What Documentary Movies to watch on Pluto
Find what to watch on Pluto including the latest releases. Filter by movies, TV shows, release years, genres and more.
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story
A feature length documentary on the life and creations of Stan Lee. Stan Lee is the co-creator of Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and over 200 other characters that can be found in comic books, movie screens, and in retail stores around the world.

- 2010
Shadows of Liberty
SHADOWS OF LIBERTY reveals the extraordinary truth behind the news media: censorship, cover-ups and corporate control.

- 2012
Craigslist Joe
In a time when America's economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century's new town square: Craigslist.

- Metascore45
- 2012
Radical Evil
Documentary asking why ordinary people can be so susceptible to the influence of radical evil, with a particular look at Nazi Germany.

- 2013
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

- Metascore76
- 2013
One Day on Earth
One Day on Earth is the first film made in every country of the world on the same day. We see both the challenges and hopes of humanity from a diverse group of volunteer filmmakers assembled by an participatory media experiment. The world is greatly interconnected, enormous, perilous, and wonderful.

- Metascore52
- 2012
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
GLOW: The Story of The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling chronicles the rise and fall of the first ever all-female wrestling show through the stories of those who lived it.

- 2012

- 2015
I Am Thor
Jon Mikl Thor was a bodybuilding, steel bending, brick smashing rock star in the 70's and 80's whose theatrical band THOR hit the scene alongside Metallica and Kiss, but never achieved the gold record status of its contemporaries. After a brief but memorable film career saw him starring in the cult classics Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare and Zombie Nightmare, Thor all but disappeared from the entertainment map. But ten years into retirement, and incapable of living like a normal mortal human being, Thor attempts a comeback to achieve the level of success that had eluded him his entire career - a comeback that nearly kills him. Tracing the rise, fall, and rebirth of a determined performer over the course of a career that has seen more than its fair share of highs and lows, I AM THOR paints a fascinating and sometimes unbelievable portrait of this larger-than-life icon.

- 2015
The Great Hip Hop Hoax
Californian hip-hop duo Silibil n' Brains were going to be massive. No one knew the pair were really Scottish, with fake American accents and made up identities. When their promising Scottish rap act was branded "the rapping Proclaimers" by scornful A&Rs, friends Billy and Gavin reinvented themselves as LA homeboys. The real deal. The lie was their golden ticket to a dream life. With confessions from the scammers, insight from the music execs they duped and doodle reconstructions, the film charts the roller coaster story of the highs of the scam and the lows of madness and the personal toll the deception took. A film about truth, lies and the legacy of faking everything in the desperate pursuit of fame.

- 2013

- Metascore59
- 2013
Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine
MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a film about the Matthew Shepard behind the headlines. An honest and intimate portrait of Matt as he is remembered by those who knew him, it is the story of loss, love, and grief that does not go away. As such, the film will provide a proxy for a wide variety of people and communities to experience first hand the devastation of intolerance, the power of love, and the beauty of compassion.

- Metascore75
- 2014
True Legend
Su Qi-Er retired from his life as a renowned Qing dynasty general in order to pursue his dream of a family and his own martial arts school. However, Su's peaceful life is shattered when his vengeful adopted brother, Yuan Lie, kidnaps his son and leaves Su for dead. Saved from his demise by his wife Ying and the reclusive doctor Yu, Su resolves to perfect his technique so that he may defeat Yuan Lie and reunite his family. Suffering from visions that he aided in his training by two of the "Eight Immortals" in the form of the mystical "God of Wushu" and the eccentric "Old Sage" master of Drunken Boxing. He embarks on the path that would eventually give rise to the legend of the "King of Beggars."

- Metascore62
- 2010
Elvira
Elvira Arellano is a single working mother and an immigrant who fought against a system that sought to deport her, leaving her U.S. born son behind. She becomes a social activist fighting for the rights of other undocumented immigrants like herself. A human drama that crosses the border between Mexico and the United States.
- 2009
14 Blades
A kung fu thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and centered on a secret service agent (Donnie Yen) in the emperor's court who is betrayed and then hunted by his colleagues.

- Metascore50
- 2010
Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl
The whole team's final, and most famous, stage appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1980. Includes material from the TV show as well as from their 'Contractual Obligation Album'.

- 1982
Burning Man and the Meaning of Life
A stunning visual exploration of the Festival of the Burning Man against the backdrop of a question: What is the meaning of life? No topic is off limits as festival participants give their answers.

- 2013
Born in Chicago
Born In Chicago is a soulful documentary film that chronicles a uniquely musical passing of the torch. It's the story of first generation blues performers who had made their way to Chicago from the Mississippi Delta and their ardent and unexpected followers - young white, middle class kids who followed the evocative music to smoky clubs deep in Chicago's ghettos. Passed down from musician to musician, the Chicago blues transcended the color lines of the 1960s as young, white Chicago musicians apprenticed themselves to legends such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.

- 2020
Way of the Ocean: Australia
Way of the Ocean: Australia explores the connection between man and sea through a visual feast of poetic motion.

- 2011
Question One
A Documentary Film on the battle for same-sex marriage in America. On May 6th, 2009 Maine became the first state in this country to legislatively grant same-sex couples the right to marry. Seven months later, on November 3rd 2009 Maine reversed, becoming the thirty-first state in USA to say 'no' to gay and lesbian marriage. Filmed from within both campaigns, 'Question One' chronicles the fierce and emotional battle that took place in Maine during that time, a battle whose political symbolism is a bellwether for the greater ideological battlefield in American politics.

- Metascore61
- 2012
The Captains
The Captains takes the audience on a voyage of discovery as pop culture phenom William Shatner interviews Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard Star Trek: The Next Generation), Avery Brooks (Captain Benjamin Sisko Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager), Scott Bakula (Captain Jonathan Archer, Star Trek: Enterprise), and Chris Pine (Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek 2009). With each of these celebrated actors Shatner explores the pressures and pitfalls that came along with donning the Starfleet uniform and reveals for the first time his own embarrassment over the role which made him a household name. With the help of his fellow captains Shatner learns to respect his work on the original Star Trek and finishes the film with a new perspective on life, death, and the legacy he will leave behind. The Captains also delves into each of the actors' lives and careers leading up to their landmark television performances. The film pays special attention to Shatner's own acting roots, tracking his journey from humble beginnings at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and CBC Radio, to headlining Broadway shows, and eventually getting his big break in Hollywood at the helm of Gene Roddenberry's ambitious brainchild. As an extra treat, whilst in Stratford, Ontario, Shatner sits down with his dear friend Christopher Plummer. The Canadian legend of the stage and screen was instrumental in Shatner's young career and was rewarded by the original captain years later with the role of bloodthirsty Klingon General Chang in Star Trek VI. The Captains is a unique documentary which examines much more than mere acting and the shows these people worked on. The film tells deep emotional tales of human beings struggling to do what they love most and perform to a high enough standard as to make all their sacrifices worth while. The Captains is also boundless fun as personified by its gregarious, charming, and surprisingly soulful host.

- 2011
White Boy
Now the subject of 1980's Detroit street folklore, then 17 year old Richard Wershe, Jr. was said to have run a vicious, sophisticated large-scale inner-city drug operation. He was arrested as a teen and sentenced to life-without parole for a non-violent, juvenile drug offense. He remains imprisoned 30 years later. Now, journalists, police, federal agents and hit men seek to set the record straight on the urban legend known as "White Boy Rick." In this case the truth is even stranger than the legend.

- 2017
Brave New Jersey
A comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles' legendary 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which led millions of listeners to believe the U.S. was being invaded by Martians.

- Metascore45
- 2016

- Metascore70
- 2017