This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - April 10-16, 2026
Just when you thought awards season was over, it’s started back up again. For nonfiction, the season is year-round because of the blurring of film and television that allows certain titles to compete for Oscars and Emmys and everything in between. For the most part, though, the two awards highlighted this week honor the same documentaries we’ve been talking about for the last year. Almost half of our list of the best documentaries of 2025 are represented again among the News & Documentary Emmy and Peabody Award nominees. Congrats to them all, again. Meanwhile, with the latest Pick of the Week, we’re looking back even further to celebrate a classic.
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 (this week, we preview new films from Debra Granik and Jimmy Kimmel). 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 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: Cave Of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
This month, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the theatrical release of Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. For the occasion, the film is being re-released on IMAX screens with a 6k restoration. Perhaps due to the crowdedness of IMAX showings these days, it’s only screening for two non-consecutive days, including one day this week. Marketing materials for this re-release claim that we can now “finally see the jaw-dropping Chauvet Caves the way they were meant to be seen.” I guess the ideal way would be to see them in person, but given that most people aren’t allowed access to the location, a 3D documentary is still the next best thing.
Watch a teaser of the remastered version of Cave of Forgotten Dreams here, showing brighter and color-corrected visuals as Herzog guides viewers through the Chauvet Caves to gaze upon ancient paintings crafted more than 30,000 years ago:
Re-watching Cave of Forgotten Dreams on the big screen is going to make me wish that the 3D documentary trend had lasted longer. Wim Wenders thought it was the future of the mode (and he eventually made another one), and James Cameron stated that he thinks 3D is a better fit for documentaries than fiction films. I wrote a column in 2011 exploring which subjects would best suit and be enhanced by 3D cinema. If you’ve never seen Herzog’s example, and especially if you’ve never seen any 3D documentary before (interestingly enough, this isn’t the only 3D documentary being reshown in theaters nationwide this week), I implore you to make time for this one.
If you aren’t able to catch one of these rare 3D screenings, it’s still worth watching at home (rent it digitally rather than watching it for free on Pluto TV, as the ads will ruin the experience even more). As noted on our list of documentary masterpieces about artists, the filmmaker’s presence and direction are nearly as vital as the format for appreciating the works on screen: “Herzog never lets us out of the feeling that we are in the presence of something holy…[his] assuredness here is a valuable guide. Anyone else would quibble and begin talking about something boring like carbon dating. Instead, Herzog compares these sketches to the great horse paintings of the 19th century.”
Cave of Forgotten Dreams will be showing in 3D on IMAX screens nationwide on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, and Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Other Documentary Highlights
Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)
While IMAX was an ideal format for Becoming Led Zeppelin when it opened in theaters last year (helping it become the top-grossing documentary of 2025), the film offers a fantastic viewing experience when watched on any platform. Winner of the Critics Choice Award for Best Music Documentary, this look at the origins of Led Zeppelin is particularly appealing to the band’s biggest fans. And those diehards are going to want to pick up the new two-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray Limited Collector’s Edition Steelbook set, which also comes with guitar picks, a vinyl guitar case sticker, an iron-on patch, photo cards, and a letter to fans from director Bernard MacMahon.
Becoming Led Zeppelin will be released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray with this collector’s set on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
The Dark Wizard (2026)
Peter Mortimer and Nick Rose, best known for The Dawn Wall and The Alpinist, continue their focus on climbers with The Dark Wizard, a four-part docuseries about Dean Potter. I’m disappointed to say that this one might be just for the climbing enthusiasts already familiar with Potter. It’s fine, but after one episode, I wasn’t compelled to continue for another three. Not that Potter isn’t an interesting subject, but I feel I got to know him as much as I want to in that first part, and since he’s not alive, he’s not enough of a presence on screen that I expect anything else of him besides what the talking heads tell us about him.
The Dark Wizard premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Fiume O Morte! (2025)
If you’re going to make a film about an obscure moment in world history, so forgotten that even residents of the city where it happened are uneducated about it, you have to produce a unique piece of amusement for audiences. Igor Bezinovic’s Fiume o Morte!, which has deservedly won several honors at film festivals around the world and the European Film Award for Best European Documentary, does right by this expectation. The feature (which was also Croatia’s official submission for the Academy Awards this year) respects its subject and its audience while humorously playing with form through the use of otherwise conventional elements, including reenactments, sit-down interviews, man-on-the-street inquiries, and narration.
