This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - May 22-28, 2026
This Memorial Day weekend, let us remember the war documentaries I share every year, including With the Marines at Tarawa, The Battle of Midway, The Mills of the Gods, Hearts and Minds, and Restrepo. Also, in case I haven’t been spotlighting the late Frederick Wiseman enough lately, I urge you to take advantage of the latest sale at the Zipporah Films store (note: we have not received any request to promote this sale). You can get Basic Training (a huge influence on Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket), Manouevre, Missile, and High School, all of them involving military service in some capacity, each with 10 percent off using the code MEMORIAL2026.
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 (including new works directed by Chris Smith and Questlove). 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: Everybody To Kenmure Street (2026)
You can’t judge a documentary by its synopsis. Everybody to Kenmure Street sounds like a simple, conventional political film when all you have to go on is what it’s about (a day-long spontaneous protest in the titular location in Glasgow in 2021 after two locals are detained in an immigration raid). For this exceptional documentary, you need to know how it’s about it. That’s where we critics come in. Not just to tell you more, like how it’s a combination of archival footage, interviews, and dramatizations. That definitely doesn’t sell this brilliantly constructed film, which will be added to our ongoing list of the best documentaries of 2026.
Everybody to Kenmure Street begins with an archival montage traversing centuries of political protests in Glasgow before landing on the date in focus. To show what happened, director Felipe Bustos Sierra sourced video of the Kenmure Street protest from cellphones and media. To tell what happened, a variety of eyewitnesses, participants, activists, and local leaders are interviewed in some of the most uniformly well-designed talking-head shots I’ve seen in a long time. A few individuals are anonymously portrayed in dramatized scenes by actresses Emma Thompson (who is also an executive producer), Kate Dickie, and Keira Lucchesi, who speak their counterparts’ words while acting out moments from the protests. Thompson’s role has her lying under a police van the entire movie, in place of the unknown man she plays.
Those dramatization scenes reminded me of Clio Barnard’s The Arbor, while the rest of the film had me recalling Jose Padilla’s Bus 174. The latter is similarly about a crisis involving a vehicle surrounded by police, media, and many others, in a way that was heavily captured on camera and therefore beneficial to filmmakers looking to piece together images of the day. We get to feel like we’re watching events unfold in real time, albeit condensed. We may even feel like we’re there with the community coming together, and that’s perfect since the film isn’t just about that day; it’s also a reminder of the unity in community. It’s a reminder, emphasized by a centerpiece archival history montage, that the rich and powerful try to divide those they wish to exploit to keep them from rising against them.
There’s really only one element to Everybody to Kenmure Street, and that’s fantastic filmmaking. The various approaches on display are so cohesive that it’s like they’re one. From the outsourced footage to the interviews and the dramatizations, it’s incredibly fluid. I really can’t stop thinking about the beautifully composed interviews, especially one with a protester wearing the same outfit he wore on the day, adding to the consistency of all the material. If there’s any part that breaks that flow, it’s the middle montage, which plays like a parenthetical flashback. But it also provides deep historical context about the setting, elevating the film from an experience to a revelation. It’s a creative work in addition to being important and inspiring, and that makes the latter traits more effective.
Everybody to Kenmure Street will be released in theaters on Friday, May 22, 2026, courtesy of Icarus Films. We also recommend you check out our interview with director Felipe Bustos Sierra about the documentary.
Other Documentary Highlights
Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse (2013) & Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill (2022)
The documentary filmmaker Brian Lindstrom died last weekend at the age of 65. His work was not widely known, but I reviewed his final feature, Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill, two years ago for its theatrical release. I acknowledged that it provides plenty of evidence that its equally obscure titular subject was a genius singer-songwriter. “Lost Angel, like Sill’s albums,” I wrote, “is primarily a film for music theory aficionados and fellow songwriters, who will also delight in seeing and hearing from Graham Nash and Jackson Browne on the subject of her sound.” It needn’t make you into a new fan.
