There’s currently a growing demand for factual content in Australia. Now more than ever, viewers are drawn to history, world events, and true crime documentaries.
The good thing is that there are so many streaming apps in the country that cater to this need, specifically the best documentaries available on demand. Foxtel and Foxtel Now alone offer compelling titles that are available via the documentary-dedictaed channel, Docos.
Documentary-focused streaming apps like iwonder and DocPlay also have a deep catalogue of content that’s bound to make the heart of any true documentary fan flutter. With so many options to choose from, it could take a while before you could take your pick. After all, you want to make sure you only watch what’s good.
To make it easier for you, we’ve rounded up some of the best documentaries and even older ones you can stream online in Australia right now.
Best documentaries this month
Streaming TV has paved the way for all types of content to reach a wider audience. Non-fiction titles, which are usually presented by using talking heads, archival footage, visual aids, interviews, and recordings now reel in viewers and awaken their interest and curiosity more than it did before.
That’s why streaming services like iwonder, DocPlay, Curiosity Stream, and Docsville, all of which primarily offer docos, only contributed to documentary filmmaking getting more recognition.
In Australia, documentary streaming is also offered by major apps like Netflix, Stan, BINGE, Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, and Disney Plus. The best part is that most of these platforms offer free trials, giving you access to best documentaries that are free within your trial period. When it comes to the best documentaries, 2024 offers plenty of excellent selection of titles from around the world.
For the most compelling and best documentaries, we’ve listed so many great entries like the acclaimed titles Navalny, A House Made of Splinters, and more.
Navalny
Navalny is a terrifying documentary that’s almost comparable to an implausible spy thriller, only the events detailed here are all true. It follows the assassination attempt on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the subsequent investigation to uncover the truth.
Poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent that put him in a coma in August 2020, the unstoppable Kremlin critic blamed Russian president Vladimir Putin. Read more.
The War: Australia’s Bikie Killings
The War: Australia’s Bikie Killings is a docu-series that offers a chilling look into the violent gang wars that rocked Sydney’s streets for 18 months, resulting in 13 tragic deaths.
Produced by The Daily Telegraph, the documentary is as gripping as it is disturbing, going beyond the sensational headlines to uncover the truth behind the shocking bloodshed. Read more.
The Trouble with KanYe
The Trouble with KanYe, a compelling feature-length documentary by British journalist Mobeen Azhar, explores rapper Kanye West’s perplexing behaviour.
Delving into topics of psychiatry, politics, and publicity, Azhar seeks to unravel the complex tapestry behind West’s increasingly controversial actions. Read more.
100 Years of Warner Bros.
100 Years of Warner Bros. is a remarkable collection of four documentary specials that tells the unprecedented story of this global entertainment powerhouse.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman and directed by Academy Award and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, witness the indelible impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce, and culture. Read more.
A House Made of Splinters
A House Made of Splinters is an Academy Award-nominated documentary film about an orphanage in eastern Ukraine.
Focusing on children placed out of home due to alcoholism, addiction or abuse, director Simon Lereng Wilmont (The Distant Barking of Dogs) captures heartbreaking situations and raw emotions with such aching sensitivity. Read more.
All That Breathes
The highly acclaimed docufilm follows two brothers and their astounding efforts to rescue injured birds falling from New Delhi’s darkening skies.
As worsening environmental toxicity further contributes to the city’s collapsing ecology, birds plummeting from the sky has become commonplace. Read more.
Rise of the Billionaires
There’s always great interest in finding how the world’s richest men become who they are now – tech titans dominating today’s modern society.
And so, the award winning team at 72 Films presents the documentary, Rise of the Billionaires, giving us the inside story of how they develop into today’s leading billionaires. Read more.
The Velvet Queen
Winning Best Documentary at this year’s César Award in France, The Velvet Queen is a powerful film that’s riveting as it is soothing. It documents photographer Vincent Munier as he guides writer Sylvain Tesson in the quest to photograph the elusive snow leopard while journeying the Tibetan wilderness
The Velvet Queen is one of the best documentaries you can stream this year. Read more.
Shaq
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal stars in the new Shaq documentary series, chronicling his early beginnings and his ultimate ascent to stardom.
Loaded with revealing interviews and incredible NBA footage during those years when he dominated the court, O’Neal’s life, career, and legacy are further immortalised in this new docuseries. Read more.
Branson
Richard Branson’s early life and his many daring adventures will be explored in the new Branson documentary directed by acclaimed filmmaker Chris Smith.
The docuseries tackles his many business ventures, which eventually established his colossal success. The documentary also talks about his ventures that didn’t make it, highlighting the fact that every business risk he’s taken throughout the years is a reflection of his penchant for wild adventures. Read more.
Love, Lizzo
This new documentary from HBO Max follows three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and rapper Lizzo, and how the artist has changed both music and culture with her groundbreaking musical talent.
Thus, Love, Lizzo showcases the journey of a superstar who has inspired a movement the world desperately needed by simply being herself. Read more.
Lancaster
After the success of their 2018 docufilm Spitfire, David Fairhead and Ant Palmer grace the screen this year with the new Lancaster documentary, which tells the story of the iconic World War II bomber.
