This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - June 12-18, 2026
I want to start this week’s newsletter with a shoutout to filmmaker Penny Lane, whose own latest Substack newsletter alerted me to something I wasn’t aware of. In a piece entitled “Are Documentaries Movies?” she notes, “This newsletter was partly inspired by noticing the [no ratings for documentaries] trend on Letterboxd.” I don’t agree with the idea of not rating documentaries, whether they’re “movies” or not. But this is my job. I rate, rank, review, nominate, and award documentaries based on their quality. At the same time, I rarely classify my documentary reviews on Rotten Tomatoes as “rotten” because most of what I choose to write about I’d recommend, even if I don’t like it.
Like Lane, I’ve grown tired of the lazy reviews of documentaries praising them for feeling like a fiction film, and the forced efforts by documentarians to seek that sort of response. I think documentary filmmakers should still strive to tell their story in a visually compelling manner. When possible, they should concentrate on the look of their film, even if the cinematography is enhanced in post-production rather than consciously during shooting. That’s not to say raw, immediate filming can’t also be an aesthetic choice, one that perfectly suits its material. Just don’t use the motion picture format to share information without giving the audience a sensation. You can put that kind of thing on YouTube, or write a book or Substack post.
My favorite nonfiction films of the year so far deliver original, entertaining, and visually stimulating stories that go beyond the basics of documentary purpose. Maybe they are movies because they’ve got the whole package, from cinematography to score. Some even bother with sound design. They’re visionary, and well-produced, and not necessarily in a way that costs too much. But my top documentary of the year so far, Everybody to Kenmure Street, is one of these that proves even films tackling issues, histories, and important themes can be impressively cinematic while also being focused on people and ideas. It’s crucial and captivating, and that makes a big impact on viewers who are trying to be reached, not just educated or just entertained.
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 a new film from William Greaves!). 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 needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Eno (2024)
Earlier this month, a handful of Gary Hustwit documentaries hit The Criterion Channel, including his Design Trilogy and the feature Rams, which is about an industrial designer. Until finally seeing Hustwit’s latest, Eno, I didn’t know how the documentary fit into the filmmaker’s area of focus. Now I can appreciate that the subject, Brian Eno, is something of a designer himself. Technically, in addition to being an iconic musician, songwriter, visual artist, pioneer of the ambient genre, and legendary record producer, he’s considered a professional sound designer. But as this film shows, he’s essentially also a music designer. Isn’t that just another term for songwriter or composer? Not really. Eno is both of those things as well, but based on how he describes his work, I’d say he’s more of a music designer.
Eno is a documentary that fits its subject’s concept of generative music, as Hustwit has employed a software system (human-coded, not AI as previously thought) to produce variations on its construction. Each time it’s shown, Eno can have a new edit, with different versions being in the quintillions. I wondered how that would work when it’s eventually put on a streaming site. The Criterion Channel has an answer: each month, the streamer will change the version of Eno available to subscribers.
I’ve only watched one version so far, so I don’t know if this gimmick really does anything noticeable. I do think that the film I saw works well to represent Eno, while not laying out his biography and career in an informative way. It’s more a sense of him and his life. Eno does much of the work that makes the documentary so riveting, since it’s mostly him talking about his work and how he came to be one of the world’s most sought-after recording artists and record producers, despite not initially knowing how to play any instruments or write music.
Eno has a way of explaining the brilliance of his music factually, so its genius isn’t something being bragged about. I’d much rather hear it from him than a bunch of peers, critics, fans, and historians spouting hyperbole about why he’s a legend. I could also listen to Eno talk about the importance of music for many more hours, or even more of him just asking if it’s time for lunch. As a speaker, he’s almost as entrancing as his music. He also, like his music, makes smooth work out of complexity. Is there more of this material that isn’t seen in this version but will be in others? I’m unclear. I’d have loved to hear him talk more about music’s role in spatial design.
Eno begins streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on June 16, 2026.
Other Documentary Highlights
The Age Of Disclosure (2025)
With its focus on people brought together over UFOs, Welcome Space Brothers (highlighted below) made a great accompaniment to my viewing of Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day last week, to the point that I could also consider it a Doc Option tied to the new sci-fi blockbuster. But I’d already committed to sharing The Age of Disclosure, a documentary about the U.S. government’s nearly 80-year cover-up of evidence of extraterrestrial sightings and contact. It’s also directed by a filmmaker (Dan Farah) who previously produced a Spielberg movie (Ready Player One).
