20 Best Documentaries On HBO MAX | When Knowledge Comes Along With Entertainment

It is more fun when you get to learn about something new by watching a docu-film or a mini-series. In this article Best Documentaries On HBO MAX we’ll introduce you to several documentaries that you’ll be glad to watch. 

The most unique aspect of documentaries is that it entertains you at some point, but most importantly, it educates you as well. If a documentary is shot in a serious situation, say in a war zone or when a riot has broken out, later when you watch that it can be more dramatic and spectacular than even a good fictional movie.

Now, we have an idea about how a documentary can also be as gripping and engrossing as a fictional movie. Let’s find out about the various documentaries that HBO MAX has to offer.

Best Documentaries On HBO MAX | Let’s Increase Our Brain-Power

Now that we have established the fact that along with movies and TV shows, watching documentaries can be vital too. So, we’ve created a substantial list of the best documentaries that are available on HBO MAX right now. So, let’s not delay anymore and get on with it.

#1 4 Little Girls (1997)

4 Little Girls (1997), is a documentary about a gruesome incident that took place in the United States, in Birmingham, Alabama, where the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) operatives set off an explosive at a primarily Black Church in the year 1963. 

4 children, all little girls between the ages of 11 to 14, died in vain that day. The documentary showcases several interviews of civil rights activists of that period, along with the authorities and relatives of the people who were involved in the bombing. 

Spike Lee, the one who made this documentary happens to be an important and influential filmmaker of all time. He has made several films on racism that took place and still persists in America. In the year 1997, he decided to step away from making feature films for a while and decided to make 4 Little Girls. 

This documentary is an important one and will give you an insight into the lives of African Americans back in those days.

• Director: Spike Lee
• Run Time: 1h 42m
• IMDb Ratings: 7.8
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%

#2 André The Giant (2018)

André The Giant (2018), takes a dig into the life of the very famous André René Roussimoff, who was a seven feet tall man and was a WWF wrestling icon back in 1980. Andre also had a career in the Hollywood industry and acted in several movies. One remarkable film would be The Princess Bride, where he played the role of Fezzik, a kidnapper.  

This particular documentary explores Andre’s life beyond his career in the entertainment business and reveals a lot of information on his medical condition that actually made him immensely popular. 

If you’re one of those fans of the French giant, then you will most certainly like watching it. The documentary is co-produced by the well-known sports writer and commentator Bill Simmons.

• Director: Jason Hehir
• Run Time: 1h 25m
• IMDb Ratings: 7.8
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%

#3 Banksy Does New York (2014)

Banksy Does New York (2014) is about Banksy’s one-month tour of New York. Banksy is a graffiti artist whose true identity is still not revealed. That is, of course, he deliberately chose not to disclose it. He is primarily famous for his provocative street art. 

Banksy is basically from England, and along with his street art, he is also a political activist and filmmaker. This captivating documentary takes us through Banksy’s journey throughout New York and gives us a perspective of why he does what he does and what could be the reason for not disclosing his true identity.

If you love art that inspires and makes people aware politically, then you should definitely watch this documentary. 

• Director:  Chris Moukarbel
• Run Time: 1h 19m
• IMDb Ratings: 7.2
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%

#4 Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World (2015)

Documentaries can be of different types, sometimes they may make you sad or happy, sometimes it may surprise you, or at times may even shock you. Batkid Begins (2015), is the kind of documentary that will give you mixed feelings. It’ll make you happy, and at the same time, it’ll break your heart.

Batkid Begins is a documentary about a kid named Miles Scotts, who was a cancer survivor. In 2013 a large group of friendly volunteers came together to make Scott’s dream come true. He got to pretend to be Batman and fight crime in an actual Gotham City, which was a temporarily and elaborately transformed San Francisco.

This heartbreaking yet joyful documentary will give you a sense that humanity still prevails and that there are good people in the world who want to bring joy in some way or the other.

• Director: Dana Nachman
• Run Time: 1h 17m
• IMDb Ratings: 7
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 82%

#5 The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (2020)

The documentary The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (2020) explores the rise to fame and the sustained popularity of the group commonly known as the Bee Gees. A band formed by three brothers, Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, who were extremely famous during the 70s. They were also known for their biggest hit of all time, the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, and several other disco hits.

During the 80s, they were in high demand as songwriters and producers. The documentary will give a clear idea about the personal and professional life of Barry Gibbs, the frontman of Bee Gees, and how he became one of the s*x symbols of all time.

• Director: Frank Marshall
• Run Time: 1h 50m
• IMDb Ratings: 8.1
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%

#6 A Brief History Of Time (1991)

A Brief History Of Time (1991) is a documentary about one of the greatest physicists the world has ever seen, Stephen Hawking. He was very commonly regarded as the smartest man on Earth. His book “A Brief History Of Time,” which was published in 1988, is still known to be a widely read science book all over the world.

Stephen Hawking in this book, has explained in simple terms the secrets of the universe, space, the cosmos, and physics. The Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris has discussed the book in detail and has explored the struggles of the genius with the effects of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) a nervous system disease that left him motionless. 

• Director: Errol Morris
• Run Time: 1h 23m
• IMDb Ratings: 7.3
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 95%

#7 Class Action Park (2020)

Class Action Park (2020) is an HBO MAX Original documentary that tells the story of a theme park meant for the adventurous teens of suburban New Jersey in the 1970s and 80s. The documentary focuses on the fact that the park was created and constructed in a lot of hurry and under poor supervision and was dangerous.

The documentary showcases several interviews of the people who grew up attending the park and how they relatively came out unharmed. The film gets intense when the story of George Larsson Jr comes up, who was a visitor and was killed on one of the rides in the park.

This is an interesting documentary that deals with a dark and heavy story.

• Director: Seth Porges and Chris Charles Scott III
• Run Time: 1h 29m
• IMDb Ratings: 7
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 96%

#8 The Cold Blue (2018)

The Cold Blue (2018), explores the journey of the three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker William Wyler, who was sent on a mission to Europe during the second world war on a B-17 (fighter airplane) to cover the ongoing war. Some of the footage that William shot there was used in the 1944 documentary “Memphis Belle,” which was eventually shown to the American audience to give them a perspective of the war.

Erik Nelson, a documentary filmmaker, restored the footage into 4k and created a docu-feature showcasing the lives of the young courageous yet frightened American soldiers.

If you’re a history lover, then this is the perfect documentary for you.

• Director: Erik Nelson
• Run Time: 1h 12m
• IMDb Ratings: 7.6
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100%

12 Other Prominent Documentaries On HBO MAX

Now that you know in detail about all the documentaries mentioned above that are available on HBO MAX, these are a few other docu-films that you’ll most certainly love watching.

Final Words

I sincerely hope that this article was helpful enough. Now you don’t have to worry about googling which documentary to watch. In this diverse list that we’ve created, you’ll find different types of documentaries on a single platform. HBO MAX has indeed changed the game for watching documentaries.