Hulu may not unleash a ton of documentaries each month, but it does have a pretty extensive library of films that could rival many other streamers in terms of scope. True crime and celebrity profiles appear to be the most popular types of documentaries on Hulu, but the streamer does offer some other alternatives.
The latest addition to Hulu’s lineup is Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, which explores the life of the woman who was killed during the infamous on-set accident on the western movie called Rust. Our other pick is Becoming Bond, a look at the unlikely journey that elevated an unknown actor into the role of the world’s most famous super spy.
You can find all of these films and more among our roundup of the best documentaries on Hulu right now.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
And while you’re here, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Disney Bundle, which gets you Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for just $17 a month. That’s basically the same price for two of the services, with the third being essentially free. Sweet. If Hulu doesn’t have what you’re looking for, we’ve also rounded up the best documentaries on Amazon Prime Video and the best documentaries on Netflix.
Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna (2025)
67%
6.8/10The senseless tragedy on the set of Rust has largely revolved around the trials of Alex Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. The story of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has been lost in the shuffle. That’s why Hutchins’ friend, Rachel Mason, put together the documentary Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna to shed some light on the life of the woman they loved. Although Baldwin declined to participate in this film, Mason was allowed to be on set during the resumed production of Rust and to interview several people who knew Hutchins and were present when she died. It doesn’t answer every question about how this incident happened, but it does give Hutchins one final bow on the project that will always be associated with her.
Becoming Bond (2017)
65%
7.5/10Becoming Bond is less the story of how George Lazenby became James Bond and more about why he felt he had to become 007 and the first actor to follow Sean Connery in the iconic role.
Through interviews with Lazenby himself and actor recreations, the events that shaped his view of himself and what he had to do to transcend his limitations are explored through the lens of the film. Getting cast as Bond was an improbable choice for a man who wasn’t an actor beforehand, and yet the movie’s narrative demonstrates how it was the culmination of the life changes he was trying to make.
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (2024)
77%
6.4/10Tegan and Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara fame have enjoyed a close relationship with their fans for a long time. As shown in Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, some of that closeness came back to bite them. Around 15 years ago, someone hacked Tegan Quin’s email and began using it to correspond with fans and foster relationships with them completely under the nose of the real Tegan.
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (2023)
6.6/10This is a very short documentary at just under an hour, but it does offer some insight into Kojima’s endlessly creative mind. Some of Kojima’s friends and collaborators — including Guillermo del Toro, George Miller, and Grimes — also share their thoughts about working with him.
Blink (2024)
69%
7.2/10Blink has the unenviable task of presenting an unfolding tragedy while also trying to maintain an uplifting tone. This film centers on Mia, Leo, Colin, and Laurent Pelletier, the children of Edith Lemay and Sebastian Pelletier. Aside from Leo, the children have all been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable condition that will ultimately claim their sight.
With no hope of treating their children, Edith and Sebastian take them on a trip around the world to experience as many memorable sights as possible. The day is going to come when darkness will be the only thing that these kids can see. And not all of them are old enough to fully understand what’s going to happen when they get older.
Sugarcane (2024)
90%
7.2/10Sugarcane ventures into dark territory by exploring the crimes against humanity that took place at St. Joseph’s Mission residential school. St Joseph’s was one of the many institutions created to indoctrinate Indigenous children against their own Native culture in Canada and the United States.
Some of the most horrific abuse took place at St. Joseph’s, as accounts of sexual abuse and even murder are shared. In one of the documentary’s most chilling moments, it recounts the discovery of 200 potential unmarked graves located at another church-run school. The damage occurred for generations, and its impact is still felt in the present as survivors share their stories.
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2024)
7.1/10Calling Anita Pallenberg a “groupie” is completely underselling her importance to The Rolling Stones during their formative years in the ’60s. A better way to put it is that Pallenberg was the muse of the Stones, and also the lover of Brian Jones before she had a long relationship with Keith Richards.
Scarlett Johansson narrates Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, which is based upon Pallenberg’s unreleased autobiography, Black Magic. With the participation of Pallenberg’s family, audio recordings allow the actress and model to share her own story. She may not have been a member of the band, but the Rolling Stones wouldn’t have been the same without Pallenberg.
Food, Inc. 2 (2024)
70%
6.7/10Fifteen years after their Oscar-nominated film Food, Inc., Robert Kenner and Melissa Robledo are back with a sequel, Food, Inc. 2, which offers an occasionally unsettling behind-the-scenes look at how our foods are made or harvested, and the corporations that control the vast majority of it.
Things have only gotten worse since the pandemic, as the filmmakers explore how consolidation has only given the corporations more power while exposing just how vulnerable the food system really is. If you were wondering why the grocery shelves were empty during the pandemic, you’ll see what that looked like from the other side here.
