I have used Gemini to help with this pages formatting.

I have watched all of these documentaries and series.
Just like the books, if I wrote full reviews for each, this page would be unreadable.
I prefer comprehensive deep-dives and limited series over sensationalist "History Channel" style clips.

Quality Matters

Bitrate is king.
If you are watching these on a phone, you are missing out.
For the nature and space documentaries especially, try to find the highest quality source (4K/Remux) possible. Sound design in modern documentaries is half the experience. Wear headphones or use good speakers.


Dan's Watch List

This is Dan from FMHY. These are the documentaries and docu-series I recommend. Just like my reading list, this leans heavily into History, War, and Human Endurance.

  • These are in alphabetical order.
  • Stars (⭐) denote entries that are particularly noteworthy.
  • Stars (⭐) with yellow text are my favourite documentaries.

🎬 Documentaries & Series

Ancient & Medieval History

  • Barbarians Rising – A dramatized docu-series telling the story of the rise and fall of Rome from the perspective of the barbarian leaders.
  • Civilizations (BBC) – A massive survey of human culture and art history, narrated by Simon Schama and Mary Beard.
  • Colosseum – A deeper look into the engineering and political utility of Rome's most famous arena.
  • Empire of the Tsars: Romanov Russia with Lucy Worsley – Chronicles the rise and fall of the Romanov dynasty.
  • ⭐ Meet the Romans with Mary Beard – Instead of emperors, this looks at the lives of ordinary people in Rome.
  • Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb – A fascinating modern excavation of an untouched Egyptian tomb.
  • Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit – Mary Beard examines the physical and cultural glue that held the Roman Empire together.

War & Conflict (WWII & Modern)

  • ⭐ Apocalypse: The Second World War – Known for its incredible restoration and colorization of archival footage.
  • Five Came Back – The story of how Hollywood directors (Ford, Capra, Huston) changed WWII propaganda and how the war changed them.
  • The Fog of War – Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara analyzes his mistakes during Vietnam and WWII.
  • Hitler's Circle of Evil – Focuses on the inner circle of the Nazi party and their infighting.
  • ⭐ The Nazis: A Warning from History – A groundbreaking BBC series examining how the Nazis rose to power and the complicity of the German public.
  • Restrepo – A raw, non-political look at a US platoon in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.
  • ⭐ Shoah by Claude Lanzmann – The definitive, 9-hour oral history of the Holocaust. No archival footage, just testimony. Devastating.
  • ⭐ They Shall Not Grow Old – Peter Jackson’s technical masterpiece restoring WWI footage to life-like quality.
  • ⭐ The Vietnam War by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick – The most comprehensive visual history of the conflict. A perfect companion to Max Hastings' book.
  • ⭐ The World at War (1973) – The gold standard of documentary making. Narrated by Laurence Olivier. If you watch only one WWII series, this is it.
  • World War II in Colour: Road to Victory – A modern, fast-paced overview of the strategic turning points of the war.

Modern History, Politics & Espionage

  • 13th – Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system and its history of racial inequality.
  • ⭐ The Alabama Solution – Andrew Jarecki's shocking exposΓ© of the corruption and abuse within the Alabama prison system.
  • The Central Park Five – Ken Burns details the wrongful conviction of five Harlem teenagers in the 1989 jogger case.
  • Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – Uses newly discovered footage to tell the story of the disaster and the Soviet cover-up.
  • ⭐ Cold War (CNN/1998) – An exhaustive 24-part series covering the entire geopolitical struggle.
  • The Corporation – Diagnoses the modern corporation as a psychopath. A critical look at the dominant institution of our time.
  • HyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis – A complex, philosophical look at how governments and corporations manage public perception.
  • ⭐ Icarus – Starts as a cycling experiment and accidentally uncovers a massive state-sponsored Russian doping scandal. Plays like a spy thriller.
  • ⭐ O.J.: Made in America – This is not just about a murder trial; it is a 5-part deep dive into race, celebrity, and the history of Los Angeles.
  • Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror – A comprehensive look at the attacks and the subsequent 20-year war.
  • Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom – On-the-ground footage of the Euromaidan protests.

Science, Nature & The Cosmos

  • ⭐ Apollo 11 (2019) – No narration, just pure 70mm archival footage of the moon landing mission.
  • Blue Planet II – David Attenborough’s look at marine life. The cinematography is groundbreaking.
  • ⭐ Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan – The series that defined science communication.
  • Fantastic Fungi – A look at the biology and utility of mushrooms. Visually stunning.
  • ⭐ Into the Inferno – Werner Herzog travels to active volcanoes. It’s about geology, but also about human belief and culture.
  • ⭐ Planet Earth II – The absolute peak of nature documentaries. Hans Zimmer score + Attenborough narration.
  • The Year Earth Changed – Documents how nature recovered during the global lockdowns of 2020.

True Crime & Society

  • ⭐ Capturing The Friedmans – A disturbing look at a family torn apart by allegations of child abuse, told through their own home movies.
  • ⭐ Fear City: New York vs The Mafia – Details the FBI’s case against the Five Families of the New York Mafia.
  • ⭐ The Imposter – A gripping thriller about a French con artist who impersonates a missing Texas boy, and the family who accepts him.
  • ⭐ Into the Abyss – Werner Herzog interviews death row inmates. A profound examination of the human soul and the state.
  • ⭐ The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst – A masterclass in interviewing and narrative tension.
  • Making a Murderer – The series that popularized the modern true-crime boom.
  • ⭐ The Seven Five – The explosive story of Michael Dowd and the rampant police corruption in the 75th Precinct of NYC.
  • Wild Wild Country – The bizarre true story of the Rajneeshpuram cult in Oregon.

Culture, Arts & The Human Spirit

  • ⭐ Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse – Chronicles the chaotic and near-disastrous production of Apocalypse Now.
  • ⭐ Hoop Dreams – Follows two inner-city Chicago basketball prospects over several years. A monumental study of race, class, and the American dream.
  • ⭐ Jiro Dreams of Sushi – A profile of sushi master Jiro Ono and his relentless pursuit of perfection.
  • ⭐ King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters – The surprisingly intense rivalry between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell for the Donkey Kong high score.
  • The Queen of Versailles – Follows a billionaire family attempting to build the largest house in America as the 2008 financial crisis hits.
  • ⭐ Searching for Sugar Man – Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, Rodriguez.
  • Wordplay – A look at the world of competitive crossword solvers and the editor Will Shortz.

Human Endurance & Stoicism

  • 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible – Nims Purja attempts to climb all 14 of the world's 8000m peaks in under 7 months.
  • ⭐ Free Solo – Alex Honnold climbs El Capitan without a rope. The ultimate display of mental control and suppression of fear.
  • ⭐ The Last Dance – Chronicles Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the fall of 1997, looking for their sixth NBA title.
  • ⭐ Man on Wire – The high-tension story of Philippe Petit's illegal high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in 1974.
  • Meru – Three climbers attempt the Shark's Fin route on Meru Peak. A story of obsession and resilience.
  • ⭐ Touching the Void – A docu-drama about a climbing accident in the Andes. The ultimate survival story.
Edit

Pub: 30 Nov 2025 20:02 UTC

Edit: 01 Dec 2025 16:21 UTC

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