The 20 Best Documentaries of 2024

Mr. McMahonBig Important Documentaries about sports figures are a little dicey nowadays; they run the gamut from glorified PR (I’m sorry, Starting 5, but I don’t want to hear LeBron James talk about his feet), to journalistic feats (Free Solo). Thankfully, Mr. McMahon is the latter. The Netflix docuseries chronicles the life and career of former Chairman and CEO of WWE Vince McMahon—and what ultimately led to his downfall.

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Road DiaryRoad Diary captures a late-career Bruce Springsteen on his most recent world tour—and the result is the very definition of essential viewing. As Ryan D’Agostino recently wrote for Esquire, the film “captures the crackling energy, the astonishing talent, the dorm-room humor, and—there’s no other word—the love that Springsteen and his caravan have been delivering around the world for a few generations now.”

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Wise Guy: David Chase and The SopranosDocumentaries that look back on the making of a popular television series often run the risk of looking like glorified montage of old scenes. Thankfully, Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos is much more than a walk down memory lane. The Sopranos creator himself sits down for a two-part docuseries in which he shares sincerely insightful stories about his life and its parallels to the hit HBO drama.

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Piece By PieceYes, Piece By Piece is technically a documentary! It’s cool as heck that Pharrell Williams decided to give himself the biopic treatment in LEGO form—and the result is just as delightful as you’d hope. It helps, of course, that he employed the talents of one of our best documentarians in director Morgan Neville, who also helmed Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.

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Ren FaireIs Lance Oppenheim the new king of documentaries? We already have the director on our list for his film Spermworld (below), but HBO’s Ren Faire is another must-watch. The three-part documentary series explores a succession crisis plaguing the largest Renaissance fair in the country. As each new carnival kingpin attempts to reshape the fair in their image, the operation turns back to the aging mayor who made the fairs so great in the first place.

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The Remarkable Life of IbelinIbelin wasn’t just one of the best documentaries to premiere at Sundance this year—it was one of the best films at the festival, period. I recommend not knowing much about Ibelin going in, but the film follows Mats Steen, who died from Duchenne muscular dystrophy at 25. His parents thought he lived a reclusive life but learn—in the days after his death—that Mats had a multitude of friends (and lovers!) in World of Warcraft.

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Beyond the BronxI simply must shout out this six-minute documentary short that debuted on SportsCenter in mid-August. Beyond the Bronx quickly details how the iconic New York Yankees cap became, well… iconic. Spoiler: Spike Lee, who features in this film, had a little something to do with it. (Lee’s interview alone is worth the price of admission.)

I Am: Celine DionBefore her amazing performance to conclude the opening ceremony of the 2024 summer Olympic Games in Paris, Celine Dion was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome. In I Am: Celine Dion, the singer gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at her new life and incredible resilience.

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Seeking Mavis BeaconIf you’re of a certain age (*cough* a middle-aged millennial, like me *cough*), you remember Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Through a variety of not-so-thrilling tasks—try typing your way out of the grocery store checkout line—the PC game taught countless children how to type on a keyboard. In Seeking Mavis Beacon, two women attempt to find the cover model—and a crucial conversation about race in media and tech unfolds.

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DaughtersDaughters follows four young girls as they prepare for a special daddy-daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers. The Washington, D.C. program—which unites families separated by an unfair criminal justice system—provides a rare opportunity for fathers to promise their daughters that they will be there for them when they leave prison. Grab your tissues, because Daughters is a real tearjerker.

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SpermworldLook, it’s not what you think. Spermworld is the story of the online marketplace for sperm donation and its recipients. As it turns out, hopeful parents aren’t always told how the whole system works. The documentary explores why people bend the rules to gain access and why people donate. It’s a fascinating look at humanity, the need to procreate, and the bizarre relationships we form in that pursuit.

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The Greatest Night in PopIn 1985, Lionel Richie corralled just about every famous musician in America to record “We Are the World,” a charity song for the organization USA for Africa. It became one of the top ten best-selling physical singles of all time, featuring artists such as Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, and many, many more. Now the crazy story of how all the talent convened in the same room together to record a song in just one night is here, in glorious detail.

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Will & HarperWhere is Will & Harper’s Academy Award nomination? Oh! It’s not that time yet. Well, call us when it is, because the film—which sees Will Ferrell road-trip with his best friend, Harper Steele, who recently came out as transgender—is downright incredible. Will & Harper is so many things: a buddy comedy, a meditation on identity, a portrait of someone who is publicly living as herself for the very first time, and much, much more. Netflix acquired the film after its Sundance premiere, so stay tuned for its debut on the streamer.

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Sue Bird: In the ClutchLeading up to the announcement of her retirement, WNBA legend Sue Bird chronicled her career as one of the greatest point guards of all time. The result, Sue Bird: In the Clutch, is a timely look into issues plaguing the league today, such as pay inequity, lack of proper maternity care, and the dangers of playing abroad in Russia.

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America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersThis is probably the seventh time America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders has appeared on an Esquire list this year. But it’s for good reason! The docuseries features the very best hallmarks of the work of director Greg Whiteley (Last Chance U, Cheer): It’s fun as hell, deeply personal, and more revelatory about the state of modern sports than you probably expected. It’s a wonder how Whiteley pulls it off again and again.

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Girls StateIf you saw 2020’s excellent Boys State, Apple Original Films is back this year with the also excellent Girls State, which shows us another side of a peculiar American leadership program. When the Girls State event doesn’t feel equal to what’s happening over at Boys State, the conference’s young women decide to make their thoughts known.

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FridaIn Frida, Carla Gutiérrez, the director behind 2018’s stellar RBG, turns her attention to Mexican painter Frida Khalo and pulls off a grand celebration of one of the most complex and colorful artists of our time.

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EnnioEnnio Morricone was one of the greatest film composers in history, best known for his hit western scores (Once Upon a Time in the West; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; and countless more). His story is finally told by those who remember him best—and it’s an absolute delight.

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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryThe definitive Christopher Reeve documentary has been a long time coming. Thankfully, it’s nearly here—Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story arrives on a screen (hopefully) near you in September. The film tells the story of the iconic Superman actor, who was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a horse-riding accident in 1995.

Black Box DiariesJournalist Shiori Itō became the face of Japan’s #MeToo movement in 2020 after revealing that she was sexually assaulted. Black Box Diaries details how Itō was forced to lead her own investigation—which resulted in one of the country’s most landmark cases.