These Are the Best Documentaries to Watch on HBO Max

Before the death of George Floyd would inspire thousands to take to the streets, there was Sandra Bland. Directors David Heilbroner and Kate Davis tell the story of the 28-year-old Black woman who allegedly took her own life after being behind bars for a few days. Charged with assault, her crime was talking back to a police officer after being pulled over for an illegal lane change. It would cost her her life. The documentary probes her case, taking an in-depth look at Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encinia and his involvement. It also explores the odds and ends of the poorly managed case, like the jail guard who was supposed to do hourly check-ins but was later found to have forged that paperwork. Although official reports list the cause of death as asphyxiation, an independent coroner still told the Bland family that the police department shoulders the blame, saying, "Someone's spirit can be broken in a short amount of time." It all lends to the suspicion shrouding Bland's death, with Heilbroner and Davis laying out the facts so you can decide for yourself in this racial justice documentary. [Trailer]

The name Nora Ephron is synonymous with some of the most beloved movies of all time: Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie & Julia. Ephron, who passed away from leukemia in 2012, was a triple threat: a journalist, screenwriter, and director that was also the product of two successful screenwriters. The name of her documentary borrows from the popular family phrase, "Everything is copy," and it is even more remarkable because it is written and directed by Ephron's son, Jacob Bernstein, and co-director Nick Hooker. Because of this, the film is able to offer a far more personal, intimate relationship with its subject that translates beautifully over to the screen using tools like home videos and archival footage. Featuring interviews from big-name stars, learn how Ephron impacted the careers of Hollywood's brightest stars, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, and Meg Ryan. [Trailer]

After her stunning Olympic victory, many people are familiar with the spunky pink hair of U.S. team captain Megan Rapinoe. Here, you get to know her in a different light, as she emerges as a growing leader in the battle for equal pay for women. Telling their stories of struggle and discrimination, Rapinoe is accompanied by fellow teammates and supporters, such as Jessica McDonald, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Sam Mewis, as they tell their story of the fight for equal rights for women athletes. Directed by the Academy Award-winning directors, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, it follows the women of the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team as they lead the fight for equal pay. It is a battle that has been ongoing for quite some time, beginning well before their incredible Olympic win, with the team submitting an official complaint of gender discrimination three months prior. It also explores the recent 2020 decision that ruled against the team's discrimination claim. Meet the bold women leading the charge not only on our national field but in our national courts, too. [Trailer]

Meet the real-life Andre the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor André René Roussimoff, and giggle when you hear how a 16-second fart interrupted filming of The Princess Bride. Aside from these quips of humor, this film is a loving tribute to the giant actor, wrestler, and personality, as told by the people who loved and knew him best. Hear from famous greats like Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as they all pay tribute to both the man and the athlete. Interviews with Roussimoff's family also offer an inside look at his early beginnings from his childhood years in France. The film details his struggles with gigantism before he was able to parlay that struggle into an incredibly lucrative career as a seven-foot-four, 520-pound triple-threat that could wrestle, act, and stand proudly as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." [Trailer]

This 1975 documentary directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer made a splash for its somber tale of two deeply eccentric and mutually dependent women. It is named for their beloved East Hampton home, a grand estate that would soon come to wither away with age just as the women did themselves. Real-life relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grey Gardens -- which was revisited by HBO in 2009 as a fictional retelling starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange -- tells the story of socialite mother-and-daughter team Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale, who became known for an opulent-yet-reclusive lifestyle that was almost entirely of their own making. It is just as much about a love story between a mother and daughter as it is a cautionary tale, showing so unapologetically the effects of time. [Trailer]

This is not a new nature film but a beloved one nonetheless and a mainstay on many a watchlist. This breathtaking documentary is captured by French director Luc Jacquet, along with co-producers Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society, while Morgan Freeman lends his stoic baritone to the narration. Follow a brood of emperor penguins as they journey across the grueling frozen tundra, moving from late summer's South Pole to their special breeding grounds in an annual trek. Celebrate the circle of life from egg to hatchlings with all of their needs for protection and nourishment in between. Told through breathtaking clarity and phenomenal visual imagery, this film perfectly illustrates the perils of these annual treks, with the threat of natural predators, below-freezing temperatures, and lack of resources all posing considerable risk and danger along the way. And yet, you'll find yourself celebrating as they persevere to raise a whole new generation of baby penguins year after year. [Trailer]

We loved him in Good Morning, Vietnam, and he will always be our Mrs. Doubtfire, and yet in Robin Williams' absence, we feel so strongly the void he has left in Hollywood, in comedy, and in our hearts. Williams' untimely death was met with shock and disbelief worldwide from the audiences who adored him, with so many unable to understand how such a talented and gifted man could suffer enough to his own life. This documentary aims to help answer that question, delving deep behind the public mask and into the deeply private and wounded soul his acting prowess ensured that we were never able to see. It is a film that honors the brilliant genius of Williams, both personally and professionally, brought to us by director Marina Zenovich with outtakes and footage from early in Williams' career from his time on Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, and later, Dead Poets Society. It dives into Williams' battle with addiction, mental health, and self-love, leaving no doubt that he was the talent of our generation gone much too soon. [Trailer]

Directed by Sharon Liese and produced with Sasha Alpert, this documentary receives largely mixed reviews, but it is an important topic, nonetheless, and one so relevant today as issues of gender identity take center stage in the United States. The film trails four transgender kids in Kansas City, Missouri, as it profiles their journey in an honest, unapologetic look at what gender identity means today. It goes far beyond sexual preference and really illustrates the difference in gender identity, as it shows its protagonists struggle with who society wants them to be and who they really are. The film delves deep into the issues that many LQBTQIA+ individuals face today, dealing with family discord and religious conflict, as well as the struggles with equal healthcare and financial constraints. It may be limited in its Missouri-focused scope, but nonetheless, it's an honest, no-holds-barred look at personal, sexual, and gender identity and what that means in America today. [Trailer]

Few can forget Angela Bassett's award-winning performance as Tina Turner, but this documentary boasts footage of the real woman herself in an intimate portrait of the musician the entire world came to love and adore. An HBO Production, Tina is directed by Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin, who weave the spectacularly heartbreaking story of a Southern country girl who would achieve her dreams of love, fame, and fortune. Led by interviews with Turner herself, the directors serve up a cautionary tale of the dangers of our dreams when we view them through rose-colored glasses. Travel back to her early career as Anna Mae, and find yourself swept away as she dreams, loves, and sings her way through life. Her life's work makes a stunning soundtrack, her music telling the story in a way that words never could. This film is a celebration of not just Tina Turner but also Anna Mae, spotlighting her accomplishments as equally as her struggles. Watch for an honest portrayal of a musician that would shatter all expectations and forever change the face of rock and roll for generations to come. [Trailer]

Social media gave rise to a new kind of celebrity in the 21st century: the influencer. This documentary aims to understand this new social media-driven frenzy of the influencer craze that has been sweeping social media for the last several years by turning three wannabe influencers into social media giants by buying bots as followers, faking exotic photo shoots, and other shortcuts. Director Nick Bilton's film is part investigative documentary and part social experiment, and the journeys these participants go on are eye-opening. [Trailer]