15 Louis Theroux documentaries you can watch right now and where to stream them

Louis Theroux has been making documentaries for over 30 years, often taking a closer look at unusual and taboo subcultures, the criminal justice system and celebrities.

In his latest documentary, he is casting his net further afield, as he takes a closer look at the influencers reshaping young men's ideas about masculinity. This feature-length film marks Theroux's first on-screen collaboration with Netflix, with the bulk of his projects on BBC iPlayer.

If you find yourself wanting to immerse yourself into Theroux's wider works, Radio Times has compiled a list of 15 of his documentaries you should tune into next, from recent offerings to his early works.

Scroll on to find out what's worth watching.

1. Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere

Where to watch: Netflix

Louis Theroux teams up with Netflix and director Adrian Choa to explore the manosphere in this feature-length documentary. Travelling across the US and Europe, Theroux meets influencers who have been reshaping young men's ideas about masculinity.

On his travels, Theroux meets a number of content creators, as each of them present their own interpretations of traditional gender roles and values, with Theroux challenging them on their views – which they don't all take too well.

2. The Settlers

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Fourteen years after his first visit, Louis Theroux meets some of the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied West Bank.

The documentary received criticism upon its release, with many accusing the documentarian of "platforming" extremists.

In response to the criticism, Theroux wrote in a column: "The narratives around Israel and the Palestinians are fiercely contested. No piece of coverage will please everyone. In general, I try not to over-worry about how my reporting will be received.

"I trust my instincts. I accept mine is just one contribution in the vast offering of coverage. Others are valid. Not to mention that I am not a typical journalist and certainly not a current affairs reporter. I have my own way of tackling my subjects, driven by my own personal curiosity."

3. Louis Theroux Interviews...

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Across two seasons, Louis Theroux sat down with some of the biggest stars in UK entertainment for up-close and personal interviews.

Interviews include Stormzy, Dame Judi Dench, Yungblud, Bear Grylls, Katherine Ryan and Rita Ora. In season 2, Theroux interviews Anthony Joshua, Pete Doherty, Dame Joan Collins, Raye, Chelsea Manning and Ashley Walters.

4. Forbidden America

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Across three episodes, Louis Theroux returns to the USA to explore the impact of the internet and social media on some of the most controversial corners of American society.

He meets figures of the modern American far right, the world of rap and those in the porn industry grappling with its own wave of the #MeToo movement.

5. Life on the Edge

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Louis Theroux reflects on 25 years of documentaries, featuring conversations between him and his most memorable contributors.

In one episode, he reflects on documentaries he has made about American criminal justice, while in another he examines how the greatest source of love in our lives can also cause deep pain.

6. The Most Hated Family in America

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

In 2007, Louis met the Phelps family, who protested against an America that tolerates homosexuality.

He followed up with another documentary in 2011, America's Most Hated Family in Crisis, and then again 2019 with Surviving America's Most Hated Family – both of which can also be watched on BBC iPlayer.

7. Louis Theroux's Altered States

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Across three episodes, Louis Theroux is given access to courageous American people and families during some of the most difficult times in their lives.

Issues explored include euthanasia, polyamory and adoption.

8. Dark States

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Louis Theroux visits three American cities and examines a uniquely devastating human crisis in each, as he covers heroin addiction, sex trafficking and murder.

9. Drinking to Oblivion

Where to watch: Prime Video

In this documentary, Louis Theroux spends time at the specialist liver centre at King's College Hospital as he meets patients in the grips of alcohol addiction struggling to find a way out.

10. By Reason of Insanity

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Across two episodes, Louis Theroux immerses himself in the world of Ohio's state psychiatric hospitals, meeting patients who have committed crimes while suffering from severe mental illness.

The documentarian investigates the difficult question of: When is a patient with a serious crime in their past ready to be returned to the outside world?

11. Louis Theroux's LA Stories

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Louis Theroux examines three different aspects of Los Angeles. He meets staff at a large animal shelter, people battling against serious illnesses, and sex offenders who are on parole.

12. Behind Bars

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Way back in 2008, Louis Theroux travelled to California and spent two weeks in the notorious San Quentin State Prison and quickly discovers that the inmates inhabit a strange world within a world with its own rules and its own brutal code of conduct.

13. Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Louis Theroux travels around the world to meet people who hold extreme beliefs as he delves into the weirder fringes of American society.

14. Mothers on the Edge

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Upon his return to the UK, Louis Theroux spends time in specialist psychiatric units, which treat mothers who are experiencing serious mental illness whilst allowing them to live alongside their babies.

15. Extreme Love

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Louis Theroux explores the extreme pressures put on relationships by conditions such as autism and dementia, meeting those diagnosed and the people who love and care for them.

Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.