Documentary
1982-Present NOTE: Documentary as sub-genre of Non-Fiction.Large format (ex. Everest), concert (music, ex. Woodstock, and comedy, ex. Raw) , compilation (ex. That's Entertainment) and reality TV movies (ex. Jackass) omitted. Hybrids (ex. Never Say Never) are included.
Rows: #1-100 , #101-200 , #201-300 , #301-400 , #401-500 , #501-600 , #601-700 , #701-800 , #801-900 , #901-1000 , #1001-1048 Row Rank Title (click to view) Studio Lifetime Gross / Theaters Opening / Theaters Date 1
971
Plastic Planet
FRun
$3,164
2
$740
1
1/14/11
2
944
The Fall of Fujimori
Libre
$4,630
1
$779
1
5/5/06
3
1004
The Letter: An American Town and the 'Somali Invasion'
Arab
$1,479
1
$789
1
2/9/05
4
994
A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism
FRun
$1,916
2
$822
2
9/24/10
5
1008
Monumental
FRun
$1,430
1
$842
1
7/22/05
6
902
Casting About
Kino
$7,279
2
$893
1
5/11/07
7
1003
Where Are You Taking Me?
Icar.
$1,492
1
$937
1
3/2/12
8
933
A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar...
Indic.
$5,202
1
$980
1
2/29/08
9
993
Patagonia Rising
FRun
$2,064
1
$981
1
6/8/12
10
793
Dumbstruck
Truly
$15,379
2
$981
1
4/15/11
11
876
Three Stars
FRun
$8,942
1
$1,003
1
9/21/12
12
352
Hybrid
Indic.
$164,386
2
$1,008
1
5/10/02
13
725
So Much So Fast
Bal.
$21,525
3
$1,015
1
10/11/06
14
1006
Unborn in the USA
FRun
$1,475
1
$1,035
1
6/15/07
15
975
The Weird World of Blowfly
Vari.
$3,062
1
$1,036
1
9/16/11
16
1018
The Empire in Africa
Libre
$1,088
3
$1,088
3
12/8/06
17
997
Children of Fate
FRun
$1,738
1
$1,099
1
11/23/93
18
199
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
FRun
$453,650
12
$1,114
1
1/29/10
19
1017
The Ister
Icar.
$1,124
1
$1,124
1
2/10/06
20
806
Head Games
Vari.
$14,056
5
$1,152
2
9/21/12
21
769
Nenette
Kino
$18,009
3
$1,176
1
12/22/10
22
884
Glastonbury
Think
$8,419
3
$1,179
1
2/23/07
23
940
Ferlinghetti: The Rebirth of Wonder
FRun
$4,816
2
$1,197
1
2/8/13
24
979
Beautopia
Wells
$2,870
1
$1,219
1
3/5/99
25
1007
The Ballad of Bering Strait
Emr.
$1,440
3
$1,232
3
2/19/03
26
998
You Don't Need Feet to Dance
FRun
$1,719
1
$1,239
1
3/22/13
27
784
No Restraint
IFC
$16,136
6
$1,241
1
12/20/06
28
330
The Yes Men Fix the World
Shad.
$194,533
16
$1,242
2
9/25/09
29
1001
Rockets Redglare!
SmlP
$1,605
1
$1,292
1
9/3/04
30
932
Rock the Bells
7Art
$5,347
1
$1,325
1
4/11/07
31
931
Whiz Kids
Shad.
$5,386
2
$1,333
1
6/4/10
32
988
You're Gonna Miss Me
Palm
$2,324
1
$1,340
1
6/8/07
33
956
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
KL
$3,804
1
$1,350
1
8/3/12
34
562
American Casino
Argo.
$50,437
3
$1,397
1
8/14/09
35
731
The Case of the Grinning Cat
Icar.
$20,944
1
$1,410
1
7/21/06
36
795
Only the Young
Osci.
$15,312
2
$1,446
1
12/7/12
37
917
The Beat Hotel
FRun
$6,480
1
$1,458
1
3/30/12
38
935
God and Gays: Bridging the Gap
Indic.
$5,095
2
$1,460
2
10/24/08
39
1005
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris
OutF
$1,476
1
$1,476
1
12/7/07
40
767
To the Limit
FRun
$18,254
2
$1,483
2
6/13/08
41
968
The Sons of Tennessee Williams
FRun
$3,242
1
$1,492
1
10/7/11
42
527
Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters
Zeit.
$60,064
3
$1,492
1
11/2/12
43
272
Life and Debt
NYer
$263,107
4
$1,494
1
6/16/01
44
970
The Backyard
Hiqi
$3,200
1
$1,500
1
8/29/03
45
773
Dear Jesse
Cow.
$17,744
3
$1,508
1
6/26/98
46
911
Speaking in Strings
7Art
$6,859
2
$1,519
1
9/10/99
47
860
Putin's Kiss
KL
$10,082
1
$1,525
1
2/17/12
48
723
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox
Bal.
$21,579
6
$1,570
1
6/29/07
49
796
El Inmigrante
Indic.
$15,100
2
$1,578
2
7/13/07
50
625
Twist (1993)
Trit
$36,875
6
$1,589
1
7/16/93
51
689
Trudell
Bal.
