20 Best Documentary Movies on AMC+ 2026
Explore AMC+ documentaries worth your time, from Touching the Void and Wordplay to Horror Noire, with picks spanning sport, history, and horror.
If you want a great documentary lineup on AMC+, start with films that entertain first and inform right after. From the mountain-survival tension of Touching the Void to the clever, competitive energy of Wordplay, this mix gives you plenty of reasons to keep watching. Fans of horror history can dive into In Search of Darkness and Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, while The Search for General Tso and Buck bring food, nature, and personality into the spotlight. You’ll also find sharper, more provocative picks like Faces of Death and Adam Pearson: Freak Show, plus a wide range of other nonfiction stories across action & adventure, sport, drama, and history.
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01
Touching the Void
action & adventure · documentary · drama · sport
The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Directed by Kevin MacdonaldCast Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron, Ollie RyallAMC+ -
02
Wordplay
documentary
From the masters who create the mind-bending diversions to the tense competition at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Patrick Creadon's documentary reveals a fascinating look at a decidedly addictive pastime. Creadon captures New York Times editor Will Shortz at work, talks to celebrity solvers -- including Bill Clinton and Ken Burns -- and presents an intimate look at the national tournament and its competitors.
Directed by Patrick CreadonCast Will Shortz, Merl Reagle, Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, Tyler HinmanAMC+Freevee -
03
In Search of Darkness
documentary · history · horror
An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.
Directed by David A. WeinerCast Tom Atkins, John Bloom, Doug Bradley, Lori Cardille, John CarpenterAmazon Prime VideoAMC+Freevee -
04
The Search for General Tso
documentary · comedy · history · mystery
From New York City to the farmlands of the Midwest, there are 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., yet one dish in particular has conquered the American culinary landscape with a force befitting its military moniker—“General Tso’s Chicken.” But who was General Tso and how did this dish become so ubiquitous? Ian Cheney’s delightfully insightful documentary charts the history of Chinese Americans through the surprising origins of this sticky, sweet, just-spicy-enough dish that we’ve adopted as our own.
Directed by Ian CheneyCast Ian CheneyAMC+ -
05
Buck
documentary
An examination of the life of acclaimed 'horse whisperer' Buck Brannaman, who recovered from years of child abuse to become a well-known expert in the interactions between horses and people.
Directed by Cindy MeehlCast Patti Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Sam NeillAMC+ -
06
Faces of Death
documentary · horror
A collection of death scenes, ranging from TV-material to home-made super-8 movies. The common factor is death by some means.
Directed by John Alan SchwartzCast Michael Carr, Samuel Berkowitz, John Alan Schwartz, Vern StiermanAMC+ -
07
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
documentary
Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, this is the untold history of black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the horror genre.
Directed by Xavier BurginCast Alfre WoodardAMC+ -
08
The Summit
documentary
The Summit is a 2012 documentary film about the 2008 K2 disaster directed by Nick Ryan. It combines documentary footage with dramatized recreations of the events of the 2008 K2 disaster. On the way to and from the summit, eleven climbers died during a short time span creating one of the worst catastophes in climbing history. Much of the documentary footage was captured by Swedish mountaineer Fredrik Sträng. Sträng was planning to do a Documentary which was aborted due to the fact that he did not reach the summit. The footage was still valuable to help solving what really did happen since all the climbers had different stories about what happened.
Directed by Nick RyanCast Christine Barnes, Hoselito Bite, Marco Confortola, Niall Foley, Stefan GrossniklausAMC+ -
09
Zodiac Killer Project
documentary · crime · mystery
Against the backdrop of deserted spaces, a filmmaker explores his abandoned Zodiac Killer documentary, delving into the true crime genre's inner workings at a saturation point.
Directed by Charlie ShackletonCast Guy Robbins, Lee Nicholas HarrisAMC+ -
10
The Returned
documentary · drama · fantasy · made in europe
The lives of the residents of a small French town are changed when thousands of the recently dead inexplicably come back to life and try to integrate themselves into society that has changed for them.
Directed by Robin CampilloCast Géraldine Pailhas, Jonathan Zaccaï, Frédéric Pierrot, Victor Garrivier, Catherine SamieAMC+ -
11
Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping
documentary
Chloe Ayling recounts her 2017 kidnapping, how it changed her life and asks why, eight years later, she and her story are so still so hard to believe.
Directed by Stuart Bernard, Miles Blayden-RyallCast Holly Annabelle-Taylor, Gabriel Fogarty-GravesonAMC+ -
12
1000 Women in Horror
documentary · horror
Is horror a man’s world? You might assume so – but you won’t be thinking that way for long once you investigate the vast contribution women have made to horror movies for well over a century. In 2020, award-winning Australian critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas released the definitive book on the subject: 1000 Women in Horror, 1895–2018, an encyclopaedic work celebrating the many women – filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians – who have shaped the genre since the moment cinema’s light first flickered.
Directed by Donna DaviesCast Roxanne Benjamin, Akela Cooper, Mattie Do, Brea Grant, Mary HarronAMC+ -
13
Vernon, Florida
documentary
Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.
Directed by Errol MorrisCast Albert Bitterling, Roscoe Collins, George HarrisAMC+ -
14
Room 237
documentary
A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.
Directed by Rodney AscherCast Stephen Brophy, Ash Brophy, Buddy Black, Buffy Visick, Sam WaltonAMC+ -
15
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
documentary · horror
A thorough overview and dissection of the subgenre of 'folk horror, ' with contributions from many of the major creators and clips from cinema all over the world.
Directed by Kier-La JanisseCast Linda Hayden, Ian OgilvyAMC+Freevee -
16
The Murder of Joanna Yeates
documentary · crime
The case of Yeates, found murdered on Christmas Day 2010 in Bristol, became a stark example of media frenzy gone wrong. Her innocent landlord, Christopher Jefferies, was wrongly accused, before a Dutch national was ultimately jailed.
Directed by Tracey MooreAMC+ -
17
Lakota Nation vs. United States
documentary · history
Poet Layli Long Soldier crafts a searing portrait of her Oyate’s connection to the Black Hills, through first contact and broken treaties to the promise of the Land Back movement, in this lyrical testament to resilience of a nation.
Directed by Jesse Short Bull, Laura TomaselliCast Bill Horn CloudAMC+ -
18
MLK/FBI
documentary · biography · history
Based on newly declassified files, the film explores the US government’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Directed by Sam PollardCast Shaun Bowman, Tom Martin, Ben Mehl, Tim NicolaiAMC+ -
19
Walk Away Renee
documentary · drama
A documentary on Jonathan Caouette's cross-country road trip with his mentally ill mother.
Directed by Jonathan CaouetteCast Kathy Biehl, Eva Dorrepaal, Dominic Gould, Jared Hutchinson, Derek LucciAMC+ -
20
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
documentary · biography
Shere Hite's bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and sexuality.
Directed by Nicole NewnhamCast Dakota JohnsonHuluAMC+
Wrapping Up
This AMC+ watchlist works because it balances crowd-pleasing stories with documentaries that feel memorable long after the credits roll. Whether you’re here for survival, comedy, horror, or cultural history, the lineup makes it easy to pick something that matches your mood. Bookmark this page and check back when you need a fresh recommendation, since it’s updated regularly as the catalog changes. With standout titles and a broad mix of genres, it’s a dependable place to find your next nonfiction watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a AMC+ subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on AMC+. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these documentary movies ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the documentary titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.
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Last updated: September 7, 2026