Top 5 Louis Theroux documentaries: from gambling to Gaza
Written by Oliver Hodge on 27th November 2025
Louis Theroux is an acclaimed documentarian of British and American descent. His documentaries are popular for exploring controversial subjects, which have been filmed all over the globe. Theroux introduces his viewers to an unbiased perspective on the taboo and unspoken topics of society. Over the past 27 years he has remained a public favourite for his documentaries.
We have put together our rankings for the five best documentaries of his career.
- Louis Theroux: Gambling in Las Vegas
Theroux spends time amongst the gambling culture of Las Vegas, where he meets a variety of casino goers. He goes to the Las Vegas Hilton, where he meets two of the casino’s most valued customers, known as “high-rollers”. Louis Theroux questions both staff and gamblers, giving an insight into the exclusive, big stakes community.
- Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Johannesburg
In this documentary, Louis follows a private security firm to the crime-ridden South African Capital, where he views the methods of law enforcement on the city’s criminals. Due to ineffective policing, Louis sees the vigilantes use brutal punishments that reveal questions of morality.
- Louis Theroux: Miami Mega Jail
In this two-part series, Theroux films from inside one of the United States’s biggest prisons. He explores the violent prison culture, and the psychological struggles of inmates who have to fight for status and power. Louis shines a light on prison overcrowding and a broken justice system that affects the incarcerated.
- Louis Theroux: A Place For Paedophiles
This documentary takes place in a California mental hospital that attempts to rehabilitate sex offenders and paedophiles. It is home to more than 500 convicted paedophiles, many of which are considered suitable to release into the public once again. Theroux interviews the patients and attempts to gain insight into the reliability of the hospital. Can the convicted truly be reformed?
- Louis Theroux: The Settlers
One of Louis Theroux’s most recent documentaries, The Settlers documents the Israeli population that occupies the West Bank. Theroux interviews both the Israeli settlers and Palestinians, which provokes thought into the religious and national tensions in the region. It explores themes of politics and conflict.
