21 Best Documentaries on Hulu Right Now (May 2024)

While Hulu used to be better known for its television shows while Netflix was the go-to for movie options, the streaming service has taken big leaps and strides to change that. Today, Hulu is home to an amazing selection of movies, especially documentaries. Providing options for customers of all interests, Hulu has found a way to become a one-stop destination for those seeking incredible non-fiction stories. With so many options now, we’ve determined the best documentaries on Hulu for you, ensuring you’ll be able to settle in and relax with ease.

Looking for more documentaries? Check out our list of the best ones on Netflix and Prime Video, or see our recommendations for the best movies on Hulu.

Editor's note: This article was updated May 2024 to include The Contestant.

'The Contestant' (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% | IMDb: 7.0/10

Clair Titley’s The Contestant is a documentary film exploring the true story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, better known as Nasubi, who unwittingly became the star of one of the world’s first reality shows, a Japanese series called Susunu! Denpa Shōnen. The show’s challenge? To stay alone in an apartment with no possessions (or food) except what he could win by completing magazine sweepstakes. “Nasubi” spent 15 months in isolation, and he wasn’t even aware that his life was being broadcast live to 17 million viewers across Japan. While this may sound like something out of a dystopian novel, The Contestant’s story is very real. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received largely favorable reviews from critics. The Contestant has been praised for the great care it takes in its approach to this real-life story, focusing on the humanity of a person who was turned into live entertainment. While reality TV has always been a target of criticism, this documentary shows you exactly how cruel it can really be.

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'Summer of Soul' (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.0/10

In the summer of 1969, Harlem held a 6-week-long music festival with some of the biggest names in soul music of the day. It was a massive success, hugely popular and recorded. And yet, no one has ever heard of it until now. Maybe because a few hours away there was another festival called Woodstock that would steal all the headlines. Questlove steps out from behind the drum set to direct and produce a fascinating look at this festival that was forgotten by history until the recent discovery of all the footage. He interviews concert attendees, performers, and people who were convinced it was all a dream in the fascinating Oscar nominee. – Jennifer McHugh

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'The Jewel Thief' (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 60% | IMDb: 6.5/10

Not only inspired by incredible true events, The Jewel Thief is an unbelievable first-hand account of one man’s global crime spree. Centering on small-town nerd Gerald Blanchard, who regales with his own history, The Jewel Thief details the man’s journey from a small-town thief to a money-making machine before becoming an international criminal mastermind. Featuring in-depth interviews with Blanchard and his mother, as well as the detectives who tracked him across the planet, and dramatic reenactments featuring Joseph Flore as Blanchard, director Landon Van Soest shines a light on this man’s quest for fame and its ultimate costs. – Yael Tygiel

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'Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl' (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 19% | IMDb: 4.4/10

When you’re famous, every detail of your life is out on display for the public eye to scrutinize, and it becomes easy to lose control of the narrative — especially back in the early 2000s when blog culture was on the rise. Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl is a delectable oral history of the height of the It Girl Era when Manhattan elites and corporate royalty like Paris Hilton, Tinsley Mortimer, and Olivia Palermo caught the attention of the nation through their lavish parties and aspirational lifestyles — while also being torn down by popular bloggers like Perez Hilton and the anonymous creator of Park Avenue Peerage, who is unmasked in this documentary. For a nostalgic slice of a bygone era, check out this captivating documentary.

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'Aaron Carter: The Little Prince of Pop' (2023)

IMDb: 6.5/10

Aaron Carter: The Little Prince of Pop is a heartbreaking documentary chronicling the incredible life and devastating death of musician Aaron Carter. The documentary not only features archive footage of the young talent but also interviews with the people closest to him, including Carter’s fiancée Melanie Martin, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, and his manager Taylor Helgeson. Exploring the specifics of Carter’s struggles growing up in the spotlight, Aaron Carter: The Little Prince of Pop reveals the more prevalent insidiousness of the entertainment industry as it relates to the intertwining of addiction, mental illness, and fame. – Yael Tygiel

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'All the Streets Are Silent' (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Narrated by Zoo York co-founder Eli Morgan Gesner, All the Streets Are Silent is a fascinating documentary that explores the unexpected convergence of two iconic subcultures. Through interviews with Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka), Run DMC’s Darryl McDaniels, and Moby, as well as professional skateboarders and other creatives, All the Streets Are Silent highlights the synergy built when hip-hop and skateboarding intersected, especially in New York City during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Through footage and memories of the people who lived it, director Jeremy Elkin uncovers the cultural collision and connectivity of these distinct creative styles and languages. – Yael Tygiel

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'The Donut King' (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Sink your sweet tooth into this in-depth journey through the life of Ted Ngoy, Los Angeles’s own Donut King. Director Alice Gu makes her feature film debut with this snappy and detailed recounting of the rise and fall of the man who built an empire of donut shops throughout Los Angeles County by giving Cambodian refugees a place to call home and make a buck. Gu, being an LA native, brings a wonderful perspective to the story and her use of interviews, archival footage, and animation feels like a love letter — not just to her hometown but to the triumph and pride of the American immigrant story. – Tauri Miller

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'Changing the Game' (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.4/10

Director Michael Barnett captures the realities of school sports and the discriminatory challenges for transgender athletes in the timely documentary Changing the Game. Centered on multiple young trans athletes, including Texas State wrestling champion Mack Beggs, Changing the Game allows for a variety of perspectives to be shared, as well as reveals the true range of experiences for these talented individuals. Featuring stories from a Connecticut-based track star who is openly transitioning (Andraya Yearwood) and Sarah Rose Huckman, a New Hampshire-based activist and skier, each path is unique. – Yael Tygiel

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'Leave No Trace' (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 6.8/10

Leave No Trace is a hard but important watch that explores the epidemic of sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts. Told through a combination of interviews with several of the brave survivors and archival footage, the documentary, which was directed by Peabody and Emmy-winning journalist Irene Taylor, meticulously investigates how the organization systematically covered up so much for so long. – Taylor Gates

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'Dead Asleep' (2021)

IMDb: 5.8/10

Looking for true crime with a twist? Boy, do we have the movie for you. Dead Asleep explores the case of Randy Herman Jr., who was convinced of murdering his childhood best friend and roommate Brooke Preston. Herman, however, claims that he was sleepwalking when he killed her and thus can’t be held accountable for her death. Spoiler alert: The documentary never answers the question either way, leading the audience to draw our own conclusions, but it does present some compelling – and shocking – evidence. – Taylor Gates

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