloid media. Even without traditional awards (it was released after most 2022 awards deadlines), its impact was undeniable. For Netflix, Harry & Meghan underscored that the appetite for inside stories about the British royals is as strong as ever – and that the documentary format can deliver those stories with both substance and style.
Across six episodes, Harry & Meghan offers an intimate portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s journey, from their fairytale beginnings to the tumultuous decision to step back from royal duties. The tone is personal and candid: Harry and Meghan sit for extensive interviews, sharing anecdotes and previously unseen photographs and video diaries. Meghan recalls in touching detail their first encounter (a blind date orchestrated by a mutual friend over Instagram), and Harry reminisces about how he knew she was “the one” from early on.
But fairy-tale elements soon give way to the harsh glare of public life. The series chronicles the couple’s mounting struggles with an unrelenting British press – the tabloids’ dog-whistle racism towards Meghan, the paparazzi flashbacks that painfully recall what happened to Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. We also peek behind palace doors, as Harry explains the lack of support they felt within “the Firm” and the family, culminating in the couple’s dramatic exit in 2020. Some of the most revealing moments include Meghan’s miscarriage (which they partly attribute to stress from a tabloid lawsuit) and Harry’s estrangement from his father and brother.
Yet, amid the conflict, there are heartwarming scenes of their new life in California – playing with their children Archie and Lilibet, and working on charitable initiatives close to their hearts. The production is sleek, interweaving the Sussexes’ narrative with historical context about the UK media and royal institution. The overarching theme of Harry & Meghan is one of reclaiming one’s own story. Love them or not, the series allows these two highly recognizable individuals to be something few imagined: vulnerable, self-reflective, and firmly in control of their narrative on their own terms.
10. Beckham (2023)
Rounding out the list is Beckham, a late-2023 entry that proved the enduring power of star appeal and nostalgia. This four-part Netflix docuseries, centered on global football icon David Beckham, scored an enormous viewership right out of the gate. Within a few weeks of release, Netflix announced that over 30 million households had tuned in to watch Beckham – an impressive feat for a sports documentary and a sign that interest in Beckham’s story spans generations. Social media lit up with clips of memorable moments (from his haircuts to that infamous red card), and it wasn’t just football fans watching; many were drawn by the celebrity power couple factor of David and Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham.
Critics noted the series’ glossy, engaging production value, and while it’s too early for awards, industry buzz suggests Beckham will be a strong contender in upcoming documentary and nonfiction Emmy categories. More importantly, the series struck an emotional chord. For those who grew up in the ’90s, it was a trip down memory lane to the heyday of Britpop and the Manchester United treble. For younger viewers, it was an insightful introduction to an athlete who helped catapult soccer into a new era of global glamour. By blending sports history with personal biography, Beckham managed to be more than a highlight reel – it became one of Netflix’s most talked-about docuseries of 2023.
The series traces the arc of David Beckham’s life and career with an all-access approach. Episode by episode, Beckham explores a different chapter: from his working-class childhood in East London, where a shy, soccer-obsessed boy practiced free kicks for hours, to his meteoric rise as Manchester United’s golden boy under Sir Alex Ferguson’s stewardship. We witness the dramatic highs – that legendary halfway-line goal, the trophy-laden 1999 season – and the lows, most notably the fallout after Beckham’s red card in the 1998 World Cup, which made him the scapegoat of a nation and subjected him to vicious hate. What sets the documentary apart is Beckham’s own voice throughout; he reflects with disarming honesty about the toll that period took on his mental health.
Equally engaging is the love story woven in: David’s courtship of Victoria Adams at the height of Spice Girls fame is recounted with humor and warmth. Victoria herself provides candid commentary, adding depth to the “Posh and Becks” media frenzy that followed them for years. The film doesn’t shy away from the bumps in their marriage (alluding to well-publicized allegations of infidelity) but frames these within a narrative of enduring partnership and family. We also get fascinating peeks into Beckham’s post-Manchester career – the glitzy Galácticos era at Real Madrid, the culture shock of moving to the U.S. to join the LA Galaxy and boost soccer’s profile stateside, and his later role as an owner of Inter Miami.
Alongside the personal reminiscences are interviews with former teammates, coaches, and friends (everyone from Gary Neville and Sir Alex to his personal stylists), painting a full portrait of Beckham’s evolution from athlete to brand ambassador to mature father of four. The series is visually sumptuous, mixing archival footage with beautifully shot new sequences (including scenes of Beckham puttering around his countryside estate, playfully bantering with Victoria).
Ultimately, Beckham is a story of resilience and reinvention. It reminds viewers why David Beckham became a household name beyond the pitch – his talent, yes, but also his charisma, style influence, and ability to adapt and thrive under intense scrutiny. Whether you come for the sports heroics or the celebrity insight, you leave with an appreciation for the man behind the icon and the cultural zeitgeist he helped define.
