This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - March 6-12, 2026
Last week, Deadline reported on the development of a dramatic remake of Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. The current Oscar nominee in the documentary short category will be adapted by its co-director, Craig Renaud, and helmed by Jay Russell (Ladder 49). I used to keep a running list of documentary remakes in the works until it became unmanageable. Most never happened, and a lot of those that did follow through weren’t worth the time (the Doc Option™ is always better). Who knows if this one will see the light of day, but just watch the original. It’s currently in theaters with the other short nominees and streaming on HBO Max.
Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, 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: Videoheaven (2025)
Here’s a film I’ve been waiting a year to watch. Nobody ever reached out to me to review it (I heard from colleagues that never even heard back from the distributor when requesting a screener last year, so I didn’t bother with a similar effort), and it wasn’t until it arrived on The Criterion Channel last week that I was able to give it a look. As I expected, Videoheaven was right up my alley. It’s an essay film by Alex Ross Perry (whose other 2025 documentary release, Pavements, made my top 10 of the year) on the history and cultural significance of video stores. I found it nostalgically and academically riveting, even if a bit too long and often overstated.
As a clip show, Videoheaven both benefits and suffers from Perry’s apparent completionism. I have the same issue, so I’m forgiving, and I wanted to see certain scenes that came to mind as illustrative. For the sake of streamlining points, Perry didn’t need to include everything he could find, but he and editor Clyde Folley clearly had fun making trivial connections, as in the many cases where movies and shows featuring the same actor are lined up together in the cut. From the start, having narrator Maya Hawke voice a scripted introduction tied to her own father’s Blockbuster-set scene in Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet, Perry showed that he’d be a bit cheeky with his form. She later appears on screen, too, in scenes from Stranger Things.
Is a lot of it obvious, especially for those of us who grew up alongside the rise of video stores? Sure, but if there’s one thing I learned during my time in pre-professional academia, this sort of work (written or cinematic) has to be easily agreed with. I’ll give it something: I never realized how common Troma posters were in video store scenes. I only wish Perry had uncovered some reason for why that was the case other than presumed homage (an easy licensing deal? a running inside joke within the industry?). Still, it doesn’t need to be revelatory. It just needs to be compiled evidence of cinema’s documentation of life, and it does a good job of that. I have to give critic Matt Singer props for his perfect Letterboxd review, calling it “AKA The Video Store Plays Itself.”
Videoheaven is now exclusively available to stream on The Criterion Channel.
Other Documentary Highlights
A Beautiful Planet (2016)
This week’s entry in AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase is the re-release of A Beautiful Planet, which was made from and about the International Space Station. The digital 3D short was the final film by Toni Myers, and like others she directed, produced, wrote, and/or edited, it’s among the best documentaries about space travel. Here’s an excerpt from our write-up of A Beautiful Planet on that list:
“Jennifer Lawrence narrates the film, and through her voiceover, the film finds an emotional grounding. Yet, the silence and endless nature of space say multitudes more than any spoken word could. Viewing the ISS against the backdrop of space just shows how unimportant humanity is in the greater lens of the universe. But that does not mean that beauty cannot be found in such unimportance. Earth and the ISS itself stand out as endlessly beautiful objects that the film captures in a way that could never be recreated, either in reality or with digital effects.”
A Beautiful Planet will screen in digital 3D on IMAX screens nationwide on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
André Is An Idiot (2025)
I’m shocked at how long it’s taken for this Sundance ‘25 favorite to be released. It didn’t even have an Oscar-qualifying run. André is an Idiot won an Audience Award and a prize for editing following its festival premiere over a year ago, and then made the rounds without a distributor in place (it was originally set up at A24 before they shuttered their documentary department). I know it’s a difficult topic — the titular subject has colon cancer — but it’s done humorously and has a very important message. Here’s an excerpt from our review out of Sundance last year:
“While somewhat deep and existential when you think about it afterward, as it plays, André is an Idiot is an often amusing and clever take on terminal disease, reminiscent of Kirsten Johnson’s Dick Johnson is Dead. Ricciardi similarly thinks of other ways to die that would be more entertaining, and the documentary employs comical stop-motion animation to aid in the levity. Ultimately, the message might be: life is fast, die having fun, leave behind a good-looking legacy — maybe in the form of a thoughtful documentary — but also think about those you’re leaving behind. If you cry at any point while watching the film, you’ve partly missed one of the points and partly proven the other.”
André is an Idiot will be released in theaters in New York City on March 6, 2026, before expanding nationwide on March 20, 2026, via Joint Venture.
Friends Like These: The Murder Of Skylar Neese (2026)
I can’t think of a good thing to say about Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese. I have a lot of bad things to say about it. At three episodes, this true-crime series stretches a story that could have been a very brief feature. Its title removes any sort of mystery. The answers and conclusions you might seek regarding one of the murderous friends’ motives or a bank robbery subplot are never delivered. The victim’s diaries are read in a poorly performed voiceover. Too few of the interviewees are whom you’re hoping to hear from, and a handful of them seem to be relatively loose acquaintances. They remind me of that part of Heathers when a student is on the news talking about missing a girl who just died, and Winona Ryder’s character yells at the screen, “What are you talking about? She hated you! You hated her!” What disappointing stream bait.
Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese will begin streaming exclusively on Hulu on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The Dinosaurs (2026)
This four-part natural history docuseries reminded me a lot of Videoheaven. It’s similarly about the rise and distinction of something so significant to our planet. And they both chronicle their stories with a focus on evolution, as told by a single voice reading an academically informed essay — no interviews. I’m surprised there’s no line in Videoheaven (unless I missed it) that video stores “went the way of the dinosaur.”
Anyway, The Dinosaurs was made in part by Amblin Television, with Steven Spielberg credited as an executive producer, and Silverback Films, a company associated with Disneynature documentaries and David Attenborough-narrated nature series. Of course, Attenborough already narrated a dinosaur-centric series, Prehistoric Planet, so this one gets Morgan Freeman, who previously provided voiceover to the Amblin and Silverback collaboration Life on Our Planet.
With visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic, this series looks fantastic, even if none of it has Prehistoric Planet’s realistic setting appeal. Its focus on evolution is also a bit drier than that series’ typical nature-show narratives. Young fans of dinosaurs in a factual and behavioral sense may be bored. However, anyone interested in the latest scientific knowledge on the history and development of life on Earth will enjoy it.
The Dinosaurs will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Ghost Elephants (2025)
I highlighted Werner Herzog’s new documentary, Ghost Elephants, last week, but the film is making its broadcast and streaming debuts this week, and is worthy of another shoutout. Plus, since the last newsletter, I posted my interview with Herzog, producer Ariel Leon Isacovitch, and protagonist Steve Boyes, for paid subscribers. I hope you’ll sign up and read it. To give you a taste, here’s an excerpt where Herzog talks about why Boyes made such a good subject for him to document:
“When you’re into storytelling and narrative films — I’ve just finished a narrative film, Bucking Fastard, with actors Kate and Rooney Mara and Orlando Bloom — you have to be good at casting. The same thing in documentaries. Seeing Steve, you could immediately tell he’s going to be great on screen, and he has an eloquence, a charisma, so that’s the leading character. The moment I run into the tribal people, the trackers, you immediately know those are your guys. So some of it is casting. It sounds primitive, but it is something a storyteller has to do, whether you write a story or you make a film.”
Ghost Elephants premieres on National Geographic on Saturday, March 7, 2026, and begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Pompei: Below the Clouds (2025)
I’m going to get shit for this, but I have to be honest in my opinion. Pompei: Below the Clouds is far from being one of Gianfranco Rosi’s best films. Of course, I still recommend it. There’s a lot to love in the film, including some stunning black-and-white shots (though some shots appear too digitally smoothed in their motion). The whole film is in black and white, presenting a portrait of Naples that sometimes looks and feels like it was made long ago. That suits the material and place, with its concentration on the memory and study of a certain ancient disaster.
Not all of its intercut vignettes fit as well as others, and as much as I initially liked the regularly revisited motif of emergency service operators fielding calls from citizens concerned about tremors, it does get old by being too repetitive by the end. My favorite part of Pompei: Below the Clouds, besides the unmistakable anxiety of the city as a whole, is ironically its scenes of outsiders, specifically Syrian shipping workers delivering Ukrainian grain to Naples. They remind us that there are many in the world with much to be anxious about right now.
Pompei: Below the Clouds will be released in theaters in New York City on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Awards Highlights
ACE Eddie Awards
Last weekend was a big one for guild awards, including those given out by the American Cinema Editors. Nonfiction winners of the ACE Eddie Awards include The Perfect Neighbor (currently streaming on Netflix), named Best Edited Documentary Feature, Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max), the first part of which was named Best Edited Documentary Series, Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max), for which the Austria episode was named Best Edited Reality Series, and All the Empty Rooms (Netflix), which was named Best Edited Short.
NAACP Image Awards
Number One on the Call Sheet (streaming on Apple TV) was the big nonfiction winner at this year’s NAACP Image Awards. The two-part documentary earned Shola Lynch and Reginald Hudlin the award for Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Film) while also being named Outstanding Documentary (Television). Surprisingly, Being Eddie (Netflix) won Outstanding Documentary over The Perfect Neighbor. The Ebony Canal: A Story of Black Infant Health (currently unavailable) won the award for Outstanding Short-Form Documentary (Film)
PGA Awards
The Producers Guild of America also held their awards last weekend. As good as it is, My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (streaming on HBO Max) winning the PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures was a huge surprise considering its competition included Oscar nominees The Perfect Neighbor, The Alabama Solution, and Mr. Nobody Against Putin, plus other big players The Tale of Silyan and Cover-Up, as well as Ocean with David Attenborough.
Less surprisingly, Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max) won for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television, and the ongoing hit docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Netflix) won for Outstanding Sports Program. Congratulations also go to John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video), which beat out a bunch of non-documentary nominees for the award for Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures, and Adolescence: The Making of Adolescence (Netflix), which won the award for Outstanding Short-Form Program.
Documentary Release Calendar 3/6/26 - 3/12/26
Friday, March 6, 2026
André is an Idiot (2025) - A documentary feature following a man after his cancer diagnosis. Read our review of André is an Idiot. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
The Dinosaurs (2026) - A four-part, VFX-driven docuseries executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Morgan Freeman about prehistoric creatures. Find our review in the highlights section above. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)
The Fog of War (2003) - An Oscar-winning feature documentary by Errol Morris about the work of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
For All Mankind (1989) - An Oscar-nominated feature documentary about NASA’s missions to the Moon. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese (2026) - A three-part true-crime series about a teenager in West Virginia murdered by her friends. (Hulu)
Give Us the Earth! (1947) - An Oscar-nominated short documentary in the Theatre of Life series about efforts to improve the farming and standard of living for people in Mexican villages. (TCM)
Gonzaga: The Slipper Still Fits (2026) - A documentary about the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team. (Tubi)
London Can Take It! (1940) - An Oscar-nominated short documentary about British resilience during the Blitz. (TCM)
Neighbors Episode 4 - The fourth installment of a six-part docuseries executive-produced by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein about outrageous conflicts between neighbors. Read our review of Neighbors. (HBO Max)
The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs and Who Has Control (2025) - A documentary about women’s health and medical equity. (Paramount+)
Pompei: Below the Clouds (2025) - A documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi showing life in the regions surrounding Mount Vesuvius. Find our review in the highlights section above. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
The Proof is Out There Season 6, Episode 1 - The return of a docuseries investigating UFOs, conspiracies, and mythical creatures. (History)
Starman (2025) - A documentary feature about robotics engineer and sci-fi writer Gentry Lee. Read our review of Starman. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)
The TikTok Killer (2026) - A docuseries about a woman who disappeared during a trip to Spain after an encounter with a TikTok content creator. (Netflix)
Saturday, March 7, 2026
A Beautiful Planet (2016) - A re-release of a documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Jennifer Lawrence about the International Space Station and its view of Earth. Presented in 3D. *NONFICS PICK* (In AMC’s IMAX Theaters)
Buried in the Backyard Season 6, Episode 12: “Hitchhike to Nowhere” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about the odd locations where murder victims were found. This episode involves a teen who goes missing on her way to a concert. (Oxygen True Crime)
Enhypen World Tour ‘Walk the Line’ in Japan - Summer Edition - A concert film starring the K-pop boy band Enhypen. (Theatrical Event)
Ghost Elephants (2025) - A documentary feature directed and narrated by Werner Herzog about a mysterious and elusive herd of elephants in Angola. Read our review of Ghost Elephants. *NONFICS PICK* (National Geographic)
Grandad of Races (1950) - An Oscar-winning short documentary covering the annual horse race held in the Piazza del Campo in Siena. (TCM)
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951) - A medium-length documentary presenting footage from new MGM movies of that year. (TCM)
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Disaster: The Chernobyl Meltdown Episodes 3 & 4 - The back half of a four-part docuseries commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. (CNN)
Ghost Elephants (2025) - A documentary feature directed and narrated by Werner Herzog about a mysterious and elusive herd of elephants in Angola. Read our review of Ghost Elephants. *NONFICS PICK* (Disney+ and Hulu)
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe Season 1, Episode 3: “Weirdly Weird” - The third installment of a docuseries about legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history. (History)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 1: “Killing for Custody” - The second season premiere of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
Monday, March 9, 2026
120 Hours Behind Bars Season 1, Episode 8: “Washoe County Jail” - The latest installment of a nonfiction series that looks at America’s toughest jails. (Discovery)
The Curious Case of… Season 2, Episode 8: “The Corpse Who Came to Dinner” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries involving mind-bending and jaw-dropping cases. (Investigation Discovery)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 7 - The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames Season 1, Episode 6: “Weapons” - The latest installment of a docuseries about history’s most devastating killers, weapons, battles, and disasters. (History)
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
All Quiet on the Western Front: The True Story (2025) - A documentary about the World War I events that inspired the titular book and its film and series adaptations. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Anti-Vax Conspiracy (2021) - A documentary about the anti-vaxx industry. (Blu-ray)
Bad Boy (2025) - A documentary about a man accused of committing the UK’s largest cash robbery. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Circle Up (2017) - A medium-length documentary about mothers seeking justice for their murdered sons. (OVID)
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. Season 12, Episode 10: “Rags to Riches” - The latest installment of a docuseries presenting celebrities with their ancestral history. Actress Kate Burton and media mogul Barry Diller are the participants in this episode. (PBS)
Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026) - A documentary feature about the threat posed by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following an earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011. (HBO and HBO Max)
Fury in the Pacific (1945) - A short documentary on the U.S. military’s joint assault on a Japanese-held island. Released as part of the WWII - Pacific Battle Hell box set. (DVD)
Glyndebourne: The Untold History (2014) - A documentary about the titular opera company. (DVD and Blu-ray)
History of the Gun (2026) - A documentary about firearms in the U.S. through the centuries. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Japan’s Surrender! (1945) - A short documentary on the end of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Released as part of the WWII - Pacific Battle Hell box set. (DVD)
Jeanie’s Face Exploded (2024) - A short documentary about makeup artist and actress Jeanie Jefferies. (Blu-ray)
Killer Confessions: Case Files of a Texas Ranger Season 1, Episode 8: “A Devil Always Lies” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries involving confessions, starring a retired Texas Ranger. (Investigation Discovery)
Monkey Dance (2004) - A medium-length documentary about Cambodian-American teenagers coming of age in Lowell, Massachusetts. (OVID)
My Japan (1943) - A short propaganda film using reverse psychology with claims of why the Japanese are superior to Americans. Released as part of the WWII - Pacific Battle Hell box set. (DVD)
The Passion Oratorio (2026) - A concert film starring composer John Debney. (DVD)
Something Better Change (2024) - A documentary feature about the punk band D.O.A. and the political career of frontman Joe Keithley. (DVD)
Target: Japan (1944) - A short documentary depicting the U.S. Navy’s progress in the Pacific during World War II. Released as part of the WWII - Pacific Battle Hell box set. (DVD)
Timestamp (2025) - A documentary feature about school life in Ukraine during the war with Russia. (DVD)
VHS Resurrected: Tape Fiends Reborn (2026) - A documentary about collectors of movies on physical media. (DVD)
Who Died? (1945) - A short documentary on the Pacific campaign of World War II. Released as part of the WWII - Pacific Battle Hell box set. (DVD)
Wrestling Alligators (2016) - A documentary feature about the Seminole chief who pioneered the Native American gaming industry. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Alaska State Troopers Season 9, Episode 10 - The latest installment of a docuseries about state troopers in Alaska. (A&E)
Dirty Rotten Scandals: America’s Next Top Model (2026) - The second installment in a trilogy of investigative documentaries about scandals involving TV shows. (E!)
Feds Season 2, Episode 2: “Vanishing Act” - The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the FBI on various cases. This episode involves a missing mother. (Investigation Discovery)
Expedition X Season 11, Episode 10: “Ghosts of Gettysburg” - The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)
Hunt for the Missing: Chicago Episode 2: “Lost in the Daylight” - The second installment of a six-part series following a retired police detective as she re-investigates cold cases. (Investigation Discovery)
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (2026) - A documentary in which Louis Theroux explores a rising ultra-masculine network. (Netflix)
Thursday, March 12, 2026
David: King of Israel Episode 3: “The Outlaw” - The third installment of a docudrama series hosted by Zachary Levi about the titular biblical figure. (Fox Nation)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 13: “Heavy Metals” - The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 2: “Someone You Know and Trust” - A docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 - The full fourth season of a docuseries about married Mormon women who are swingers. (Hulu)
Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (2008) - A documentary feature about Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai. (OVID)
True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here Season 3, Episode 4: “Love County, Oklahoma” - The latest installment of a true-crime series focused on murders in small towns. (Sundance TV)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
3/13 - Dynasty: The Murdochs - A four-part docuseries by Liz Garbus about the succession battle of the Murdoch family media empire. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Netflix)
3/16 - Born to Bowl - A documentary feature that follows five professional bowlers. (HBO Max)
3/17 - Bella! This Woman’s Place is in the House - A documentary about Congresswoman Bella Abzug. (PBS)
3/19 - Meal Ticket - A documentary about young basketball prospects competing in the McDonald's All American Games. (Prime Video)
3/20 - 1000 Women in Horror - A documentary about women pioneers in the horror genre. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Shudder)
3/24 - The Kinderhook Creature: In the Shadow of Sasquatch - A documentary feature about a mysterious creature in upstate New York. (VOD)
3/27 - After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home - A documentary about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. (IndiePix)
3/30 - Henry David Thoreau - A docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns and narrated by George Clooney about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
3/31 - Secrets of the Bees - A nature docuseries about bees starring Bertie Gregory. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (National Geographic)
3/31 - Untold Season 3 - The return of a docuseries focused on little-known sports stories. (Netflix)
4/3 - My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow - A documentary about a political threat against independent journalists in Russia. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
4/17 - Lorne - A documentary directed by Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
4/24 - Bernstein’s Wall - A documentary about Leonard Bernstein. (In Theaters)
5/1 - Our Land - A documentary feature directed by Lucretia Martel about the case of the 2009 killing of an Indigenous leader in Argentina. (In Theaters)
5/8 - Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour - A concert film directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish and starring Billie Eilish, presented in 3D. (In Theaters)