This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - April 17-23, 2026
If this newsletter is late this week, we can thank Focus Features for releasing another documentary in theaters and not allowing critics to see it via screener link. On the one hand, I’m happy that some companies still see box office viability of nonfiction films, even after their previous wide-release documentary wasn’t a big hit. On the other hand, I hate not being able to see a documentary until the day I typically put out this newsletter. Usually, I like to have the newsletter laid out, if not fully written, before Thursday. Waiting on a film like this is like producing a live weekly comedy series and not knowing what the opening sketch is until it airs. Okay, that’s a stretch, but it fits.
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 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: Lorne (2026)
I don’t like to set a Pick of the Week before I’ve seen the film in question, but I did that this time. I assumed Lorne would be the best thing to watch over the next seven days. The director is Morgan Neville. The subject’s usual elusivity would seem to make him intriguing. And all of last year’s plethora of Saturday Night Live documentaries and specials were better than they needed to be. Also, I hadn’t liked any of the other new releases that I’ve seen for this week. So, before making it to the first screening at my local theater on Thursday afternoon, I’d already committed. I’d even made the header collage and put a still of Lorne Michaels in the center.
Well, I can admit to making a mistake. Not that I have anything else to fill the Pick of the Week spot, but Lorne is probably my least favorite Neville documentary besides the second half of Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces. I can’t blame Neville for this. He clearly gave it his all. He even tried to make it fun and occasionally meta. When covering Lorne Michaels’s life in the 1960s, he has (aptly cast) narrator Chris Parnell explain that, as required, the '60s segment of this one begins with the obligatory clips of the Vietnam War and hippies. As someone who has seen a lot of documentaries about that era, I appreciate the joke.
The problem is that Michaels is not that interesting. It’s not just that he’s elusive and that Neville can’t seem to crack the nut here (it’s not The Unknown Known). Michaels realizes this. He confesses that there’s no “Rosebud” mystery to his life (though he does answer the question of what his “Rosebud” would be if he had one, and it’s so perfectly unremarkable that I guess that says something). A scant few interesting stories are shared, mostly by longtime pal Paul Simon (who knew that “Graceland” was partly based on a trip he made with Michaels?), but most of the expected roster of talking heads have little insight into the man. Especially outside his work on Saturday Night Live, none of which feels new after all the coverage the show got for its 50th anniversary last year.
Maybe I’m just tired of these documentary profiles that aren’t at least verite records of a moment. Similar to the Steve! piece, there’s too much talking to the director and acknowledgment of the film crew as it’s being made, not enough actual storytelling. But with Michaels, that wouldn’t be very entertaining. It’s said in the film that he’s a great producer because he leaves no fingerprints behind. It’d be like watching ghosts and empties, if you understand the reference to what I’m now pretending is a lyric referencing Michaels. His legacy is not here; it’s just the show. I’ll give Lorne something, though: there’s a great bit with Jimmy Fallon feeling vindicated that any fan of Saturday Night Live needs to see.
Lorne will be released in theaters on Friday, April 17, 2026 (though it really was released on Thursday, April 16, 2026, since that’s when I went to see it).
Other Documentary Highlights
Earth Day Documentaries
While we celebrate Earth Month all through April, the more narrowly focused Earth Day lands this week, on April 22. As usual, a few of the big streamers are recognizing the occasion with significant new releases in the nature documentary genre.
First up, arriving five days early, Netflix will debut the new feature A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough. Helmed by Oscar-winning My Octopus Teacher director James Reed, the film revisits a famous moment from the 1970s when David Attenborough had a special encounter with a young mountain gorilla while shooting an episode of Life on Earth. Nearly 50 years later, he narrates new footage of the sudsy drama between gorillas residing in the same region and updates viewers on what became of the iconic ape they met on the BBC program in 1979. This documentary also comes at an appropriate time, as Attenborough turns 100 in a few weeks.
