Our Favourite
Documentaries
of 2023

Cinema royalty joins forces in this Netflix epic (Exec produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Morgan Freeman). It’s a white knuckle junket through 4.5 billion years on Earth, told through the dynasties, underdogs and the cataclysmic events that reshaped it. (Not to be confused with almost identically named A Life On Our Planet, a 2020 release by David Attenborough).

An Amblin Television, Silverback Films, Silverback Productions Production

Break Point follows some of the world’s top tennis players, with intimate access both on and off the court as they compete in the four Grand Slams across the season. As some of the sport’s legends reach the twilight of their careers, there’s the opportunity for a new generation to claim the spotlight.

A Box to Box Films Production

The boy who lived charts the journey of David Holmes, a stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter movies who suffers a tragic, career changing injury on set. With candid access to Radcliffe, Holmes and their inner circles this is a life-affirming lesson in overcoming adversity.

An HBO Documentary Films, Lightbox, Sky Documentaries production

Four black trans sex workers living in New York and Atlanta confront the dichotomy between their communities and their gender identity in this raw and unfiltered tale of abuse, homelessness, repression but ultimately empowerment.

A Couch Potatoe Pictures & Madison Square Films production

An ode to Bethann Hardison, a trailblazing black female model, modelling agent and activist who transformed the concept of beauty over the last several decades. Hardison shines a light on an untold chapter in her life, fighting for racial diversity and influencing an array of legendary figures including Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford and Zendaya.

A Cortés Filmworks, Ford Foundation – Just Films, Lane B Productions production

Canadian icon Michael J. Fox looks back on a stellar career in this nostalgic biopic. Just a year after the release of Back to the Future in 1990, a seismic diagnosis changes the course of his life. ‘Still’ goes beyond the representation of the silver screen, revealing a man who’s responding to an incurable disease with a indefatigable sense of optimism.

A Concordia Studio production

Robert Downey Jr. is a household name, but his lesser-known father, Robert Downey Sr, is an interesting figure in his own right. In this documentary, we get a peek into the life and career of the elder Downey, a pioneering filmmaker who surfed the counterculture wave of the swinging sixties in New York

A Team Downey, Library Films production

Trapped in the heart of Mariupol’s conflict, a team of Associated Press and Ukrainian journalists bear witness to the brutal reality of the Russian invasion. Experience the raw accounts of civilians caught in the siege and the gritty challenges of reporting from the war zone. This is a firsthand look at the impact of journalism that echoes across the globe.

An Associated Press & Dogwoof production

A staggering look at the nightmare of North Korea, and the brave souls who try to escape it. Madeleine Gavin combines undercover footage with testimony from escapees in a breathtakingly audacious piece of guerrilla filmmaking. 

A 19340 Productions, Human Rights Foundation, Random Good Foundation, The deNovo Initiative, Two Chairs Productions, XRM Media, iDeal Partners Film Fund production.

Step into the transformative, underground world of 1970s New York as Hip Hop legends, Chuck D, Eminem and Ice Tea take you on a journey through the genre’s inception, capturing its revolutionary impact and its persistent challenge to America’s historical narrative over the span of four decades.

A BBC Studios, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) production

Director Paul Sng offers up a stark look at Thatcher’s Britain through the lens of Tyneside social documentary photographer and legendary activist for the working class, Tish Murtha. Tragically, life imitates art as poverty takes a grip on Tish’s life, but through through the warmth of the stories from Tish’s loved ones and her beautifully presented photography, Sng creates a bittersweet posthumous legacy for a working class hero. 

A Demon Snapper Productions, Freya Films, Hopscotch Films, Velvet Joy Productions production

The life and times of football legend, fashion icon, and spouse of Posh Spice, David Beckham is the latest large scale celeb biopic to hit our streaming platforms. The art direction is a delight, the contributors (mostly) candid and forthcoming, and the narrative is constructed with quirky artistry by director Fisher Stevens.

A Ventureland, Highly Flammable, Studio 99 production

Mazher Mahmood made a career out of one word: “gotcha!” This three-part limited series plots the rise and fall of the enigmatic British journalist dubbed the ‘Fake Sheikh’ and the ‘King of Sting’, lifting the lid on the honeypot tactics which ensnared royals, celebrities and sports stars. But uncovering titillation and scandal takes a twisted turn when Mahmood’s controversial methodology becomes the story. 

A Voltage TV, Factual Fiction production

Industry treasure Louis Theroux is in prime form with a second six part series of celebrity interviews.

An eclectic ensemble pit themselves against Louis’ disarmingly rakish charm; including Bulletproof star Ashley Walters, WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning, heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, Hollywood Hall Of Fame-r Dame Joan Collins, singer-songwriter Raye and rock ‘n’ roll hell-raiser Pete Doherty. 

A Mindhouse production

Beneath the shoulder pads, athleisure, and iconic pop anthems lies a heartwarming friendship. George Michael and Andrew Ridgley guide us through a nostalgic odyssey through the eighties and ninties, from a chance high school meeting to the zenith of Wham’s success. As you’d expect, the soundtrack is glorious.

A Ventureland production

The early 2000s, the heyday of reality TV, the golden ticket to overnight fame. This is a story that defies belief as thirty individuals are ensnared by smooth talking TV Producer Nikita Russian, who coaxes them into abandoning their entire lives and quitting their jobs to become contestants on his thrilling new TV show. There’s just one problem.

A Factual Fiction, Safe Harbour Films, B Good Picture Company production

Head coach Steve Cooke guides and documents young South Londoners in their ambitious pursuit of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Century Films, a Bafta-award-winning production company, presents a gripping docu-series capturing the fighters’ journey from South London to Vegas. This close-knit fitness community embodies values of respect, ambition, and unwavering dedication. Brilliantly produced. 

A Century Films production

The GOAT of National Treasures returns for the groundbreaking Planet Earth III, a visually spectacular magic carpet ride across 43 countries. The cinematography is breathtaking, as Attenborough unveils unseen natural wonders and explores the delicate balance between the planet and the life one we’ve crafted on it. A masterpiece. 

A BBC America, BBC Studios production

Plunge into the dangerous depths of the free-diving world with Director Lauren McGann as she follows Alessia Zecchini, an ambitious, talented Italian freediver who is utterly devoted to breaking the world record. Attracting like-minded athletes into her realm, Alessia forms a beautiful bond with Irish safety diver Stephen Keenan. United they are an unstoppable force but with each dive comes undeniable risk.

A Ventureland, Highly Flammable, Studio 99 production