Whether you’re into UFO documentaries because, like Fox Mulder, you “want to believe,” you’re a die-hard UFO enthusiast who’s just waiting for that full disclosure, or you’re a complete skeptic who just things the stories and footage are really interesting, you’re perfectly supplied by Netflix right now with some amazing research materials. Not just from one perspective either!
These docs cover it all, from secret space programs to human-alien hybrids. Distrust of the government and strange lights in the sky at midnight abound, because we’re here with the 10 best UFO docs on Netflix at the moment. Strap on your tinfoil hat so they can’t read your brainwaves!
Updated by Madison Lennon on March 15, 2020: If there’s one thing we all can’t get enough of, it’s aliens. We can’t help but wonder whether aliens and UFOs are real. What is actually going on in space and the many planets beyond our own?
Luckily, Netflix has a lot of intriguing documentaries that investigate those very questions. We decided to return to this list and update it since some of the older selections have since been removed from the streaming service. Now your choices are replenished and now is the perfect time to start binging!
11 The Jamie Maussan Show
The Jamie Maussan Show is a Latin American docuseries on Netflix that follows Mexican journalist and UFO theorist Jamie Maussan as he interviews people from around the world about their experience with unexplained phenomena.
In the first episode he talks to various people about the mysterious appearance of crop circles. In other episodes, Maussan discusses UFO sightings and explores the possibility of aliens having control over man-made objects. He also investigates Project Pegasus and many other top-secret projects and experiments conducted by the United States. There is a total of 26 episodes, each running less than a half-hour.
10 The Universe
The Universe is more of a grounded documentary that is based in fact more so than theorizing and conspiracies, but it does have an entire episode dedicated to investigating alien galaxies. Each episode focuses on a different planet or function within our universe.
There is an entire episode about Mars, one about Earth, one on the Moon, and more. The alien galaxies episode looks at what might be happening in one of the billion universes in existence. It’s baffling to think about just how tiny we are compared to the vast universe and continuum of space surrounding us.
9 Paranormal Survivor
There are two seasons of Paranormal Survivor available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix. The series is composed of retellings and stories from people who have allegedly had some interaction with something beyond the realm of our understanding.
Most episodes deal with paranormal entities, demons, and various specters, but several of them are about people who believe they have been abducted by aliens. Depending on your beliefs about ghosts and other spooky beings that go bump in the night, you might even believe that aliens are a version of these supposed creatures.
8 Edge Of Universe
Edge of Universe doesn’t specifically focus on UFOs but it does explore the idea of life outside of our world. Even though scientists haven’t necessarily found another planet that can support all lifeforms yet, the series questions if finding “earth-like” worlds may be the next big discovery in the way of space travel.
The three-episode docuseries questions what we know about the universe and how much we still have left to learn about it. It also discusses comets and asteroids and the many questions scientists still have.
7 The Code
The Code is a three-part documentary series from 2011 that explores the mathematical code at the root of everything in our universe. Each episode uncovers fascinating information about a branch of mathematics.
The idea is that numbers and hidden codes in our world have the ability to explain everything that happens at any given point in time. They even discuss serial killers and the secrets of the world that we’ve never considered before. You might be surprised by how much you learn in this haunting series and what it reveals about humanity.
6 Unacknowledged
Unacknowledged is a great UFO doc because it doesn’t shy away from the government doing its best to cover up the extra-terrestrial conspiracy. Dr. Stephen Greer brings on tons of ex-military operatives with high-level clearances from plenty of different branches of government, all from varying times in the history of the United States. These are people who have served under plenty of different administrations.
The endgame according to him and many of these experts is to create a society of fear by hyping up and augmenting what they describe as a false-flag to convince the populace that they’re under attack by a threat from the stars, thereby unifying many of the world’s opposing nations.
5 Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers
Bob Lazar is a rather unique character. There’s no one quite like him in the UFO community, making this an interesting watch for sure. He claims that he was recruited to work in Area 51, to reverse engineer an aircraft recovered from extra-terrestrials.
While many might not believe these claims, the real reason to watch this doc or any of the others is to be healthily informed about what may maybe be going on. It’s not about belief or disbelief, the entertainment alone in considering these ideas can’t be understated.
4 Ancient Aliens
What is a list of good UFO docs if you don’t include the History Channel classic Ancient Aliens? From the memes spawned by Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and his crazy hair, to famous UFOlogist Zecharia Sitchin, author of must-read book Chariots Of The Gods, this docuseries has everything when it comes to modern UFO discourse.
That being said, this isn’t a series one should neglect taking a grain of salt while watching. While it is informative for finding a good jumping-off point when it comes to select UFO-related topics, the interviewees are quick to jump to any round object depicted in a cave painting being a UFO.
3 Conspiracies
Conspiracies, despite its extremely creative name, is a really interesting watch. There are episodes about Pearl Harbor, the idea that maybe Adolf Hitler made it out of his suicide bunker, and that there may be man-made structures on Mars, something this list hasn’t gotten a chance to mention yet.
Aside from the giant face that acts as the alien episode’s thumbnail, this series also explores the case of Robert Taylor, who was so convincing in his description of a UFO encounter that law enforcement opened an inquiry into it.
2 America’s Book Of Secrets
America’s Book Of Secrets is yet another docuseries that explores a small list of conspiracies or otherwise contentious facts ranging from topics such as government cover-ups, alien abductions and encounters of the other 3 kinds, and just general weird Fortean phenomena.
This one mostly goes over things like Area 51 and other military bases, such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, where the wreckage from Roswell was taken after the crash.
1 The Search For Life In Space
The final entry on this list is somewhat more grounded than most of the others since it’s mostly about information gleaned from scientists sitting in observatories, specifically ones looking at the moons of Jupiter, some of which are made of ice and have already been shown to hold micro-organisms.
At this point, it’s really not a question of if there’s life outside of our planet earth. It’s a question of how intelligent it gets compared to that of humans.