This Week In Documentary: 'Hung Up On A Dream,' 'Marcella,' & 'Room 666'
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - May 9-May 15, 2025
For the second week in a row, my Pick of the Week is a music documentary released by Utopia. They need to acquire another for a quick turnaround next week to achieve a hat trick. I don’t think the Sundance hits Selena y Los Dinos or It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley have U.S. distribution yet… I’m just saying. Who cares if neither has any connection to Utopia’s Robert Schwartzman?
Find this week’s top-recommended title below, along with other highlights, including more nonfiction film and series endorsements, followed by daily listings for documentary releases and a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary (2023)
Compared to last week’s Pick of the Week (the fellow Utopia release Pavements), Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary is a fairly conventional music doc, but not in a boring way at all. Directed by the distributor’s co-founder, Robert Schwartzman (whose brother, Jason, appears in Pavements), the film chronicles the history of the English rock band The Zombies, from their formation as teenagers, through their popularity in the 1960s, to what became of the members after their abrupt breakup following the recording of their brilliant second album, Odessey and Oracle.
[Continue reading our review of Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary]
Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary begins its theatrical release on Monday, May 12. Find locations and subsequent dates here.
Other Documentary Highlights
American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden (2025)
This entry in the American Manhunt franchise was previously highlighted in March, but its release was delayed. Now that it’s again due to premiere, here’s what I wrote about American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden at the time:
“It might not offer much new information (I’m not an expert on the subject). The three-part docuseries is essentially an oral history of the events between the 9/11 terror attacks and the eventual killing of its mastermind, detailing parts of the War in Afghanistan and its role in this quest for justice. Most of the talking heads lean conservative in their view of these events, so the documentary comes off as too jingoistic for my taste. Still, there’s occasional retrospective critical insight.”
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden begins streaming in full on Netflix on Wednesday, May 14.
And So It Begins (2024)
Every time Ramona Diaz comes out with a new movie, it feels like a continuation of a greater project focused on Filipino history, culture, individuals, politics, and more. And So It Begins gives that off more than her others since it’s almost like a sequel to her previous film, A Thousand Cuts. The focus this time is on the 2022 presidential election in the Philippines as it follows the campaign of former vice president Leni Robredo and also the journalism work of Maria Ressa.
And So It Begins airs on PBS as an episode of Independent Lens on Monday, May 12.
The Gleaners And I (2000)
In honor of Agnès Varda’s most revered documentary turning 25 on Thursday, May 15, I wrote a retrospective review of The Gleaners and I. Here’s an excerpt:
“For The Gleaners and I, Varda takes the small camcorder in one hand and wanders about, spontaneously following tangents like an ADHD-driven, lived stream of consciousness. At each turn, she mostly finds subjects who stick to her focus like dust, dirt, and cat hairs to a rolling ball of duct tape. Literal gleaners scavenge fields for potatoes left over after the harvest. Squatters scrounge for food in trash piles and bins. Artists collect discarded objects for their creations. All these people are themselves the scraps of society, gleaned and captured by Varda for her own artwork. Political connotations of consumption and waste, on whatever side you’re on, make such metaphors as relevant as ever. However, the film’s ideology certainly leans to the left.”
The Gleaners and I is streaming on The Criterion Channel.
Marcella (2024)
There are only so many things you can do as a documentary filmmaker when your subject is no longer alive, but if they were a regular fixture on TV, you at least have a lot of material to work with to show them as they were. That’s why I’m a bit (stress bit) disappointed with the dearth of clips of Marcella Hazan in her eponymous film. I wish it featured more of her as opposed to just other people talking about her. Otherwise, Marcella is a more appealing biographical documentary than most I’ve seen lately because it covers the mix of necessary components to Hazan’s life and legacy very well.
Marcella Hazan’s importance to the history of traditional Italian cooking in America can’t be overestimated. Her contributions are even more remarkable when you learn her life story, the culinary side of which came surprisingly late. Also, she’s especially famous for penning bestselling cookbooks, but she couldn’t write in English. And she became a regular guest on news and talk show programs despite her thick accent.
The aspect of Marcella that really elevates it above other films of its kind, though, is a smattering of abridged cooking demonstrations and celebrations of her greatest dishes by a few of the interviewees. These sequences make up for the lack of lengthier clips of Hazan because maybe to know her best was to know her food more than to see her on-screen personality (which you can find in other places anyway). It’s also the best way to understand her legacy in a medium where we can’t see or taste the result.
Marcella opens in theaters on Friday, May 9. Find locations and subsequent release dates on its website here.
