Dark web documentaries are a great way to learn about the dark web and how it works. The list below includes the best dark web documentaries and should help you understand the dark web’s functioning entertainingly.
- Deep Web (2015)
- Inside the Deep Web (2014)
- Down the Deep Dark Web (2016)
- Dream – the Infiltration of the Dark Net (2021)
- Hacker (2016)
- Silk Road (2021)
- The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces: Alphabay (2022)
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.
Give the article below a read to learn more about what each dark web documentary covers!
Curious about the dark web and how it works? You’re not the only one. While reading articles about the dark web is one way to study this fascinating topic, dark web documentaries provide an engaging and gripping experience.
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)
© Deep Web – 2015 / Amazon Prime Video
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Alex Winter |
| Notable Cast | Keanu Reeves, Lyn Ulbricht, Kirk Ulbricht |
| Ratings (IMDb) | 7.0 |
| Where to watch | Amazon Prime Video |
2. Inside the Dark Web (2014)
© Inside the Dark Web – 2014 / DailyMotion
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Michael Radford |
| Notable Cast | Amanda Drewa, Reem Al Assil, Julia Angwin |
| Ratings (IMDb) | 7.1 |
| Where to watch | DailyMotion |
3. Down the Deep Dark Web (2016)
© Down the Deep Dark Web – 2016 / IMDb.com
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Yuval Orr |
| Notable Cast | N/A |
| Ratings (IMDb) | 6.6 |
| Where to watch | Amazon Prime Video |
4. Dream – The Infiltration of the Darknet (2021)
© Dream – The Infiltration of the Darknet – 2021 / YouTube.com
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Barely Sociable |
| Notable Cast | N/A |
| Ratings | 99k + likes |
| Where to watch | YouTube |
5. Hacker (2016)
© Hacker – 2016 / JustWatch.com
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Akan Satayev |
| Notable Cast | Callan McAuliffe, Lorraine Nicholson, Daniel Eric Gold |
| Ratings (IMDb) | 6.1 |
| Where to watch | Multiple Options |
6. Silk Road (2021)
© Silk Road – 2021 / Amazon Prime Video
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | Tiller Russell |
| Notable Cast | Jason Clarke, Nick Robinson |
| Ratings (IMDb) | 6.0 |
| Where to watch | Amazon Prime Video |
7. The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces: Alphabay (2022)
© The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces: Alphabay – 2022 / YouTube.com
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.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Directed By | ENDEVR |
| Notable Cast | N/A |
| Ratings | 6.7k likes |
| Where to watch | YouTube |
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:
- Deep Web (2015)
- Inside the Deep Web (2014)
- Down the Deep Dark Web (2016)
- Dream – the Infiltration of the Dark Net (2021)
- Hacker (2016)
- Silk Road (2021)
- The Dark Web and Illegal Marketplaces: Alphabay (2022)
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
Have a question about dark web documentaries? Check out the FAQ section below, where we’ve answered the most common questions about dark web documentaries. Let us know in the comments if there’s a question we haven’t answered!
Yes, there are now several movies about the dark web. The movies are usually documentaries that explain how the dark web functions and cover major events, such as the seizure of the Silk Road marketplace by the FBI.
Check out our list of the best dark web documentaries.
Several great dark web documentaries have been produced and released in the past few years. Some of the best ones are:
- Deep Web (2015)
- Inside the Dark Web (2014)
- Down the Deep Dark Web (2016)
We’ve reviewed even more great documentaries on the dark web and provide information on where you can watch them.
The deep web refers to the part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines. It includes, for example, mail accounts, documents, and administrative applications that can be accessed only if a person has a specific link or URL. The dark web is a small part of the deep web that can be accessed only using the Tor browser.
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.
The dark web is considered illegal in some countries due to its use for illicit trafficking and facilitating cyber crime. However, in most countries, simply accessing the dark web should not land you in jail.
That said, it’s best to confirm the status of the dark web and Tor browser in your country before accessing it.