$26,756
5
$1,592
1
2/3/06
52
607
Addiction Incorporated
Vari.
$40,106
5
$1,629
1
12/14/11
53
950
This Divided State
Mino.
$4,255
1
$1,653
1
7/22/05
54
972
Beyond Barbed Wire
M&A
$3,109
1
$1,668
1
7/18/97
55
873
Out of the Past (1998)
Zeit.
$9,078
1
$1,671
1
7/31/98
56
812
Benda Bilili!
NGE
$13,420
3
$1,678
1
9/30/11
57
954
High Tech, Low Life
Argo.
$3,836
1
$1,718
1
1/9/13
58
937
Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land
Arab
$4,930
1
$1,735
1
1/28/05
59
978
Wetlands Preserved
FRun
$2,970
1
$1,736
1
3/14/08
60
985
Looking for an Icon
Icar.
$2,393
1
$1,760
1
5/9/07
61
983
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
Magn.
$2,493
2
$1,772
2
4/14/06
62
916
Windfall
FRun
$6,504
1
$1,780
1
2/3/12
63
787
This Binary Universe
Indic.
$15,875
2
$1,794
2
5/4/12
64
996
Oswald's Ghost
7Art
$1,796
1
$1,796
1
11/30/07
65
913
Regina Spektor: Live In London
CP
$6,684
9
$1,798
9
11/19/10
66
738
The First Basket
L/Z
$20,440
4
$1,819
1
10/29/08
67
948
McLibel
Libre
$4,337
3
$1,821
1
6/10/05
68
852
whaledreamers
Mont.
$10,584
6
$1,827
6
9/26/08
69
502
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire
CalN
$68,249
4
$1,848
1
5/13/05
70
900
Bel Borba Aqui
PDA
$7,426
2
$1,869
1
10/3/12
71
808
Up for Grabs
L/Z
$13,931
4
$1,881
2
5/6/05
72
606
Yiddish Theater: A Love Story
NLov.
$40,182
3
$1,886
1
11/21/07
73
890
A Decent Factory
Icar.
$7,925
1
$1,900
1
6/29/05
74
891
Mugabe and the White African
FRun
$7,924
1
$1,907
1
7/23/10
75
650
Ayurveda: The Art of Being
Kino
$32,267
2
$1,938
1
7/17/02
76
804
Never Stand Still: Dancing at Jacob's Pillow
FRun
$14,272
2
$1,951
1
5/18/12
77
849
MC5: A True Testimonial
Avat.
$10,888
2
$1,962
1
3/5/04
78
734
Voices in Wartime
Libre
$20,702
5
$1,966
2
4/8/05
79
415
Burn (2012)
A23
$111,300
4
$1,970
1
11/9/12
80
732
Cameraman: The Work and Life of Jack Cardiff
Strand
$20,840
3
$1,998
1
5/13/11
81
807
Planet of Snail
CGld
$13,957
2
$2,011
1
7/25/12
82
952
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
ArtsA
$4,070
2
$2,012
2
5/23/08
83
922
El Sicario, Room 164
Icar.
$6,123
1
$2,040
1
12/28/11
84
887
Twist of Faith
AL
$8,129
2
$2,085
2
7/1/05
85
992
Running with Arnold
Lant
$2,119
2
$2,119
2
1/11/08
86
927
Fired!
ICir
$5,661
4
$2,158
4
2/2/07
87
964
Sister Helen
Cn4
$3,541
1
$2,163
1
10/24/03
88
955
Saints and Sinners
Avat.
$3,826
1
$2,167
1
6/18/04
89
880
Only When I Dance
FM
$8,738
1
$2,181
1
7/2/10
90
771
Payback (2012)
Zeit.
$17,979
3
$2,186
1
4/25/12
91
973
The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
RedE
$3,103
2
$2,194
2
3/23/07
92
923
Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo
CP
$5,922
2
$2,198
2
9/17/10
93
982
Standing by Yourself
Cheap
$2,500
1
$2,200
1
5/17/02
94
947
Blood and Tears
Think
$4,364
1
$2,201
1
6/15/07
95
959
Still, the Children Are Here
Icar.
$3,685
1
$2,210
1
11/5/04
96
990
Workingman's Death
7Art
$2,214
2
$2,214
2
2/24/06
97
813
Kicking It
LibE
$13,266
2
$2,219
1
6/13/08
98
962
Moog
Plx.
$3,604
1
$2,227
1
9/24/04
99
564
Pianomania
FRun
$49,852
6
$2,238
1
5/27/11
100
958
The Harvest/La Cosecha
Libre
$3,709
1
$2,245
1
7/29/11
TOTAL (All Movies): $977,104,901 - - - - AVERAGE (All Movies): $955,137 47 $132,412 25 - TOTAL (Wide Releases Only): $498,427,158 - - - - AVERAGE (Wide Releases Only): $31,151,697 1,544 $9,246,299 1,474 -
Rows: #1-100 , #101-200 , #201-300 , #301-400 , #401-500 , #501-600 , #601-700 , #701-800 , #801-900 , #901-1000 , #1001-1048
If there are any movies that you think should be on this list, e-mail us at mail@boxofficemojo.com .
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