30 Thought-Provoking Documentaries and Performances from 2003 That Will Stir Your Curiosity

Overnight

2003 • 82 min • Budget $550

Documentary

Overnight is a darkly funny and unsettling look at one man's journey to make a Hollywood film. It begins with the promise of success as Troy Duffy, a bartender from Boston, sells his first screenplay, The Boondock Saints.

6.3

7.1

17+

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Living with Michael Jackson: A Tonight Special

2003 • 60 min

Documentary

In a rare interview, Martin Bashir gains exceptional access to Michael Jackson's personal life over eight months, between May 2002 and January 2003.

5.2

5.5

Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie

2003 • 105 min • Box office $604K

Comedy, Documentary

This 2002 documentary showcases the comedic talents of four well-known comedians.

5.9

7.2

13+

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+13

Louis Theroux: Louis and the Brothel

2003 • 77 min

Documentary, TV Movie

For a few weeks, Louis lives among the people who will work at a new brothel opening in Nevada.

6.9

7.5

Louis Theroux: Louis and the Nazis

2003 • 80 min

Documentary, TV Movie

Louis Theroux journeys to California to profile Tom Metzger, a figure known as "the most dangerous racist in America." Theroux spends time with Metzger, his family, and his publicist, documenting their interactions. He follows Metzger to white supremacist rallies and…

7.2

7.7

A Decade Under the Influence

2003 • 110 min • Box office $34K

Documentary

This documentary explores the 1970s as a pivotal decade for American film. Contemporary acclaimed filmmakers share insights with the influential directors who shaped cinema during that era.

7.9

7.6

17+

S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine

2003 • 101 min

Documentary, History, War

This documentary explores the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh, featuring interviews with both former prisoners and guards. It investigates the circumstances surrounding the prison's horrific history and attempts to understand how such atrocities could occur.

7.4

7.2

Step Into Liquid

2003 • 88 min

Documentary, Drama

This documentary profiles surfers and their hidden surf locations worldwide. It offers a unique and compelling experience, unlike anything else.

7.2

7.4

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Comandante

2003 • 99 min

Documentary

For three days, Oliver Stone films with Fidel Castro in Cuba, engaging the president in conversation about his ascent to power, his relationship with Che Guevara, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the current condition of the nation.

6.5

6.9

Windy City Heat

2003 • 92 min

Comedy, Documentary, TV Movie

A man swept up in the allure of Hollywood stardom discovers the film he's starring in is not what it seems.

7.1

7.3

17+

Linkin Park: Live in Texas

2003 • 71 min

Music, Documentary

Linkin Park's *Live in Texas* is their debut live album and third DVD. The set features songs from their albums *Hybrid Theory* and *Meteora*, plus one track from their remix album *Reanimation*. The album reached number 23 on the Billboard…

9.0

8.5

Bukowski: Born Into This

2003 • 115 min

Documentary

John Dullaghan's documentary, *Bukowski: Born Into This*, offers a personal look at the controversial poet alongside an examination of his often troubled life. The film combines archival footage of Bukowski's poetry readings with interviews from notable fans, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti,…

6.7

7.8

17+

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Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon

2003 • 50 min

Documentary, Music

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic album, this documentary details Pink Floyd's creation of "Dark Side of the Moon," guided by original engineer Alan Parsons. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright offer extensive interviews, revealing…

7.4

8.0

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Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks

2004 • 551 min

Documentary

This film closely examines the slow decline of Tiexi, an industrial district in Shenyang that was once a thriving symbol of China's socialist past. As industry shifts, factories in Tiexi are shutting down. Director Wang Bing profiles the workers impacted…

7.7

8.2

Queen Christina

1934 • 99 min • Budget $1M • Box office $2M

Romance, History, Drama

"Ancient Discoveries," a History Channel series that began in December 2003, explores the possibility that many modern inventions have roots in ancient technologies. The show suggests some advancements may have been lost, rediscovered, and redeveloped throughout history, rather than solely…

6.8

7.5

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Once Upon a Time in Mexico

2003 • 102 min • Budget $29M • Box office $98M

Action, Crime, Thriller

CIA agent Sands, operating corruptly, hires the assassin El Mariachi to kill a Mexican general. The general is working for a drug kingpin who is plotting to overthrow the President of Mexico.

