This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - June 19-25, 2026
Father’s Day is this week, and I’ve somehow never recognized the holiday in this newsletter in the past. It is a special occasion for me. I became a father the morning after Father’s Day 2012 (my wife went into labor nearly 24 hours earlier, ruining our BBQ brunch plans), so I am usually thinking more about my oldest child rather than myself. Nonfics came about a year later, so I’ve been the father of this site for nearly as long as I’ve been an actual dad. Anyway, it’s about time I shared some favorite documentaries about dads (and where you can watch them).
Too many films are made by filmmakers about their dads, but the recently released Third Act (now streaming via PBS) is pretty good, and Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell (Kanopy, Tubi, and Fawesome) stands out so much that I forget it fits the subgenre. Alan Berliner’s Nobody’s Business (Kanopy) is also kind of a classic. Lynne Sach’s Film About a Father Who (OVID and Metrograph) is pretty interesting. So is Nathaniel Kahn’s Oscar-nominated feature My Architect (The Criterion Channel). Mark Wexler’s Tell Them Who You Are (Pluto TV) is terrible, but I never stop thinking about it, mainly because I love Haskell Wexler. Ondi Timoner’s Last Flight Home (Paramount+ Premium) is absolutely devastating.
The saddest documentary about a father, however, is Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kanopy, Prime Video, and Pluto TV). Contrasting with that is the often amusing punk dads documentary The Other F Word (Kanopy, Tubi, Night Flight, and Fawesome). Two documentaries worth watching that feature famous actors and their fathers are Chris Smith’s Sr. (Netflix), starringRobert Downey Jr. and Robert Downey Sr., and Geeta Gandhbir and Perri Peltz’s Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (currently unavailable), starring Robert De Niro, who is apparently a junior, and his dad. But my top pick for Father’s Day viewing, especially paired with the best nigiri you can find (which won’t be good enough), is Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Kanopy).
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 needing coverage or a mention, you can reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (2025)
For the second week in a row, our Pick is a documentary about a fairly successful pop artist who became a legendary record producer. Unlike Eno, however, Peter Asher: Everywhere Man is not very notable for its construction. It’s a relatively conventional music documentary. Still, the feature similarly centers on its very present subject, who guides the storytelling through newly captured interviews. The film also includes footage of a recent stage performance, where he tells tales of his life and career between singing classic tunes. It’s these tales, supplemented with archival material, that keep the documentary engaging. I was surprisingly delighted by the whole thing.
I wasn’t familiar with Peter Asher as such a significant figure in the history of 20th-century music, though I knew a few of his songs from his Peter and Gordon days. If you don’t know much about him, the documentary will be a trivial yet entertaining trip through the decades with an extraordinary character. Compiled for a narrative throughline, points in Asher’s life make him seem like the Forrest Gump of the recording industry. These markers include the time his family took in Paul McCartney, the day he was partially responsible for introducing John Lennon to Yoko Ono, and the years he helped make James Taylor a star of a new era of soft rock.
Even though Asher is an interesting subject in his own right, with many monumental career achievements, he seems to sell himself a bit short in the stage show and film by telling so many stories about other, more famous people. It’s almost like he’s a namedropper, yet I think it’s more about him yearning for his own credit for the parts he played in these other lives and careers. Then again, I don’t think he wants to be blamed for breaking up The Beatles or the marriage of John Dunbar and Marianne Faithfull either. He was just there for those turns of events. He indeed deserves recognition for many things seen in the documentary, and for how charismatic he is on stage and screen, making the film such an enjoyable watch.
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man will be released theatrically in New York City on Friday, June 19, 2026, via Greenwich Entertainment, before expanding to Los Angeles and elsewhere the next weekend.
