What is a UFO documentary?

A UFO documentary is a film or program that investigates unidentified flying objects, particular sightings, or claims about government records and extraterrestrial life. The documentaries in our listings take different approaches: some focus on a single case, while others survey UFO reports, witness accounts, or files.[1][2][3][6][7]

For example, *Roswell – UFO Crash in New Mexico* examines the alleged crash, while *UFO Secret – The Roswell Crash* is a 1993 film that explores the event and competing theories.[3][4] Other documentaries focus on the Phoenix Lights, a sighting in 1997, or on historical reports and government files.[7][8]

A documentary can present testimony, reports, and theories, but its subject matter alone does not establish what caused a sighting or prove claims about aliens or a cover-up. The descriptions of these films do not settle what happened in the cases they examine.[5][6][8] What remains unknown depends on the individual case; these listings describe the investigations, not definitive answers about the objects’ origins.