Best 1990s Documentary Movies

Looking for the best 1990s Documentary movies? These are the 26 highest-rated 1990s Documentary titles in our catalogue, led by Animalicious, The Highwaymen: Live at Nassau Coliseum and Pitch People. The list is ranked by audience score; open any title for its cast, trailer and legal places to watch.

1. Animalicious (1999)

★ 9.0/10

A film about fate, co-existence, vanity, justice, karma and forgiveness, ANIMALICOUS comprises six stories of people and the animals that shot them, fell on them, and generally caused mayhem of one sort or another…
2. The Highwaymen: Live at Nassau Coliseum (1990)

★ 8.6/10

The Highwaymen - Live: American Outlaws is a box set of concert performances from country music's legendary first "supergroup" featuring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. The…
3. Pitch People (1999)

★ 8.5/10

The art of the "pitch" and its role in society, as told by many of the pitch industry's greatest salesmen, including Arnold Morris, Sandy Mason, Lester Morris, Wally Nash and Ed McMahon as well as a look at the Popeil…
4. Paris Is Burning (1991)

★ 8.0/10

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball…
5. The Making of 'Scarface' (1998)

★ 7.9/10

A 52-minute documentary on "Scarface," both the making of the film and its reception.
6. Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)

★ 7.2/10

Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet…
7. Parajanov, the Last Collage (1995)

★ 7.0/10

Parajanov lifts the curtain on numerous unfinished scenes and fragments of unshot films. These are memories of his childhood, death, friends, Tiflis, Kyiv, Yerevan. Seven stories from the life of Parajanov and the…
8. Looking for Richard (1996)

★ 6.8/10

Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
9. Yum, Yum, Yum! A Taste of the Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana (1990)

★ 6.7/10

Les Blank marries his passion for spicy, down home food and his love for Cajuns and Creoles in this mouth-watering, exploration of the cooking, and other enthusiasms, of French-speaking Louisiana. Features tangy music…
10. Adwa (1999)

★ 6.5/10

In 1896, Ethiopia, an African nation, largely armed with spears and knives, defeats a well-equipped and organized Italian military bent on colonization.
11. Babe Ruth (1998)

★ 6.5/10

As its title implies, this video attempts to go beyond the public persona of one of major league baseball's greatest stars. Accepting Ruth as a larger-than-life figure, this 59-minute video doesn't attempt to…
12. Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities (1999)

★ 6.5/10

Monika Treut explores the worlds and thoughts of several female to male transgendered individuals. As with Treuts first film, Jungfrauenmaschine, Gendernauts, enters a minority sector of San Fransisco culture. The…
13. Kestrel's Eye (1998)

★ 6.3/10

Swedish filmmaker Mikael Kristersson directs this austere yet beautiful experimental documentary about two European falcons. Shot over the course of two years, Kristersson manages to fashion a narrative without the use…
14. Aspen (1991)

★ 6.3/10

A former mining town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Aspen is now better known as a winter playground for wealthy holidaymakers. Against the majestic landscape, visitors relax while locals toil around them.
15. Jackie Chan: My Story (1998)

★ 6.2/10

Jackie Chan is one of the world's biggest action stars, famed for his wacky sense of humor, remarkable martial arts techniques, and willingness to perform incredible stunts without the use of doubles -- or a net. This…
16. A Dedicated Life (1994)

★ 6.2/10

A profile of the controversial novelist Mitsuharu Inoue, filmed during the last years of his life.
17. Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990)

★ 6.0/10

The extraordinary life of Quincy Jones -- one of the 20th century's most influential and talented composers, musicians and music producers -- provides the basis of this offbeat, free-form documentary tribute. With…
18. The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists (1995)

★ 6.0/10

What happens when a dedicated husband and father quits his job, adopts the persona of a Western-Movie Singing Cowboy, takes on the entire art establishment (including Christo and Andy Warhol), and refuses to accept…
19. Olympic Glory (1999)

★ 5.8/10

A documentary covering the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, filmed for IMAX presentations.
20. Sworn to the Drum: A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella (1995)

★ 5.8/10

When you think of Latin percussion, think of Francisco Aguabella. Perhaps the finest Afro-Cuban master percussionist still living, he has become synonymous with his instrument — one of the highest compliments a…
21. The Greatest Places (1998)

★ 5.5/10

A journey to seven of the most geographically dynamic locations on earth. The film features spectacular land forms, diverse wildlife and the people and cultures indigenous to these places. Distinct geographic places…
22. Affliction (1996)

★ 5.1/10

This 45 minute documentary by Mark Hejnar is a sort of Whitman's Sampler of sickness, chronicling such wildly diverse and extreme personalities as G.G. Allin, Mike Diana, Full Force Frank, GLOD, Annie Sprinkle, and…
23. Wu Tang Clan - Da Mystery of Kung Fu (1998)

★ 2.5/10

Lyrical Assassins, Wu Tang Clan, reveal da mystery of Kung Fu in this ass kickin' dub plate presentation. The GZA, Chef Raekwon, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and the rest of the Wu Tang posse take a hard ride thru…
24. Where Gods Are Dead (1993)

★ 0.0/10

A Norwegian TV-worker tries to prevent her son, which she has with her former husband, a Serb now living in Jugoslavia, to become a soldier in the starting civil war.
25. Light Years (1991)

★ 0.0/10

A unique record of the life and work of eminent Australian photographer, Olive Cotton.
26. Resistance is Useless (1992)

★ 0.0/10

In this compilation of the Doctor's trials and tribulations over the past 26 years, prepare to enter the world of the Daleks, Cybermen, Yetis, Monoids, and the Master.