Watching these documentaries may prompt you to visit the dark web place for yourself. While it does have several beneficial uses, it also poses risks of fraud, hacking, and other kinds of cybercrime. Always protect your online browsing using a VPN. We recommend NordVPN for its tight security and emphasis on user privacy. We compiled a list of the best documentaries about the dark web, beginning with our top pick for best dark web documentary: Deep Web (2015).
The 7 Best Dark Web Documentaries
For this roundup, we included documentaries that are, as much as possible, based on real events. This means that some popular dark web movies such as “Unfriended: Dark Web” have been left out. The list includes titles from noted filmmakers, like Alex Winter, and also smaller projects from YouTube creators. We just have a word of warning before we dive in. These documentaries might entice you to visit the dark web yourself, but before you do, remember to exercise extreme caution. Make sure to go through our guide on using the dark web safely, beginning with getting a virtual private network with the highest encryption standards. Now, let’s get right into it.
1. Deep Web (2015)
Directed by Alex Winter, a noted filmmaker and actor, the film explores the story of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. At its peak, Silk Road was the largest online black market in the world. This dark net documentary provides us the inside scoop on how Silk Road’s founder and young computer genius, Ross William Ulbricht (a.k.a. “Dread Pirate Roberts”), was nabbed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2013. The fact that Keanu Reeves narrates this documentary only adds to the experience. It also features some rare footage of Ross Ulbricht and other family members.
2. Inside the Dark Web (2014)
Part of the BBC Horizon series, Inside the Dark Web is a dark web documentary that focuses on the theme of internet surveillance. It highlights how governments and cooperations monitor our activity online and how hackers and scientists are fighting back using the dark web. As such, it helps highlight some of the positive features of the dark net, such as privacy and anonymity. At the same time, this BBC documentary created awareness of the various illegal activities prevalent on the world wide web, such as the sale of guns, drugs, and credit card details.
3. Down the Deep Dark Web (2016)
This dark web documentary follows journalist Yuval Orr as he interviews different personalities who dwell on the hidden web. Orr speaks to hackers, anarchists, and crypto-evangelists to uncover the importance of encryption and free communication. The documentary also delves deeper into the negative aspects of the dark web, such as sex trafficking and illicit drug sales. Overall, this is one of the most informative dark web documentaries users can watch.
4. Dream – The Infiltration of the Darknet (2021)
Another dark web documentary based on a marketplace, Dream covers the rise and fall of a mysterious marketplace named Dream Market that sprang up in 2013. It provides a comprehensive overview of how such marketplaces are created and become prominent. It also covers the history of major dark web marketplace busts and traces how new markets keep emerging to replace ones that are shut down by law enforcement.
5. Hacker (2016)
While based on true events, Hacker is more like a movie than a documentary. It follows the journey of Alex Danyiluk, a Ukrainian who comes to Canada and becomes embroiled in a life of digital crime. He uses the dark web to steal credit card information and other financial details to defraud people and acquire large sums of money to support his family financially. However, with the passage of time, Alex becomes more deeply involved with taking down the financial system and finds himself in the crosshairs of digital enforcement and other dangerous elements. The dark web documentary combines elements of mystery and drama to cover the criminal side of the dark web in an engaging fashion.
6. Silk Road (2021)
As the name suggests, Silk Road is about the famous digital underworld marketplace of the same name. Like Deep Web, it follows the creation and downfall of Silk Road. However, this dark web documentary is more in the mold of a thriller/crime mystery and also tells the story from the perspective of Rick Bowden, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent looking to bring down Ross Ulbricht.
7. The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces: Alphabay (2022)
The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces by ENDEVR present the story of Alphabay, one of the most popular dark web marketplaces today. It shows how the luxurious lifestyle of Alphabay’s founder eventually led to his arrest by law enforcement and the market’s shutdown. However, Alphabay has resurfaced since then, pointing to the difficulty governments face in keeping such marketplaces on the hidden internet under check. The film expands on our understanding of why running a dark web marketplace is such a lucrative calling.
Roundup: The Best Dark Web Documentaries
The dark web is a fascinating and mysterious place — and the documentaries listed above do a great job of capturing this. They explain the dark web in an engaging fashion. If we were to recommend only two out of this list, we’d go with Inside the Dark Web by BBC and Deep Web by Alex Winter. Our full list includes other fantastic films: If you plan on checking out the dark web for yourself, be sure to have a VPN set up on your device. We recommend NordVPN for dark web browsing. Want to learn more about the dark net? We cover everything you need to know about the dark web in our series of guides:
How to Get on the Dark Web in 15 Steps The 5 Best VPNs for Accessing the Dark Web The 20 Best Dark Web Sites: Dark Web Links Worth Visiting Dark Web Facts vs Myths
Check out our list of the best dark web documentaries. We’ve reviewed even more great documentaries on the dark web and provide information on where you can watch them. As such, most movies and documentaries focus on the dark web. However, some documentaries, such as Deep Web, provide some insight into the deep web. That said, it’s best to confirm the status of the dark web and Tor browser in your country before accessing it.