Other Documentary Highlights
The American Experiment (2026)
Taking a break from the comparatively modern focus of his Turning Point docuseries for Netflix, Brian Knappenberger remains at the streamer with another timely historical venture. Just in time for the nation’s 250th birthday next month, The American Experiment is a five-part series about the origins of the United States, from the Declaration of Independence through the Revolutionary War and the drafting of the Constitution to the start of George Washington’s presidency. Coming on the heels of Ken Burns’s award-winning program The American Revolution, this series needs something to stand out. Landing an impressive bipartisan cast of talking heads, including Kamala Harris, Ted Cruz, Al Gore, Rand Paul, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Pence, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, alongside the historians, could be that something.
The American Experiment premieres and begins streaming exclusively on Netflix on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Enongo (2025)
One of my favorite underseen biographical documentaries of the last 20 years is Persistence of Vision, about animator Richard Williams. That film’s director, Kevin Schreck, has a new biographical documentary that heavily incorporates animation. Enongo is a feature spotlighting the music artist best known as Sammus. She’s a rapper, record producer, and now doctor (in science and technology studies). The title comes from her legal first name, hinting that the film will look more at the woman behind the nerdcore icon, but it’s still likely to appeal mostly to fans of her music.
Enongo will begin streaming on Indiepix Unlimited on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Growing Up Online (2008)
This week’s Doc Option is inspired by Toy Story 5. The new Disney/Pixar animated feature addresses children’s addictive use of devices and the effect that these digital playthings have on their psychological and social development. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t entirely villainize tablets, social media, or the internet, but it does hint at the dangers of too much screen time and depicts an act of cyberbullying. Some of its ideas seem tardy, though we’ve seen several documentaries lately tackling the subject of kids in the digital era, the best being Lauren Greenfield’s series Social Studies. But the Frontline episode Growing Up Online arrived much earlier, before Toy Story was even on its second sequel, and it’s still the most astute and affecting look at connected youth.
Growing Up Online is available to stream for free on the PBS website via Frontline.
Juneteenth Documentaries
Many documentaries are fitting for Juneteenth viewing, with the most notable being the specifically related PBS films Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom (also available on Fawesome) and Juneteenth: The Long Road to Freedom. While I’ve seen some museums hosting screenings honoring the holiday, including This World is Not My Own here in Atlanta, I’ve only seen one streaming platform celebrating the occasion with its programming. OVID will debut the documentaries With Peter Bradley and Quiet Voices in a Noisy World, about a Black artist and a group of Black community volunteers, respectively. Neither has to do with the end of slavery in America, but they’ll do.
Kukan (1941)
Last week, I wrote about the two documentary “features” that received special recognition at the 14th Academy Awards, Kukan and Target for Tonight. These weren’t just the next titles chronologically to look at in my series of columns about Oscar-winning films, but the former was also approaching its anniversary. Kukan, which directly depicts China’s resistance and resilience in its conflict with Japan during World War II, premiered at the World Theatre in New York City on June 23, 1941. Here’s an excerpt from my post about the film and its co-honoree:
“Far from perfect, the film is guilty of exoticization, as was common at the time, though it also humanizes the Chinese people more than expected for that period. Kukan holds them at a distance as others, while also attempting to relate to Western viewers by acknowledging increased American influence and aid, particularly in engineering, exploiting the excitement of “pandamania” in the U.S., and using a phrase such as “the George Washington of China” to describe their revolutionary founding father, Sun Yat-sen. The film also has some awfully generic narration, voiced by actor Niles Welch. Yet it works in its familiar normalcy, helping in the initial travelogue tone that calmly and comfortably draws the audience to immerse themselves in this land and its people.”
Kukan is not officially available to stream anywhere, but a crude copy of its restored print can be found on YouTube.
