The Best Documentaries Streaming on HBO Max Right Now
Ready for a binge-worthy summer? We rounded up viral social justice tales, true crime, and have put together a list of the best documentaries streaming on HBO Max right now. Each one offers immersive storytelling, powerful visuals, and all the depth you crave. Let’s dive into these 10 titles, engaging plots, viewing vibes, and why each deserves your screen time.
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Navalny
This Oscar-winning documentary chronicles Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s near-fatal poisoning and relentless battle for democracy. Intertwined with interviews with Navalny himself and friends and family, Navalny showcases political intrigue with personal resilience. Sadly he never made it out of prison as he was assassinated by Putin’s regime. It’s one of the best documentaries streaming on HBO Max.
Perfect for: Fans of political docs, courage under fire, and global affairs.
My Mom Jayne
Directed by Mariska Hargitay, this deeply personal film explores her mother Jayne Mansfield’s life and legacy. The film splices together raw footage of Jayne Mansfield and interviews with Hargitay’s siblings, step-mother and friends. My Mom Jayne is heartfelt, and introspective, it’s easily one of the best documentaries streaming on HBO Max for fans of Hollywood history and emotional family stories.
The Vow
The Vow explores the rise and fall of NXIVM, the self-help organization turned sex cult led by Keith Raniere. The docuseries follows former members Sarah and Nippy Ames, Mark Vicente and Catherine Oxenberg as they reckon with their roles in the organization and attempt to bring the truth to light.
The Vow unfolds like a psychological thriller, offering an inside look at manipulation, groupthink, and cult behavior,with real-time footage from inside the group. It’s a intimate look into how communities can grow under the manpulation of one man with ALOT of money backing him.
Perfect for: Fans of true crime, cult psychology, or slow-burn, character-driven documentaries.
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
The Inventor investigates Elizabeth Holmes and the rise (and spectacular fall) of Theranos, the biotech startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing but ended up being one of the most infamous scams in modern tech history. Director Alex Gibney combines archival footage, insider interviews, and compelling storytelling to dissect how lies, image, and Silicon Valley popularity masked massive deception.
Perfect for: Business and tech watchers, fans of The Dropout, or anyone fascinated by white-collar fraud.
There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane
This chilling documentary examines the 2009 Taconic Parkway crash, where Diane Schuler drove the wrong way and killed eight people, including herself and five children. Her family insists something was wrong, but toxicology reports raise disturbing questions. There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane is an emotional, investigative piece that mixes mystery with grief. The documentary digs into family denial, public judgment, and how tragedy can have an affect on several generations.
Perfect for: Fans of dark true crime, family mystery, or emotional human-interest stories.
TINA
Tina is a powerful portrait of Tina Turner’s journey from her childhood in poverty and abuse at the hands of Ike Turner. It also documents her solo superstardom and ultimate peace later in life, which she found outside of the United States. Told through interviews, performances, and rare footage, Tina is as much about survival as stardom. The most powerful aspect of this documentary is Tina’s statements on how her relationship with Ike Turner is constantly brought up and that people seemingly forget that it’s very traumatic for her to discuss him.
Tina goes beyond the music to tell a deeply personal story of resilience and reinvention! Tina herself speaks candidly in what she declared her final documentary appearance.
Perfect for: Music lovers, pop culture historians, and anyone seeking stories of personal empowerment.
Grey Gardens
This 1975 cult-classic documentary profiles Edith Beale and her daughter “Little Edie,” relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who live in a crumbling East Hampton mansion in eccentric isolation. It’s a bizzare look at two women who have self-isolated in a mansion that has seen better days. This documentary is more of a character study than exposé, and Grey Gardens is haunting, funny, and unexpectedly poignant. The Beales are unforgettable, they are offbeat, stylish, tragic, and you cannot help but watch the spectacle.
Perfect for: Lovers of offbeat Americana, fashion, or documentaries that blur the line between reality and performance.
Mommy Dead and Dearest
This unsettling true-crime doc tells the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder of her mother, Dee Dee, who had been abusing her through years of Munchausen by proxy. We now know that Dee Dee forced Gypsy Rose to sit in a wheelchair, had her teeth removed and had her undergo procidures that she didn’t need. When a young man shows interest in Gypsy Rose, her life spirals into assisting in the murder of her mother. Mommy Dead and Dearest is a ultimately tells the story of a calculated, desperate escape from abuse and trauma.
Perfect for: Fans of The Act on Hulu, or anyone drawn to shocking, psychological true crime.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a portrait of photographer and activist Nan Goldin as she leads a campaign against the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis. Director Laura Poitras puts together raw interviews, stock footage of the opiod crises, and Goldin’s powerful voice, creating one of the best documentaries streaming on HBO Max. It’s an equally tragic and powerful look at one women’s determination to hold a wealthy family accountable.
Perfect for: Viewers passionate about art, activism, and real-world impact.
Other Articles:
The Best Crime Documentaries on Netflix
The Best Hulu Documentaries To Stream When You’ve Watched Everything Else!
