Seven celebrity documentaries on Netflix that have more drama than the movies
Remember when David Beckham became Britain’s public enemy number one after that infamous red card against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup? Well, years later, when Netflix made Beckham, it made sure to take us back to that circus and helped us see that the way the British press went after him was nothing short of appalling.
And that’s just one example; over the years, Netflix has developed quite a taste for celebrity documentaries. It isn’t interested in covering them on the surface but getting into the scandals and personal struggles, and it’s rather refreshing to see famous faces drop the PR act for once. We’ve had enough of celebrities spending two hours telling us how amazing their lives are. Thank you!
Take Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now, for instance, which follows the Scottish singer as he struggles with the pressure of making his second album while dealing with his mental health. He’s the same Scottish lad who’s got everyone in stitches with his outrageous sense of humour, but seeing what he’s going through behind all those jokes is enough to break your heart.
The seven documentaries we’ve got coming up have quite the drama, because the things these celebrities have been through would give even Hollywood’s most imaginative dramas a real challenge.
Seven celebrity documentaries on Netflix
Harry & Meghan (2022)
Probably one of the most discussed and covered stories from the royal family. The world wasn’t exactly quiet when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle packed their bags and stepped away from royal duties in 2020, but the drama was far from over. Because what did the Sussexes do next? They signed a deal with Netflix and decided to tell their side of the story to millions of people.
Directed by Liz Garbus, Netflix’s six-part Harry & Meghan takes us through the couple’s romance and their reasons for leaving royal life, with personal footage and interviews showing us what happened behind those palace walls.
Of course, we are hearing their version of events, and not everyone will agree with it, but you have got to admit, watching a British prince air his family’s dirty laundry on Netflix is quite something.
The One About Matthew Perry (2026)
The most heartbreaking thing about Matthew Perry’s story is that we’ve spent years laughing at Chandler Bing’s sarcastic one-liners in FRIENDS without knowing the full extent of what the man was going through. Knowing just how difficult things became makes you look at those old episodes in a different light.
Netflix’s newest release, The One About Matthew Perry, revisits his incredible television career and the battle with addiction that followed him until his death from a ketamine overdose in October 2023, aged just 54. Directed by Mary Robertson, the documentary features Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, sharing memories of her brother, along with private family footage that gives us a glimpse of Matthew beyond the character we all adored.
We know he struggled with addiction, but hearing about his efforts to help others through recovery makes the whole thing hurt that much more. He wanted people to remember him for helping others, and he did exactly that, even as he continued fighting his own addiction.
aka Charlie Sheen (2025)
There was a time when Charlie Sheen seemed to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons back in 2011. Sure, he was earning an absolute fortune on Two and a Half Men, but then his life went in the wrong direction and he ended up losing one of the biggest gigs on television. And if you were around for the whole “winning” madness, you will remember what a circus it became, with the press lapping up every outrageous thing he said while his personal life was falling apart.
At least, aka Charlie Sheen gives the actor a chance to look back on that extraordinary mess after years of sobriety, and he’s got quite a lot to get off his chest on this Netflix documentary. The documentary also features his ex-wives, Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller, along with former co-star Jon Cryer, who share their sides of the story. And when you hear what went on behind the scenes, you start to realise just how much damage was done while the rest of the world was treating the whole thing like some comedy.
TYSON (2026)
Think about what you were doing at 20. Most of us were trying to get our lives in order, while Mike Tyson was becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. The Brooklyn-born fighter had the world at his feet, but goodness, the years that followed were anything but a fairy tale. His 1992 rape conviction landed him in prison, and then came that infamous 1997 fight where he bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear.
Netflix’s four-part TYSON takes us through his extraordinary rise and troubled past, with Tyson himself and people from his career sharing their accounts. But hearing his side of the story doesn’t mean you have to agree with it, especially when some of his actions have left such a troubling legacy. And if four episodes aren’t enough, he’s got a one-man show, Mike Tyson: Return of the Mike is already waiting for you on Netflix. The man’s certainly got plenty to talk about!
Victoria Beckham (2025)
You’d think being Posh Spice and having millions of fans around the world would make launching a fashion career a piece of cake; you’d be forgiven for thinking so. Well, Victoria Beckham found out the hard way that the fashion industry couldn’t care less about her pop-star credentials.
The Netflix documentary follows her preparations for a major Paris Fashion Week show while revisiting her Spice Girls days and the financial troubles that put her fashion brand in a right pickle.
Now this is the person who spent years trying to prove she was a serious designer while the British tabloids were far too busy sticking their noses into her marriage to David Beckham. And all this while she was trying to build a business from the ground up!
Pamela, a love story (2023)
For years, people couldn’t stop talking about the Baywatch star, whether it was her looks, her love life or whatever scandal the tabloids had cooked up that week. But when Pamela Anderson’s private sex tape with then-husband Tommy Lee was stolen and circulated, the whole thing turned into national news, and instead of showing her some sympathy, people treated her humiliation like a bit of light entertainment.
Well, Netflix’s Pamela, a love story gives Anderson a chance to set the record straight, with director Ryan White using her personal diaries and home videos to show what the tabloids weren’t interested in telling anyone.
She’s also been making quite the comeback, with her performance in The Last Showgirl earning a Golden Globe nomination in 2025. After everything she’s endured, it’s about time Hollywood gave her some credit for her talent rather than her famous red swimsuit!
Britney Vs Spears (2021)
What makes Britney Spears’ story so infuriating is that this was a woman who spent years topping the charts, selling millions of records and becoming one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, yet she couldn’t even make some of the most important decisions about her own life.
Britney Vs Spears on Netflix sees director Erin Lee Carr and journalist Jenny Eliscu dig into the whole sorry affair through confidential documents and interviews, and some of what they tell you is difficult to stomach.
The conservatorship, which began in 2008, gave others control over major parts of her personal and financial affairs, with her father Jamie Spears playing a central role. And after years of watching the press make a complete circus of her struggles, fans had quite enough, sparking the massive #FreeBritney movement.