The Best Documentaries Of 2026 (Mid-Year)

Halfway through the year, we continue to rank the best nonfiction film releases.

Six months into the year, do we know what will rank as the best documentary of 2026? By the halfway point of 2025, I’d seen most of my end-of-year top 10, though some weren’t released until later. This year, at the midway point, a few of my favorites (including Nuisance Bear, Soul Patrol, and One in a Million) are still to come, but I think my number one is a lock. The funny thing is that the two additions to the current top five were released right after I published the initial list back in May. And now, what’s possibly my favorite docuseries of the year won’t debut until after this list goes live.

For the midyear version, I’ve increased the ranking from 10 to 15. Five newer titles were added. None of the previous bunch fell off. Here’s the updated breakdown of how they arrived on the calendar: four of the titles to make the list were released in February; two in March; two in April; five in May; and two in June. To see where other films rank, visit us on Letterboxd and follow us for updates to our list throughout the year. Spoiler: you’ll be tipped off about what might be added or dropped. Halfway in, who knows how many of the titles below will still be in our top 26 at the end of 2026?