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CineRank

Best Documentary Movies of the 1980s

This collection ranks 2,871 documentary movies released in the 1980s. The list is ranked using a weighted combination of audience ratings, vote volume and popularity data, so movies with only a handful of votes never outrank widely acclaimed films. The #1 film is Stop Making Sense.

2,871 qualifying moviesRanked using a weighted combination of ratings, vote volume and popularity data

  2. 2

    Shoah

    1985· 9h 26m· fr

    8.2223
  7. 7

    Roger & Me

    1989· 1h 31m· en

    7.1324
  11. 11

    Live Aid

    1985· 16h 0m· en

    7.952
  14. 14

    Lighting

    1988· 47m· sv

    —0
  16. 16

    Chronos

    1985· 43m· en

    7.590
  22. 22

    Style Wars

    1984· 1h 10m· en

    7.558
  24. 24

    Homework

    1989· 1h 18m· fa

    7.544
  25. 25

    Powaqqatsi

    1988· 1h 40m· en

    7.3178
  30. 30

    Tokyo-Ga

    1985· 1h 32m· de

    7.1103
  43. 43

    Hero

    1986· 1h 23m· en

    7.622
  45. 45

    28 Up

    1984· 2h 16m· en

    7.576

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Frequently asked questions

How many documentary movies came out in the 1980s?

2,871 documentary movies from the 1980s carry real rating data.

How are these documentary films ranked?

By a weighted score combining audience ratings, vote volume and popularity. Movies with very few votes are statistically shrunk toward the global average, so they cannot dominate the top of the list.

What is the highest-rated documentary movie of the 1980s?

Stop Making Sense holds the top position in this collection.