The Best Documentaries 2024

1. Thug Immortal: The 2Pac Story [Documentary] [Clean] [DVD] [1998]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This collection of documentary releases tells the stories of some of the most epic stories from the Civil War, with cutting edge reenactments of great battles, staged on actual historic battlegrounds in celebration of the War's 150th anniversary.

2. Johnny Cash The Man in Black: A Documentary [DVD] [2005]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

Johnny Cash: The Man in Black documents the career and life of the revered country-music performer. The film touches upon his boyhood and the sad death of his brother, comments upon his time in the military, and spends a good deal of time discussing how he rose to international fame on the strength of such legendary songs as Folsom Prison Blues," "Walk the Line," and "Ring of Fire." The film mixes archival footage alongside interviews with Cash's family members and contemporaries.

3. Find Your Way: A Busker's Documentary [DVD] [2014]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This documentary about Glenn O'Brien's iconoclastic public-access cable television show, which became a showcase for music, art, and political commentary from the downtown new wave scene of the late '70s and early '80s, gets a simple but well-executed presentation on DVD. TV Party: The Documentary was shot on video and has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The new footage is sharp and well-photographed, while the surviving clips from the TV Party show look surprisingly good for public-access footage that's well over 20 years old, though the archive tapes show a certain amount of damage (usually oxide shedding) and the image quality is quite variable. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo, and the poor sound quality of the original shows becomes more of a problem than the images, though the new material sounds fine and the mastering of the material can hardly be blamed. The interviews and archive footage are in English, with no subtitles or multiple language options. The only bonus material included on this release is a four-minute slide show of pictures taken on the set of the show and a trailer for the documentary; while the film is uneven, it does offer a time-capsule look at a variety of New York bohemian culture that's all but vanished, and the disc makes the material look as good as anyone would have a right to expect.

4. La Scala: A Documentary of Performances [DVD] [1990]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This documentary about Glenn O'Brien's iconoclastic public-access cable television show, which became a showcase for music, art, and political commentary from the downtown new wave scene of the late '70s and early '80s, gets a simple but well-executed presentation on DVD. TV Party: The Documentary was shot on video and has been transferred to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The new footage is sharp and well-photographed, while the surviving clips from the TV Party show look surprisingly good for public-access footage that's well over 20 years old, though the archive tapes show a certain amount of damage (usually oxide shedding) and the image quality is quite variable. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo, and the poor sound quality of the original shows becomes more of a problem than the images, though the new material sounds fine and the mastering of the material can hardly be blamed. The interviews and archive footage are in English, with no subtitles or multiple language options. The only bonus material included on this release is a four-minute slide show of pictures taken on the set of the show and a trailer for the documentary; while the film is uneven, it does offer a time-capsule look at a variety of New York bohemian culture that's all but vanished, and the disc makes the material look as good as anyone would have a right to expect.

5. The Battle of San Pietro Plus Rare WWII Documentaries [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

Throughout history, few minorities have fallen prey to as much abuse, disenfranchisement, manipulation and savagery as Native Americans. Violently driven out of their indigenous lands by invasive American and British governments that disregarded their claims as rightful territorial owners, the tribes suffered further indignity by getting relegated to footnotes in American history books. This compilation of four disparate but thematically-linked documentaries from the Mill Creek label works toward preserving the Native American legacy. As narrated by James Earl Jones (with additional vocal work by James Garner and Crystal Gayle), the first film - 2006's Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy - travels back to 1830, when President Andrew Jackson set forth the controversial Indian Removal Act that drove the Cherokee people from their homelands. The second film, 1997's Native American Healing in the 21st Century, offers a sweeping look at the groundbreaking healing methods employed by Native Americans, and traces their contributions to modern medicine. The third documentary, 2000's Black Indians: An American Story, again features narration by James Earl Jones, in its tale of an unusual and oft-overlooked ethnic subculture in the U.S. that blends Native American and African American heritages. Finally, the 2008 Our Spirits Don't Speak English: Indian Boarding School delves into the uniquely Native American perspective on boarding schools, and relays the sad tale of how many tribal children were snatched out of their homes by the U.S. government and forcibly reeducated in the ways of Western society.

6. World War II Documentary Double Feature: Report From the Aleutians/Target for Today [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This performance by the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic includes selections from such revered composers and performers as Claude DeBussy, Edith Piaf, Ennio Morricone, Maurice Ravel, and The Beatles.

7. World War II Movies & Documentaries: 30 Movies, 21 Documentaries [6 Discs] [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

Use your Showtime gift card to get instant access to commercial-free, award-winning original series, movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more. Stream live or on-demand TV on your favorite devices, get all-new episodes when they first premiere, or catch up on full seasons and complete series. No TV package is required. This item cannot be returned or refunded, please visit Best Buy Return Policy to learn more.

8. In Your Dreams [Documentary] [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

From the camera of celebrated French documentarians Jean-Pierre Bruneau and Jose Reynes, and in the tradition of The Buena Vista Social Club, comes the exhilarating musical documentary Louisiana Blues. From the backwoods of Baton Rouge to the heart the Big Easy, creole and Cajun music have endured despite years of tumult. This film explores not only the musicians who continue to produce this music, but the climate, culture, and way of life that have shaped them. Innumerable zydeco superstars appear onscreen and deliver legendary performances, including Beau Jocque, D.L. Menard, and Zydeco Joe.

9. Archives of War: Rare World War II Documentaries, 1942-1951 [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This collection of war documentaries from luminary filmmaker John Huston have been digitally restored and each short paints a rare portrait of life behind the frontlines of World War II. Included in this special collection are the films Report from the Aleutians, San Pietro, and the legendary Let There Be Light.

10. World War II: Documentary Double Feature - The Battle of Midway/Tunisian Victory [DVD]

Compatible with your television, streaming devices, computer, tablet, or smartphone; redeemable for watching movies, documentaries, sports, comedies and more; $50 value

This performance by the 12 cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic includes selections from such revered composers and performers as Claude DeBussy, Edith Piaf, Ennio Morricone, Maurice Ravel, and The Beatles.