The streamer will also premiere the docuseries This is a Gardening Show on Earth Day. It’s not a nature program, but host Zach Galifianakis does like to promote his belief that “the future is agrarian,” and that’s fitting for the day devoted to environmental appreciation and awareness. The official Earth Day website also spotlights gardening.
Over at Disney+, the latest Disneynature film, Orangutan, is also debuting on April 22. The film is directed by franchise staples Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz and narrated by Josh Gad. And it’s sure to be heavily anthropomorphizing in its narrativization of everyone’s favorite orange-colored primates. I recommend checking out National Geographic’s Secrets of the Bees, which was released on Disney+ and Hulu at the start of April as part of the Walt Disney Company’s Earth Month celebration.
Other platforms participating include OVID, which will add the 1971 short documentary Walking On Water Wasn’t Built in a Day to its library on April 22. The film was shot in Philadelphia during the first Earth Day celebration the prior year. They’re also adding Outgrow the System, which offers a new approach to the climate movement. Tubi will debut We Are Guardians, a documentary feature about Indigenous people trying to save the Brazilian Amazon. And PBS has new episodes of Nova and Nature, along with the broadcast premiere of the 2023 feature Wilding, about a couple rewilding their English estate and farmland.
If you want to celebrate the event with a theatrical experience, albeit not on Earth Day, this week’s offerings from AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase are Toni Myers’ A Beautiful Planet (on Saturday, April 18) and Howard Hall’s Under the Sea (on Sunday, April 20). The former honors the magnificence of Earth with views from the International Space Station. The latter takes us on a 3D exploration of what’s down under in the region known as Down Under.
Of course, this is also my annual opportunity to recommend the following lists: 5 Documentaries About the Environment That Will Surprise You; 5 Essential Climate Change Documentaries; 12 Must-See Films About Environmental Disasters; and The 7 Best Documentaries About the Earth. We also have an essay on why nature documentaries are more essential now than ever.
Frederick Wiseman’s U.S. Documentaries (Continued)
The Jacob Burns Film Center’s ongoing retrospective “Frederick Wiseman’s America” continues this week, showcasing Frederick Wiseman’s U.S.-set documentaries. Here are the films to watch, whether it’s there on the big screen, at home via Kanopy, or on physical media from Zipporah Films: The Store (on April 17), Aspen (April 17 and April 19), Public Housing (April 21), and Domestic Violence (April 23). We’ll highlight the rest of the program as it continues throughout this month.
Marijuana Movies
Another notable date this week is April 20, or 4/20. Due to the numbers involved, it’s a time for celebrating marijuana and stoner culture. Disney knows what’s up with the debut of a series titled 4X20: Quick Hits on their streaming platforms (Disney+ and Hulu). Executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, the four-part documentary looks at a couple of cult classic films, a magazine dedicated to pot, and an artist associated with drug paraphernalia. Also on April 20, the documentary Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie, starring the titular comedy icons, begins streaming on Paramount+.
Robert Wilson And The Civil Wars (1985)
My first takeaway after watching this 41-year-old documentary is that Robert Wilson is a terribly bland screen personality. That may be a surprise to anyone familiar with his wildly out-there work as an avant-garde theatre artist. For anyone not familiar with his work, Howard Brookner’s Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars spends half its runtime tracking Wilson’s life and career up to his overly ambitious Civil Wars project. The latter half would seem to be the focus of the film, given its title, and it’s the more interesting material because — spoiler alert — the project was never fully performed as intended as an accompaniment to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
That makes it similar to the handful of behind-the-scenes “unmaking-of” documentaries out there about incomplete films, such as Lost in La Mancha and Jodorowsky’s Dune. I wish it had gone even deeper into the topic of its financing, considering this was a time when it seemed money was abundant for all kinds of modern art. Perhaps this experimental opera was just that much more expensive an undertaking. We don’t get the context of the art world of that moment. What we get is some documentation of a project that could have been (and honestly wouldn’t seem that strange next to many of the opening ceremonies lately), for posterity.