His earlier and more acclaimed effort, and the only other that seems available to watch now in his memory, is Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse. The documentary is about a man with schizophrenia who was killed by police officers in Portland in 2006. It’s more broadly about perceptions of mental health issues, excessive force by authorities, and accountability. It’s not a music documentary in the same way as Lost Angel, but it does involve a music scene. Better linking the two features is this quote from Lindstrom on the Alien Boy website: “What draws me to documentary film is the opportunity to shed light on the hidden lives of people who have been dealt a hard hand in life and somehow find the strength to carry on.”
Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse is available to stream on Kanopy, Tubi, Cineverse, Fawesome, Flix Fling, and Philo. Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill is available to rent digitally on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Fandango at Home.
Ask E. Jean (2025)
While E. Jean Carroll’s defamation suit against President Donald Trump continues to be in the news, the documentary Ask E. Jean plays as a supplement to current events. That might be okay if this were a film focused solely on that part of her story, but I can’t help but think Carroll wants to be remembered for her life’s work more than someone Trump sexually assaulted, who may or may not eventually collect the $83 million awarded her in the case.
I admit I wasn’t familiar with the journalist and advice columnist before the lawsuit made headlines. And I confess I’ve already forgotten much of what made her so significant because the Trump stuff takes over. I did take note that Carroll didn’t seem to take her own advice regarding the Trump encounter after it happened, and I wish that contradiction had been given more discussion in the film. Not to make it out to be a fault on her part, so much as a real issue for women faced with the reality of certain situations.
As I’m still focused on the case after watching the otherwise fully biographical documentary, I’m also even more curious to see what happens next for Carroll’s payout compared to the one expected to go to Trump’s allies as a settlement for his IRS lawsuit. If there were any justice, survivors of a man’s abuses would receive more restitution than the loyal fans who have assaulted our nation in his name.
Ask E. Jean will be released in theaters on Friday, May 22, 2026, courtesy of Abramorama.
Hollywood On Trial (1976)
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Hollywood on Trial. The Oscar-nominated documentary covers the history of the filmmakers blacklisted during the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, and it’s narrated by John Huston, who had left the U.S. in the 1950s due to his disapproval of such witch hunts. It’s your typical mix of talking heads and archival footage from the time, with most of the surviving members of the Hollywood Ten interviewed about their experience. You won’t be surprised that this film lost the Oscar to Harlan County, U.S.A., but you should appreciate why it was a contender.
Hollywood on Trial is available to stream on Kanopy, Tubi, and Fawesome.
Robert Greene Documentaries
This week’s documentary filmmaker in focus is Robert Greene, who celebrates his birthday on May 25. Greene, who also wrote some essays for Nonfics in its early days, has been a champion of cinematic nonfiction while being among the most creative documentarians of the last 20 years. His films and collaborations sometimes blur lines of authenticity, as many show an interest in performance, whether it’s in the careers of his participants (Fake it For Real; Actress; Kate Plays Christine; Pavements, which he produced and edited) or the healing reenactments of history or abuse (Bisbee ‘17; Procession). He recently curated a program at Full Frame of like-minded works, but now it’s time to celebrate his own, wherever they may be available.
Fake it For Real is on Kanopy, OVID, Cineverse, Philo, and GuideDoc.
Actress is on Cineverse and Philo.
Kate Plays Christine is on Philo.
Bisbee ‘17 is on Cineverse.
Procession is on Netflix.
Pavements is on Kanopy and Mubi.
Third Act (2025)
More than a year after debuting at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Tadashi Nakamura’s Third Act is finally being officially released. The feature is yet another documentary by a director about his filmmaker parent, but as I wrote in my review last year, it’s “fortunately one of the better examples of this long, strange practice in nonfiction cinema.” I also celebrated the family tradition that it continues: the director’s dad, Robert A. Nakamura, once made a documentary about his own father. “It’s ultimately about both filmmakers,” my review continues, “their once-ashamed Japanese American identity, and the father-son bond they now have. It’s a beautiful multi-generational portrait.”