Fiume o Morte! chronicles the 16-month reign of the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, who took over the city now known as Rijeka, Croatia, after the end of World War I. He was a major influence on Benito Mussolini, but otherwise might seem to have had little impact, considering the locals have pretty much buried his story. Right now, fascism shouldn’t be as funny as it is depicted in the film, but it helps that this is such a curiously odd, non-tragic history. Many of the reenactment scenes reminded me of action in Wes Anderson’s films, though they also appear faithful to photographs from the time, as seen in the film, with their strange stagings and poses. The documentary will leave you wishing for more secret histories portrayed in such a lively manner.
Fiume o Morte! will be released in New York City on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Frederick Wiseman’s U.S. Documentaries (Continued)
This week, we again recognize the Jacob Burns Film Center’s ongoing retrospective “Frederick Wiseman’s America.” Frederick Wiseman’s U.S.-set documentaries showing there over the next seven days include Canal Zone, The Store (which Robert Greene has written about for Nonfics), and Welfare (one of our picks for the best documentaries of all time and the best documentaries about New York City). All three are also available to stream on Kanopy if that’s your only option. We’ll highlight the rest of the program as it continues throughout this month.
The Last Twins (2025)
Not all histories can be treated with such a creative and amusing style as the one Fiume o Morte! depicts. The Holocaust remains a deeply serious topic requiring a formal structure, and The Last Twins proves that this approach is still effective. The film is about Jewish twins (and siblings pretending to be twins) who were isolated at Auschwitz for study and experimentation by Josef Mengele. It’s also a tribute to Erno Spiegel, a fellow prisoner and twin who became a father figure and protector of the children in this group, becoming a hero as he attempted to ensure their safety.
As is the case with most Holocaust documentaries, this one works because it features interviews with survivors telling their stories firsthand. Most of these survivors have since passed away, which only stresses the film’s importance of capturing their presence and stories before it is too late. The Last Twins isn’t the most visually engaging documentary, and it doesn’t have to be. Just compare the apt seriousness of Liev Schreiber’s narration here to his playful voiceover in the new docuseries Born to Bowl as further indication that different subject matter warrants different tones.
The Last Twins will begin streaming for free on the PBS website, app, and YouTube channel on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The Loving Story (2011)
Another modern classic celebrating its 15th anniversary this week, The Loving Story is also worth highlighting because it’s one of the most recent additions to the National Film Registry. Repurposing unused verite footage shot in 1965 by Hope Ryden while she worked for Drew Associates, the documentary looks back at the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, whose civil rights case led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing interracial marriage. The feature marked the directorial debut of Nancy Buirski, who had founded and formerly led the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and it premiered at that very event on April 15, 2011.
The Loving Story is currently available to stream with a subscription on HBO Max or for free on Tubi or Fandango at Home with ads.
Space Station 3D (2002)
This week’s entry in AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase is the re-release of Space Station 3D, directed by Toni Myers. If you went to see her film A Beautiful Planet as part of the program (or during its initial release 10 years ago), you’ll want to check out this similar but much earlier work. Here’s what we had to say about the film on our list of the best documentaries about space travel: “Space Station 3D is a dizzying view of life in space. Its focus is on the International Space Station and those who inhabit it…Many words are spoken, many faces are shown, Tom Cruise‘s narration guides the entire film, but it is the moments of speechlessness that enrapture the viewer. Peering out into the dark, swirling void of space is a revelatory experience.”
Space Station 3D will screen on IMAX screens exclusively at AMC cinemas nationwide on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Steal This Story, Please! (2025)
The latest documentary release honoring the necessity of journalists with integrity, Steal This Story, Please! shines a spotlight on Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. Like Cover-Up, Love + War, and others, it’s partly a biography but mainly a career retrospective, chronicling its subject’s most notable reporting. Which, for someone like Goodman, is also her life. Directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, who made the Oscar-nominated Hurricane Katrina documentary Trouble the Water, this feature is functional as a profile of Goodman and a vehicle to showcase her work. It just doesn’t stand on its own as a significant piece of filmmaking with anything original to say.
Steal This Story, Please! opens in New York City on Friday, April 10, 2026, and in Los Angeles on Friday, April 17, 2026, with a nationwide rollout to follow.
Awards Highlights
News & Documentary Emmy Nominations
Last week, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this year’s nominees for its News & Documentary Emmys. The films and limited series contending for Best Documentary include Black Snow (now streaming for free via PBS), Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (Disney+ and Hulu), Life After (PBS Passport), Love + War (Disney+ and Hulu), 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS), Prime Minister (HBO Max), Turning Point: The Vietnam War (Netflix), and Union (Kanopy and The Criterion Channel). Among those, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, which was our favorite film of last year, and Turning Point: The Vietnam War each earned five additional nominations, while Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, Life After, and Love + War each received three more. Other favorites nominated this year include Cover-Up (Netflix), Sally (Disney+ and Hulu), The American Revolution (PBS Passport), Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix), and One to One: John & Yoko (HBO Max).
