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The 20 best documentaries on Netflix Australia in 2021

Netflix has hit it out of the park with original productions like Jim & Andy, The White Helmets, Tiger King and a trove of quality feature documentaries and series ready to stream now.

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Alexandra Plesa
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If you're after some guilt-free edu-tainment to wash away the shame from your Too Hot to Handle viewing, we're happy to report that Netflix delivers on the documentary front as well.

There are sobering docos like the streaming provider's The White Helmets or the terrifying series Don't F**k with Cats. If they sound a little heavy, you can sit back and relax with the soothing Chef's Table or the bonkers Tiger King.

Below we've listed our top picks from Netflix's vast selection of both feature documentaries and docu-series. There's literally something for everyone, whether you're looking to find out more about your favourite pop artist or about one of America's most notorious killers.

My Octopus Teacher

1. My Octopus Teacher

Year: 2020

Cast: Craig Foster, Tom Foster

This mesmerising documentary is all about the unusual friendship between a filmmaker and an octopus living in a South African kelp forest. As the animal shares the many mysteries of its world, viewers are taken on a captivating journey of discovery. My Octopus Teacher won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2021, so it's safe to say it should earn a spot on your watchlist.

Crip Camp

2. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

Year: 2020

Cast: James Lebrecht, Joseph O'Conor, Denise Sherer Jacobson

Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution kicks off in a 1970s summer camp designed for teens with disabilities. It revolves around campers who became activists for the disability rights movement and follows their fight for accessibility legislation. In other words, this empowering doco traces the progression of a movement that doesn't get enough screen time. Stream it when you want something educational and feel-good.

This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist

3. This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist

Year: 2021

Cast: Shelley Murphy, Anne Hawley, Dick Ellis

As the title suggests, this docu-series explores the world's biggest art heist: The 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Over St. Patrick's Day weekend, two men dressed as cops gained entry into the museum and left with legendary works of art worth over half a billion dollars.Tune in to find out more about how they pulled it off and what happened in the aftermath of this still unsolved mystery.

The Last Dance

4. The Last Dance

Year: 2020

Cast: Michael Jordan, David Aldridge, Phil Jackson

A terrific docu-series co-produced by Netflix and ESPN Films, The Last Dance charts the rise of the 1990's Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan. A blend of archival footage and present-day interviews, this sports series takes you behind-the-scenes and keeps you glued to the screen as you relive some of the biggest moments in the history of a larger-than-life squad. By the end, even those who aren't that into basketball will be inspired by Jordan's passion and determination.

5. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

Year: 2020

Cast: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, Rick Kirkham, John Reinke

A true crime documentary about the life of zookeeper Joe Exotic, Tiger King is also an exploration of big cat breeding and its bizarre underworld, which is populated by eccentric characters. Add a crime into the mix and you've got yourself a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction and this is the kind of docu-series you have to see to believe.

6. Knock Down the House

Year: 2019

Cast: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Joe Crowley, Paula Jean Swearengin

Everyone loves an underdog story and Knock Down the House delivers big time. The documentary follows four women who, at a moment of historic volatility in American politics, decide to fight back, challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. The fact that this would lead to one of the biggest political upsets in recent US history is just the icing on the cake.

7. Icarus

Year: 2017

Cast: Bryan Fogel, Grigory Rodchenkov, Don Catlin

Here's something that doesn't happen every day: A major Olympic cheating scandal is uncovered by accident by an American documentary filmmaker and a Russian scientist. That's the premise behind Icarus, which follows filmmaker Bryan Fogel as he sets out to uncover the truth about doping. The documentary is essential viewing for anyone interested in competitive sport, revealing the complicated and fascinating reasons behind why cheating happens.

8. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

Year: 2017

Cast: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman

Get ready for a bizarre behind-the-scenes look at the incredible lengths actor Jim Carrey went to in order to portray his idol, the late, great Andy Kaufman. Using 100 hours of footage from the set of Man on the Moon, filmmaker Chris Smith documents Carrey's transformation into his character. If you were ever curious to see method acting in action, now's your chance.

9. The White Helmets

Year: 2016

Cast: Khalid Farah, Mohammed Farah, Abu Omar

The White Helmets is a riveting documentary centred on a crack team of selfless Syrian first responders who run the gauntlet of daily air strikes in order to rescue victims from the rubble. Inspiring and heartbreaking, it's the kind of doco that showcases a tragedy while also finding pockets of hope. Even if you don't fully understand the context of the conflicts in Syria, you'll be pulled in immediately.

10. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

Year: 2019

Cast: Billy McFarland, Jason Bell, Gabrielle Bluestone

The failed Fyre Festival is something that we'll likely be talking about for years to come, so it's interesting to see how the whole event came to be. The documentary explores the history of the event, from its creation to its unravelling. It showcases what happens when a party in paradise doesn't quite go as planned, while also making some thoughtful observations about the dangers of greed and wealth. All in all, it's pretty spectacular.

