Content from Showtime Documentary Films

This profile of legendary funk/R&B icon Rick James captures the peaks and valleys of his storied career to reveal a complicated and rebellious soul, driven to share his talent with the world.

Acclaimed director Sacha Jenkins shines a spotlight on the life and rhymes of the 'clown prince of hip-hop', Biz Markie, best known for his Top 40 hit, "Just a Friend." A who's who of legends like rappers Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E Fresh and actor/comedian Tracy Morgan share how Markie's playful approach to the genre made him a hip-hop icon and left an indelible mark in the world of music.

How do the well-meaning and highly educated men and women of America’s foreign policy elite, dreaming of doing good in the world, so often find themselves presiding over disastrous wars and genocides? Master filmmaker Dror Moreh takes us deep inside the three decades of American foreign policy since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a period of almost constant war and mass killing

A portrait of musician David Johansen from Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi featuring a live performance at Café Carlyle in New York City, where he performs as Buster Poindexter singing the Johansen songbook, along with new and archival interviews.

A political thriller examining the complex relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and how the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi amplified entanglements between the two countries.

On the heels of The New York Times' breaking news story revealing new information about President Trump’s financial history, David Barstow, Russell Buettner and Susanne Craig expose the untold story of how Donald Trump became rich.

Documentary examining the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued.

Hidden from public view, a war is raging inside the diamond industry. When filmmaker Jason Kohn infiltrates this highly secretive world, he uncovers a vast, far reaching crime that threatens the value of every diamond ever mined. At stake is nothing less than the universal symbol of love and commitment - the engagement ring.

This documentary covers the span of George Michael's entire career, concentrating on the formative period in the late Grammy® Award winner’s life and career, leading up to and following the making of his acclaimed, best-selling album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” and his subsequent, infamous High Court battle with his record label that followed, while also becoming poignantly personal about the death of his late partner and first love, Anselmo Feleppa.

Filmmaker Amy Berg sheds light on the sexual, financial and spiritual abuses heaped upon members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by their former leader, Warren Jeffs.

The historic story of whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Shot over two years and featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes verité with Manning, the film picks up on the momentous day in May when she leaves prison and follows her through her journey of discovery.

An examination of the notorious high priest of LSD Timothy Leary through the eyes of his famed lover Joanna Harcourt-Smith.

Using previously unheard audiotapes recorded shortly after John Belushi’s death, director R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature examines the too-short life of the once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny bones of devoted audiences.

How did a college dropout who was arrested for a DUI twice in the same year become the single-most-powerful nonpresidential political figure in American history? Filmmakers R. J. Cutler and Greg Finton answer that question and others in what is sure to be the definitive film about the fascinating life and legacy of Dick Cheney.

This documentary unveils previously unseen footage of Jimi Hendrix's seminal performance at the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival on July 4th, 1970, playing his greatest hits in front of nearly 500,000 people. With interviews from Hendrix and his fellow musicians, including Paul McCartney and Mitch Mitchell, the insight they provide casts a new light into the musician's personality and genius at the juncture of this important cultural gathering, hailed as the 'Southern Woodstock'.

The life and tragic death of Whitney Houston.

This revealing portrait of comedian, activist, pop-culture icon and thought leader Dick Gregory documents his many personal reinventions throughout the decades, from celebrity to civil rights hero and beyond, while hearing from the incredible entertainers who have been inspired by his blueprint.

A look at the life and work of Charlie Chaplin in his own words featuring an in-depth interview he gave to Life magazine in 1966.

An in-depth look at famed tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. No other coach has matched his success, his dominance or his fame. His greatness, though, came at a terrible price.

Follows the largest prison uprising in US history, conducting dozens of new interviews with inmates, journalists, and other witnesses.

During his nearly 50 years in show business, Bill Cosby became one of America's most recognizable black celebrities: his career was a model of excellence for millions of Americans, until the painful testimonies of dozens of women uncovered the sinister grimace behind the smile of the so-called America's dad.

A four-part documentary series that explores the many surprisingly unexamined aspects of the Reagan White House, and how Nancy Reagan's paper-doll image was at odds with the power she ultimately wielded throughout her husband's presidency.

A five-part docu-series following a veteran group of former GOP operatives and strategists known publicly as the Lincoln Project. The fastest-growing super PAC in America takes on the task of “saving democracy” and defeating their own party’s sitting president, Donald Trump. While working to accomplish their stated goal of “defeating Trumpism,” the group is shaken by internal upheaval, a sexual harassment scandal, and a tidal wave of negative press.

Juicy four-part docuseries on the rise of tabloid media and the cut-throat players who blew up the news. Dig into the ascent of Rupert Murdoch and America’s insatiable appetite for dirt – featuring Cindy Adams and a who’s-who of insider interviews.

The gripping story of Eileen Franklin who, while playing with her young daughter, suddenly had a memory of witnessing the rape and murder of her childhood best friend, 8-year-old Susan Nason, which led to a re-opening of a case that had gone unsolved for nearly 20 years.

A powerful portrait of tribal members and their communities within Big Horn County, Montana battling an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) that has been prevalent since colonization. This docuseries examines the circumstances surrounding many of these cases, told solely through the perspectives of those involved: Native families, Native journalists, and local law enforcement officers.

This three-part documentary series profiles hip-hop artist Tekashi 6ix9ine's epic rise to notoriety. Director Karam Gill examines the culture of manufactured celebrity through 6ix9ine's mastery of social media.

Four-part docu-series following the search for one man, Richard Scott Smith, who over the past 20 years used the internet and his dubious charms to prey upon unsuspecting women in search of love — conning them out of their money and dignity.

A four-part docuseries that sheds new light on the infamous 1958 Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate murder case, in which the teenage couple was charged and convicted of brutally killing 11 victims at random.