What Documentary Shows and Movies to watch on Plex
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Salt of the Earth
Based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in New Mexico, the film deals with the prejudice against the Mexican-American workers who struck to attain wage parity with Anglo workers in other mines and to be treated with dignity by the bosses. In the end, the greatest victory for the workers and their families is the realization that prejudice and poor treatment are conditions that are not always imposed by outside forces.

- Metascore74
- 1954
Prescription Thugs
PRESCRIPTION THUGS is filmmaker Chris Bell's (Bigger Stronger Faster) hard hitting and thought provoking expose of Big Pharma, its marketing practices and their impact on the staggering level of addiction to prescription drugs in North America. Executive Produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley, this documentary is compelling viewing.

- Metascore45
- 2015

- 1980
Footprints on the Moon: Apollo 11
Theatrically released documentary on the Apollo 11 moon landing, issued barely two months after its completion, combining footage from Houston's Space Center, Florida's Cape Kennedy, and aboard the shuttle itself.

- 1969
The Kremlin
Once the heart of Soviet Russia and the center of the communist world, The Kremlin embodies the rich and fascinating cultural heritage of Moscow. This was the first time ever that an American film crew was granted permission to enter and discover the rich treasures and history of the government and system whose ideology swept through half the modern world during the 20th century. From its early beginnings to its present base of power, this fascinating look at the Kremlin comes to us from award-winning filmmaker Lucy Jarvis and is told through actual Kremlin officials.

- 1963
Report from the Aleutians
A official documentary movie about the misson of the US forces on an island of the Aleutians, from which US bombers are attacking the Japanese occupied island Kiska. The movie includes footage from a bombing raid over Kiska with B-17 and B-24 bombers.

- 1943
The Price of Desire
This compelling portrayal focuses on the love triangle between brilliant 20th century designer Eileen Gray and her lovers in her long-running feud with the Father of Modernism, Le Corbusier.

- Metascore29
- 2015
We Live in Public
A documentary from two time Sundance Winner Ondi Timoner (DIG!) focusing on the life of dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.

- Metascore69
- 2009
Flyabout
Flyabout is the heartfelt, personal story of a young woman who gets a pilot's license and inspires her father to do the same. Together with him, she follows her dream to fly a plane around the continent of Australia. Her introduction to the Aboriginal Walkabout brings on the realization that piloting the plane won't be the hardest part of the trip.

- 2006
We Remember Marilyn
Uses still photographs, home movies, film clips, theatrical trailers, newsreel footage, and a woman's voice speaking for her to tell the actress's story. She grew up close to Hollywood, her mother in and out of institutions, never knowing her father, living in foster care and with relatives. She does some modeling and her film career starts slowly. By "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds," she's a star, but still paid $500/week by Fox. She hates being type-cast and tries her hand at independent productions. She suffers from stage fright and keeps an acting coach close at hand. Marriages, pills, and drinking bring little relief. She's happiest in front of cheering soldiers.

- 1996
The Throne
Over a period of eight days, an 18th-century Korean king punishes his only son for attempted regicide. Flashbacks reveal the chain of events that led the son to rebel against his father in this tale of the strained relationships that exist between all fathers (who want their sons to grow into fine and competent men) and their sons (who struggle to prove themselves in order to earn their fathers' respect and approval).

- 2015
Noma: My Perfect Storm
'Noma My Perfect Storm' is a feature-length documentary film about the renowned chef René Redzepi set against the backdrop of his Copenhagen-based restaurant, NOMA, voted the Best Restaurant In The World 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. The story is not simply about a chef at the stove, but the balanced story of a man, who came from a disparate and humble background and against all odds, rose to the height of the gastronomic world and became a God of Food and one of the most influential people on the planet. It's a story about what it takes to be the best restaurant in the world, the sacrifices that are made and the pragmatic choices that are taken to maintain its success. It is a story of human relationships in which joy and sorrow blend to give birth to complex and vibrant meals.

