Every person in the world is seeking for some kind of education, and that’s the exact reason we prepared a list of 15 best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018.
Nowadays education is easily accessible almost everywhere in the world, but sometimes it could be quite difficult to obtain the knowledge we need. In developing countries, people don’t have access to basic education always. Luckily, today we are just a few clicks away from the past centuries, rarest animals on Earth, space exploration, etc. All that is possible because we can use technology as a learning tool. Therefore, filming of educational documentaries, as well as watching, can help us gain some new experiences and knowledge about the world we live in. Right now, Netflix is streaming a lot of good documentary series and movies. Speaking of good documentaries on Netflix we should mention that many of them are educational and that we chose only the best of them for our today’s list.
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However, in case you were looking for some best conspiracy documentaries on Netflix, be sure to check out our article on the subject. The same goes for the best crime documentaries on Netflix. Since crime and conspiracy are always hot topics, we are sure that our selection will satisfy your interests. As for the film lovers we warmly recommend the list of 2017 Netflix documentary films. But, today we focused on educational documentaries only (as the title says), and one could notice that many of Netflix history documentaries are actually of educational type. So, we had to include on our list some of the best historical documentaries on Netflix as well. We are also proud because we had a privilege to mention some of the best documentaries of all time.
So, what is the best educational documentary streaming on Netflix right now? Before answering that question, let us briefly explain methodology we used for making the whole list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018. The first step was to check out the list of all documentaries on Netflix streaming right now. Then we filtered the list of documentary movies by selecting the documentaries genre as well as the TV shows list by choosing docu-series only. Then we singled out those educational ones. Those that can expand your mind and consciousness, as well as enhance your general knowledge. Finally, we picked out only documentaries streaming in 2018 and compiled a list of the top 15. The ranking system we devised for this list is similar to the one used in 11 Best Educational Documentaries on Netflix Streaming. We combined both Netflix and IMDb rankings to ensure the better overall score and ranked documentaries in that manner, with a very best on the top of the list.
So, let the countdown begin! 3, 2, 1… here we go, the best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018!
15. The Secret Rules of Modern Living: Algorithms
Netflix rating: 7.4
IMDb rating: 7.5
Directed by David Briggs
Today, algorithms are essential to the way computers process data, however, they have been invented thousands of years before the first computer. This is a documentary movie about the history of algorithms and how modern world could not function without them. Marcus Du Sautoy, a professor of mathematics at Oxford, will tell you a story of algorithms and how they affect our everyday lives. He is using simple examples to explain and reveal how algorithms work, so everyone can understand the dynamic behind them.
14. Dark Net
Netflix rating: 8.0
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by Mati Kochavi
This is one of the good documentaries on Netflix about cyber world, and it’s pros and cons. These days we are overflowed with so many applications, and this series explores most dangerous and obscure ones. Most of them are free, so if you were wondering what’s the catch, watch the documentary. It will, without doubt, put some light on some of the dark sides of the internet. After watching all the episodes, your knowledge about the internet will definitely expand.
13. Metropolis
Netflix rating: 7.3
IMDb rating: 8
Directed by Nutopia Productions
With this educational documentary, you will get insight into some of the biggest metropolitan cities. Maybe you will even fall in love with one of them so that this documentary can serve you as a travel guide. The series includes some of the most popular cities in the world, and by watching it, you can learn a lot about their history and rich culture. There are six episodes, and each of them is dedicated to one city.
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12. Rotten
Netflix rating:8.2
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by Netflix Productions
Do you know where the food we consume comes from and how it’s made? Rotten is one of the latest documentary series on Netflix which explores the origin of food that through supermarkets make it’s way to our plates. The goal of each episode is to present a different corner of food production and all the struggle when it comes to the keeping efficiency and quality at the same time. Rotten also reveals how modern-day global food production affects our health and why we should rethink our daily eating habits.
11. Wild Japan
Netflix rating: 7.5
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by Tim Martin
Next on our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018 is a series of 3 episodes about Japan ecological treasures and wildlife. This is one of those documentaries where you can relax and enjoy while watching a vast amount of extraordinary beautiful landscapes.
10. Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution
Netflix rating: 7.9
IMDb rating: 8.6
Directed by Laurence Rees
If you are interested in Netflix history documentaries that are streaming right now, you should check this series. It’s one of the best historical documentaries on Netflix that is trying to reconstruct what really happened in the times of the World War II. Auschwitz was a concentration camp where the largest mass murder took place. The definite reason why we should never obliterate what happened during World War II is to prevent repeating the horrifying events that occurred at the time.
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9. The Hunt
Netflix rating: 7.9
IMDb rating: 9.3
Directed by Alastair Fothergill
Predator or prey? The Hunt is a nature documentary series that shows difficulties of wildlife and the everyday struggle to survive as well as different survival strategies of the hunter and the haunted. You’ll learn more about top predators from every biome and the human impact on their habitats.
8. Abstract: The Art of Design
Netflix rating: 8.8
IMDb rating: 8.5
Directed by Scott Dadich
What is the best design? What is the importance of design in today’s world and how it defines us? This documentary series found its place on our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018 because it may answer these questions and much more. After watching the show with eight creative and innovative designers, you will discover how design affects our lives.
7. The Story of God with Morgan Freeman
Netflix rating: 9.3
IMDb rating: 8.1
Directed by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary
With Morgan Freeman as the host who delivers a personal journey about religion, mythologies, and afterlife, this series is unique on our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018. Morgan Freeman strives to find possible answers to the origins of a religion and its role and significance in human history.
6. The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans
Netflix rating: 8.5
IMDb rating: 9
Directed by Alastair Fothergill
Another educational documentary about wildlife, but this time it takes place in the marine world. A series which took five years of filming offers a fantastic scenery of exploration of ocean life.
5. Life
Netflix rating: 8.5
IMDb rating: 9.1
Directed by Mike Gunton
Life on planet Earth exists in millions of forms. Each of them developed its own behavior and surviving mechanisms. Watch this documentary series to learn about the remarkable and brilliant diversity of life on our planet.
4. What the Health
Netflix rating: 9.8
IMDb rating: 7.9
Directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn
One more documentary about food made it to our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018. This movie presents the strive to find what impact some of the food products like meat and dairy have on human health. Maybe the population health doesn’t always come first for the pharmaceutical and health organizations, industry and government.
3. World War II in Colour
Netflix rating: 9.6
IMDb rating: 8.8
Directed by Matthew Barrett
Absolutely the best historical documentary currently streaming on Netflix. The series presents the best footages of World War II that starts with the years before the war and ends with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Netflix rating: 9.6
IMDb rating: 9.3
Directed by Brannon Braga & Ann Druyan
The series that almost made it to the top of our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018 is one of the best documentaries of all time about the universe. With astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as the host, these series take us on a journey of exploring the laws of nature while learning us fundamental things about space and time.
1. Planet Earth
Netflix rating: 9.7
IMDb rating: 9.4
Directed by Alastair Fothergill
The first place in our list of best educational documentaries on Netflix streaming in 2018 is, without doubt, Planet Earth. This documentary series is also one of the best documentaries of all time. The inspiring show that makes you feel good and relieved while watching and at the same time broaden your knowledge of the known world.