The last few minutes of Robert Wilson and the Civil War are when it starts to get good, with Wilson having a warranted meltdown at a staging in France. Then, the documentary concludes with a compelling point from the artist about his work. The performances of his operas are only done by him and then exist in the memory of those who saw them. All that’s left are archives, and that’s the same for this piece, which was never performed in its entirety at all. The film represents that archive. He may as well be talking about the documentary with his final line: “This is what remains of the work. And so through these records, one has some idea of what happened.”
The sentiment is all the more meaningful with the legacy of the documentary, which was one of only three films by Brookner before he died of AIDS in 1989. Part of the original material for the documentary was lost during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Yet the filmmaker’s nephew, Aaron Brookner, toiling for more than a decade, was able to create a 4K restoration from a 16mm print and some VHS copies that looks almost as good as new. Even if I don’t love the whole thing, I have to appreciate that the film and what it captures have been preserved.
The 4K restoration of Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars will be re-released in theaters in New York City this Friday, April 17, 2026.
Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024)
As I surprisingly shared in a previous edition of this newsletter, Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War On NYC Streets is “an example of how to handle an issue as big and society-splitting as the post-October 7 strife between Israeli-Americans and pro-Palestine protesters in the U.S. It’s still relatively unbalanced, but I have no problem with that as long as it acknowledges both sides’ arguments without misrepresenting either. It’s a philosophical rather than political work, with a basis in humanism.” And that praise isn’t even part of my review of Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets, which is again excerpted below:
“Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets should serve as a reminder that images (including text) can contain multitudes. In support of its own theme, though, the film’s statement shall be divisive. That only proves it’s a success. Torn explores the creation and evolution of a piece of artistic transmission that became personalized and politicized to the point where its initial purpose was lost. Following the October 7 attacks by Hamas in 2023, posters showcasing Israeli hostages began appearing around New York City. As presented in the documentary, for some, these posters were cathartic. For others, they were propaganda meant for the justification of the ensuing bombing in Gaza. Many were torn down. That act begat actions and reactions that themselves became propaganda via social media. The hostages were exploited and re-exploited for political reasons, often performatively so.”
Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets will be released digitally on Monday, April 20, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 4/17/26 - 4/23/26
Friday, April 17, 2026
Endless Cookie (2025) - An animated documentary feature by Canadian half-brothers, one white and one Indigenous, about their family. (Mubi)
Everyone Is Lying to You for Money (2025) - A documentary feature directed by and starring actor Ben McKenzie about cryptocurrency. (In Theaters)
Far Out: Life On & After the Commune (2024) - A documentary feature about a group of writers, artists, and activists in New England. (OVID)
Full Swing Season 4 - The return of a popular docuseries following PGA golfers. (Netflix)
A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough (2026) - A nature documentary directed by Oscar-winner James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) and narrated by Sir David Attenborough about gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (Netflix)
Great Performances: Now Hear This Season 7, Episode 2: “Everyone Loves Joplin” - The latest installment of a docuseries starring conductor and violinist Scott Yoo about the secret histories of great musical works. This installment focuses on composer Scott Joplin. (PBS, the PBS App, and the PBS Website)
Lorne (2026) - A documentary directed by Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. See our highlights section for more info and a review. *NONFICS PICK OF THE WEEK* (In Theaters)
The Proof is Out There Season 6, Episode 6: “Volcano UFO Fleet, Nessie’s Heartbeat, and Dark Web Alien Bodies” - The latest installment of a docuseries investigating UFOs, conspiracies, and mythical creatures. (History)
A Radical Thread (2025) - A documentary feature about a Sierra Foothills community that has continued to overcome the threat of wildfires as they create a celebratory tapestry. (OVID)
Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars (1985) - A 4K restoration re-release of a documentary feature about Robert Wilson’s effort to stage an epic opera for the 1984 Summer Olympics. See our highlights section for more info and a review. (In Theaters)
TheyDream (2026) - A documentary feature about a Puerto Rican family over the course of 20 years. (In Theaters)
Saturday, April 18, 2026
A Beautiful Planet (2016) - A documentary directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Jennifer Lawrence about the International Space Station and its view of Earth. Presented in 3D as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. *NONFICS PICK* (IMAX Theatrical Event).
