Top 100 Netflix Documentaries to Watch Right Now (#75 to #71)

Halfway through the list and I’m realizing I need to watch some of these again. The docs in this batch range from 84% to 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means critics are firmly on board. Let me tell you about the next five.

Netflix Documentary #75 — The Social Dilemma

2020 | Film | Directed by Jeff Orlowski

84% on RT and one I think everyone should watch. Former employees of Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other tech giants blow the whistle on how social media is designed to manipulate you. The doc dramatizes the algorithms that keep you scrolling, and after watching it, you’ll look at your phone differently. Orlowski makes complex tech concepts accessible without dumbing them down.

Netflix Documentary #74 — Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

2025 | Film | Directed by Skye Borgman

85% from critics. CRAZZZY. That’s the only word for this one. A high school catfishing case that spirals into territory you absolutely will not see coming. Skye Borgman (who also directed Abducted in Plain Sight on this list) has a knack for finding stories that make you question everything. I was yelling at my TV. You will too.

Netflix Documentary #73 — Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case

2023 | Film | Directed by Hyoe Yamamoto

86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The disappearance of British hostess Lucie Blackman in Tokyo in 2000 is one of those cases that haunted international news for years. This doc reconstructs what happened with meticulous detail and cultural sensitivity, exploring the seedy underbelly of Tokyo’s nightlife district. It’s a slow burn that rewards your patience.

Netflix Documentary #72 — American Murder: The Family Next Door

2020 | Film | Directed by Jenny Popplewell

87% from critics. The Chris Watts case — he murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters — told entirely through social media posts, text messages, body cam footage, and home videos. No talking heads, no narrator. The documentary technique is what makes this one special. You watch a family’s life through their own digital footprint, knowing how it ends. Absolutely devastating.

Netflix Documentary #71 — Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

2021 | Film | Directed by Joshua Rofé

88% on RT. You think you know Bob Ross? You don’t. Behind the happy little trees and the soothing voice was a brutal business battle over his name, likeness, and legacy. The people closest to him paint a picture (sorry, had to) of betrayal that will genuinely shock you. This doc takes a beloved cultural icon and reveals the darkness lurking behind the canvas.

The Complete Top 100 Netflix Documentary Countdown

The middle of the list and every single one is worth your evening. Let me know in the comments which ones you’ve seen and which ones I need to re-evaluate. But know this. I love each and every one of you. How do you know this? Because right now… I’m sitting at my computer… typing this to you. And it’s a saturday… and I could be out mowing my lawn. But instead, I’m handing you my free list of my documentaries I’m exploring one by one.

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