I asked my friend Emma “Mulder” Loggins, the founder and Editor in Chief of FanBolt and a UFO/aliens expert and junkie, to choose the best documentary for a Disclosure Day Doc Option, and she picked this one without question. So, I think it's best to share part of her review of the film:
“The Age of Disclosure accomplishes something genuinely impressive. It takes decades of fragmented information, whistleblower testimony, Congressional hearings, declassified documents, and military encounters and weaves them into a coherent narrative that’s accessible to people who haven’t been following this topic obsessively.
“For those of us who have been paying attention, the film serves as validation. For newcomers, it’s a crash course in why so many credible people are taking this seriously. Whether or not the Academy recognizes it, The Age of Disclosure has already accomplished something remarkable. It’s made UFOs a legitimate topic of conversation in Washington’s corridors of power and Hollywood’s screening rooms simultaneously. That alone is worth celebrating.”
The Age of Disclosure is available to rent or purchase digitally from Prime Video.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 3
Fun fact: Two years ago, we nominated America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for Best Limited Documentary Series at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. It didn’t win, but it also — obviously, now that it’s in its third season — is not a limited series. At the time, I don’t think even the show’s producers knew it’d be so popular as to warrant more seasons.
Well, here we are. The show has since won Best Sports Documentary at the CCDAs (one year after the first nomination) and been recognized by the Emmys and the Cinema Eye Honors. It’s not really my thing, fan-wise, but I have to highlight it for its objective achievement.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 3 premieres in full on Netflix on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
Flag Day (2026)
Every other holiday has movies associated with the occasion, so why not Flag Day? Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this feature documentary for watching on June 14 or any other date. Flag Day is a good-looking film, and it sounds good, too. In fact, much of the documentary consists of montages of scenes set to unsurprising soundtrack choices such as “Small Town” by John Mellencamp and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America.”
The rest introduces us to common people in Three Oaks, Michigan, home of the nation’s largest Flag Day parade. None of them has anything particularly interesting to say, and some seem to be acting for the camera. The not-quite-verite film perfectly represents the American Flag, a thin, ceremoniously majestic representation of our country. But I get more out of just staring at the flag.
Flag Day will be released in theaters on Friday, June 12, 2026, with additional nationwide screenings being held on June 14 and June 15.
The Gas Station Attendant (2025)
We’ve seen plenty of documentaries like The Gas Station Attendant. The filmmaker, Karla Murthy, examines her cultural identity as an Asian American while also sharing the story of her father’s journey to this country from India and the titular stereotype that he fell into. Some of it is standard fare, and some of it is specific and distinct. While the film is fairly unexceptional, I still can’t resist any of these cinematic memoirs because it’s always interesting and endearing subject matter.
Plus, Murthy’s father is a figure representing America better than any piece of cloth or small-town-set documentary named for it, as a kind, hard-working, and grateful immigrant. This is also one of the appreciated rare documentaries of its kind, where it genuinely honors the parent rather than coming off as completely self-centered. No wonder Geeta Gandbhir and Stanley Nelson signed on as executive producers.
The Gas Station Attendant will be released in theaters, beginning with New York City’s DCTV Firehouse Cinema, on Friday, June 12, 2026.
Gianfranco Rosi Documentaries
This week’s filmmaker spotlight is on Gianfranco Rosi in honor of the Metrograph’s retrospective kicking off in New York City on Friday, June 12, 2026. Titled “Gianfranco Rosi: Firmament of the Real,” the program includes eight of his essential nonfiction features plus a film that had a big influence on his work. Rosi is all about documentary being cinema, or movies, yet not necessarily in a comfortable manner. As Robert Greene put it in a column championing one of Rosi’s films, “What is documentary if not the gift of going somewhere and not turning away from what you find?” Even those of Rosi’s films that I don’t love, I wouldn’t have liked to miss.
