The Best Episodes of Documentary Now!

#1 Fan Favorite
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8.8/10(643 votes)
#1 - Waiting for the Artist
S3:E43/6/2019
The story of an internationally-acclaimed performance artist preparing for a major career retrospective while reconciling her relationship with her former lover and performance partner whom she hasn't seen in two decades.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.7/10(726 votes)
#2 - Juan Likes Rice & Chicken
S2:E29/21/2016
Young Colombian chefs learn the tricks of the restaurant trade from their strict father Juan, whose celebrated restaurant only serves one dish: chicken and rice.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.6/10(699 votes)
#3 - The Eye Doesn't Lie
S1:E49/10/2015
An investigation into the wrongful conviction of a man sentenced to death for the 1986 murder of John Patrick Winslow.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader
8.6/10(428 votes)
#4 - Batsh*t Valley (2)
S3:E22/20/2019
Self-appointed spiritual guru Father Ra-Shawbard starts a commune in rural Oregon with the help of overly devoted assistant Ra-Sharir. Exasperated FBI agent Bill Doss dedicates himself to exposing the man behind the mantras.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.4/10(237 votes)
#5 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (2)
S4:E210/19/2022
In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:John Mulaney
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:John Mulaney
8.3/10(1133 votes)
#6 - Sandy Passage
S1:E18/20/2015
An in depth look at the daily lives of two aging socialites and their crumbling estate. This mother and daughter live in extreme squalor, but the documentarians find more than just dirt and clutter on the property.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers

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8.3/10(689 votes)
#7 - Original Cast Album: Co-Op
S3:E32/27/2019
A fly-on-the-wall look at the marathon cast album recording of the ill-fated 1970 Broadway musical comedy centered around a cast of characters who work, live, or want to live in the same co-op.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.3/10(213 votes)
#8 - How They Threw Rocks (1996)
S4:E411/2/2022
A chronicle the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock,” and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon” in the vein of When We Were Kingsand other great explorations of sport.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
8.2/10(456 votes)
#9 - Batsh*t Valley (1)
S3:E12/20/2019
In 1980, enigmatic cult leader Father Ra-Shawbard and his followers descended on the small town of Chinook, Oregon, sparking a feud with the local residents that catapulted to national attention.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.2/10(279 votes)
#10 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (1)
S4:E110/19/2022
In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:John Mulaney
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:John Mulaney
8.1/10(549 votes)
#11 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (1)
S1:E69/24/2015
Part one of the documentary chronicling the rise and fall of a seminal soft-rock band called the Blue Jean Committee.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward
8.1/10(477 votes)
#12 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (2)
S1:E79/24/2015
Part two of the documentary chronicling the rise and fall of a seminal soft-rock band called the Blue Jean Committee.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward
8.1/10(408 votes)
#13 - Globesman
S2:E410/5/2016
A landmark documentary from the Fein Brothers (Sandy Passage) follows four door-to-door salesmen as they travel across the country selling globes and battling rejection.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.0/10(334 votes)
#14 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (2)
S2:E710/26/2016
A fun and candid docu-memoir of Hollywood Legend Jerry Wallach, and his forty-year quest to win an Oscar.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.0/10(164 votes)
#15 - Trouver Frisson (2000)
S4:E611/16/2022
Celebrated French filmmaker Ida Leos searches for why she no longer experiences “frisson” – the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Inspired by Agnes Varda’s Gleaners and I and Beaches of Agnes.
Directors:Alexander Buono, Micah Gardner
Writers:Matt Pacult, Tamsin Rawady
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Directors:Alexander Buono, Micah Gardner
Writers:Matt Pacult, Tamsin Rawady
7.9/10(669 votes)
#16 - Kunuk Uncovered
S1:E28/27/2015
An investigation into the seminal documentary “Kunuk The Hunter” that attempts to separate what is real from what is fabrication.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
7.9/10(709 votes)
#17 - DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon
S1:E39/3/2015
The hipster media empire DRONEZ sends two of its notoriously fearless journalists to track down Mexico’s most wanted drug lord.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Rob Klein
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Rob Klein
7.9/10(395 votes)
#18 - Any Given Saturday Afternoon
S3:E73/27/2019
A profile of life at the top of the Professional Bowling League during the 2003 tournament season, shining a spotlight on the highs and lows of its three most beloved competitors.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.8/10(451 votes)
#19 - The Bunker
S2:E19/14/2016
A different and interesting look at the 1992 Ohio Gubernatorial campaign.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.8/10(457 votes)
#20 - Parker Gail's Location Is Everything
S2:E39/28/2016
Monologist Parker Gail and director Harrison Renzi team up to present Gail's theater piece, "Location Is Everything".
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.8/10(346 votes)
#21 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)
S2:E610/26/2016
A fun and candid docu-memoir of Hollywood Legend Jerry Wallach, and his forty-year quest to win an Oscar.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.7/10(240 votes)
#22 - Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport (1994)
S4:E310/26/2022
A fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon in the small coastal town of Bagglyport as they prepare their annual stylebook in an homage to documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
7.6/10(161 votes)
#23 - My Monkey Grifter (2020)
S4:E511/9/2022
Drawing inspiration from My Octopus Teacher, filmmaker Benjamin Clay forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey who may have ulterior motives.
Director:Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
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Director:Alexander Buono
Writer:Seth Meyers
7.4/10(427 votes)
#24 - Final Transmission
S2:E510/12/2016
A new wave band from the late 1970s and early 1980s play their final concert.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.1/10(530 votes)
#25 - A Town, A Gangster, A Festival
S1:E59/17/2015
A documentary crew travels to Arborg, Iceland for the annual festival honoring American gangster Al Capone.
Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen
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Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
Writers:Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen