#1 of 28 #1 documentary movie of October 2021
2021 · Music, Documentary
$5.6M worldwide · 59% of the chart's total
$151K US & Canada · 3% $5.5M elsewhere · 97%
Documentary box office · October 2021
Documentary Box Office, October 2021: Top-Grossing Releases
The Velvet Underground (2021) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in October 2021, with $5.6M worldwide, ahead of The Rescue (2021) at $1.1M and The Jesus Music (2021) at $1M. 28 documentary films released in October 2021 report a worldwide gross, $9.5M in all, 26% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 8% on September 2021, whose releases took $8.8M. By language, English leads with $8.6M across 17 documentary releases.
- October 2021 releases with a gross
- 28
- combined worldwide
- $9.5M
- The Velvet Underground (2021), the #1
- $5.6M
- vs September 2021
- +8%
#1 of 28 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of October 2021?
The Velvet Underground (2021) leads with $5.6M, 59% of the total. The top 5 together took $8.5M, 90% of what all 28 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Documentary Release of October 2021, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in October 2021.
- 1 Oct 15, 2021 US and Canada: $151K Rest of the world: $5.5M Worldwide: $5.6M
- 2 Oct 8, 2021 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M
- 3 Oct 1, 2021 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1M
- 4 Oct 2, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $553.1K
- 5 Oct 22, 2021 US and Canada: $231.7K Rest of the world: $50.9K Worldwide: $282.6K
- 6
Oct 24, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $179.4K - 7
Oct 29, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $154K - 8
Oct 25, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $147.5K - 9
Oct 9, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $117.7K - 10
Oct 29, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $83.4K - 11
Oct 24, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $81.9K - 12
Oct 9, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $66.8K - 13
Oct 7, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $17.6K - 14
Oct 8, 2021 US and Canada: $17.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.2K - 15
Oct 28, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16K - 16
Oct 8, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.3K - 17
Oct 20, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.7K - 18
Oct 22, 2021 US and Canada: $7.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.6K - 19
Oct 8, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.9K - 20
Oct 15, 2021 US and Canada: $5.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.7K - 21
Oct 28, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5K - 22
Oct 31, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.8K - 23
Oct 25, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.7K - 24
Oct 15, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.1K - 25
Oct 24, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.1K - 26
Oct 25, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.7K - 27
The Treasure of His Youth: The Photographs of Paolo Di Paolo (2021)Oct 23, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.4K
Oct 23, 2021 · English · Documentary $2.4K worldwide - 28
Oct 27, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 2021?
Of the top 10, The Rescue (2021) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Velvet Underground (2021) made 97% of its gross abroad. Across all 28 films, $2.5M (26%) came from the US & Canada. 6 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Velvet Underground (2021) $5.6M $151K US & Canada · 3% $5.5M elsewhere · 97%
- 2 The Rescue (2021) $1.1M $1.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Jesus Music (2021) $1M $1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Aksel (2021) $553.1K No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Becoming Cousteau (2021) $282.6K $231.7K US & Canada · 82% $50.9K elsewhere · 18%
- 6 Facing Monsters (2021) $179.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Attica (2021) $154K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 Kernagis (2021) $147.5K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Quant (2021) $117.7K No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 Bulletproof (2021) $83.4K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many October 2021 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 28 films reached $100M. 28 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $9.5M total.
100%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- Under $10M 28 films, 100% of the list $9.5M · 100% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of October 2021 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 42 (Oct 10–16) took $5.6M, led by The Velvet Underground (2021). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 26–Oct 2 The Jesus Music (2021) $1.6M The Jesus Music (2021)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 3–9 The Rescue (2021) $1.3M The Rescue (2021)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 10–16 The Velvet Underground (2021) $5.6M The Velvet Underground (2021)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 17–23 Becoming Cousteau (2021) $304.3K Becoming Cousteau (2021)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 24–30 Facing Monsters (2021) $681.8K Facing Monsters (2021)
- Week 45 Wk 45 Oct 31–Nov 6 La Liste: Everything or Nothing (2021) $4.8K La Liste: Everything or Nothing (2021)
Earlier years
How Does October 2021 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 2013 earned the most: $167.4M from 23 films, led by Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013). October 2021 took $9.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2012 19 films | 19 | $1.8M | – | The Flat (2012) $583.4K |
| October 2013 23 films · +8957% | 23 | $167.4M | +8957% | Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) $151.8M |
| October 2014 22 films · −89% | 22 | $19.2M | −89% | Meet the Mormons (2014) $6M |
| October 2015 22 films · +97% | 22 | $37.8M | +97% | Twenty Two (2015) $26.3M |
| October 2016 23 films · −20% | 23 | $30.3M | −20% | Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016) $23.6M |
| October 2017 32 films · −21% | 32 | $23.8M | −21% | Earth: One Amazing Day (2017) $12.9M |
| October 2018 36 films · −82% | 36 | $4.2M | −82% | Klimt & Schiele: Eros and Psyche (2018) $690.1K |
| October 2019 32 films · +78% | 32 | $7.4M | +78% | Fantastic Fungi (2019) $1.9M |
| October 2020 23 films · −50% | 23 | $3.7M | −50% | My Name Is Francesco Totti (2020) $781.6K |
| October 2021 28 films · +154% | 28 | $9.5M | +154% | The Velvet Underground (2021) $5.6M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in October 2021?
English-language documentary films took $8.6M across 17 films, 91% of the total, ahead of Norwegian-language documentary films ($553.1K) and Lithuanian-language documentary films ($147.5K).
October 2021 Documentary Box Office by Language
- English $8.6M17 films · #1 The Velvet Underground (2021)
-
Norwegian $553.1K1 film · #1 Aksel (2021) -
Lithuanian $147.5K1 film · #1 Kernagis (2021) -
Italian $81.9K1 film · #1 Luigi Proietti detto Gigi (2021) -
Korean $81.1K2 films · #1 Fanatic (2021) -
Chinese $17.2K1 film · #1 Ascension (2021) -
Czech $5K1 film · #1 Out in Force (2021) -
Portuguese $4.7K1 film · #1 Peace (2021) -
Spanish $4.1K1 film · #1 Journey to Somewhere (2021) -
Basque $3.7K1 film · #1 918 Nights (2021)
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2021, Month by Month
The months of 2021 with their totals: July leads with $15.2M, led by Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021).
- January $880.4K #1 Softie (2021)
- February $83.1K #1 Life in a Day 2020 (2021)
- March $5.3M #1 Tina (2021)
- April $81.9K #1 The Man Who Paints Water Drops (2021)
- May $723.3K #1 Final Account (2021)
- June $10.7M #1 Fathom (2021)
- July $15.2M #1 Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
- August $1M #1 Lynx (2021)
- September $8.8M #1 Karel (2021)
- October $9.5M #1 The Velvet Underground (2021)
- November $4.9M #1 Burning (2021)
- December $1.4M #1 Flee (2021)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office October 2021: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 28 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in October 2021?
The Velvet Underground (2021) leads with $5.6M worldwide, $151K of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Rescue (2021) at $1.1M and The Jesus Music (2021) at $1M.
How much did documentary movies released in October 2021 earn?
28 documentary films released in October 2021 report a worldwide gross, $9.5M in all, or $339.4K per film on average. September 2021 releases took $8.8M.
How many documentary movies released in October 2021 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Velvet Underground (2021), earned $5.6M.
How is the October 2021 documentary box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in October 2021. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the October 2021 documentary box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.