Best French documentary series
Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch documentary shows from France, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The Staircase 2004
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson's lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. The series is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller.
75Tour de France: Unchained 2023
Through tears and triumph, this series follows several cycling teams as they compete in the 2022 installment of the world's most grueling bike race.
76Apocalypse: The Second World War 2009
A six-part French documentary about the Second World War composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens. The series is shown in color, with the black and white footage being fully colorized, save for some original color footage. The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes, which are presented in the original black and white.
84Once Upon a Time... Life 1987
Attention please! Are you ready for an adventurous tour through the human body? With a lot of humour, our physical appearance is being introduced from head to toe along cells and organs in an educational way. The heart, blood, nerves and kidneys, each single one is a miracle which renders life possible.
78November 13: Attack on Paris 2018
Survivors and first responders share personal stories of anguish, kindness and bravery that unfolded amid the Paris terror attacks of Nov. 13, 2015.
78Who Killed Little Gregory? 2019
When their 4-year-old son is murdered, a young couple fights a twisting and arduous battle trying to identify a frustratingly elusive killer.
71Apocalypse: World War I 2014
Colorized historical footage in ascending order of World War 1. Not only the relatively known Flanders and France battles, but also the generally unknown Italian-Austrian, German-Polish-Russian, Japanese-German, Ottoman Empire- Allied and African German Colonies, and other unknown or forgotten fronts and battles.
82Orelsan: Never Show This to Anyone 2021
In the early 2000s, Aurelien Cotentin is a young middle-class man from Caen with an uncertain future. When he gets into rap music with his friends, he's really starting from the bottom. Yet, through hardships, controversies and constantly being filmed by his admiring little brother, Aurelien becomes Orelsan, one of the most popular French artists of his generation, changing the rap genre forever.
78Monique Olivier: Accessory to Evil 2023
From 1987 to 2003, Michel Fourniret cemented his legacy as France’s most infamous murderer. But his wife was an enigma: Was she a pawn or a participant?
70Raël: The Alien Prophet 2024
Featuring interviews with his followers, critics and Raël himself, this docuseries traces how a UFO-inspired religion spiraled into a controversial cult.
67Apocalypse: The Rise of Hitler 2011
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was a mediocre who rose to power because of the blindness and ignorance of the Germans, who believed he was nothing more than an eccentric dreamer. But when the crisis of 1929 devastated the economy, the population, fearful of chaos and communism, voted for him. And no one defended democracy. As the dictatorship extended its relentless shadow, the leader claimed peace, but was preparing the Apocalypse.
75The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare 2024
A tragic affair of child abuse and judicial disaster, this docuseries revisits the Outreau case, one of the biggest scandals in French history.
67Squeezie: Thanks Internet 2024
At 27 years old, Lucas Hauchard—better known as Squeezie—is a video creator, with over 18 million subscribers on YouTube. From the early days of his start in his childhood bedroom to the Grand Prix Explorer, he has become the icon of a generation. His friend and director Théodore has filmed all of his adventures, giving us an exclusif portrait of a young geek who rose to the top.
78The Billionaire, the Butler, and the Boyfriend 2023
How did a conflict between the world's wealthiest woman and her daughter spiral into national scandal? This riveting docuseries tells the whole story.
71Room 2806: The Accusation 2020
This docuseries follows the 2011 sexual assault case involving French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the height of his career.
66DJ Mehdi: Made in France 2024
Self-taught composer, turntable prodigy, and visionary producer, DJ Mehdi was the only French artist to bridge the gap between two seemingly opposing worlds: rap and electro. Thirteen years after his sudden passing, this documentary series, directed by his childhood friend Thibaut de Longeville, sheds light on the role of this free spirit in the rise of these two musical scenes in France during the 1990s and 2000s.
89From Rock Star to Killer 2025
In 2003, rock singer Bertrand Cantat killed his partner, actress Marie Trintignant. This documentary revisits the case that divided a nation.
68Apocalypse: Stalin 2015
The rise of Stalin, from his early beginning as a bankrobber to the cold-blooded leader of the Soviet Union.
76Once Upon a Time... The Discoverers 1994
From flashes of genius to curious experiments, humankind's innovations lead explorers and inventors on a brilliant journey of discovery in this series.
70Chroma 2016
A chronicle of movies on Dailymotion with each episode focusing on a particular movie.
89Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. 2025
2013: four Frenchmen are arrested in Punta Cana with 700 kg of cocaine — none fit the trafficker profile. This documentary asks: who was behind the bust?
67Once Upon a Time... The Explorers 1996
Il était une fois... les Explorateurs is a French animated TV series from 1996. Directed by Albert Barillé.
71Age of Tanks 2017
The history of military tanks unfolds in a documentary series that traces their role in history and geopolitics from World War I to the 21st century.