Third Act will make its broadcast debut on PBS as an episode of Independent Lens on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Two Faces...Behind The Scenes (2013)
This week’s Doc Option is an unconventional choice inspired by an unconventional filmmaker. Rather than recommending one of several Star Wars documentaries in honor of the release of the (very disappointing) The Mandalorian and Grogu, I’m inspired by Boots Riley, whose latest film also hits theaters Friday. Two Faces…Behind the Scenes has nothing to do with that new film, I Love Boosters, but it was something shared by Riley that connects to his work as a director. He tweeted, “10 Years Ago, I had never seen a feature being made. I had only been involved with music videos. In my search to educate myself, I watched this feature-length behind-the-scenes video of Two Faces of January. It’s amazing and beautiful. It gave me so much.”
It’s not your typical behind-the-scenes or making-of documentary. Two Faces…Behind the Scenes is essentially an alternative version of Two Faces of January, with behind-the-scenes bits inserted between actual sequences that exist in the dramatic feature. Riley added, “It demystified a lot for me. I believe it's by the director’s brother. It is the narrative of the movie, but from behind the scenes of every scene in order. With the score from the movie as well. It's an amazing document and is a piece of art in itself.”
Two Faces…Behind the Scenes is available to stream below via Vimeo.
The Yogurt Shop Murders (2025-2026)
The first four episodes of Margaret Brown’s Gotham and Critics Choice Award-nominated true-crime series The Yogurt Shop Murders were released last August. In my review posted at the time, I celebrated the documentary as “another work that subverts true-crime tropes while delivering every desired angle.” I also wrote, “Brown chronicles the handling of the investigation and the trials of two men charged with the murders while concentrating on the parents and siblings of the girls, the detectives, and the officers of the court whose lives have been affected by the case.”
Since then, new developments have been made in the case, warranting an update. So, a fifth episode has been produced. But the new information — that the real killer of the four girls in an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop in Austin in 1991 has been identified — is not the main focus of this installment. Instead, Brown continues to be interested in the surviving individuals whose lives have been affected by the case, especially the four men who were previously accused of the murders. She asks the parents of the victims and one of the original investigators what they think of these men now, and their answers are somewhat surprising.
In my review of the series, I mention that I couldn’t help but think of the West Memphis Three (and the films about them, including the Paradise Lost trilogy, and West of Memphis) while watching The Yogurt Shop Murders. It’s only fitting, then, that this new feature-length episode has a lot in common with Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, which similarly deals with the exoneration of alleged killers. This is another reminder of how justice is finally being achieved after decades of wrongful arrests and convictions, not just because of advances in evidence testing, but more so due to proper detective work involving great care and collaborative effort, not coercion.
The Yogurt Shop Murders Episode 5: “The End of Wondering” premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 5/22/26 - 5/28/26
Friday, May 22, 2026
Ask E. Jean (2025) - A documentary feature about the advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 3: “Stack Fire” - The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)
Everybody to Kenmure Street (2026) - A Sundance-winning documentary feature about residents of Glasgow coming together against deportation threats. See our Pick of the Week section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Great Performances: An Evening with Nicole Scherzinger (2026) - An installment of Great Performances presenting Nicole Scherzinger’s Royal Albert Hall concert debut. (PBS)
MGM Parade Show #6 (1955) - The sixth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This short spotlights the movies Anna Christie and Quentin Durward. (TCM)
The Yogurt Shop Murders Episode 5: “The End of Wondering” - A new feature-length bonus installment of a true-crime docuseries by Margaret Brown about the killing of four girls at a frozen yogurt shop in 1991. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (HBO Max)
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Summer of ‘94 (2026) - A documentary feature about the U.S. soccer team during the 1994 World Cup. (Fox)
Tucci in Italy Season 2, Episode 5: “Veneto” - The latest episode of a docuseries starring Stanley Tucci as he explores Italy through its cuisine. (National Geographic)
Sunday, May 24, 2026
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers Episode 2: “Mile-Wide EF5”- The second installment of a six-part spinoff of the docuseries In the Eye of the Storm that follows weather spotters and storm chasers as they record tornadoes. (Discovery Channel)
