This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - June 5-11, 2026
While I really hate being disappointed by a documentary, whether it’s the film’s fault or mine, there’s nothing better than being surprised by one I didn’t see coming. Established filmmakers can’t make masterpieces every time, and their choices of subjects are not always going to resonate. They’re also not going to be up for awards with every new release. Also, sometimes filmmakers continue making documentaries that are very good but not groundbreaking, like the work that initially stood out. Even some of the best documentarians in history eventually produced films that felt routine.
My excitement as a documentary critic and awards show producer comes with any extraordinary film or series that comes along, whether it’s by a well-known director or not. But surprises can have more weight when it comes to remembering them down the line. In the past few years, original documentaries like Nocturnes, Caterpillar, Art for Everybody, Hummingbirds, and Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. have been overlooked and less remembered in the overall scheme of my industry, yet they all come to mind when I think about the films I put on with no expectations, and could stop thinking about afterward. Some are more creative, some just feel more pure in their simplicity.
This week’s highlights include a film by an Oscar-winning director who has been having a great run, yet I wasn’t that impressed by his latest. They also include a film with a lot of awards buzz that seems to be misguided (the film and the buzz). Then there’s a film that nearly passed my desk without garnering my attention at all. It wasn’t pitched heavily to me, and it wasn’t something I’d even heard about. I put it on at the end of last week, desperate for something else to showcase that actually excited and inspired me. The gamble of delivering this newsletter later than I wanted to paid off because it’s a film that indeed wound up being my Pick of the Week. See below.
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 the latest from Penny Lane!). 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: Underland (2025)
While much of the world is getting lost in the liminal spaces of Backrooms (a horror film I found disappointingly dull), I am thrilled to share a documentary interested in the seemingly limitless spaces underneath the ground’s surface and the definitely unlimited spaces of time, both backward and forward. Underland presents an intertwined triptych showcasing three subterranean explorers. One of them ventures into cenotes in Mexico to map out and reveal evidence of ancestral Mayan uses of these caves. Another is an urban explorer taking viewers through the sewers beneath Las Vegas. The third is a theoretical physicist conducting experiments more than a mile underground in pursuit of proof of the existence of dark matter.
The last of these participants, Mariangela Lisanti, might seem more stationary in her journey than the other two, but that’s where Underland distinguishes itself from being just about material space. Lisanti’s work at SNOLAB relates to the mysteries of the universe, including its origins billions of years ago. Fátima Tec Pool’s archaeological findings in the cenotes also involve contemplation of a more recent yet still ancient past. Bradley Garrett shows us near-contemporary remnants of modern history and wonders how they might become the findings of some future scientists many centuries or millennia from now. Lisanti, too, considers later generations as she gives in to the idea that what she’s seeking might not be found in her lifetime or the next.
In addition to all that Underland makes viewers think about with its themes involving space, time, myth, mystery, memory, physical relics, and theoretical “ghosts,” the film offers a magnificent visual and aural experience. Director Rob Petit, collaborating with producer Darren Aronofsky, cinematographer Ruben Woodin Dechamps, editor David G. Hill, narrator Sandra Hüller (hopefully bringing in the Project Hail Mary fans) and composer Hannah Peel, has delivered an adaptation of Robert Macfarlane’s book of the same name that left me curious about that text but certain that no words could match the sensational cinematic treatment of its subject matter in front of me. I recommend seeing the film in a very dark theater with a great sound system and constant air conditioning pumping through the auditorium. Or, at least, as I did, on a large screen in a cold, dark room with noise-canceling headphones.
Underland will be released in theaters in New York City on Friday, June 5, 2026, via Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Other Documentary Highlights
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial Vs. That’s The Weight Of The World) (2026)
Questlove is back with another music documentary that shows his love for both Black artists of the ‘60s and ‘70s and long titles incorporating extensive parentheticals. It’s not surprising that the Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician-turned-filmmaker would be interested particularly in Maurice White, a fellow bandleader who played the drums. Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) is almost as much (more) about White over the rest of his group as Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is more about Sly Stone than Sly and the Family Stone. The problem is that White’s life story isn’t ever as compelling as those Questlove has poignantly told in his previous documentaries, including the best documentary of 2021, Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).