67Einsatzgruppen: The Nazi Death Squads 2009
This documentary series examines the Einsatzgruppen, Nazis responsible for the mass murder of Jews, Romani and Soviet prisoners in Eastern Europe.
66Apocalypse: War of Worlds (1945-1991) 2019
The story of this fantastic period of history between 1945 and 1991, which was defined by the confrontation of two worlds and two systems. The capitalist West, dominated by the ever-powerful United States, is pitted against the Communist East, the Soviet Empire.
78Great Greek Myths 2016
Based on original animation and selected iconographies throughout art history, this series of twenty episodes tells the Greek myths. An all-picture creation, which features the fascinating destinies of gods, heroes, and great figures of mythology.
77J'irai dormir chez vous 2005
81Once Upon a Time... The Americas 1992
"Once upon a time ... the Americas" tells us the story of this vast continent, from the very first inhabitants to the present day, including the Aztecs and the Incas, the conquistadors, the war of independence or the gold Rush. Through our usual sympathetic heroes (Maestro, Pierrot, Petit Gros, le Teigneux, le Nabot, etc.), we travel from time to time, always with the aim of teaching us something.
63Apocalypse: Hitler Takes on the West 2021
May 10th, 1940, Hitler takes on the West. Will he precipitate Europe into the Apocalypse?
72Narco Wars 2020
Narco Wars explores how opportunistic smuggling networks in Latin America turned into powerful and ruthless drug cartels with the power to destabilize and tear apart whole countries. The series combines gripping access to cartel members and the law enforcement agencies opposing them with a deep dive documentary exploration of the geo-political, social and cultural factors that led the cartels' rise.
66Faites entrer l'accusé 2000
A look back at a criminal case that made the court record. Each episode recounts one of the major French criminal cases tried since the 1950s.
72Apocalypse: Hitler Takes on the East 2021
In June 1941, Hitler took his greatest gamble - launching an attack against the Soviet Union. Despite being the largest German operation of WWII, Operation Barbarossa was one of his biggest failures.
72It's Not Rocket Science! 1993
C'est pas sorcier is a French educational television program that originally aired from November 5, 1994 to present.
77Breaking the Bank: One Trader, 50 Billion 2024
Jérôme Kerviel – the trader who hid €50 billion in trades at a major international bank – and his former superiors reveal all sides of the scandal.
73Japan: Between Earth & Sky 2018
Discover some the most beautiful sites in the Japan, the great spectacle of nature and the subtle balance that prevails between tradition and modernity.
72Life Force 2010
Extraordinary show that reveals how forces of nature through sheer power of evolution shaped life in all it's unexpected and glorious forms, and filled our planet with amazing diversity of animals and plants.
78Mapping the World 1990
Then complex world of geopolitics broken down into ten minute, bite-sized chunks. You'll never sound uninformed at the dinner table ever again.
82Rendez-vous in an Unknown Land 2004
77Dunkirk 2004
Major factual drama telling the story of history's greatest maritime evacuation, after the World War II Battle of Dunkirk in May and June 1940.
66Apocalypse: D-Day 2024
6 June 1944. A titanic fleet launched an assault on the beaches of Normandy. Objective: to liberate Europe from Hitler's yoke. Drawing on the lessons learned from the Dieppe raid in August 1942, the mission was a spectacular success.
67Journey into Maths Country 2021
Math is an exotic and confusing country. We speak a bizarre language, full of homeomorphisms, differential varieties, transfinite numbers. But we also find epic landscapes, dizzying ideas and even, sometimes, useful things!
94Narco Circus 2023
83Histoire(s) du cinéma 1989
An 8-part documentary chronicling the history of cinema, examining the history of the concept of cinema and how both relates to the 20th century.
69Apollo: Back to the Moon 2019
irected by François Pomès, this two-part documentary chronicles the epic adventure of the Apollo space program, which included both tragic setbacks and historic successes. The first phase takes place against a backdrop of the Cold War, from the disaster of the Apollo 1 mission to the triumph of the Apollo 8 mission. The last stage culminates with the Apollo 11 space flight which landed American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. With full-color archival images and 3D reenactments of the mission's key stages, this immersive account details the journey of the men and women who contributed to the celebrated Apollo 11 mission.
66A Musée vous, à musée moi 2018
90Once Upon a Time... Planet Earth 2008
Teenagers, the internationally-recognized characters of the series, will be the heroes of adventures in which they will play an active role. They will be a force for change, faced with situations and problems they need to resolve. The series will be based on facts, yet still primarily entertainment. Through their actions, they directly affect their planet and the resources that must be used responsibly and are not inexhaustible. The series will also help younger audiences to understand that pollution, hunger and water shortages are realities with specific causes – rather than inevitable evils to be dreaded, they are battles to be won with solutions to be found.