Rosi’s eight titles being screened (and where to watch them if you can’t be in NYC) are Boatman (Kanopy and Kino Film Collection), Below Sea Level (Kanopy), El Sicario, Room 164 (PVOD), the Golden Lion-winning Sacra Gra (Kanopy), Fire at Sea (Kanopy and Kino Film Collection), Notturno (Kanopy), In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis (Hulu), and his latest, Pompei: Below the Clouds (Mubi). The extra curation is Roberto Rossellini’s 1959 hybrid film India: Matri Bhumi (The Criterion Channel).
Gregg Allman: The Music Of My Soul (2026)
The latest music documentary from actor-turned-director James Keach (Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me) is fairly conventional in its biographical treatment of its subject. But as with Eno and other elevated examples of the genre, it’s best when it lets its main character do the talking. Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul features relatively recent interviews with the titular rock legend, who died in 2017, including some never-before-seen footage from a decade ago. I think the challenge with this film is not making it an Allman Brothers Band, and Keach rises to that challenge by keeping it purely focused on Gregg Allman. He’s not presented as a part of the band; the band is presented as a part of him.
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul will screen in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Welcome Space Brothers (2023)
When we think of the term “cult film,” we’re usually thinking of underground movies with devoted fanbases. Or, maybe we’re thinking of movies (including documentaries) about cults. Welcome to Space Brothers reminds us that we could also think of cult films as movies produced by cults. The documentary chronicles the history of the Unarius Academy of Science, a UFO religion founded in Southern California in the 1950s that reached peak notoriety in the late 1970s as an extravagantly kitchy group known for its flamboyant costumes and promise of impending extraterrestrial visitation.
Calling Unarius a cult is probably a disservice to the group, which still exists, as they don’t appear to have been a scam (other than it not delivering on the UFO landings), nor was it headed by a predatory or abusive yet charismatic leader. Still, it fits the more innocent definition of a cult as a social organization with unusual beliefs.
Director Jodi Wille, whose last feature was the 2012 documentary The Source Family, again shows respect for her latest cult of interest (she also previously made a short about Unarius titled We Are Not Alone). That will make this less appealing to audiences looking for another group to laugh at or be shocked by. Most of the participants interviewed were or remain followers. While I will never totally understand the devotion of such individuals, I’ve never appreciated the draw of such communities more than I did thanks to this film.
Churches are best (in my opinion) as places to come together, whether it’s for worship or company. Unarius is based in spirituality goals, but it also comes across, most simplistically, as a social club for fellow folks sharing common intrigue about aliens and reincarnation, and a willingness to play dress up and maybe perform in parades and sci-fi movies.
The movies are what really grabbed me while watching Welcome Space Brothers. I couldn’t care less about the inner workings of the religion or the strained relationships among members over the years. That’s just typical of any organization. Other than co-founder and leader Ruth Norman being extravagant and sometimes controlling (even while reprimanding others for not abiding by the religion’s no-ego policy), there’s not much that’s outstanding about the personalities involved.
Yet the fact that Unarius produced some spectacularly cheesy but incredibly artistic and technically remarkable films and shows to promote themselves is fascinating. They look as good as the worst B-movies of the era that have become cult films, and I’m thinking of ordering some of them to see more. So not only is the documentary a gracious showcase of Unarius, but it might even benefit them financially.
Welcome Space Brothers screens on Saturday, June 13, 2026, with a live performance by Moby afterward, and will be playing in theaters nationwide through this fall.