We Are Pat (2025)
Another documentary recently reminded me that people laugh at things they don’t understand, and they shouldn’t. But that is a lot of where comedy comes from, the unusual and the backwards. I don’t mean to apologize for any comedy that’s harmful. But I see an innocence in some ignorance when humor is involved, especially when it can become a teaching tool. I don’t know if that’s how We Are Pat looks back at the “It’s Pat” Saturday Night Live sketches starring Julia Sweeney as an androgenous character. It’s no doubt a good example for addressing what was acceptable in the 1990s but not today, particularly as it relates to gender politics and trans identity. Rowan Harber won a Special Award at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival for making a standout feature debut, and I hope it’s as substantial an examination of a legacy of misjudged LGBTQ+ representation of its time as Sav Rodgers’s Chasing Chasing Amy.
We Are Pat will be released on VOD on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, via Tribeca Films.
The Welcome Table (2026)
Josh Fox, who earned an Oscar nomination for his first documentary feature, Gasland, 15 years ago, continues to show his concern for the environment with his latest film, The Welcome Table. This time, he’s focused on people displaced by hurricanes, mudslides, and other disasters caused by climate change. The title refers to an idea that is literalized on screen as Fox unites many of the film’s participants in one location to share and discuss. The Welcome Table also addresses current immigration policies in the U.S. and elsewhere that are exacerbating the issue, as climate refugees are shown little empathy and given little choice in bettering their situation.
Sadly, as with most of Fox’s documentaries, his first-person narration dominates too much of the conversation. Presumably, he wants us to listen to the subjects he’s gathered, but he keeps interrupting them in the voiceover with his own thoughts and points, as if he’s the most important part of this film. In one of the segments, he even appears in a way that briefly feels self-important if not entirely self-centered. There are also several cutaways to music performances he has set up in support of the issue. Very few of the participants are memorable, unfortunately, because they’re given such minimal screen time to tell their own stories. One Sicilian man trying to help climate refugees deserves his own film. But they all come across as props for Fox’s message rather than individuals in need of being (or allowed to be) heard. I hate to say it, but I really wanted to turn The Welcome Table off very early into its 130-minute runtime
The Welcome Table premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 6/19/26 - 6/25/26
Friday, June 19, 2026
Deadliest Catch Season 22, Episode 7: “Wrong Side of the Law” - The latest installment of a series that follows Alaskan crab fishermen. (Discovery Channel)
Enongo (2025) - A partly animated documentary about rapper/producer/academic Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, a.k.a. Sammus. See our highlights section for more info. (Indiepix Unlimited)
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (2025) - A biographical documentary feature about the titular pop star turned manager and record producer. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Quiet Voices in a Noisy World (2025) - A documentary feature about Black volunteers in Jasper, Texas, working to advance social justice. (OVID)
Shoot the People (2025) - A documentary feature that follows photographer and activist Misan Harriman as he captures global protests. (In Theaters)
With Peter Bradley (2023) - A documentary feature about the titular abstract artist. (OVID)
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose Episode 4: “Land of the Individual” - The fourth installment of a five-part docuseries on what it means to be American. (CNN)
Hotline (2015) - A documentary feature about The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, an NGO based in Tel Aviv. (ChaiFlicks)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982) - A documentary feature starring James Baldwin as he looks back at the Civil Rights Movement. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Philly Homicide Season 2, Episode 10: “Killer in the Shadows” - The latest installment of a docuseries following Philadelphia detectives. This episode involves the death of a young newlywed. (Oxygen True Crime)
The Root of the Game (2026) - A docuseries about the amateur soccer scene in São Paulo, Brazil. (Netflix)
Sunday, June 21, 2026
The Food That Built America Season 7, Episode 9: “Burgers, Burritos, & the Battle for Fast Food” - The latest installment of a docuseries about popular American foods. This episode involves fast food restaurants. (History)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler Season 2, Episode 9: “Crowd Chaos” - The latest installment of a docuseries about dangerous toys and household items that used to be common. This episode involves perilous crowd situations. (History)
