Browse documentary movie and series in New Zealand
Dive into the world of documentary movie and series in New Zealand. From timeless classics to trending hits, explore an exciting collection of titles that define the documentary genre.
Explore critically acclaimed blockbusters, hidden gems, and trending new releases that showcase the diversity and creativity of documentary storytelling. Use our filters to find top-rated titles, recent hits, or beloved classics tailored to your taste.
With Popcorn Time, uncover your next favorite movie or TV show and enjoy the best of documentary entertainment. Start browsing now and bring documentary into your watchlist today!
Movie
Faster is an electrifying tribute to the white-knuckle world of MotoGP™ — the fastest sport on two wheels — where the world’s top riders go wheel to wheel at over 200mph and crash at over 100mph. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, Faster chases two seasons’ worth of the world championship, featuring revealing interviews with riders, mechanics, doctors, commentators and fans. If you want high octane, adrenaline fuelled thrills, Faster will take you on a nerve shredding journey through the most exciting sport on the planet!
Faster (2003 )
Movie
No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. No other feeling comes close. Surfers and secret spots from around the world are profiled in this documentary.
Step Into Liquid (2003 )
- Free
Movie
For two years, filmmaker and music video director Anthony Scarpa followed the all-girl punk rock band Betty Blowtorch, documenting their ferocious sound and dangerously low-tech pyrotechnic shows, unaware of the turmoil and tragedy that he will ultimately capture. From their near rise to the top of the major labels, to their ultimate sad end, this critically-acclaimed rock n roll tragedy features the band Betty Blowtorch, as well as other rockers such as Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver), Vanilla Ice, Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Jennifer Finch (L7), Kevin Baldes (LiT), and many others.
Betty Blowtorch: And Her Amazing True Life Adventures (2003 )
Movie
Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
The Fog of War (2003 )
Movie
Documentary on Bayard Rustin, best-remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003 )
Movie
Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.
The Corporation (2003 )
Movie
An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.
Capturing the Friedmans (2003 )
- Free
Movie
Actresses best known for the power of their lungs in horror classics and cult favorites discuss what it's like to work within the B-movie industry and have a career based in horror.
Something to Scream About (2003 )
Movie
British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind -- and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos' trial.
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003 )
Movie
An Italian documentary that gives an inside look at the making of Ruggero Deodato's controversial horror film "Cannibal Holocaust".
In the Jungle: The Making Of Cannibal Holocaust (2003 )
Movie
Coral Reef Adventure follows the real-life expedition of ocean explorers and underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall. Using large-format cameras, the Halls guide us to the islands and sun-drenched waters of the South Pacific to document the health and beauty of coral reefs. Featuring songs written and recorded by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Coral Reef Adventure (2003 )
Movie
Mama/M.A.M.A.: Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy is the provocative investigation of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, a perplexing psychological disorder where a mother secretly but deliberately harms her child in order to get the sympathy and praise of others and the attention of the medical community. The film -- made over the course of three years and two continents -- scrutinizes the scientific research surrounding the diagnosis of Munchausen's and, in doing so, questions the very diagnosis itself. The filmmakers document the struggles of three average families battling the charge of Munchausen's with various, tragic results.
Mama/M.A.M.A. (2003 )
Movie
Uan Muhuggiag is a place in the central Sahara located in Libya, and the name of the mummy of a small boy found there in 1958 by Professor Fabrizio Mori. The mummy displays a highly sophisticated mummification technique, and at around 5,500 years old is older than any comparable Ancient Egyptian mummy.
The Mystery of the Black Mummy (2003 )
Movie
Narrated by Gabriel Byrne (Usual Suspects, Vanity Fair, Miller's Crossing), this seven-time Best Documentary award-winning film (Silver Lake Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival) is the most comprehensive and mind-blowing investigation of humankind's relationship with death ever captured on film. Hailed by many viewers as a "life-transformational film," Flight from Death uncovers death anxiety as a possible root cause of many of our behaviors on a psychological, spiritual, and cultural level. Following the work of the late cultural anthropologist, Ernest Becker, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Denial of Death, this documentary explores the ongoing research of a group of social psychologists that may forever change the way we look at ourselves and the world. Over the last twenty-five years, this team of researchers has conducted over 300 laboratory studies, which substantiate Becker's claim that death anxiety is a primary motivator of human behavior...
Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality (2003 )
- Free
TV Show
Experienced car dealer Mike Brewer is joined by multi-talented mechanics in a monumental motoring mission: to find and restore iconic cars to later sell for a profit at their LA-based shop. In the series, Mike has the challenging job of finding vehicles that have money-making potential. He then hands them over to a mechanic, who tackles everything from bare metal re-sprays to gearbox swaps to bring them back to their former glory.