Documentary Release Calendar 6/12/26 - 6/18/26
Friday, June 12, 2026
Dance of the Wild (2026) - A documentary feature about humanity’s relationship to wild horses. (In Theaters)
Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 6: “Rocked to the Core” - The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)
Flag Day (2026) - A verite documentary of life in Three Oaks, Michigan, home of the largest Flag Day parade. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
The Gas Station Attendant (2025) - 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. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
It’s Dorothy! (2025) - A documentary feature about the legacy of the Wizard of Oz character Dorothy Gale. (PVOD)
Maternal Instinct (2026) - A true-crime documentary about a woman who faked a pregnancy to kill another mother and steal her baby. (Netflix)
Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun (2026) - A documentary feature about the dance studio Shen Yun Performing Arts. (PVOD)
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose Episode 3: “The First Amendment” - The third installment of a five-part docuseries on what it means to be American. (CNN)
Welcome Space Brothers (2023) - A documentary feature by Jodi Wille (The Source Family) about the extraterrestrial-channeling spiritual movement that became the Unarius Academy of Science. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Best of the World with Antoni Porowski Episodes 3 & 4: “New York City” & “London” - The third and fourth installments of a travel docuseries starring Antoni Porowski. (National Geographic)
The Food That Built America Season 7, Episode 8: “Rice to Riches” - The latest installment of a docuseries about popular American foods. This episode involves innovations with rice. (History)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 8: “Fatal Attractions” - The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves dangerous tourist attractions. (History)
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers Episode 5: “Spin City” - The fifth 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 5: “Betrayal in Blue” - The latest installment of a docuseries hosted by Alan Cumming about murders in close-knit communities. This episode involves the killing of a newly elected sheriff. (Oxygen True Crime)
This Land Episodes 3 & 4: “Sea to Shining Sea” & “Star Border” - The third and fourth installments of a limited docuseries that explores the history of America through six defining frontiers. (CNN)
Monday, June 15, 2026
History’s Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren Episode 3: “Monster Machines” - The latest installment of a docuseries about the machines that shaped our world. (History)
The Last Twins (2025) - A documentary feature about Erno “Zvi” Spiegel, who saved several sets of twins from experimentation during the Holocaust. Read our review of The Last Twins. (PBS)
Lethally Blonde Season 2, Episode 5: “Dressed to Kill” - 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)
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 3 - The return of an award-winning docuseries about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. See our highlights section for more info. (Netflix)
Becoming Katharine Graham (2025) - A documentary feature about the titular Washington Post publisher. (PBS)
The Cinema Within (2024) - A documentary feature about film editing. (OVID)
Eno - A documentary feature directed by Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) — with 52 quintillion possible variations, each reedited by a human-coded software system — about the music artist Brian Eno. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
He Calls Me Daughter (2026) - A documentary feature celebrating God as the perfect father figure for women. (DVD)
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)
The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 3: “Death Defying Mysteries” - The return of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 5: “Home Sweet Homestead” - The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
Stolen Kingdom (2025) - A documentary feature about theft and other misdeeds committed at Walt Disney World over 30 years. Read our review of Stolen Kingdom. (PVOD)
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The Face Doctors Season 2, Episode 6: “I Can’t Smile” - The latest installment of a nonfiction series about facial reconstruction specialists and their patients. (TLC)
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul (2026) - A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter and musician. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (In Theaters)
Under the Flags, the Sun (2025) - An archival documentary about Alfredo Stroessner’s 35-year dictatorship in Paraguay. (OVID)
Thursday, June 18, 2026
On the Roam Season 2, Episode 6 - 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 2: “When the Climate Broke” - The second installment of an eight-part docuseries about extinct creatures. This episode involves a hippo-like herbivore. (NBC)
Welcome to Wrexham Season 5, Episode 7: “Touching Grass” - 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
6/19 - Enongo - A hybrid animated and documentary about rapper/producer/Ph.D. candidate Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, a.k.a. Sammus. (Indiepix Unlimited)
6/21 - On the Trail of UFOs: The Disclosure Era - An investigative docuseries in the On the Trail of UFOs franchise about the government declassification of files on UAP, aka UFOs. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (VOD)
6/23 - The Welcome Table - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox (Gasland) about climate refugees. (HBO and HBO Max)
6/24 - The American Experiment - A five-part docuseries by Brian Knappenberger (Turning Point: The Bomb And The Cold War) about the founding of America. (Netflix)
6/26 - Jackass: Best and Last - The fifth and final feature-length installment of the Jackass franchise, which looks back at classic stunts and presents new ones. Watch a new clip from the film below. (In Theaters)
6/27 - Possibilities - A documentary about the legacy of Helen Keller. (VOD)
6/30 - Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story - A documentary about the titular public access TV host. Watch the first trailer for the film below. (HBO and HBO Max)
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)
7/5 - National Geographic Sharkfest Season 8 - The return of a nature series about sharks. This season includes the new documentary Hammerhead Sharks Up Close with Bertie Gregory. Watch the new trailer for that film below. (National Geographic)
7/12 - The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door - A documentary feature about the 2018 poisoning of Russian/British double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. (CNN)
10/16 - Once Upon a Time in Harlem - A documentary feature co-directed by the late William Greaves (Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One), resurrecting footage he shot in 1972 of a get-together of Harlem Renaissance legends. Watch the new teaser trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)