Peabody Nominations
The nominees for this year’s Peabody Awards were also announced last week. Documentaries among those honored include Oscar winners Mr. Nobody Against Putin (now streaming via Kino Film Collection) and No Other Land (VOD), Oscar nominees The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix), The Alabama Solution (HBO Max), and Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV), 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS), Sly Lives! (a.k.a. The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu), Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything (Hulu), Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (Disney+ and Hulu), Love + War (Disney+ and Hulu), Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max), Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV), Predators (Paramount+ Premium), Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (Kanopy), and The White House Effect (Netflix).
Documentary Release Calendar 4/10/26 - 4/16/26
Friday, April 10, 2026
Acting (2024) - A documentary feature directed by Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema) about actors as they work on a production of Macbeth. (In Theaters)
The Ash Can Fleet (1939) - A short biographical film about the inventor of the submarine, David Bushnell. (TM)
Fiume o Morte! (2025) - A documentary feature about a Croatian city occupied by an Italian poet in 1919. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Great Performances: Now Hear This Season 7, Episode 1: “Brahms: Free But Alone” - The return of a docuseries starring conductor and violinist Scott Yoo about the secret histories of great musical works. This installment focuses on composer Johannes Brahms. (PBS, the PBS App, and the PBS Website)
The Mission Trail (1946) - A short documentary from James A. FitzPatrick’s Traveltalk franchise focused on 21 Spanish missions up and down California. (TCM)
The Proof is Out There Season 6, Episode 5: “Morphing UFO, Seneca Lake Monster, and Alien Egg Pods” - The latest installment of a docuseries investigating UFOs, conspiracies, and mythical creatures. (History)
Steal This Story, Please! (2025) - A documentary about Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
Visiting Italy (1951) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Rome, Pisa, and Florence. (TCM)
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Building Back America’s Trades Episode 1: “The Skilled Trades Crisis” - The first installment of a new docuseries about the trades industry. (Magnolia)
Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever Episode 1 - The first installment of a six-part docuseries starring journalist Kara Swisher about the latest in longevity science. (CNN)
Philly Homicide Season 2, Episode 1: “Ride or Die” - The latest installment of a docuseries following Philadelphia detectives. This episode involves a body found in the trunk of a taxi. (Oxygen)
Space Station 3D (2002) - A re-release of a documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Tom Cruise about the International Space Station and its inhabitants. Presented in 3D as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (IMAX Theatrical Event).
Sunday, April 12, 2026
At Home with the Furys Season 2 - The return of a docuseries that follows heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and his family. (Netflix)
Betrayal: Secrets & Lies Season 1, Episode 3: “The Bible Study Kidnapper” - A true-crime docuseries involving stories of infidelity and deceit. (ABC, Disney+, and Hulu)
Eva Longoria: Searching for France Episode 1 - The first installment of an eight-part docuseries in the Searching For… travelogue franchise following Eva Longoria on a culinary tour of France. (CNN)
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe Season 1, Episode 8: “Greatest Showman” - The latest installment of a docuseries about legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history. (History)
Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever Episode 1 - The first installment of a six-part docuseries starring journalist Kara Swisher about the latest in longevity science. (CNN All Access)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 6: “Desert Grift” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
Monday, April 13, 2026
Backside (2025) - A documentary feature about immigrants who work caring for racehorses at Churchill Downs. Presented an installment of Independent Lens. (PBS)
Boy Band Confidential Episode 1 - The first installment of a docuseries on the dark side of the 1990s boy band craze. (Investigation Discovery)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 12: “A Mogul’s Murder” - The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
The Last Twins (2025) - A documentary feature about Erno “Zvi” Spiegel, who saved several sets of twins from experimentation during the Holocaust. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (PBS)
The Movie Album (1932) - A short film compiling clips from silent films accompanied by commentary. (TCM)
Noah Kahan: Out of Body (2026) - A documentary feature about the titular singer-songwriter and his mental health challenges. (Netflix)
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) - A documentary about the origins of the titular rock band. *NONFICS PICK* (4K UHD/BD Combo Limited Collector’s Edition Steelbook)
Boy Band Confidential Episode 2 - The second installment of a docuseries on the dark side of the 1990s boy band craze. (Investigation Discovery)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) - A re-release, newly restored in 6K, of a 3D documentary directed by Werner Herzog about the primitive paintings found in France’s Chauvet Cave. *NONFICS PICK* (IMAX Theatrical Event)
