The Best Episodes of Documentary Now!

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   8.8/10(656 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.

   Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers

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   Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers
2. 

   8.7/10(737 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.

   Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers

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   Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers
3. 

   8.6/10(717 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
4. 

   8.6/10(438 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:Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers

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   Director:Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers
5. 

   8.4/10(248 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
6. 

   8.3/10(1169 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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7. 

   8.3/10(708 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:Alexander Buono

   Writers:Seth Meyers, John Mulaney

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   Director:Alexander Buono

   Writers:Seth Meyers, John Mulaney
8. 

   8.3/10(222 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:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas

   Writer:Seth Meyers

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   Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas

   Writer:Seth Meyers
9. 

   8.2/10(468 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:Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers

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   Director:Alexander Buono

   Writer:Seth Meyers
10. 

    8.2/10(291 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
11. 

    8.1/10(575 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
12. 

    8.1/10(498 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
13. 

    8.1/10(423 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.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward
14. 

    8.0/10(381 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.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader
15. 

    8.0/10(176 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
16. 

    7.9/10(688 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:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas

    Writer:Seth Meyers

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    Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas

    Writer:Seth Meyers
17. 

    7.9/10(725 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
18. 

    7.9/10(438 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:Alexander Buono

    Writers:Zach Kanin, Tim Robinson

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    Director:Alexander Buono

    Writers:Zach Kanin, Tim Robinson
19. 

    7.8/10(462 votes)

    #19 - The Bunker

    S2:E19/14/2016

    A different and interesting look at the 1992 Ohio Gubernatorial campaign.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writer:John Mulaney

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writer:John Mulaney
20. 

    7.8/10(468 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".

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader
21. 

    7.8/10(355 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.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader
22. 

    7.7/10(253 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
23. 

    7.6/10(171 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
24. 

    7.4/10(438 votes)

    #24 - Final Transmission

    S2:E510/12/2016

    A new wave band from the late 1970s and early 1980s play their final concert.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writer:Seth Meyers

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    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono

    Writer:Seth Meyers
25. 

    7.1/10(544 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