Revisiting the horrors it saw during the war, the last surviving crew members are interviewed in the film to share their harrowing experiences during one of the darkest parts of our history. Read more.
Volcano Man
Volcano Man is the product of decades of footage that filmmaker James Crawley’s father, Richard Crawley, has been taking since the beginning, starring his wife Carol and son James.
With James discovering his dad’s hidden tapes, he saw their lives in a way that’s raw, heartbreaking, and incredible all at the same time. Read more.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
The first-ever documentary project by the global movie star Chris Hemsworth will surely take you on a rollercoaster journey as he embarks on a unique, revitalising personal mission on how to combat aging and uncovering the physical limits of the human body. Read more.
Welcome to Wrexham
In 2021, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney, acquired the Welsh football team Wrexham AFC, its underdog story becoming the foundation of the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.
Before the takeover, the struggling football club was said to be on the verge of collapse. With this, the documentary follows Reynolds and Mcelhenney as they learn the ins and outs of football club ownership. Read more.
The Janes
The women of “Jane”, also called The Jane Collective, risked everything to support women who had nowhere else to go. During a time when outlawed abortion stripped women of their reproductive rights, it was them who faced threats and dangers as they challenged unjust laws.
Now their stories are the subject of an upcoming docufilm. Read more.
Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart
Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart, the unscripted series from international bestselling author Dr. Brené Brown is now streaming in Australia.
Based on her latest book Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, the author delves into a variety of emotions that characterises what it means to be human. Read more.
Secrets of Playboy
Four years after Hefner’s death, A&E released a documentary series that aims to examine the glamorous mythology created by the Playboy brand throughout the years.
But while Hefner’s legacy included ushering a new era of sexual freedom and expression, those who were part of the Playboy inner circle are now speaking out about hidden truths and the sinister reality behind it all. Read more.
100 Foot Wave
100 Foot Wave is a six-episode series that documents surfing legend Garrett McNamara’s 10-year search of the tallest wave. Together with his wife and other surfers from around the globe, they train for competitions and chase the seemingly mythical 100 foot wave. Read more.
The Last Dance
The Last Dance centres on Michael Jordan and his basketball career. Regarded as one of the best documentaries on Netflix, it particularly highlights his last season with the Chicago Bulls.
It makes for an exhilarating watch for all sport fans out there as it uses exclusive never-before seen footage from the 1997-1998 Bulls season, as well as intimate interviews with several iconic NBA figures, which include Jordan himself, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, and Phil Jackson.
FeaturedMy Octopus Teacher
The award-winning Netflix Original documentary film follows filmmaker Craig Foster free-diving somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Documenting his experiences, an octopus captures his attention. Over time, he forges a relationship with the marine animal as he follows her around for nearly a year.
My Octopus Teacher was widely acclaimed upon its release, winning the Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. It also won the Best Documentary award at the British Academy Film Awards.
Searching for Sugar Man
Though Sixto Rodriguez didn’t make it big in the US as a musician, he became an icon in South Africa until he was rumoured to have died.
Two fans from Cape Town embarked on a quest to uncover the truth and find out what really happened to him. Ideal for essential viewing, Searching for Sugar Man is bound to enthrall your senses.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the story of the Watts family murders which took place in 2018. The events in this doco are chronicled by using archival footage, which includes posts on social media, police recordings, texts messages, and home videos.
American Murder: The Family Next Door is more than a true crime story, examining marriage, domestic abuse, and the fake lives that people lead on social media.
Central Park Five
Five African Americans and Latino teenagers were arrested and convicted for the violent assault and rape of a white woman in New York City’s Central Park.
The documentary series covers their arrests, interrogations, trials, and convictions. After spending between six and thirteen years in prison, a serial killer confessed to committing the gruesome crime.
Pretend It’s a City
The Netflix documentary documentary series is directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and features conversations between him and humorist Fran Lebowitz. Together, they talk about life in New York City, the arts, pop culture, and everything in between.
Popular documentaries
We’ve selected some of the most popular documentaries of all time. If you’re looking for new stories to watch and be invested in, check out some noteworthy selections below:
Watch the best documentaries with a free trial
Many on-demand documentary streaming services in Australia offer free trials to new customers. Both iwonder and DocPlay have a 14-day trial you can take advantage of to access their impressive library of the best documentaries and shows.
DocPlay even provides non-members access to their catalogue so you can search if it has what you’re looking for. Foxtel‘s Docos channel is another source of best documentaries you can stream or watch. You can access the new channel for free via Foxtel Now’s 10-day free trial.
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Stan also showcase originals that include docos, with Amazon and Stan offering 30 days of free access. For the best documentaries about sports, Kayo Sports has a selection of titles like 10 Years On, Great Women Stars, and 30 For 30, which you can watch with a 7-day free trial.
BINGE, meanwhile, mainly offers TV shows and movies but there’s a range of best documentaries available on the platform too, including Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes, Exterminate All the Brutes, and many others. Whatever streaming service you end up trying, you can rest assured that you’ll get access to the best documentaries in 2024 to watch online.
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Last audited 6 December 2024
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