58Metrokosmos 2024
100Once Upon a Time... The Objects 2024
Did you know that behind a soccer ball, glasses or a spoon lie treasures of inventiveness and thousands of years of history? Each episode of this new series looks at an object. Through its creation and its developments, through the ages and civilizations, we approach all sciences, from physics to philosophy, including history. Each object of our daily life is the result of a long process and conceals a rich history of knowledge and human adventures. Never again will you look at your stairs, your pants or a computer the same way...
100Europe in Putin's Hands? 2024
328 / 5 000 The Kremlin's strategy consists of infiltrating places of power throughout Europe and securing the services of more or less lucid personalities, more or less aware of what is going on.
100Nus et culottés 2012
66Corleone: A History of la Cosa Nostra 2019
How, from 1974 to 1993, Totò Riina (1930-2017), supreme boss of the Corleone family, ruled by blood and terror over the Sicilian Mafia. An implacable account, based on the testimony of his men and those who fought against them.
75Cash Investigation 2012
Cash Investigation gives new life to investigative investigations by tackling in each new issue different subjects concerning the business world (drug industry, ready to wear, tax havens, neuromarketing, planned obsolescence ...) but also to the managers themselves.
73Auschwitz, survivors tell their stories 2025
They are among the very few survivors. 44 survivors testify. How do you get out of Auschwitz, how do you rebuild yourself? How do you talk about this ultimate experience and also how do you pass it on?
88The Legends of Paris: A Tale of the 19th Century Artistic Scene 2024
During the turbulent 19th century, a number of brilliant French artists developed the Romantic movement in Paris: writers Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, George Sand, Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire, painter Eugène Delacroix and composer Hector Berlioz, among others, changed the way of looking at art and created enduring works that have inspired the world to this day.
95Top Gear France 2015
Top Gear France is a French TV show about motor vehicles, based on the English original TV show Top Gear. It is broadcast on TNT RMC Découverte and is hosted by French actor Philippe Lellouche, professional racing driver Bruce Jouanny and EDM musician and journalist Yann Larret-Menezo (aka Le Tone).
63A History of Antisemitism 2022
A detailed account of the two millennia of intolerance and persecution suffered by the Jews, from antiquity to the present day.
71Gulag, the Story 2020
A major political, historical, human and economic fact of the 20th century, the Gulag, the extremely punitive Soviet concentration camp system, remains largely unknown.
70Silicon Fucking Valley 2024
78Capitalism in America: The Cult of Wealth 2023
From the Gilded Age to the present day, the history of modern United States of America has been one of wealth and power concentrated into the hands of a few families with enormous fortunes.
85Ramsès le Grand 2024
90Automobile: Ride and Fall 2025
Our cities, transformed a mere century ago to accommodate cars, now want to rid their streets of them. Countries go to war over fuel shortages, and automobiles are at the core of a global ecological crisis. Today, the history of automobile has hit its climax. How did we get here? How did the invention of a single machine reorganize how we work, revolutionize our lifestyles, transform our landscapes, trigger global crises and wreak havoc with the equilibrium of our planet? This documentary series explores the creation and meteoric development of an unprecedented object - the automobile - and its role in mankind’s wild race toward progress.
85Champions 2021
Welcome to the present, past and future of women’s football. This is the docu-series that demonstrates, yet again, that victory and excellence knows no gender.
90L'Armée rouge 2021
90Ancient Megastructures 2011
Ancient Megastructures Collection Discover the secrets of revolutionary structures in Ancient Megastructures. Certain landmarks have captured the imagination and awe of modern-day architects and engineers around the world as they work to solve the mystery of how their ancient forebears were able to construct such beautiful, timeless and revolutionary structures with none of the machines and materials available to modern engineers. From the dreams that inspired them, to the blood and sweat that built them, discover the full story behind eight magnificent structures that forever changed the landscape of architecture: Petra, Alhambra, St.Paul’s Cathedral, Hagia Sophia, Machu Picchu, The Colosseum, Angkor Wat and The Great Pyramid
68Butterfly Effect 2016
Our History is no more than a series of incredible events. From the birth of a thousand-year-old empire to the death of a flourishing civilization, from the creative genius of a handful of men to a worldwide cultural revolution, the most infinitesimal of our decisions can influence the future of humanity. Every episode guides us to revisit a key event, a crossroads in our History where the world swings one way or the other. With spectacular reconstructions created by 3D modeling specialists, every story is told in sequences, which gives new perspective for today.
63Apocalypse: The Fall of Hitler 2023
Summer 1943: Hitler engages in a decisive battle in Kursk to win the war in the East. This is without counting on the pugnacity of the Red Army and the Allied intervention in the West. Month after month, the noose tightens on the Nazi tyrant who refuses to admit defeat and precipitates his country in its fall.
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