Market Charts > 2019 > Genres > Documentary

Box Office Performance for Documentary Movies in 2019

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RankMovieRelease
Date		 Theatrical
Distributor		MPAA
Rating		2019 GrossTickets Sold
1 They Shall Not Grow Old Dec 17, 2018 Warner Bros. R $12,253,074 1,337,672
2 Apollo 11 Mar 1, 2019 Neon G $9,040,224 986,924
3 Penguins Apr 17, 2019 Walt Disney G $7,699,452 840,552
4 Free Solo Sep 28, 2018 Greenwich PG-13 $6,093,902 665,273
5 Bring the Soul: The Movie Aug 7, 2019 Trafalgar Releasing Not Rated $4,809,800 525,087
6 Pavarotti Jun 7, 2019 CBS Films PG-13 $4,686,402 511,615
7 Amazing Grace Apr 5, 2019 Neon G $4,450,454 485,857
8 The Biggest Little Farm May 10, 2019 Neon PG $4,367,816 476,835
9 Linda Ronstadt: The Sound o… Sep 6, 2019 Greenwich PG-13 $4,244,894 463,416
10 Echo in the Canyon May 24, 2019 Greenwich PG-13 $3,355,266 366,295
11 Maiden Jun 28, 2019 Sony Pictures Cla… PG $3,162,490 345,250
12 Pandas Apr 6, 2018 IMAX Films G $1,816,106 198,265
13 Western Stars Oct 25, 2019 Warner Bros. PG $1,581,681 172,673
14 Fantastic Fungi Sep 20, 2019 Area 23a Not Rated $1,444,604 157,707
15 No Safe Spaces Dec 6, 2019 Atlas Distribution PG-13 $1,240,211 135,394
16 Marianne & Leonard: Words o… Jul 5, 2019 Roadside Attractions R $1,013,820 110,679
17 Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Jun 21, 2019 Magnolia Pictures PG-13 $903,018 98,582
18 Between Me and My Mind Jul 17, 2019 Trafalgar Releasing Not Rated $813,844 88,847
19 David Crosby: Remember My Name Jul 19, 2019 Sony Pictures Cla… R $732,515 79,968
20 Honeyland Jul 26, 2019 Neon Not Rated $712,363 77,768
21 Where’s My Roy Cohn? Sep 20, 2019 Sony Pictures Cla… PG-13 $704,780 76,941
22 Raise Hell: The Life and Ti… Aug 30, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $694,410 75,808
23 Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool Aug 23, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $614,201 67,052
24 Roger Waters Us + Them Oct 2, 2019 Trafalgar Releasing Not Rated $594,982 64,954
25 Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable Jul 12, 2019 Entertainment Stu… PG $590,671 64,483
26 Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles Aug 23, 2019 Roadside Attractions PG-13 $549,385 59,976
27 Everybody’s Everything Nov 12, 2019 Gunpowder & Sky Not Rated $547,207 59,738
28 Grateful Dead Meet-Up at th… Aug 1, 2019 Trafalgar Releasing Not Rated $534,611 58,363
29 The Spy Behind Home Plate May 24, 2019 The Ciesla Founda… Not Rated $519,525 56,716
30 CatVideoFest 2019 Feb 15, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $470,923 51,410
31 Hail Satan? Apr 17, 2019 Magnolia Pictures R $424,284 46,319
32 Die Unsichtbaren Jan 25, 2019 Greenwich Not Rated $408,397 44,584
33 Aquarela Aug 16, 2019 Sony Pictures Cla… PG $301,429 32,907
34 63 Up Nov 27, 2019 BritBox Not Rated $299,745 32,723
35 Ask Dr. Ruth May 3, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $297,195 32,444
36 Free Spirit Mar 29, 2019 Trafalgar Releasing Not Rated $284,229 31,029
37 Mike Wallace is Here Jul 26, 2019 Magnolia Pictures PG-13 $281,245 30,703
38 One Child Nation Aug 9, 2019 Amazon Studios R $252,734 27,591
39 Meeting Gorbachev May 3, 2019 1091 Media Not Rated $251,837 27,493
40 Under the Sea 3D Feb 13, 2009 Warner Bros. G $246,137 26,871
41 Hesburgh Apr 26, 2019 O’Malley Creadon … Not Rated $204,709 22,348
42 Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, The… Apr 12, 2019 Kino Lorber Not Rated $176,387 19,256
43 Halston May 24, 2019 1091 Media Not Rated $151,991 16,592
44 Jay Myself Jul 31, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $151,331 16,520
45 The River and the Wall May 3, 2019 Gravitas Ventures Not Rated $150,816 16,464
46 Framing John DeLorean Jun 7, 2019 Sundance Selects Not Rated $145,626 15,898
47 Who Will Write Our History Jan 18, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $138,039 15,069