Room 666 (1982) & Room 999 (2023)
During the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, Wim Wenders got several other filmmakers to sit alone in a hotel room and answer questions about the future of cinema in an age of video. Participants included Jean-Luc Godard, Steven Spielberg, Susan Seidelman, Werner Herzog, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Some were optimistic, others not at all. The funniest part of the 45-minute Room 666 (other than it being made for TV) is the television in the frame for every segment, often distracting attention from the filmmaker on screen (Godard actually would rather just be watching the tennis match, he admits) or the viewer (I love the disorienting effect of a zoom on a TV within a static film shot). It’s also fascinating how timeless most of their comments are.
During the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Lubna Playoust essentially remade Room 666 with the much longer and much more heavily populated Room 999. Wenders was back, this time on the other side of the camera, joined by the likes of Claire Denis, Ruben Östlund, David Cronenberg, Baz Luhrman, Lynne Ramsey, Joachim Trier, Asghar Farhadi, and so many others. Forty years later, there are other threats to cinema to discuss, and there are many great points, concerns, and hopes, but it’s also just a lot. There are a few fun segments, including Kirill Serebrennikov spending his alotted time just changing his outfit and dancing, without comment, but as a film, it’s less engaging, much flatter and drier in its tone and content overall.
Room 666 and Room 999 will be available together in a new home video release (DVD or Blu-ray) from Criterion/Janus on Tuesday, May 13.
Sarah Ema Friedland Documentaries
I can’t vouch for Sarah Ema Friedland’s films, as I’m not familiar with them (yet), but anytime a streaming service adds multiple documentaries by a director, I’m going to highlight their work. This week, a handful of Friedland’s films are debuting on OVID as exclusives, joining her and Rami Younis’s Lyd, which is her latest and is also exclusively available there already. The additions include Here After, The Rink, and some experimental shorts, showing off her range of interest.
You can find the Sarah Ema Friedland films on OVID beginning Tuesday, May 13.
Watermelon+ Documentary Library
There’s a new streaming service in the market that should be on documentary fans’ radars. Watermelon+ is the platform for Watermelon Pictures and therefore the home of such docs as Israelism and the recent releases From Ground Zero and The Encampments, the latter of which will arrive on the service this summer. Also, they’ll have the Oscar nominee 5 Broken Cameras. Watermelon co-CEO Hamza Ali says, “Watermelon+ isn’t just a platform for films — it’s a launchpad for the next generation of underserved artists whose stories will shape the future. It’s not only a preservation of our past; it’s fuel for our future.”
Watermelon+ launched on May 8, and you can subscribe here.
Documentary Release Calendar 5/9/25 - 5/15/25
Friday, May 9, 2025
Ada: My Mother the Architect (2024) - A documentary about architect Ada Karmi-Melamede. (In Theaters)
A Crack in the Mountain (2022) - A feature-length documentary about a newly discovered cave in Vietnam — the largest in the world. (OVID)
A Deadly American Marriage (2025) - A true-crime documentary about a man murdered by his wife and her father. (Netflix)
Long Way Home (2025) - A docuseries starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they ride refurbished vintage motorcycles around Europe. (Apple TV+)
Marcella (2024) - A biographical documentary about Italian chef and cooking writer Marcella Hazan. You can find our review of Marcella in the highlights section above. (In Theaters)
On Healing Land, Birds Perch (2025) - A short documentary about the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam War photo Saigon Execution. (In Theaters)
Rohna Classified (2025) - A documentary about an unsafe World War II transport ship that was sunk by a radio-guided missile, causing the deaths of over a thousand sailors due to negligence. (In Theaters)
Wick is Pain (2025) - A documentary about the John Wick phenomenon. (VOD)
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Full Court Press Season 2, Episodes 3 & 4 - The latest episodes of this docuseries about women’s college basketball continue to spotlight Hannah Hidalgo, Flau’jae Johnson, and Kiki Iriafen. (ESPN+)
Game Warden (1955) - A short documentary about a New York game warden. (TCM)
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up Season 2, Episode 10: “I’m Not a Monster” - The latest installment of this docuseries following Gypsy Rose Blanchard since her release from prison. (Lifetime)
The Judd Family: Truth Be Told Episodes 1 & 2: “A Mother’s Smile” & “Why Not Me?” - The first two episodes of a limited docuseries about mother-daughter performers Wynonna and Ashley Judd. (Lifetime)
New York Homicide Season 3, Episode 15: “Blood Runs Blue” - The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries about recent murder cases in New York City involves the killing of an NYPD officer’s brother. (Oxygen True Crime)
Rambling 'Round Radio Row #6 (1933) - A short film with musical performances by Harriet Lee, The Three Keys, and others. (TCM)
The Real Murders of Atlanta Season 3, Episode 13: “Murder Behind the Badge” - The latest episode of this Atlanta-focused true-crime docuseries involves the execution-style killing of a police officer. (Oxygen True Crime)