Worth telling, sure, as he’s a music icon, obligatorily deserving of a documentary. And fans of Earth, Wind & Fire also deserve a music doc that validates their appreciation with typical music doc hyperboles. Compared to Questlove’s first three films as a director, including his Saturday Night Live anniversary special, this one is pretty standard in its form and what it has to say. There’s not as much contextual historical insight, just a straightforward chronicle of life and career events. The documentary does have one memorable sequence on the production, popularity, and legacy of “Shining Star,” and Marilyn White might be one of my favorite talking heads of the year so far, but overall, there’s not much here to make it stand out. Not all of Questlove’s films will be among the best of their year, and they don’t need to be.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (2025)
I’m typically disappointed with the promotional department at Paramount+ concerning their streaming announcements, but I think the reveal of this film’s debut was a short-notice surprise for everyone. Normally, I don’t like to highlight a documentary after its streaming release has already begun, but I’ll make an exception for Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which hit the service last week. After all, it does hold the top spot on our list of the best documentaries of 2026 (so far) — never mind that its place will drop when I post the mid-year update in a few weeks. While you would have had a better experience watching it in the theater, it’s still worth watching any which way you can. Here’s an excerpt from our review:
“Nearly 50 years after Presley’s death, it’s surprising that one could make a film like this and have it still feel new, but that goes along with the running theme of his performance principle. I don’t know just how much of the footage featured in the documentary has been seen or heard before (apparently, it consists of a lot of thought-lost material), but I doubt it’s ever popped with such splendor. I’ve never enjoyed Presley so much as a performer as I did while watching EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, feeling the bliss he felt come through the screen so profoundly.”
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is now available to stream on Paramount+ and can be rented or purchased digitally via Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and YouTube.
Groundswell (2026)
I used to post an annual list that made fun of the Golden Globes by imagining their nominees for Best Documentary (a short-lived category they retired in 1976) as being as celebrity-driven as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s reputation warranted. Now that the non-HFPA-era Golden Globes are associated with a new honor for documentaries, I couldn’t help but laugh when the latest prize went to a film that features and is narrated by and executive-produced by movie stars Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson. Still, I wanted to give the selection the benefit of the doubt, given that the previous (inaugural) Golden Globes Documentary Prize at the Cannes Film Festival went to Eugene Jarecki for his body of work (although many apparently confused reports singled out his latest film, The Six Billion Dollar Man, as the specific winner of the award). And at the Venice Film Festival last year, the also-new Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary went to Ross McElwee’s Remake.
This year’s Cannes prize winner, Groundswell, is not on the level of Jarecki and McElwee’s work (admittedly, I haven’t yet seen either The Six Billion Dollar Man or Remake). The documentary marks the third installment of a trilogy that includes Kiss the Ground and Common Ground, and continues filmmakers Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell’s attention to regenerative agriculture. It’s commendable for showcasing not just proposed solutions but effective efforts to reverse the threat rather than focusing on the negative aspects of climate change. However, it’s the kind of documentary that packs in so much information that it’s still as overwhelming as any doom-and-gloom issue film. It’s cut so quickly that we’re never allowed to sit with any characters or their achievements. This kind of documentary also has the likely unwanted result of leaving audiences thinking, “Oh, cool, those people got this.”
Groundswell will be released exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Louis Malle, Le Révolté (2025) & Louis Malle’s Documentary Portraits Of America
Given the news last week that Wim Wenders is pulling one of his old films from circulation due to its taboo content, I wish we could hear from Louis Malle on the matter. His films have been at the center of a significant legal case concerning obscenity and/or have been condemned and censored for their controversial material. Malle died 31 years ago, and while he commented on some of those issues in his lifetime, he probably would be tasked with addressing more of his choices were he still around in today’s cultural landscape. Some of his words that do exist about his films make up the text of the documentary Louis Malle, le Révolté, a career-spanning retrospective that avoids additional perspectives, whether hyperbolic, critical, or otherwise. He defends the plot elements of Pretty Baby, but doesn’t discuss its images (it’s still more than he’s quoted with in the documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields).
At only 65 minutes, there’s not enough time for a lot of discussion of any of Malle’s films in the documentary. It’s not necessarily an introduction to his work either. Louis Malle, le Révolté is for viewers already at least fairly familiar with his filmography, offering morsels if not mouthfuls of director’s commentary. And it sufficiently serves its purpose as a centerpiece within a showcase of his movies, as its U.S. premiere entails as part of the Metrograph’s theatrical program “Louis Malle: Portraits of America.” Ironically, this specific curation consists of movies hardly acknowledged in the documentary, such as Atlantic City, My Dinner with Andre, and his final production, Vanya on 42nd Street. But it’s worth mentioning because it does include two of Malle’s lesser-known documentaries, God’s Country and …And the Pursuit of Happiness (both also available to stream on The Criterion Channel), which are worth checking out.
