This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - January 2-8, 2026
Happy New Year! Nonfics now enters its third year on Substack, and we haven’t missed a beat (as in, a week of content) yet. While many of our colleagues are jumping to other newsletter platforms, we’re nervous about change right now. We took chances like that with our old publisher/co-owner, and it didn’t go well. We’re happy to be still surviving, and we appreciate all the support from paid and unpaid subscribers, as well as everyone else who reads us.
We’re very excited for 2026, especially after sharing our list of most anticipated documentaries of this year. And as usual, that’s mostly just the stuff premiering at Sundance this month. We’re hopeful about covering more films and series than ever, outside of what space we have in the weekly newsletter. We want this to be an essential resource for reviews and interviews, of course, but also a celebration of documentary history and studies. We’re happy to have you along for all of it.
Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights. They are followed by daily listings for all known releases and broadcasts, along with a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, plus full access to special posts like our best of and most anticipated lists, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available. If you have a doc in need of coverage or a mention, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Moana (1926)
Without a major new release to highlight over the next seven days, we’re going back a century for our Pick of the Week. It’s not every week or even year that a documentary turns 100, but Robert Flaherty’s Moana is particularly special anyway. The filmmaker is best known for his feature debut, Nanook of the North, but if you like what he does with that documentary, you’ll like the similarly approached Moana. Flaherty switches out the Canadian Arctic for the tropical Polynesian island of Samoa, but it’s another staged depiction of an exotic culture as it was before modern civilization’s influences.
Moana is famous for being the film reviewed by John Grierson in a piece erroneously credited with being the first to use the term “documentary” to describe this type of motion picture. That’s fine if it brings attention to the film, and if a quick correction brings people even further back into nonfiction cinema history. Moana has gained more deserved attention over the last century through Flaherty’s daughter Monica’s addition of a soundtrack in 1975 and a restoration in 2014. Here’s an excerpt from our review of Moana (with sound) by Daniel Walber of the latter version:
“It’s gorgeous. The film is ostensibly the story of a young man named Moana, who is on the verge of recognized adulthood according to Samoan custom. Yet while his milestones are marked with great care, he is mostly used as a narrative device in order to feature the way of life of the people of Savai’i. The sounds of the ocean do wonders to enervate the pristine fishing scenes, including a particularly memorable capture of a giant sea turtle. Sandalwood, smoke, spray, and unsettlingly large crabs become vivid and immersive in this classic of ethnographic nonfiction.”
Moana is in the public domain and can be found on many parts of the internet. Moana (with sound) is available to stream on HBO Max and Kanopy.
Other Documentary Highlights
Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
We’re highlighting another classic documentary, this one turning 50 this year. But that’s not why it’s here. The anniversary isn’t until October. The reason for highlighting Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning feature Harlan County U.S.A. is that it’s scheduled to air on cable this week as part of a programming block dedicated to working-class stories. Here’s some of what I wrote when I highlighted it for a broadcast situation two years ago:
“It is one of my picks for the best documentaries of all time (and it has one of the best opening scenes in documentaries)…the first of Barbara Kopple’s two Oscar-winning documentaries following workers’ strikes, Harlan County U.S.A. is raw and rustic with a refined point of view. It’s easy to feel nostalgia while watching, not for the time and place it’s set in but for the type of filmmaking (and film stock used) on display. If more documentaries were this exceptional, there would be more classic documentaries on TCM.”
Harlan County U.S.A. will be broadcast on TCM on Wednesday, January 7.
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (2025)
One of our most anticipated documentaries of 2025 exceeded expectations and came very close to making our best-of list for the year. Here’s part of my capsule review of It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley from when it was our Pick of the Week:
“Berg respects the cinematic audience with her pacing and imagery, the latter including animation that permeates the stills and footage to the effect that the film isn’t the usual hodgepodge of aesthetically clashing illustrative elements cut together. There’s a dynamic artfulness rarely seen outside of Brett Morgen’s docs. I don’t even find Jeff Buckley’s story that interesting, and I don’t feel the documentary ever gets to who he was as a real person. But his brief life and what he meant especially to a handful of women, including his mother and girlfriends, is presented so well that I was drawn in for every anecdotal bit.”
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, January 6.
Jafar Panahi & Abbas Kiarostami Films
At a time when Jafar Panahi’s latest feature, It Was Just an Accident, is garnering a lot of awards plus Oscar buzz, he’s getting a tribute at the IFC Center in New York City in a pairing with fellow Iranian auteur and former mentor Abbas Kiarostami. Both filmmakers have helmed documentaries and narrative movies as well as works that blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. If you can’t make it to any of the screenings, we recommend seeking the selected titles at home.
Panahi’s documentary This Is Not a Film is on The Criterion Channel and Metrograph’s streaming service. His hybrid docufiction Taxi is also on The Criterion Channel, as well as Kanopy and Kino Film Collection. However, his docufiction Closed Curtain is not available for home viewing.
Kiarostami’s docufictions to watch include Ten, which is on Kanopy, and Close-Up and And Life Goes On (a.k.a. Life, and Nothing More), which are both on The Criterion Channel. His films The Wind Will Carry Us (also streaming on The Criterion Channel), Where is the Friend’s House (also streaming on The Criterion Channel), Through the Olive Trees (also streaming on The Criterion Channel), and The Taste of Cherry (streaming on The Criterion Channel, HBO Max, and Kanopy) lean less toward the hybrid side but definitely appeal to documentary fans. I recommend reading our piece by Robert Greene on the Koker trilogy (Where is the Friend’s House, And Life Goes On, and Through the Olive Trees) for more on their essentiality.
The Tale Of Silyan (2025)
Surprisingly, The Tale of Silyan failed to make the Oscar shortlist this year, but we still named it one of the best documentaries of 2025. Here’s an excerpt from our review of The Tale of Silyan from when it was our Pick of the Week:
“The Tale of Silyan is at least among the most beautiful documentaries of 2025. You shouldn’t be surprised, given that it’s the latest film by Macedonian director Tamara Kotevska, whose feature debut, Honeyland, made history with two Oscar nominations in 2020. I like this one even more…There’s something very universal about the protagonist’s struggle, as well as something very timely. And yet the whole time I was watching him, I felt a calming empathy where I wished I had a life so unburdened by the technology, politics, and social concerns of our world.”
The Tale of Silyan premieres on National Geographic on Thursday, January 8.
Awards Highlights
Critics Group Winners
In the week since our last newsletter, a few more regional critic groups announced their winners for Best Documentary, among other awards. The Georgia Film Critics Association (of which I’m a member) picked The Alabama Solution (HBO Max), with The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) as runner-up.
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the New Jersey Film Critics Circle went with The Perfect Neighbor as their winner, with the latter choosing Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV) as the runner-up.
The North Texas Film Critics Association and the Portland Critics Association both chose Orwell 2+2=5 (VOD), with the latter mentioning Megadoc (The Criterion Channel) as a runner-up.
Documentary Release Calendar 1/2/26 - 1/8/26
Friday, January 2, 2026
Cheetas Up Close with Bertie Gregory (2025) - A nature documentary about cheetahs. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Final Vows (2024) - A feature documentary about nuns at a Cistercian monastery in Arizona. Read our review of Final Vows. (OVID)
Monsterquest Season 5 - The return of a docuseries about strange creatures spotted around the world. (History)
The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd Season 3, Episode 9: “Strangest Places” - The latest installment of a docuseries about mysterious and bizarre people and things. (History)
Saturday, January 3, 2026
Accident, Suicide, or Murder Season 6, Episode 7: “Three Causes, One Death” - The latest episode of this true-crime series involves the death of a wealthy widow. (Oxygen)
Glimpses of Old England (1949) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the old architecture and villages of the southwestern UK, including Wales. (TCM)
#RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUr the MOVIE (2025) - A concert film starring BTS member Jin during his first solo tour. (In Theaters)
Sunday, January 4, 2026
A Day on Treasure Island (1939) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that showcases the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition and the titular island in San Francisco Bay. (TCM)
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins Season 4, Episode 9: “A Cruel Secret” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about romances gone tragically wrong. (Oxygen)
MGM Parade Show #2 (1955) - The second installment of a documentary film series devoted to promoting MGM movies. This one features clips from The Wizard of Oz and It’s Always Fair Weather. (TCM)
Snapped Season 3, Episode 1: “Heather Hoffman” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about mysterious and violent cases. (Oxygen)
Unrivaled Season 2 - The return of a docuseries about a three-on-three women's basketball league. (TruTV)
Monday, January 5, 2026
Here Come the Irish Season 2, Episode 5: “Family Ties” - The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the Notre Dame football team. (Peacock)
Seattle: Gateway to the Northwest (1940) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that showcases Seattle. (TCM)
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
American Clown (2026) - A documentary about clowns. (DVD)
Bombshell (2026) - A documentary feature about the lies the American government told about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Presented as an episode of American Experience. (PBS)
The Cult Behind the Killer: The Andrea Yates Story (2026) - A three-part docuseries about a woman who drowned her five children in 2001. (Investigation Discovery)
Eating Alaska (2008) - A medium-length documentary following a vegetarian who moves to Alaska and explores the food options there. (OVID)
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025) - A true-crime documentary about the titular therapist who aided Ruby Franke in child abuse. (Netflix)
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. Season 12, Episode 1 - The latest installment of a docuseries presenting celebrities with their ancestral history. Actors Darren Criss and America Ferrera are the participants in this episode. (PBS)
Game Warden (1955) - A short documentary about a New York game warden. (TCM)
Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East Episode 6 - The latest installment of a docuseries that goes behind the scenes of NFL teams. (HBO Max)
Homegrown (2024) - A documentary feature following three Trump supporters as they campaign for his 2020 reelection. (Gathr)
In Old Amsterdam (1949) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that showcases the capital of the Netherlands. (TCM)
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley - A Critics Choice-nominated biographical documentary by Amy Berg (Janis: Little Girl Lost) about the titular musician. Read our review of It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
MotiV8tion - American Muscle Cars in the Philippines (2026) - A documentary feature about a group of people in the Philippines who enjoy restoring and driving classic American muscle cars. (DVD)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 9: “Found Fortunes” - The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
The Shrimp (2010) - A short documentary on the life cycle of shrimp. (OVID)
Zodiac Killer Project (2025) - A meta-textual true-crime documentary about an abandoned documentary on the Zodiac Killer. Read our review of Zodiac Killer Project. (VOD)
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
After the LA Firestorm (2026) - A medium-length documentary about the L.A. wildfires in early 2025. (In Theaters)
Alaska State Troopers Season 9 - A docuseries about state troopers in Alaska. (A&E)
Expedition X Season 11 - The return of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 1 - A true-crime docuseries exposing shocking murders and scandals. (CBS and Paramount+)
Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976) - A classic, Oscar-winning documentary by Barbara Kopple about a miner’s strike. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
The Lord Is Not on Trial Here Today (2010) - A medium-length documentary about the separation of church and state in public schools. (OVID)
My Strange Addiction Season 7 - The return of a docuseries about individuals with obsessive behaviors. (TLC)
No Dinosaurs in Heaven (2010) - An essay film on the importance of science education. (OVID)
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 2 - The return of a docuseries about new approaches to rehabilitation for the incarcerated, this time in Arizona. (Netflix)
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Decade for Decision (1957) - A short documentary about the threat of the Soviet launch of the first satellite, Sputnik. (TCM)
Sport vs. Money (2026) - A docuseries about the relationship between sports and business. (Viaplay)
The Tale of Silyan (2025) - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) that follows a struggling North Macedonian farmer. Read our review of The Tale of Silyan. *NONFICS PICK* (National Geographic)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
1/9 - Holding Liat - A documentary feature about an Israeli-American held hostage in Gaza after October 7. (In Theaters).
1/13 - Pole to Pole - A nature docuseries starring Will Smith covering the whole planet. (National Geographic)
1/16 - Seeds - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary feature about Black generational farmers. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
1/30 - Melania - A documentary feature directed by Brett Ratner about current U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
3/23 - Keep Quiet and Forgive - A documentary feature on sexual abuse in the Amish community. (In Theaters)