Sunday, May 11, 2025
ABBA: Against the Odds (2024) - A documentary feature about the titular Swedish pop group and their Eurovision Song Contest win 50 years earlier. (Netflix)
The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood - A true-crime docuseries about friends who went missing or were murdered in 2018. (ID: Investigation Discovery)
David Frost Vs Episode 3: “David Frost vs Jane Fonda” - The third installment of this six-part docuseries about talk show host David Frost focuses on his interview with actress and activist Jane Fonda. (MSNBC)
Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain Episode 3: “Madrid” - The latest installment of this travel series in which the titular actress explores parts of Spain. (CNN)
Flying Hands (2024) - A documentary about a deaf girl in Pakistan. (World Channel)
Judd Family: Truth Be Told Episodes 3 & 4: “Love Can Build a Bridge” & “Child of the Light” - The final episodes of a limited docuseries about mother-daughter performers Wynonna and Ashley Judd. (Lifetime)
My Happy Place Episode 3: “Austin, Texas with Questlove” - The latest episode of this travel docuseries following celebrities on deeply personal journeys stars drummer and filmmaker Questlove. (CNN)
The Rehearsal Season 2, Episode 4: “Kissme” - The latest installment of this nonfiction series starring Nathan Fielder about people rehearsing their lives. Read our review of The Rehearsal Season 2. (HBO)
Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under Season 5, Episode 1: “Lion Toothache” - The fifth season of this docuseries filmed at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo begins with a trip to the dentist for a lioness. (National Geographic WILD)
Monday, May 12, 2025
America’s Most Wanted Season 3, Episode 4: “Music Industry Murder” - The latest installment of this iconic crime series revival. (Fox)
America's Most Wanted: Missing Persons Season 1, Episode 3: “Somebody Knows” - The latest installment of this spinoff docuseries about the search for missing persons. (Fox)
And So It Begins (2024) - A documentary feature by Ramona S. Diaz (A Thousand Cuts) about the opposition to autocracy during the 2022 Filipino presidential race. Presented as an episode of Independent Lens. (PBS)
Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid Season 2, Episode 5: “Hidden Codes” - The latest episode of this docuseries about sacred relics. (History)
Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary (2023) - A documentary about the British rock band The Zombies. You can find the start of our review of Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary in the Pick of the Week slot above. (In Theaters)
The Playboy Murders Season 3, Episode 2: “Terror at the Suncoast Club” - The third season of this docuseries continues with a story of a murdered photographer. (Investigation Discovery)
Toxic Season 1, Episode 2 - The latest episode of this new docuseries about toxic relationships. (Investigation Discovery)
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
“And When I Die, Bury Me in a Hemlock Coffin So I Go Through Hell Snapping.” (2022) - An experimental film by Sarah Ema Friendland about a hemlock forest in Western Massachusetts dying due to a beetle infestation. (OVID)
Escape from the Zoo (2025) - A documentary about the titular band. (In Theaters)
Here After (2018) - A documentary by Sarah Ema Friendland and Esy Casey about diverse memorials in the U.S. (OVID)
Indieocracy (2025) - A documentary by Domiziano Cristopharo about Italian independent cinema. (DVD and Blu-ray)
It's So Easy and Other Lies (2015) - A documentary about Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop (2025) - A documentary about the titular founder of SM Entertainment and pioneer of modern Korean pop music. (Prime Video)
The Masonic Presidents: A Secret History of Power (2025) - A documentary about U.S. presidents who were Freemasons. (DVD)
Meme Gods (2025) - A documentary about meme creators. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Miss O'Dell (2025) - A documentary about tour manager Chris O’Dell and her work for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other bands. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Native American Renaissance (2025) - A documentary about Indigenous Americans taking back their culture. (DVD)
Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana Episode 3: “Alberta – Canada’s Changing Heartland” - The latest episode of this docuseries starring the titular chef about Pan-American food, culture, and history. (PBS)
Port Protection Alaska Season 8, Episode 9: “Another Day in Paradise” - The latest episode of this docuseries about life in the titular Alaskan village involves a moose hunt. (National Geographic)
The Rink (2012) - A medium-length documentary by Sarah Ema Friendland about a roller rink in New Jersey. (OVID)
Room 666 (1982) - A medium-length documentary by Wim Wenders in which various filmmakers attending the 1982 Cannes Film Festival share their thoughts on the future of cinema. You can find our review of Room 666 in the highlights section above. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Room 999 (1982) - A medium-length documentary by Lubna Playoust in which various filmmakers attending the 2022 Cannes Film Festival share their thoughts on the future of cinema. You can find our review of Room 999 in the highlights section above. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Show Me the Glory (2025) - A documentary about miracles. (In Theaters)