Louis Malle, le Révolté will be released in New York City for one night on Friday, June 5, 2026, via Metrograph. God’s Country and …And the Pursuit of Happiness will both screen in New York City on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Stanley Nelson Documentaries
In honor of his 75th birthday this week, we recommend watching all of Stanley Nelson’s documentaries. The filmmaker has become synonymous with Civil Rights documentaries and other works that celebrate Black history and the Black experience in America. His most noteworthy feature is probably Attica (available to stream on Paramount+ Premium), as it earned him an Oscar nomination alongside Traci Curry. I still often think about the film that first brought his name to my attention: Freedom Riders (currently unavailable, officially anyway, for whatever dumb reason). After that, I’ve made a point to watch all of his films, including Freedom Summer (available on Kanopy), and in 2018, I had the honor of having a part in choosing Nelson for the Critics Choice Impact Award at the 3rd Critics Choice Documentary Awards. He was still only just getting started with his impact at that time, of course.
Among those we’ve written about and celebrated here, please check out The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Kanopy and the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel), Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities (the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel), Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (PVOD), and We Want the Funk! (Kanopy and the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel). We also recommend the rest that are currently available: Boss: The Black Experience in Business (Kanopy and the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel), Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (Kanopy and the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel), Sound of the Police (Hulu), The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords (Kanopy), and, of courese, The Murder of Emmett Till (the PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel). His breakout feature, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, is also worth seeing whenever it becomes available.
Awards Highlights
Critics Choice Real TV Awards Winners
Last week, the Critics Choice Association announced this year’s winners of its Real TV Awards. I have to acknowledge that I do work for CCA and lead part of the nominating process for these particular awards, which honor nonfiction series, some of which could be classified as documentaries. Of those, Mr. Scorsese (now available to stream on Apple TV) received another Critics Choice Award (following its two wins last fall at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards), this time for Best Limited Series. Other documentary winners include Secrets of the Bees (Disney+ and Hulu) for Best Animal/Nature Show, Tucci in Italy (Disney+ and Hulu) for Best Travel/Adventure Show, Trust Me: The False Prophet (Netflix) for Best Crime/Justice Show, 30 for 30 (ESPN) for Best Sports Show, and Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) for Best Relationship Show and Best Unstructured Series.
Documentary Release Calendar 6/5/26 - 6/11/26
Friday, June 5, 2026
Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 5: “Saltwater Runs Deep” - The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)
Groundswell - A Cannes-winning documentary sequel narrated by Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson about humanity’s relationship to land. The film is the third part of a trilogy that also includes Kiss the Ground and Common Ground. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (Prime Video)
Iowa Vet: Dogs, Cats, Corn, & Murder (2026) - A documentary feature about a veterinarian in Iowa. (In Theaters)
Louis Malle: Le Révolté (2025) - A medium-length documentary about the titular filmmaker. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
Night Life in Chicago (1948) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Chicago. (TCM)
Underland (2025) - A documentary feature produced by Darren Aronofsky and narrated by Sandra Hüller about spaces under the ground. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Saturday, June 6, 2026
The Beach of Nazaré (1957) - A short documentary installment of the Screenliner series that explores the titular Portuguese fishing village. (TCM)
Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose Episode 2: “Capitalism” - The second installment of a five-part docuseries on what it means to be American. (CNN)
Land of the Ugly Duckling (1953) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Denmark and the life of Hans Christian Andersen. (TCM)
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Best of the World with Antoni Porowski Episodes 1 & 2: “Mexico City” & “Paris” - The first two installments of a travel docuseries starring Antoni Porowski. (National Geographic)
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) (2026) - A documentary directed by Questlove about the titular band. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
The Food That Built America Season 7, Episode 7: “Cheesecake Chronicles” - The latest installment of a docuseries about popular American foods. This episode involves the history of cheesecake. (History)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 7: “Hobbies Gone Haywire” - The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves model glue, homemade rocket fuel, and more dangerous hobby elements. (History)
The Killer Among Us Episode 4: “Murder in the Gallery” - The latest installment of a docuseries hosted by Alan Cumming about murders in close-knit communities. This episode involves the killing of a Sarasota gallery owner. (Oxygen True Crime)
This Land Episodes 1 & 2: “The Purchase and the Price” & “The Golden Trail” - The first two installments of a six-part docuseries that explores the history of America through six defining frontiers. (CNN)
MGM Parade Show #7 (1955) - The sixth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This short spotlights The Great Ziegfeld and The Tender Trap. (TCM)