- Metascore47
- 2015
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
Documentary on famed Hollywood director and producer - and supreme showman - William Castle. Castle made his mark in the decade from the mid-1950s to the mid 1960s with a series of low-budget but highly popular and profitable horror films. The list includes Macabre (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Homicidal (1961) and many others. Castle always had to have a gimmick to go with his movies. These included having nurses on duty in the lobby should anyone need medical assistance or giving everyone a $1000 insurance policy should anyone die of fright. Castle's greatest success came as he producer of Rosemary's Baby (1968). All in all he is fondly remembered by those who knew and worked with him.
- 2007
BoardHeads
'BoardHeads' is an action sports documentary with a ton of heart. Boardriding dramatically changes lives, empowers minds, builds healthy bodies and frees the spirit. Street kids feel empowered as their boards take them to new places. Paralyzed riders and amputees inspire others to get out and live. Communities grow stronger through activism. A Cuban who liberated himself from communism on his board, autistic kids and ex-gang members see hope where there once was darkness. Whether you realize it or not...there's a growing tribe of BoardHeads making our world a cooler place!

- 2010
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten paints an uncommonly colorful picture of the onetime leader of The Clash. Director Julien Temple reveals Strummer as more than a punk legend, but a stunning cultural communicator whose influence knew no bounds.

- Metascore79
- 2007
Passage
This is a documentary about Franklin's expedition to find the Northwest Passage. it takes a unique approach where it tells the story of the expedition but also the making of the film itself.

- 2008
All the Way
Based on the true events surrounding Frank Sinatra's tour of Australia. When Sinatra calls a local reporter a "two-bit hooker", every union in the country black-bans the star until he issues an apology.

- 2003
Bogdan's Journey
A Catholic Pole, determined to heal a historical wound, launches a crusade to reconcile Poles and Jews over a massacre that happened 69 years ago.
- 2016
American Soldiers
Iraq, 2004: during a routine sortie a US patrol is ambushed and the young soldiers are forced to put their training and skills into action fast. A determined foe with superior local knowledge, the Fedayeen insurgents soon draw them into close quarter combat and a desperate fight for survival.

- 2005
Messalina
Messalina lives with her husband, Claudius, in the Imperial Palace. He is a nephew of Caligula. Caligula is a great tyrant and Messalina takes advantage of the hatred of the people to make her husband Emperor. She and an Egyptian princess fall in love with a famous chariot driver. Jealousy between the two arises and they plot to outwit each other. A young girl slave with whom the driver is in love, brings about the death of the princess and Messalina and unites the two young lovers.

- 1924
My Son the Jihadi
Channel 4 documentary about British mother, Sally Evans, whose son, Thomas, had been recruited - and joined - Islamist terrorist organisation, Al Shabaab, in Somalia.

- 2015
Stealing Sinatra
In need of a grubstake, a young man convinces a couple of friends to help him kidnap Frank Sinatra Jr. It's a true story.

- 2003
Razia Sultan
Emperor Sultan Iltames is known for his fairness, compassion, and sense of justice. He takes swift action when he comes to know that his very son has violated the peace, and broken the law, and has him severely and publicly whipped, incurring his wife's displeasure. The apple of Sultan's eye is his daughter, Razia, and he would like her to succeed him as Emperor. This decision raises a hue and cry against the emperor, as many are opposed to a woman ruling over them. Razia proves herself to the people by showing herself as much caring, compassionate, and dedicated as her dad, earning the respect of all, and she is accepted as the first ever female emperor of the land. After her succession, the court officials start to gossip about her personal life, and her affair with a Yakut Jamaluddin. The problem is that Yakut is a dark-skinned man, who was the emperor's slave at one time, but set free and inducted in the army. Razia must now chose between her crown and her love for Yakut.

- 1983
It Aint Pretty
A documentary about the challenges and triumphs of female big wave surfers fighting sexism in the water, in competition, in the media and in the surf industry with the support of a closely-knit community of like-minded women. Probing, incendiary and thought-provoking, this film takes you inside a growing movement of women that are shattering the shallow and sexualized images of female surfers in the media. Featuring interviews with top female athletes and awe-inspiring big wave surf footage filmed in the icy waters of Ocean Beach, San Francisco and Mavericks - one of the biggest waves on the planet - this film is meant to empower a new generation of girls to live their dreams and overcome the challenges they face along the way.

- 2016