The Killer Among Us Episode 2: “Fatal Friend Group” - The latest installment of a docuseries hosted by Alan Cumming about murders in close-knit communities. This episode involves the killing of a 20-year-old girl in Alabama. (Oxygen True Crime)
Monday, May 25, 2026
The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle Episode 1 - The first installment of a two-part documentary about a criminal who claimed to be suffering from amnesia. (Investigation Discovery)
Third Act (2025) - A documentary feature by Tadashi Nakamura about his father, the artist and activist Robert A. Nakamura. Presented as an episode of Independent Lens. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (PBS)
World War II With Tom Hanks Episodes 1-3: “The Beginning,” “Blitz,” & “Barbarossa” - The first three installments of a 20-part historical docuseries covering the entirety of the Second World War. (History)
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Ancient Astronauts III (2026) - A documentary about humanity’s alleged alien ancestors. (DVD)
A Body to Live In (2025) - A documentary about artist Fakir Musafar. (DVD and Blu-ray)
The Hands That Feed Us (2026) - A documentary about Canadian farmers. (DVD)
Jae-seok’s B&B Rules! (2026) - A nonfiction series following comedian Yu Jae-seok as he starts a bed and breakfast. (Netflix)
London’s Last Wilderness (2026) - A sci-fi documentary hybrid about an alien explorer. (DVD)
Lost Emulsion (2016) - A documentary feature about lost silent films. (DVD)
The Many Lives of Benjaman Kyle Episode 2 - The second half of a two-part documentary about a criminal who claimed to be suffering from amnesia. (Investigation Discovery)
Motel Drive (2023) - A documentary about a family that lives in a motel. (Blu-ray)
Sabu (2025) - A documentary feature about the titular wrestler. (Blu-ray)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 2: “Flying High” - The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Stagebound: Robert “Silk” Mason’s Journey to Opening Night of “CATS: The Jellicle Ball” (2026) - The latest installment of a Great Performances series that looks behind the scenes at Broadway productions. (PBS)
Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows (2022) - A documentary feature about Ghyslain Raza, the internet icon known as the “Star Wars Kid.” (Blu-ray)
Unwelcomed (2025) - A documentary about Venezuelan refugees in Chile. (OVID)
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Biocentrics (2023) - A documentary about biomimicry. (OVID)
The Face Doctors Season 2, Episode 3: “I Miss My Old Face” - The latest installment of a nonfiction series about facial reconstruction specialists and their patients. (TLC)
On the Case with Paula Zahn Season 29, Episode 7: “Unmasking the Truth” - The latest installment of a true-crime documentary series starring journalist Paula Zahn. (Investigation Discovery)
The Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire (2026) - A two-part documentary on the history of the Roman Empire. (History)
Room to Move (2025) - A documentary executive-produced by Amy Schumer about choreographer Jenn Freeman and her recent autism diagnosis. (Netflix)
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher (2025) - A documentary about the 13-year-old who beat the video game Tetris. (Wonder Project)
Dangerous Games: Roblox and the Metaverse Exposed (2025) - A documentary about the dangers of Roblox. (OVID)
On the Roam Season 2, Episode 3 - The latest installment of a nonfiction series that follows actor Jason Momoa as he meets extraordinary people around the country. (HBO Max)
Welcome to Wrexham Season 5, Episode 4: “Wales Forever” - The latest installment of a docuseries about a Welsh soccer team co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. (FXX)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
5/29 - Time and Water - A documentary feature directed by Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) about Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason and his mission to preserve the memory of his nation’s glaciers. (In Theaters)
6/1 - Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult - A three-part docuseries directed by Chris Smith (Tiger King) about the cult-like spiritual group Eternal Values. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (HBO and HBO Max)
6/7 - Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World - A documentary directed by Questlove about the titular band. (HBO and HBO Max)
6/8 - Ocean Dreams - An IMAX nature documentary narrated by Shailene Woodley about Earth’s oceans. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
6/10 - In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey - A documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges about wolves and other animals throughout American history. (In Theaters)
6/12 - Flag Day - A verite documentary of life in Three Oaks, Michigan, home of the largest Flag Day parade. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)