The best documentary movies of 2021

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Luca: Our Italian Inspiration

Luca: Our Italian Inspiration
Experience the joy of discovery as Pixar artists travel to Cinque Terre, Italy to absorb the beauty and culture of the coastal region, which inspired the characters and the quintessential Italian backdrop of Luca.

Ennio: The Maestro

Ennio: The Maestro
8.2/10
The life and work of legendary composer, Ennio Morricone, including interviews with renowned filmmakers and musicians, recordings from Morricone’s acclaimed world concert tours, clips of classic films scored by Morricone and exclusive footage of scenes and places that have made up Morricone’s life.

Pelé

Pelé
7/10
Against the backdrop of a turbulent era in Brazil, this documentary captures Pelé's extraordinary path from breakthrough talent to national hero. Mixing rare archival footage and exclusive interviews, this documentary celebrates the legendary Brazilian footballer who personified football as art.

The Children of God

The Children of God
5/10
Francisco and Sol were raised outside the system, in a religious community called La Familia Internacional. In an attempt to free their voice and reconfigure the puzzle of subjectivity, the recovery of the past through memories allows to bring up events that had been previously denied.

Being James Bond

Being James Bond
7.4/10
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
7.7/10
This documentary offers a deeply intimate look at extraordinary teenager Billie Eilish. Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler follows her journey on the road, onstage, and at home with her family as the writing and recording of her debut album changes her life.

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground
7.3/10
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.

Death to 2021

Death to 2021
6.3/10
This comedic retrospective mixes archival footage and scripted sketches as it revisits all the dread — and occasional delight — that 2021 had to offer.

Friends: The Reunion

Friends: The Reunion
8/10
The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.

Val

Val
7.6/10
For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.

Adele One Night Only

Adele One Night Only
8/10
A primetime special with performances from the superstar including Adele’s first new material in six years plus her chart-topping hits. The special will also feature an exclusive interview with Adele by Oprah Winfrey from her rose garden, in Adele’s first televised wide-ranging conversation.

Julia

Julia
7.6/10
Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, mouth-watering food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child's surprising path, from her struggles to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, to her empowering story of a woman who found fame in her 50s, and her calling as an unlikely television sensation.

Paper & Glue

Paper & Glue
8.3/10
A documentary following JR's artwork giving a global voice to everyday people.

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
6.9/10
Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.

Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion

Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion
EVANGELION is coming to an end. NHK spent 4 years with exclusive access to director Hideaki Anno, documenting the creative process behind the final EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME. For the first time, the camera is allowed inside Anno's studio. The documentary attempts to capture why master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (STUDIO GHIBLI) describes him as one who sheds blood for his films.

The Sparks Brothers

The Sparks Brothers
7.7/10
Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.

The Alpinist

The Alpinist
7.9/10
When filmmaker Peter Mortimer encounters an elusive young climber named Marc-André Leclerc, an evolution in free solo mountaineering unfolds. Along the two-year journey up high alpine peaks and steep frozen waterfalls, Peter explores Marc’s connection to nature, his uncompromising quest for adventure, and the risks he takes to pursue his passion.

Freddie Mercury: The Final Act

Freddie Mercury: The Final Act
7.8/10
The story of the extraordinary final chapter of Freddie Mercury’s life and how, after his death from AIDS, Queen staged one of the biggest concerts in history, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, to celebrate his life and challenge the prejudices around HIV/AIDS. For the first time, Freddie's story is told alongside the experiences of those who tested positive for HIV and lost loved ones during the same period. Medical practitioners, survivors, and human rights campaigners recount the intensity of living through the AIDS pandemic and the moral panic it brought about.

Misha and the Wolves

Misha and the Wolves
6.7/10
A woman’s Holocaust memoir takes the world by storm, but a fallout with her publisher-turned-detective reveals her story as an audacious deception created to hide a darker truth.

Dardara

Dardara

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