Building Back America’s Trades Episode 2: “Dreams and Determination” - The latest installment of a docuseries about the trades industry. (Magnolia)
Dean Martin: King of Cool (2021) - A feature-length documentary about the titular actor and crooner. (TCM)
Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever Episode 2: “Science or Snake Oil?” - The second installment of a six-part docuseries starring journalist Kara Swisher about the latest in longevity science. (CNN)
Mirrors (1934) - A short film starring Freddie Rich and His Orchestra as they perform popular songs. (TCM)
Philly Homicide Season 2, Episode 2: “Murder at the Shore” - The latest installment of a docuseries following Philadelphia detectives. This episode involves the killing of a Philadelphia radio personality. (Oxygen)
Whispers (1941) - A short film about the power of gossip. (TCM)
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Betrayal: Secrets & Lies Episode 4: “The New Year Intruder” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries involving stories of infidelity. (ABC, Disney+, and Hulu)
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)
Eva Longoria: Searching for France Episodes 3 & 4: “Provence” & “Bordeaux” - The latest installments of an eight-part docuseries in the Searching For… travelogue franchise following Eva Longoria on a culinary tour of France. (CNN)
The Food That Built America Season 7, Episode 1: “Pizza Power Play” - The return of a docuseries about popular American foods. This episode involves the pizza chains that battled to top the market. (History)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 1: “Killer Crazes” - The return of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves crazes like flagpole sitting and eating goldfish. (History)
Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever Episode 2: “Science or Snake Oil?” - The second installment of a six-part docuseries starring journalist Kara Swisher about the latest in longevity science. (CNN All Access)
On the Road to Monterrey (1943) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores three cities in Mexico. (TCM)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 7: “Digital Justice” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
Under the Sea 3D (2009) - A documentary directed by Howard Hall and narrated by Jim Carrey about sea life in the coastal regions of Southern Australia, New Guinea, and the Indo-Pacific areas. Presented in 3D as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. (IMAX Theatrical Event).
Monday, April 20, 2026
4X20: Quick Hits (2026) - A series executive-produced by Jimmy Kimmel showcasing four short documentaries on cannabis culture. These episodes 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. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie (2024) - A documentary about the legacy of the titular comedy duo. (Paramount+)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 13: “Friends Turned Foes” - The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
Glimpses of Australia (1939) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Sydney and Melbourne. (TCM)
Hollywood Demons Season 2, Episode 1: “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” - The return of a docuseries about the dark realities of various celebrities and TV shows. This episode involves The Jerry Springer Show. (Investigation Discovery)
MGM Parade Show #5 (1955) - The fifth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This short spotlights the movies Till the Clouds Roll By and Trial. (TCM)
Okay for Sound (1946) - A short documentary celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Vitagraph sound-on-film process. (TCM)
Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024) - A documentary feature about a clash between pro-Israel activists and pro-Palestine activists involving posters around New York City. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
The Dark Wizard Episode 2: “Dying to Flying” - The second 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. (HBO and HBO Max)
The Edge of Nature (2023) - A documentary feature directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox (GasLand) about his experience with long COVID while living in a one-room cabin in the Pennsylvania forest. (OVID)
Ida Rolf: Mother of Fascia (2026) - A documentary feature about biochemist Dr. Ida P. Rolf, who created the manual therapy practice of Structural Integration. (DVD)
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Episodes 7 & 8: “Dune Buggy” & “Wait, That’s Factory?” - The final 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 6: “Cracking the Code” - The latest installment of a docuseries about declassified government activities. (History)
