The 21 best documentaries of the 21st century (so far)

Not only was March of the Penguins a cute look at penguins, but it was also one of the great explorations of life itself. From the way moms protect their kids to the way dads protect their wives, it remains the holy grail of nature docs to this day. 

Bing Liu's chronicle of kids obsessed with skateboarding balances a study of their lives with some really dope photography. It's less about skating than it is about these kids, though, and their stories are far more interesting than any kickflip ever could be. 

Ava DuVernay provides an analysis of the ways in which the prison system has functioned as a vehicle for racism and hatred. The result makes you feel like you are trapped behind bars, locked in a country that is unwilling to change. 

Who doesn't love Mr. Rodgers? Scrooges and meanies, that's who. Everyone else will settle into this warm cardigan of a doc the same way our TV host delivers lines about empathy and equality. It's one of the best feel-good docs in years. 

A movie about wheat farmers doesn't necessarily sound like a good time. It certainly doesn't sound like it would have any fun moments. But this doc from Agnes Varda is actually a blast, complete with happy accidents and playful camerawork. 

If movies are a form of escapism, then Honeyland is one of the best examples of the medium. A documentary that transports us to the Balkan Mountains, Honeyland follows a beekeeper as she wanders through sun-kissed pastures, open-air farms, and limestone cliffs, all in the name of finding her bees. 

Citizen Four is a long interview with Edward Snowden about how our government spies on people. It's not great filmmaking, but it's great journalism. 

Speaking of great journalism, the subjects of this doc are journalists who uncover a medical scandal that cost dozens of lives in Bucharest. More than that, they are sports journalists who have no business running the story that they did. But they went with their gut, and the results are incredible, incendiary impossible to watch.

If you like it when your documentaries make you sweat, then Man on Wire is the movie for you. The film documents Philippe Petti's tightrope walk across the Twin Towers...without a rope, harness, or anything that would protect him from falling to his death. 

Who knew eating Mcdonald's for a month would make you fat, depressed, and suicidal? Probably everyone. But that doesn't mean this movie doesn't contain insight into what we put in our stomachs. There's plenty in here that has changed and saved lives from one side of the country to the other. 

The doc version of Terrence Malick. Kristen Johnson takes decades worth of footage from around the globe and uses the images to explore notions of life, death and cosmic mystery. There's an air of grandeur that hangs in the balance as if the answer to life's biggest question lies somewhere in the footage. 

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Why on earth would former Rep. Anthony Weiner let a camera follow him around after he got caught sexting with his mistress? It's one of the most bizarre, hilariously complicated questions in movie history. This is one of those rare docs that doesn't just show its subject warts-and-all; it shows its subject warts and more. 

"Directed by Banksy" is the first sign that something is wrong here. Think about it: messing with the truth is kind of the artist's main thing. Either way, this tale of a graffiti artist who rises to fame despite being absolute crap is one of the most interesting of the decade, thanks to Banksy's direction and his patented illusion. 

Only a director like Michael Moore could make a doc about gun control that is funny and heartbreaking, playful and furious. This is the artist at his most complete. 

Persepolis tells the story of an Iranian girl during a time of revolution and war. It's notable for being the first animated doc and would go onto inspire others like Flee and Waltz with Bashir.

The best film on our list. The Act of Killing is also the most brutal, poetic, and serious. It tells the story of a genocide that occurred in 1965 when the Indonesian government hired mobsters to kill anyone who disapproved of their politics. The mobsters reenact their crimes for the camera, and the results are truly horrifying.

Bloodshed is a staggering portrait of Nan Goldin's fight against the opioid crisis, a battle she rages through her photographs and her voice. To see how much one woman can accomplish is enough to make you get off your couch and do something about it, too. 

10 hours of the Beatles writing the Get Back album, and guess what? We wanted more. This glorious time capsule lets us see The Beatles write their music, drink their coffee, and do their work. It really feels like you are in the room with them, walking down the long and winding road of their creative process. 

Scared of heights? Maybe don't watch this documentary about Alex Honnold, the rock climber who scaled Half Dome without any rope—not scared? Check out this doc for some extremely riveting action shots of one man against a cliff. 

Imagine you are going about your day when boom, you find out you have two twin brothers who were separated at birth. Most docs would follow what happens after this reunion, but this one is more interested in the circumstances leading up to the event. That's what makes Three Identical Strangers more than just a crazy story. 

This is a documentary you want to hug. It's so adorable, sweet and lively that I watch it every couple of years. The story of Agnes Varda and J.R. traveling around France, taking pics of the locals and posting them on buildings is one of the purest forms of cinema--one that emphasizes people, cameras, faces and places.