6.3

17+

Stream on

+16

With a Right to Kill

2003 • 120 min

Documentary

This documentary examines the Danish resistance's killing of 400 people who informed on them during the Nazi occupation, and the subsequent efforts to conceal these actions.

6.6

7.6

Deep Blue

2003 • 83 min • Budget $5M • Box office $19M

Documentary

Deep Blue is a BBC Natural History Unit documentary film. Using stunning footage, this film takes viewers on an epic journey to explore our oceans and the diverse life within them – a captivating experience for audiences of all ages.

6.8

7.4

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Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

2003 • 132 min

Documentary

A comprehensive and lengthy exploration of the life and work of Charlie Chaplin, the most celebrated comedian in history and a pioneering figure in filmmaking. Produced, written, and directed by acclaimed film critic Richard Schickel.

6.9

7.9

The Five Obstructions

2003 • 90 min • Box office $279K

Documentary

In 1967, filmmaker Jorgen Leth made "The Perfect Human," featuring a man and women in a box, questioned by a narrator about their lives and humanity. Years later, Leth agreed to remake the film five times for Danish director Lars…

6.9

7.4

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The Yes Men

2003 • 80 min

Comedy, Documentary

This sharp and insightful documentary follows a small group of activist pranksters as they become internationally known for their elaborate impersonations of the World Trade Organization. They stage their performances on television and at business events worldwide.

6.9

6.8

17+

Stream on

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

2003 • 89 min

Documentary, Crime

Documentarian Nick Broomfield returns to the story of Aileen Wuornos, the Florida woman convicted of murdering six men between 1989 and 1990. Broomfield interviews Wuornos as she becomes increasingly unstable, exploring the troubled mind of a woman the Florida authorities…

6.7

7.1

17+

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Try Seventeen

2002 • 96 min

Comedy, Romance, Drama

Jones, a recent high school graduate, chooses to pursue his writing by renting a room in a boarding house. He becomes involved with both Lisa, a young actress, and Jane, a photographer. When Jane's ex-boyfriend comes to assist her recovery…

6.2

5.9

17+

Stream on

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood

2003 • 119 min

Documentary, History

This is the true story of Hollywood in the 1970s, a captivating look at the final golden age of American film. It’s a celebration of artistic freedom and bold new ideas, but also a turbulent world fueled by sex, drugs,…

7.1

7.5

14+

The Story of the Weeping Camel

2004 • 91 min

Documentary, Drama

A Mongolian family faces hardship when their new camel colt is rejected by its mother. To resolve this, they seek the help of a musician who performs a ritual intended to persuade the mother to accept her offspring.

7.0

7.4

Envy

2004 • 99 min • Budget $40M • Box office $14M

Comedy

A man struggles with growing jealousy as his friend achieves greater success.

4.9

4.8

13+

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The Corporation

2003 • 145 min • Box office $4M

Documentary

Following a late 18th-century legal ruling that established corporations as legal persons, they have become a powerful force in global economics, politics, and society. This film offers a psychological exploration of this corporate "person" through various real-world examples. The analysis…

7.6

8.0

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The Fog of War

2003 • 107 min

Documentary, TV Movie, History

The Fog of War uses archival footage, recordings of government meetings, and an interview with 85-year-old Robert McNamara to chronicle his life. It follows his journey from a promising young military officer during World War II, to president of Ford…

7.7

8.0

13+

Stream on

Ghosts of the Abyss

2003 • 91 min • Budget $13M • Box office $17M

Documentary

James Cameron, joined by Bill Paxton and a team of leading historians and marine experts, undertakes an unscripted expedition to the wreck of the Titanic. The ship sank almost a century ago, claiming the lives of nearly 1,500 people.

6.8

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High Fidelity

2000 • 113 min • Budget $30M • Box office $47M

Drama, Comedy, Romance

When his girlfriend ends their relationship, a 30-year-old record store owner tries to figure out why he struggles with romance by reflecting on his most memorable past breakups. He shares his stories of the top five breakups that have shaped…

7.1

7.4

17+

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