Wheeler Dealers (2003 )
TV Show
Meet car enthusiast and TV presenter Tim Shaw and master mechanic Fuzz Townshend as they join forces to rescue rusty classic vehicles from their garage prisons
Car S.O.S. (2013 )
TV Show
Deep down, everybody's got something to hide. From the perfect housewife next door to the beloved community pastor, everyone has a few skeletons rattling around in their closet. But what if someone uncovered those skeletons? How far would you go to keep your secret from being spilled? Would you kill? A docudrama that profiles individuals who go to great lengths to hide the skeletons in their closets.
My Dirty Little Secret (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Showcasing the most compelling crimes of yesteryear, when secrets festered, passions ran wild and cops had nothing but shoe-leather and gut instinct to catch a killer. Fashions may change but murder never goes out of style.
A Crime to Remember (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
This extension of the long-running true-crime series 'Snapped' shifts the focus to couples whose passion drives them to commit terrible criminal acts. Using re-creations and gripping firsthand accounts, each episode takes a deep dive into a case, telling the story of the couple's romance, how the relationship evolved from love to manipulation, and what ultimately drove the couple to commit the crime.
Snapped: Killer Couples (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Scientists and amateurs conduct experiments and post their exploits online. Each episode counts down 20 popular Internet videos and explains the science behind them.
Outrageous Acts of Science (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Mark Bowe and his crew of West Virginia master craftsmen salvage antique barns and cabins, reusing the wood to create stunning, modern homes. The Barnwood Builders are devoted to salvaging and will stop at nothing to give 200-year-old structures new life, providing entertainment, inspiration and awe along the way.
Barnwood Builders (2013 )
TV Show
A character-driven documentary and cooking series that takes viewers inside the life of Chef Vivian Howard, who, with her husband Ben Knight, left the big city to open a fine dining restaurant in small-town Eastern North Carolina.
A Chef's Life (2013 )
TV Show
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock provides an insider's view of diverse social and economic issues facing Americans today.
Inside Man (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
The Illegal Eater follows musician and foodie Steven Page as he embarks on a journey to uncover some of the tastiest, creative, illegal food in a city's unlicensed - secret - underground venues. It's in these places where the food is always fresh, local, and the experience is completely authentic.
The Illegal Eater (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Re-join the hardy American prospectors as they go for gold as the massive ice sheet melts on Greenland, revealing immense mineral wealth in the virgin rock.
Ice Cold Gold (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Following an elite crew of workers-- brakemen, engineers, construction crews, mechanics and train drivers – Railroad Alaska illustrates the battle against ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the State of Alaska’s critical 500-mile long railroad rolling to deliver life sustaining supplies. From controlled avalanches to prevent catastrophe, to fascinating characters, like Jim James, the one-handed handy man, learn what it takes to keep this train on track.
Railroad Alaska (2013 )
TV Show
Boston's Finest is an American reality documentary television series on TNT which chronicles the daily operations of the Boston Police Department. An eight-episode season order was announced on May 11, 2012, with the series premiering on February 27, 2013. It was announced in May 2013 that the series has been renewed for a six-episode second season.
Boston's Finest (2013 )
The House That £100k Built (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
In each one-hour episode, Tamron Hall is joined by a core team of correspondents with extensive knowledge of law enforcement and a passion for storytelling. Series goes beyond the headlines to explore not only what happened, but why it happened, and how it was investigated.
Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall (2013 )
TV Show
Some Say competitive fishing is the best sport in the world. But with so many fishermen and so many fishing disciplines how can we find out who is best of the best? This competition isn't just about who catches the most and who catches the biggest. It's also about who hosts the ultimate fishing trip. Each competitor will be proficient in a very different fishing discipline: fly fishing, spear fishing, noodling for instance - and they'll be tasked with laying on the perfect experience. However, one man’s noodling might not be anybody else’s cup of tea. Each host will have to work hard to convince the others that their type of fishing is the best.
King Fishers (2013 )
- Free
TV Show
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.
Mayday (2003 )
- Free
TV Show
72 Hours: True Crime focuses on crime, specifically on the first 72 hours after a crime is committed, a critical time period for solving it. Rather than focus on fictional crimes, as do Law & Order and other TV shows elsewhere, True Crime depicted actual crimes that occurred throughout Canada, using dramatic reenactments and documentary-style footage of crime scenes.
72 Hours: True Crime (2003 )