As I’m writing this, the 2025 movie schedule is coming to an end, and I’m left thinking about everything I’ve watched the past 12 months. Of the nearly 130 new movies I’ve logged since January, nearly a third of those have been documentaries. From insightful yet harrowing films like The Alabama Solution to introspective and incredibly emotional personal stories like My Mom Jayne, it’s been a banner year for the format.
While I haven’t been able to watch every new documentary – several never came to local cinemas or won’t land on some of the best streaming services until after the start of the new year – a lot of what I’ve watched has made an impact. That said, here are 10 documentaries that are going to stick with me for a very long time…
The Alabama Solution
When I watched The Alabama Solution a couple of months back, I thought to myself that films like this are why we need documentaries. Told mostly through the lens of inmates and their cell phones in the Alabama prison system, this hard-hitting and emotionally-charged documentary exposes some dirty secrets while uncovering some inconvenient truths about the way in which society treats (or mistreats) prison populations. I would put this up there with the likes of Harlan County, USA, in terms of its powerful messages. I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t win an Oscar.
Pangolin: Kulu's Journey
When I first put on Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey earlier this year, I was expecting nothing more than a nature documentary about an animal trying to make it home. Well, I’m happy to admit that I totally made the mistake of judging this book, err, documentary, by its cover. While it is technically a nature film, this 2025 Netflix original also tells the story of the unlikely bond shared by an endangered and scared animal and a broken person searching for redemption and purpose in life. I won’t give too much away, but this is an emotional and inspiring story like no other.
The Perfect Neighbor
When it comes to the most unique documentaries of the year, The Perfect Neighbor is a strong contender. Presented largely through bodycam and interrogation room footage, this true crime doc about a neighborhood dispute that reaches a tragic boiling point is so emotional, so powerful, and so raw. Watching this story unfold from its early stages to a tragic encounter that changed an untold number of lives was just heartbreaking through and through. Though critics liked this more than audiences, it’s still something that needs to be seen.
Thoughts & Prayers
Definitely the most devastating documentary I watched this year, Thoughts & Prayers is one that I initially held off on. Though not technically a school shooting documentary in that it doesn’t go into details about Columbine, Uvalde, Sandy Hook, or the countless other mass shootings at American schools over the past few decades, it shows a stranger and almost more cynical side of the epidemic. This is about the multi-billion-dollar “active shooter preparedness” industry and the way our schools become a proving ground for the latest technology and accessories.
John Candy: I Like Me
As someone who spent a large part of their childhood watching John Candy movies, this next documentary was one that I was both looking forward to and dreading before pressing play. A beautiful, emotional, and triumphant exploration of the late actor, John Candy: I Like Me, made me laugh, cry, and think back on how much this lovable comedian changed the lives of millions of people. Through interviews with his family and friends, movie clips, and archival footage of the man himself, this lovingly crafted portrait is just splendid.
2000 Meters To Andriivka
It feels weird saying this, but I’ve always been a big fan of PBS Frontline documentaries. For years, I’ve watched this collection of films tackle anything and everything in our world, and one of the more recent additions could be one of the best yet. Set during the second year of the Russo-Ukrainian War, 2000 Meters to Andriivka follows various soldiers as they carry out the 2023 counteroffensive to take back land from Russian forces. Presented mostly through bodycams worn by soldiers on the frontlines of the war, this intense, nearly two-hour film isn’t for the faint of heart. That said, it’s something you need to see.
Come See Me In The Good Light
Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about Andrea Gibson or their poetry before watching Come See Me in the Good Light. However, after watching the trailer for the new Apple TV doc a few weeks ago, I knew I had to watch this. And I’m glad I did. Centering on Gibson in their years-long battle with ovarian cancer and how they decided to spend their final months, weeks, days, and hours, this empowering film left me feeling more optimistic than sad. There’s so much love in this incredibly poignant documentary, and it has something for all of us.
Grand Theft Hamlet
You’ve heard of Hamlet, and you’ve heard of Grand Theft Auto, but what happens when the two are combined? Well, I found out firsthand when I used my Mubi subscription to watch Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary about a group of actors staging a production of William Shakespeare’s iconic play in an online video game. Despite being absolutely bonkers thanks to dancing aliens, random players killing the actors, and all sorts of shenanigans, this film also has a lot of heart. Channeling the fear, anxiety, and boredom of the COVID-19 pandemic, this one peels back the layers of the lives of those involved to expose a heartfelt and thoughtful exploration of humanity.
In Waves And War
In Waves and War was another awesomely powerful documentary I watched this year, one that explores trauma, grief, and new beginnings in an insightful and unique way. This one focuses on a group of veterans as they embark upon a spiritual and psychedelic journey to overcome the stresses and loss of war in an attempt to repair their mind, spirit, and body. Filled with interviews, firsthand accounts of combat, and some of the most beautifully animated sequences I’ve seen in a long time, this revolutionary approach to the genre is something that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since.
My Mom Jayne
Mariska Hargitay’s documentary about her mom, Jayne Mansfield, was one of the most surprising experiences I had this year. Watching My Mom Jayne helped me become a better son and father with its story about family trauma, loss, acceptance, and most of all, love. On one hand, it’s a daughter’s journey to better understand a mother who died when she was just a young girl, but on the other, it’s this tale of introspective and self-discovery as she uncovers secrets of her own past. It’s a fascinating and loving portrait of a mom and daughter, and something that needs to be seen.
There you have it, 10 documentaries from the past year that made a massive impact on me. However, there were just as many that I had to leave off this list.
!["[T]he First and Fifth Amendments Require ICE to Provide Information About the Whereabouts of a Detained Person"](https://images.inkl.com/s3/publisher/cover/212/reason-cover.png?w=600)