48 The Last Resort Dec 21, 2018 Kino Lorber Not Rated $137,857 15,049
49 Anthropocene: The Human Epoch Sep 28, 2018 Mongrel Media Not Rated $132,807 14,498
50 The World Before Your Feet Nov 21, 2018 Greenwich Not Rated $125,857 13,739
51 Paris is Burning Mar 13, 1991 Academy Entertain… R $125,677 13,720
52 A Tuba to Cuba Feb 15, 2019 Blue Fox Entertai… Not Rated $121,772 13,293
53 Free Trip to Egypt May 31, 2019 The Orchard Not Rated $120,780 13,185
54 The Kingmaker Nov 8, 2019 Greenwich R $115,253 12,582
55 Be Natural: The Untold Stor… Apr 19, 2019 Zeitgeist Not Rated $114,238 12,471
56 Varda by Agnes Nov 22, 2019 Janus Films Not Rated $107,631 11,750
57 The Brink Mar 29, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $106,059 11,578
58 Cold Case Hammarskjold Aug 16, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $104,965 11,459
59 Cunningham Dec 13, 2019 Magnolia Pictures PG $102,082 11,144
60 Walking on Water May 17, 2019 Kino Lorber Not Rated $98,358 10,737
61 Loopers: The Caddie’s Long … Jun 7, 2019 Gravitas Ventures PG $90,679 9,899
62 Woodstock: Three Days That … May 24, 2019 Self Distributed Not Rated $84,440 9,218
63 Hale County This Morning, T… Sep 14, 2018 Cinema Guild Not Rated $71,967 7,856
64 Making Waves: The Art of Ci… Oct 25, 2019 Matson Not Rated $53,144 5,801
65 American Dharma Nov 1, 2019 Utopia R $50,250 5,485
66 Love, Antosha Aug 2, 2019 Lurker Films R $50,168 5,476
67 The Queen Jun 17, 1968 Not Rated $47,818 5,220
68 The Proposal May 24, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $45,149 4,928
69 The Cave Oct 18, 2019 National Geograph… PG-13 $45,096 4,923
70 What is Democracy Jan 16, 2019 Zeitgeist Not Rated $44,502 4,858
71 Carmine Street Guitars Apr 24, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $44,253 4,831
72 For Sama Jul 26, 2019 PBS Distribution Not Rated $43,796 4,781
73 Midnight Traveler Sep 18, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $41,265 4,504
74 The Quiet One Jun 21, 2019 IFC Films Not Rated $37,012 4,040
75 Recorder: The Marion Stokes… Nov 15, 2019 Zeitgeist Not Rated $36,523 3,987
76 Loro 1 Sep 20, 2019 IFC Films Not Rated $35,613 3,887
77 Maria by Callas Nov 2, 2018 Sony Pictures Cla… PG $34,017 3,713
78 Moonlight Sonata: Deafness … Sep 13, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $33,841 3,694
79 Deep Sea 3D Mar 3, 2006 Warner Bros. G $32,831 3,584
80 Desolation Center Sep 13, 2019 Self Distributed Not Rated $32,016 3,495
81 Gift Oct 11, 2019 Matson Not Rated $31,588 3,448
82 Memory: The Origins of Alien Oct 4, 2019 Screen Media Films Not Rated $31,378 3,425
83 Horn From the Heart: The Pa… Oct 17, 2018 Abramorama Films Not Rated $30,179 3,294
84 Leaving Home, Coming Home: … May 29, 2019 Greenwich Not Rated $27,073 2,955
85 Wrestle Feb 22, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $26,597 2,903
86 Chasing Einstein Sep 13, 2019 Atlas Distribution Not Rated $24,117 2,632
87 Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Apr 4, 2014 Warner Bros. G $23,187 2,531
88 Célébration Oct 2, 2019 KimStim Not Rated $22,557 2,462
89 The Gospel of Eureka Feb 8, 2019 Kino Lorber Not Rated $20,873 2,278
90 The All Americans Nov 8, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $20,322 2,218
91 Storia di B. — La scomparsa… Dec 6, 2019 Kino Lorber Not Rated $20,293 2,215
92 Midnight Family Dec 6, 2019 1091 Media Not Rated $19,983 2,181
93 Scandalous: The Untold Stor… Nov 15, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $18,759 2,047
94 Before Stonewall Jun 27, 1985 Self Distributed Not Rated $18,724 2,044
95 Citizen K Nov 22, 2019 Greenwich Not Rated $17,704 1,932
96 Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of t… Mar 1, 2019 First Run Features Not Rated $16,971 1,852
97 Wrinkles the Clown Oct 4, 2019 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $14,938 1,630