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11. The Great Hack

Year: 2019

Cast: Brittany Kaiser, David Carroll, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik

If you haven't been living under a rock, you're probably already somewhat familiar with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Great Hack aims to explore exactly how a data company came to symbolise the dark side of social media, showcasing the dangerous ways in which data can be used for political gain. It's both sobering and scary, to the point where you might be tempted to re-evaluate your own online habits once the end credits roll.

12. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

Year: 2019

Cast: Deanna Thompson, John Green, Claudette Hamlin

Don't let the title fool you, this compelling docu-series is less about kittens and more about hunting for a killer. When a criminal's gruesome videos drive a group of amateur online sleuths to launch a risky manhunt, they enter a dark underworld. The series might make for an uncomfortable watch, but it also showcases how ordinary people can expose a killer using the same tools available to everyone with Internet access.

13. Miss Americana

Year: 2020

Cast: Taylor Swift, Andrea Swift, Scott Swift

Directed by Lana Wilson, Miss Americana follows Taylor Swift during a transformational time in her life, as she grows more comfortable with using her influence to advocate for causes she cares about. Viewers can see Swift growing as a person over the course of the doco, but also understand how lonely it is to be at the top. The documentary also has plenty to say about how girls are sometimes taught that it's important to be liked and struggle with this notion, to the point of denying who they really are.

14. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé

Year: 2019

Cast: Beyoncé, Solange, Jay-Z

Written, directed and executive produced by Beyoncé herself, Homecoming is a concert film about the artist and her performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It's an intimate look at Beyoncé's iconic set, interspersed with candid footage and interviews detailing the preparation. Even if you're not a fan, this glorious spectacle is immensely entertaining.

15. Hot Girls Wanted

Year: 2015

Cast: Farrah Abraham, John Anthony, Rachel Bernard

You'd be surprised how easy it is for a web-savvy generation to end up making porn. That's what Hot Girls Wanted aims to highlight. The documentary sheds light on Florida's amateur porn industry through the experiences of young women in the business. Whether the doco will shock or outrage you, one's things for sure: You won't be able to look away. Once you're done, follow-up series Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On is also available to stream.

16. What Happened, Miss Simone?

Year: 2015

Cast: Nina Simone, Lisa Simone Kelly, Roger Nupie, Al Schackman

Directed by Liz Garbus, this biographical documentary about Nina Simone is a thing of beauty, showcasing how the talented artist lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius and tortured melancholy. Using never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage, What Happened, Miss Simone? tells Simone's story and comes across as a celebration of both her spirit and her legacy.

17. Chef's Table

Year: 2015

Cast: Dan Barber, Massimo Bottura, Bill Buford

Tune in as some of the most renowned chefs in the world share their deeply personal stories, inspirations and unique styles. Chef's Table is not only a visual feast of gourmet dining, but also a captivating behind-the-scenes look at how these culinary geniuses work. In other words, it has more to offer than your average cooking show.

18. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

Year: 2019

Cast: Stephen Michaud, Bob Keppel, Kathleen McChesney

Ted Bundy was one of America's most notorious serial killers. This docu-series, which premiered on the 30th anniversary of Bundy's execution, aims to offer a look inside his mind via interviews he gave while on death row. If you're interested in hearing the infamous killer analyse his own life and motives, this is a series you don't want to miss.

19. The Keepers

Year: 2017

Cast: Gemma Hoskins, Abbie Schaub, Virginia Anzengruber, Jean Hargadon Wehner

This absorbing docu-series explores the unsolved murder of nun Sister Cathy Cesnik, who taught English and drama at Baltimore's Archbishop Keough High School, and her former students' belief that there was a cover-up by authorities. Sure to appeal to true crime buffs, the series gets darker with each episode, building to a powerful ending.

20. Making a Murderer

Year: 2015

Cast: Dolores Avery, Steven Avery, Laura Nirider

One of Netflix's most successful docu-series so far, Making a Murderer is an unprecedented real-life thriller about a DNA exoneree who, while in the middle of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime. Once you start watching, you'll find it hard to stop. The series is just as engrossing as it is thought-provoking.

Looking for more documentaries? Maybe you'd be interested in some dedicated documentarys streaming specialists. Both CuriosityStream and iwonder who both serve nothing up but documentaries. Otherwise you can see the 400+ documentaries available on Netflix here.

What changed on our list?

New additions

  • My Octopus Teacher
  • Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
  • This Is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist
  • The Last Dance

Didn't make the cut

  • Cheer
  • Salt Fat Acid Heart
  • Gaga: Five Foot Two
  • Amanda Knox

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