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The best documentaries on HBO Max right now

Right now the best documentaries and docuseries on HBO Max in the United States are Planet Earth (2006), Planet Earth II (2016) and Blue Planet II (2017). This is the top 30 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for meAllFilmsSeries

  1. 9. Friends: The Reunion2021

    Film · 1h 44mDocumentary, Comedy★ 7.8

    The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.

    Stream onHBO Max

  2. 11. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts2022

    Film · 1h 43mDocumentary★ 7.3

    An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.

    Stream onHBO Max

  3. 18. Paris Is Burning1991

    Film · 1h 18mDocumentary, History★ 8.0

    Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene.

    Stream onHBO MaxShout! Factory TV (free)YouTube Free (free)Plex (free)+1

  4. 20. Jodorowsky's Dune2013

    Film · 1h 27mDocumentary★ 7.8

    In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen.

    Stream onHBO MaxYouTube Free (free)

  5. 21. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story2024

    Film · 1h 44mDocumentary★ 8.1

    Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him…

    Stream onHBO Max

  6. Which of these would you actually like?

    Rate a few films you've seen and every title gets a match score for your taste, with picks from friends who agree with you. Free, about three minutes.

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  7. 26. Cobain: Montage of Heck2015

    Film · 2h 12mDocumentary, Music★ 7.6

    Hailed as one of the most innovative and intimate documentaries of all time, experience Kurt Cobain like never before in the only ever fully authorized portrait of the famed music icon.

    Stream onHBO MaxQello Concerts by Stingray

  8. 27. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief2015

    Film · 2h 0mDocumentary★ 7.6

    The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.

    Stream onHBO MaxHowdyThe CW (free)Kanopy (free)+7

  9. 28. Night and Fog1956

    Film · 32mDocumentary, History★ 8.3

    Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  10. 29. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind2018

    Film · 1h 56mDocumentary★ 7.9

    A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams, told largely through his own words.

    Stream onHBO Max

  11. 30. Diego Maradona2019

    Film · 2h 10mDocumentary★ 7.4

    Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.

    Stream onHBO Max

Questions

What are the best documentaries and docuseries on HBO Max right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: Planet Earth (2006), rated 8.6 out of 10 on TMDB, then Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II.
How is this list made?
Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?
Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

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