98 ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Ban… Aug 19, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $14,879 1,624
99 The Woman Who Loves Giraffes Oct 4, 2019 Zeitgeist Not Rated $14,350 1,566
100 Combat Obscura Mar 15, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $14,242 1,554
101 Touch Me Not Jan 11, 2019 Kino Lorber Not Rated $13,782 1,504
102 This One’s For The Ladies Jun 7, 2019 Super LTD NC-17 $13,688 1,494
103 Rapid Response Sep 6, 2019 Atlas Distribution PG-13 $13,262 1,447
104 Zen for Nothing Mar 29, 2019 Zeitgeist Not Rated $12,107 1,321
105 Cassandro the Exotico Jul 19, 2019 Film Movement Not Rated $11,897 1,298
106 Stuffed Oct 16, 2019 Music Box Films Not Rated $11,683 1,275
107 Ferrante Fever Mar 8, 2019 Greenwich Not Rated $11,137 1,215
108 If the Dancer Dances Apr 26, 2019 Monument Releasing Not Rated $10,912 1,191
109 Vision Portraits Aug 9, 2019 Self Distributed Not Rated $10,771 1,175
110 The Eyes of Orson Welles Mar 15, 2019 Janus Films Not Rated $10,252 1,119
111 Shooting the Mafia Nov 22, 2019 Cohen Media Group Not Rated $9,988 1,090
112 Streetwise Oct 26, 1984 Not Rated $9,904 1,081
113 Studio 54 Oct 5, 2018 Zeitgeist Not Rated $9,355 1,021
114 When Lambs Become Lions Nov 22, 2019 Oscilloscope Pict… Not Rated $9,337 1,019
115 Liyana Oct 10, 2018 Abramorama Films Not Rated $9,223 1,006
116 Cracked Up Sep 13, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $9,197 1,004
117 Advocate Jan 3, 2020 Film Movement Not Rated $9,152 999
118 Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, W… Mar 15, 2019 Film Movement Not Rated $9,025 985
119 That Pärt Feeling—The Unive… May 24, 2019 Film Movement Not Rated $8,818 962
120 Ghost Fleet Jun 7, 2019 Abramorama Films Not Rated $7,850 856
121 To Be of Service Nov 1, 2019 First Run Features Not Rated $6,173 673
122 Monrovia, Indiana Oct 26, 2018 Zipporah Not Rated $5,738 626
123 Kinder des Kalifats Nov 16, 2018 Kino Lorber Not Rated $5,643 616
124 Het Wonder van Le Petit Prince Aug 28, 2019 Film Movement Not Rated $5,553 606
125 What You Gonna Do When The … Aug 16, 2019 KimStim Not Rated $4,672 510
126 I’m Leaving Now Sep 6, 2019 Cinema Guild Not Rated $4,443 485
127 Chasing Portraits Feb 26, 2019 First Run Features Not Rated $3,076 335
128 Filmworker May 11, 2018 Kino Lorber Not Rated $3,016 329
129 Back to the Fatherland Jun 14, 2019 First Run Features Not Rated $2,697 294
130 TINY: The Life of Erin Blac… Jul 19, 2019 Janus Films Not Rated $2,465 269
131 Serendipity Oct 18, 2019 Cohen Media Group Not Rated $2,213 241
132 Une jeunesse allemande Oct 11, 2019 Big World Pictures Not Rated $2,177 237
133 Salafists Jan 25, 2019 Cinema Libre Not Rated $1,939 211
134 Chinese Portrait Dec 13, 2019 Cinema Guild Not Rated $1,246 136
135 Narcissister Organ Player Nov 7, 2018 Film Movement Not Rated $1,015 110
136 Chef Flynn Nov 9, 2018 Kino Lorber Not Rated $721 78
137 Divide and Conquer: The Sto… Dec 7, 2018 Magnolia Pictures Not Rated $474 51
138 Owarani hito Miyazaki: Hayao Dec 13, 2018 GKIDS Not Rated $376 41
Total Gross of All Movies$87,570,169
Total Tickets Sold9,559,997

Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2019. It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2019. For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2010 will most likely earn money in 2010 and 2011. Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.

Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to rounding errors.

Our Theatrical Market pages are based on the Domestic Theatrical Market performance only. The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).

The yearly amounts on our Theatrical Market pages are based on box office years. Each box office year starts on the first Monday of the year, so the previous year ends on the Sunday before the first Monday. For example, the "2017 box office year" started on January 2, 2017 so the "2016 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 1, 2017.