Untold: The Liver King (2025) - The latest installment in the Untold series is about fitness social media influencer Brian Johnson, a.k.a. the Liver King. (Netflix)
We Could Be King (2014) - A documentary about the merging of two rival high schools in Philadelphia. (DVD)
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden (2025) - A three-part docuseries in the American Manhunt franchise following the search for the mastermind behind 9/11. You can find our review of American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden quoted in the highlights section above. (Netflix)
Ateez World Tour [Towards the Light: Will to Power] in Cinemas (2024) - A concert film starring the Korean boy band Ateez. (In Theaters)
Border Security: Australia’s Front Line Season 15, Episodes 3 & 4: “Risky Return” & “Suspicious Itinerary” - The latest episodes of this docuseries continue to follow the work of the Australian Border Force. (National Geographic)
Bugs That Rule the World Episode 2: “Life Givers” - The second installment of this four-part docuseries about the mysterious world of bugs focuses on pollinators. (PBS)
Cathedrals (2025) - A documentary reuniting two Black men who’d been in a film 50 years earlier as kids. (In Theaters)
Expedition Files Season 2, Episode 5: “Mysterious Phenomena” - The latest installment of this docuseries investigating unexplained mysteries from history focuses on Billy the Kid, the Man in the Iron Mask, and UFO lore icons Betty and Barney Hill. (Discovery)
Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story (2025) - A three-part true-crime docuseries about two of the UK’s most prolific murderers. (Netflix)
Ghost Adventures Season 29, Episode 4: “Abandoned at Whiskey Pete's” - The latest installment of this docuseries investigating haunted places involves the titular bootlegger’s casino. (Discovery+)
Life or Death: The Negotiators Season 1, Episode 4: “Embassy Under Siege” - The latest episode of this docuseries involves a hostage situation at Bangkok’s Myanmar embassy. (National Geographic)
The Méliès Mystery (2021) - A biographical documentary about the survival of Georges Méliès’s films. (TCM)
Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America Season 4, Episode 4: “Nazi Secrets in the Empire State” - The latest installment of this docuseries about abandoned and forgotten ruins in America. (Discovery Channel)
Thursday, May 15, 2025
100 Foot Wave Season 3, Chapter III: “Cortes Bank” - The latest episode of the Emmy-winning surfing docuseries. (HBO and Max)
Accused: Guilty or Innocent? Season 7, Episode 10: “Deadly Ex-Marine or Family Defender?” - The latest episode of this docuseries about individuals charged with crimes, as told from their perspective. (A&E)
Conan O’Brien Must Go Season 2, Episode 2: “New Zealand” - The latest episode of this travel series starring Conan O’Brien features guest-star Taika Waititi. (Max)
Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols Episode 4 & 5: “The Rule Of Ogedei” & “Europe Under Siege” - The final two episodes of this historical docuseries about the titular warrior and conqueror. (National Geographic)
Googoosh: Iran's Daughter (2000) - A documentary about the titular Iranian singer/actress. (OVID)
Haaland: Breaking Ground (2023) - A short documentary about Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. (Viaplay)
Keiko Kishi, Eternally Rebellious (2023) - A documentary about the titular Japanese film star. (TCM)
Tehran Blues (2020) - A documentary about musicians in Iran. (OVID)
Welcome to Wrexham Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2: “All In?” & “High Hopes” - The first two episodes of the return of this award-winning sports docuseries see the team enter the ultra-competitive EFL League One. (FX)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
5/16 - Deaf President Now! - A feature documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco about the push for a deaf person to be hired as president of Gallaudet University, a school for the hearing-impaired. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
5/29 - Blue: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue - A documentary about the titular artist. (PBS)
6/7 - Ocean with David Attenborough - A nature documentary in which Sir David Attenborough explores Earth’s undersea habitats. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (National Geographic)
6/13 - Prime Minister - A documentary about Jacinda Ardern, who served as the prime minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023. Read our review of Prime Minister from Sundance. (In Theaters)
6/16 - Sally - A biographical documentary about Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Read our review of Sally from Sundance. Watch the trailer for the film below. (National Geographic)
6/27 - The Last Class - A documentary feature starring political economist Robert Reich as he teaches his final Wealth and Poverty course at UC Berkeley. (In Theaters)
7/25 - Folktales - A documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. Read our review of Folktales from Sundance. (In Theaters)
10/10 - Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 - A documentary by Göran Hugo Olsson (The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975) about reportage on the Israel and Palestine conflict in Sweden. The film was just acquired by Icarus Films. (In Theaters)