#1 of 6 #1 documentary movie of May 2023
John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023)
2023 · Documentary
$3M worldwide · 80% of the chart's total
No US & Canada figure reported
Documentary box office · May 2023
Documentary Box Office, May 2023: Top-Grossing Releases
John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in May 2023, with $3M worldwide, ahead of It Ain't Over (2023) at $705.4K and Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope (2023) at $65.7K. 6 documentary films released in May 2023 report a worldwide gross, $3.8M in all, 19% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 32% on April 2023, whose releases took $5.6M. By language, English leads with $3.8M across 4 documentary releases.
- May 2023 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $3.8M
- John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023), the #1
- $3M
- vs April 2023
- −32%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of May 2023?
John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023) leads with $3M, 80% of the total. The top 5 together took $3.8M, almost all of what the 6 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 May 2023, 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 May 2023.
- 1 May 18, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3M
- 2 May 12, 2023 US and Canada: $705.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $705.4K
- 3 May 30, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $65.7K
- 4 May 25, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8K
- 5 May 25, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3K
- 6
May 9, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4K
By release week
Which Week of May 2023 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 20 (May 14–20) took $3M, led by John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 It Ain't Over (2023) $706.8K It Ain't Over (2023)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 14–20 John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023) $3M John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 21–27 Utopía (2023) $5.1K Utopía (2023)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 28–Jun 3 Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope (2023) $65.7K Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope (2023)
Earlier years
How Does May 2023 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2015 earned the most: $33.4M from 8 films, led by The Crossing (2015). May 2023 took $3.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2014 16 films | 16 | $3M | – | Fed Up (2014) $1.5M |
| May 2015 8 films · +1028% | 8 | $33.4M | +1028% | The Crossing (2015) $32.8M |
| May 2016 15 films · −88% | 15 | $4.1M | −88% | Weiner (2016) $1.7M |
| May 2017 22 films · +1% | 22 | $4.1M | +1% | Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017) $701.6K |
| May 2018 19 films · +549% | 19 | $26.6M | +549% | RBG (2018) $14.5M |
| May 2019 28 films · −53% | 28 | $12.6M | −53% | The Biggest Little Farm (2019) $5.3M |
| May 2020 9 films · −70% | 9 | $3.8M | −70% | The House in Between (2020) $1.7M |
| May 2021 11 films · −81% | 11 | $723.3K | −81% | Final Account (2021) $353.1K |
| May 2022 18 films · +482% | 18 | $4.2M | +482% | 2000 Mules (2022) $1.5M |
| May 2023 6 films · −10% | 6 | $3.8M | −10% | John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023) $3M |
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2023, Month by Month
The months of 2023 with their totals: October leads with $19.3M, led by After Death (2023).
- January $211.1K #1 Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023)
- February $1.9M #1 Whale Nation (2023)
- March $2.6M #1 Louis Tomlinson: All of Those Voices (2023)
- April $5.6M #1 The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli (2023)
- May $3.8M #1 John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023)
- June $2.1M #1 The Last Breath of Sam Yan (2023)
- July $3.7M #1 Filipka (2023)
- August $2.3M #1 Antarctica Calling (2023)
- September $2.6M #1 Canary (2023)
- October $19.3M #1 After Death (2023)
- November $4.3M #1 The Meaning and Mystery of Life (2023)
- December $4.2M #1 Anselm (2023)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office May 2023: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in May 2023?
John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023) leads with $3M worldwide. Next come It Ain't Over (2023) at $705.4K and Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope (2023) at $65.7K.
How much did documentary movies released in May 2023 earn?
6 documentary films released in May 2023 report a worldwide gross, $3.8M in all, or $632.3K per film on average. April 2023 releases took $5.6M.
How many documentary movies released in May 2023 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, John Farnham: Finding the Voice (2023), earned $3M.
How is the May 2023 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 May 2023. 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 May 2023 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.