The Dark Wizard Episode 1: “The Death Consequence” - The first installment of a four-part docuseries directed by The Alpinist filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen about climber, base jumper, and highline walker Dean Potter. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
The Dialogue Police (2025) - A documentary feature about a Swedish police unit created to prevent violence during protests. (VOD)
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)
Frontline Season 44, Episode 13: “Caught in the Crackdown” - The latest installment of a long-running investigative documentary series. This episode looks into federal immigration sweeps. (PBS)
Green SuperHeroes 2030 (2024) - A documentary feature about young environmentalists. (Blu-ray)
Hearts of Darkness: The Making of the Final Friday (2025) - A documentary feature about the making of the horror film Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. (Blu-ray)
Henry David Thoreau (2026) - A three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. Read our review of Henry David Thoreau. (PBS)
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Episodes 5 & 6: “Batmobile” & “Hummer” - The latest installments of an eight-part docuseries starring comedian Jeff Dunham about some of the most iconic vehicles in history. (Discovery)
Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny Season 2, Episode 5: “Bizarre Weapons” - The latest installment of a docuseries about declassified government activities. (History)
Secrets of Seafood (2026) - A docuseries about seafood. (Blu-ray)
#Skyking (2026) - A documentary feature about an airport worker who stole and flew a commercial plane. (Hulu)
Untold: Jail Blazers (2026) - A documentary feature about the 2000s Portland Trail Blazers, presented as the third episode of Untold Season 6. (Netflix)
You Don’t Know Where I’m From, Dawg (2026) - A five-part docuseries about American soccer legend Clint Dempsey. (Paramount+)
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
The Bad Foot Clinic Season 1, Episode 5: “Kicking Up a Stink” - The latest installment of a docuseries following a podiatrist couple in their work. (TLC)
Conspiracies & Coverups Episode 3: “Weather Weapons” - The latest installment of a docuseries starring ex-CIA officer Andrew Bustamente about the biggest conspiracies in pop culture today. (Discovery)
Homicide Hunter: American Detective Season 6, Episode 1: “Man’s Best Friend” - The return of a true-crime docuseries starring Lt. Joe Kenda about illogical cases. This episode involves a murder victim’s lost dog being a clue. (Investigation Discovery)
On the Case with Paula Zahn Season 29, Episode 1: “Edge of the Abyss” - The return of a true-crime docuseries starring journalist Paula Zahn. (Investigation Discovery)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 10, Episode 8: “True Lime Crime” - The latest installment of a docuseries following U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. This episode involves cocaine, meth, and stolen cars. (National Geographic)
Thursday, April 16, 2026
2DIE4 (2026) - A nonfiction feature that follows Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr in his attempt to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Read our review of 2DIE4. (In Theaters)
Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism (2025) - A documentary feature about artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey. (OVID)
Jerry West: The Logo (2026) - A documentary feature about NBA legend Jerry West. (Amazon Prime Video)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 17: “Big & Bad” - The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 7: “Partial Truths, Partial Lies” - The latest installment of a docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
Ronaldinho: The One and Only (2026) - A three-part docuseries about Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho Gaúcho. (Netflix)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
4/17 - Full Swing Season 4 - The return of a popular docuseries following PGA golfers. (Netflix)
4/20 - 4X20: Quick Hits - A series executive-produced by Jimmy Kimmel showcasing four short documentaries on cannabis culture. These films cover High Times magazine, the stoner cult classics Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and Ganjasaurus Rex, and hand-blown glass artist Jason Harris. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Disney+ and Hulu)
4/24 - Eraserheads: Combo on the Run - A documentary feature about the titular Filipino rock band. (In Theaters)
4/28 - High Strangeness in the Bennington Triangle - A documentary feature about an area of Vermont known for UFO and Bigfoot sightings. (VOD)
5/1 - American Agitators - A documentary feature about Fred Ross, who is considered one of the inventors of modern community organizing. (In Theaters)
5/1 - Conbody VS Everybody - A five-part docuseries directed by Debra Granik (Stray Dog) about a formerly incarcerated man who starts a gym that employs others released from prison. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (The Criterion Channel)
5/15 - Been Here Stay Here - A documentary about a Christian community on Tangier Island, which is threatened by rising sea levels. (In Theaters)
6/16 - EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert - A documentary feature directed by Baz Luhrmann starring Elvis as he returns to the stage in his later years. Read our review of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Theaters. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray/4k UHD Combo)
6/19 - Peter Asher: Everywhere Man - A biographical documentary feature about the titular pop star turned producer and manager. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)