Untold: The Shooting of Hawthorne (2026) - A documentary feature about a tense relationship between a retired Olympic equestrian and their student. Presented as the fourth episode of Untold Season 6. (Netflix)
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The Bad Foot Clinic Season 1, Episode 6: “One Step at a Time” - The latest installment of a docuseries following a podiatrist couple in their work. (TLC)
Conspiracies & Coverups Episode 4: “The Great COVID Conspiracy” - 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 2 - The return of a true-crime docuseries starring Lt. Joe Kenda about illogical cases. (Investigation Discovery)
Hulk Hogan: Real American (2026) - A four-part docuseries about the titular wrestling icon, featuring his final interview. (Netflix)
Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders (2026) - A four-part docuseries about the Gilgo Beach serial killer case. (Amazon Prime Video)
Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool (2026) - A documentary feature about the titular country music superstar. (Netflix)
Nature: The Legendary Tigers of India (2026) - An installment of the docuseries Nature about the tigers of India’s Ranthambore National Park. (PBS)
Nova: Rain Bombs (2026) - An installment of the docuseries Nova about the dangerous weather phenomenon known as “rain bombs.” (PBS)
On the Case with Paula Zahn Season 29, Episode 2: “Layers of Betrayal” - The return of a true-crime docuseries starring journalist Paula Zahn. (Investigation Discovery)
Orangutan (2026) - A documentary feature from Disneynature narrated by Josh Gad about an adolescent orangutan. (Disney+)
Outgrow the System (2023) - A medium-length documentary presenting new ideas about a sustainable economy. (OVID)
This is a Gardening Show (2026) - A docuseries hosted by Zach Galifianakis about gardening. (Netflix)
Walking On Water Wasn’t Built in a Day (1971) - A short documentary starring Allen Ginsberg shot in Philadelphia on the first Earth Day in 1970. (OVID)
We Are Guardians (2023) - A documentary produced by Fisher Stevens and executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about Indigenous people trying to save what’s left of the Brazilian Amazon. (Tubi and VOD)
Wilding (2023) - A documentary feature about a couple in England as they turn their farm back to nature. (PBS)
Thursday, April 23, 2026
The Chaplain & The Doctor (2025) - A documentary feature about a chaplain and a doctor working together. (In Theaters)
My Sweet Land (2024) - A documentary following a young boy in war-torn Artsakh. (WORLD Channel)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 18: “Grave Secrets” - The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 8: “A Dark Hidden Secret” - The latest installment of a docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
Still Single (2025) - A documentary feature about Masaki Saito, Canada’s first Michelin two-star chef. (Documentary+)
The Trials of Winnie Mandela (2026) - A seven-part docuseries about South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Winnie Mandela. (Netflix)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
4/24 - Eraserheads: Combo on the Run - A documentary feature about the titular Filipino rock band. (In Theaters)
4/28 - Come What May - A documentary feature about comedian Ralphie May. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Theatrical Roadshow)
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 Dream - Re-release of Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning 1990 film about a Hormel Foods labor strike. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (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. (The Criterion Channel)
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. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
5/11 - 96 Pounds of Dynamite - A documentary about a genetically diminutive billiards celebrity. (VOD)
5/21 - Stolen Kingdom - A documentary feature about theft and other misdeeds committed at Walt Disney World over 30 years. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Theatrical Roadshow)
5/22 - Everybody to Kenmure Street - A Sundance-winning documentary feature about residents of Glasgow coming together against deportation threats. (In Theaters)
6/1 - Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light - A documentary directed by Oscar winner Paul Wagner (The Stone Carvers) and narrated by Hugh Dancy about the titular painter. The film also stars Claire Danes as the voice of O’Keeffe. (VOD)
6/5 - With Hasan in Gaza - A documentary feature directed by Kamal Aljafari that revisits footage he shot in 2001 about his search for a man he met in prison years earlier. (In Theaters)