Brats (2024)
68%
6.6/10For all of the talk about a “Brat summer” in 2024, nothing compares to the way that the Brat Pack had a Brat decade in the ’80s. Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy were the hot young stars of the era. Yet, their fellow Brat Pack member, Andrew McCarthy, felt like the odd man out.
It’s McCarthy who brings together most of the Brat Pack for Brats, which looks back at that time in their lives and share some behind-the-scenes stories about their rise to stardom. Although Ringwald, Nelson, and Hall declined to participate in the film, the documentary is still a fascinating examination of their collective youth.
Print It Black (2024)
7.0/10Despite sharing a similar name to one of the most famous songs by the Rolling Stones, Print It Black doesn’t have anything to do with one of the U.K.’s most storied bands. Instead, this documentary revolves around the aftermath of the 2022 school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.
Kimberly Rubio, one of the local reporters, lost her child, Lexi, in the shooting. As the local media attempts to grapple with the enormous tragedy, Rubio emerges as a gun reform advocate while the other families of the victims search for answers and accountability.
The Stones and Brian Jones (2024)
75%
7.0/10When anyone thinks of the Rolling Stones, the first two names that come to mind are Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Only true students of rock history would mention Brian Jones, the man who founded the group and was a member before Jagger and Richards even joined the band. Jones also coined the Rolling Stones’ name, which initially left out the “g.”
The Stones and Brian Jones chronicles Jones’ seven-year tenure with the Rolling Stones, as well as his personal and professional struggles with Jagger and Richards as they took over the leadership of the group. Jones’ battle with addiction issues are also chronicled, in addition to his final days with the band and subsequent death soon thereafter. The film finally tells Jones’ story, and makes a case for his place among the legends of rock.
Black Twitter: A People's History (2024)
Twitter is quite literally not what it used to be since Elon Musk took over the social media giant. The recently renamed X is also struggling to regain the relevance it once had. Hulu’s Black Twitter: A People’s History takes a look at the Black subculture on Twitter that gave rise to numerous memes and social media superstars.
The miniseries also touches on Black Twitter’s role in the rise of Black Lives Matter and other social justice causes that were amplified on social media. For years, the site was a cultural touchstone, and now, nobody is certain how long X can sustain itself.
Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons (2024)
7.3/10Joan Baez: I Am a Noise (2023)
75%
7.0/10In the opening line of her memoir, Joan Baez was the first to admit that she’s been blessed with an extraordinary singing voice. But Baez’s talents aren’t limited to music, and she’s used her fame and platform to advocate for various causes to help shape a better world. Now, at the closing chapter of her 60-year career, Baez is sharing her life story in the documentary film Joan Baez: I Am a Noise.
During the present-day recordings, Baez opens up about her personal life in a way she hasn’t before. The documentary also features previously unreleased footage of Baez, as well as her diaries and therapy tapes in order to fully paint the picture of what she was going through at different times in her life. Now, Baez gets to write her own ending on her own terms.
The Lady Bird Diaries (2023)
Fire of Love (2022)
7.6/10The League (2023)
7.6/10Not Going Quietly (2021)
7.8/10The Jewel Thief (2023)
Too Funny to Fail: The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show (2017)
7.7/10Look At Me: XXXTentacion (2022)
75%
7.2/10Rapper XXXTentacion was killed during a robbery at the age of 20. Despite his brief life, the rapper became widely known for hit songs such as Sad, a more depressing, inwards look at a hip-hop star. He also became equally known for a variety of horrendous acts such as when he was awaiting trial on felony charges of aggravated battery and home invasion at the time of his murder, he allegedly beat his pregnant girlfriend.
The documentary takes an unflinching look at XXXTentacion’s brief time in the spotlight, for better or worse. There is a redemptive arc in the movie, but it’s always balanced by the fact that the rapper did some terrible things during his life, and that will always be an inescapable part of a legacy still resonating in the hip-hop world.
GameStop: Rise of the Players (2022)
50%
5.8/10GameStop has seemed to be forgotten by the vast majority of people, but not by investors. Recently, they put the short squeeze on GameStop, leading the stock to rise by more than 2,500%.
GameStop: Rise of the Players chronicles the squeeze from the perspective of those involved, documenting a historic moment on Wall Street. Most of the time, the documentary upholds the investors as heroes, which doesn’t quite give the full picture. Nevertheless, it’s always endearing to see individuals try to take on billionaire behemoths.
Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
96%
8/10The First Wave (2021)
85%
6.7/10Dead Asleep (2021)
Jacinta (2021)
Totally Under Control (2020)
80%
7.6/10Homeroom (2021)
68%
5.3/10McCartney 3, 2, 1 (2021)
WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021)
Sasquatch (2021)
76%
6.2/10kid 90 (2021)
67%
6.8/10Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself (2020)
82%
8.2/10I Am Greta (2020)
69%
7.7/10Minding the Gap (2018)
89%
8/10Fyre Fraud (2019)
66%
6.8/10We Are Freestyle Love Supreme (2020)
67%
6.9/10