Monday, June 8, 2026
Gamechangers: The Ashlyn Harris Story (2026) - A documentary about the titular soccer star. (The Roku Channel)
History’s Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren Episode 2: “Mission Critical” - The latest installment of a docuseries about the machines that shaped our world. (History)
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers Episode 4: “Tornado Alley Weed Farm” - The fourth 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)
Lethally Blonde Season 2, Episode 2: “Death of a Raiderette” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries involving people pursuing beauty and fame. This episode involves a former Los Angeles Raiders cheerleader. (Investigation Discovery)
Paris on Parade (1938) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that showcases the Paris International Exposition of 1937. (TCM)
Sans Soleil (1983) - An essay film by Chris Marker focused on memories of Japan. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Visiting Vera Cruz (1946) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores the titular Mexican port city. (TCM)
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Boy George & Culture Club (2025) - A feature documentary about the titular music group. (In Theaters and VOD)
Gus Arnheim and His Ambassadors (1928) - A music film starring pianist Gus Arnheim and his orchestra as they perform a few songs. (TCM)
Looking UP (2025) - A documentary about a young man going blind who decides to climb El Capitan. (DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD)
Lorne (2026) - A documentary feature directed by Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. Read our review of Lorne. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Norway: The Dark Horse (2026) - A two-part documentary about Norway’s effort to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. (Netflix)
The Proof Is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 2: “Monsters of the Deep” - The return of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
Sacred Heart: His Reign Has No End (2025) - A docudrama about the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as a symbol in the Catholic Church. (In Theaters)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 4: “Smoking Guns” - The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Big Girls Wanted: Escaping Pearadise (2026) - A three-part docuseries about the Pearadise community. (HBO and HBO Max)
Dating: Do’s and Don’ts (1949) - A short film that offers advice on what to do and not to do on a date. (TCM)
E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea (2024) - A documentary about an architectural project by interior designer Eileen Gray. Read our review of E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea. (OVID)
The Face Doctors Season 2, Episode 5: “Hole in the Face” - The latest installment of a nonfiction series about facial reconstruction specialists and their patients. (TLC)
In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey (2026) - A documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges about wolves and other animals throughout American history. (In Theaters)
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Daddy and the Muscle Academy (1991) - A medium-length documentary about gay icon Tom of Finland. (Kino Film Collection)
The Making of a Japanese (2023) - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki (Instruments of a Beating Heart) that follows students and teachers through one year at a Tokyo public school. (OVID)
On the Roam Season 2, Episode 5 - The latest installment of a nonfiction series that follows actor Jason Momoa as he meets extraordinary people around the country. (HBO Max)
Surviving Earth Episode 1: “When the Earth Burned” - The first installment of an eight-part docuseries about extinct creatures. This episode involves sabretooth predators and the rise of reptiles. (NBC)
Welcome to Wrexham Season 5, Episode 6: “Hell Week” - 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
6/12 - The Gas Station Attendant - A documentary feature by Karla Murthy about her father’s life, from fleeing his Indian village as a child to later emigrating to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. (In Theaters)
6/13 - Welcome Space Brothers - A documentary feature by Jodi Wille (The Source Family) about the extraterrestrial-channeling spiritual movement that became the Unarius Academy of Science. (In Theaters)
6/23 - We Are Pat - A documentary feature about the controversial Saturday Night Live “It’s Pat” sketches from a trans visibility perspective. (In Theaters)
7/3 - Sherman’s March - A 4K re-release of a classic first-person documentary by Ross McElwee about his romantic pursuits amidst his Civil War history project. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
7/10 - Mockbuster - A documentary feature by Anthony Frith about his experience making a B-movie for The Asylum. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters and VOD)
7/10 - Remake - A documentary by Ross McElwee about the attempt to remake his classic film Sherman’s March as a narrative feature. (In Theaters)
7/14 - Once Upon a Time in Space - A four-part docuseries about human missions to outer space. (PBS)
7/17 - American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez - A documentary feature about the titular activist and filmmaker. (In Theaters)
7/31 - Wild Inside - A documentary feature by Penny Lane (Nuts!) about Central Park’s Flaco the Owl. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
8/7 - Cookie Queens - A documentary feature about Girl Scouts selling cookies. Read our review of Cookie Queens. (In Theaters)
9/4 - Barbara Forever - A documentary feature executive-produced by Kristen Stewart about the pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer. (In Theaters)
9/18 - You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way) - A documentary feature about a 1972 production of Godspell that included many future famous comedy icons among its cast. (In Theaters)