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers Episode 6: “Tornado of the Year” - The final 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 6: “In the Shadow of the Steeple” - The latest installment of a docuseries hosted by Alan Cumming about murders in close-knit communities. This episode involves the killing of a Kentucky churchgoer. (Oxygen True Crime)
On the Trail of UFOs: The Disclosure Era Episode 1- The first installment of an investigative docuseries in the On the Trail of UFOs franchise about the government declassification of files on UAP, aka UFOs. (VOD)
This Land Episodes 5 & 6: “The Last Wild Frontier” & “Empire Island” - The final two installments of a limited docuseries that explores the history of America through six defining frontiers. (CNN)
UFC Rivals (2026) - A docuseries about MMA feuds. (A&E)
Monday, June 22, 2026
Assembly (2025) - A documentary on artist Rashaad Newsome and his installation at New York’s Park Avenue Armory that explores Black and queer identity. Presented as an installment of Independent Lens. (PBS)
History’s Greatest Machines with Dolph Lundgren Episode 4: “Devices of Deception” - The latest installment of a docuseries about the machines that shaped our world. (History)
Where It Lies Episode 3: “Augusta Municipal Golf Course (The Patch) in Augusta, Georgia” - The third installment of a four-part series about public golf. (ESPN App)
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Coroner to the Stars (2025) - A documentary feature about Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former chief medical examiner for Los Angeles County, who performed autopsies on many celebrities. (Theatrical Roadshow)
Expedition Unknown Season 17, Episode 1 - The return of a docuseries that follows an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery)
The Proof is Out There: Unexplained Edition Season 2, Episode 4: “The Bigfoot Connection” - The latest installment of a docuseries about strange phenomena captured on camera. (History)
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Season 7, Episode 6: “All Mesa’d Up” - The latest installment of a docuseries about UFO phenomena at the Skinwalker Ranch. (History)
We Are Pat (2025) - A documentary feature about the controversial Saturday Night Live “It’s Pat” sketches from a trans visibility perspective. See our highlights section for more info. (VOD)
The Welcome Table (2026) - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox (Gasland) about climate refugees. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. (HBO and HBO Max)
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
The 1957 Transcripts (2024) - A documentary feature about an incident on the Israel border in 1956 when 47 civilians were killed. (OVID)
The American Experiment (2026) - A five-part docuseries by Brian Knappenberger (Turning Point: The Bomb And The Cold War) about the founding of America. See our highlights section for more info. (Netflix)
Beyond the Attraction Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2: “Disney Cruise Line Origin Story” & “Disney Destiny” - The two latest episodes of a docuseries about Disney attractions. These episodes look at Disney cruises. (Disney+)
The Face Doctors Season 2, Episode 7: “A Walking Miracle” - The latest installment of a nonfiction series about facial reconstruction specialists and their patients. (TLC)
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Remembering Gene Wilder (2023) - A feature documentary about the star of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Young Frankenstein. (Kino Film Collection)
Surviving Earth Episode 3: “When the Asteroid Fell” - The third installment of an eight-part docuseries about extinct creatures. This episode involves dinosaurs. (NBC)
Welcome to Wrexham Season 5, Episode 8: “We Go Again” - 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
6/26 - Chris & Martina: The Final Set - A documentary feature about tennis icons Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. (Netflix)
6/27 - Room Tone: The Sound of The Room - A short documentary about Tommy Wiseau’s cult film The Room from the perspectives of its sound mixer and boom operator. (PVOD and Blu-ray)
7/2 - This World is Not My Own - A documentary feature about the artist Nellie Mae Rowe. (Black Public Media)
7/3 - Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World - A documentary feature about the titular poet and queer icon. (In Theaters)
7/10 - Baby Doe - A true-crime documentary about a woman accused of murdering her newborn baby. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
7/17 - American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez - A documentary feature about the titular activist and filmmaker. (In Theaters)
7/20 - Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross Season 2 - The return of a travelogue series starring the titular actress. (The Roku Channel)
7/22 - Pompeii: Out of Time - A three-part docuseries starring Tom Hiddleston about the final hours of Pompeii before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (National Geographic)
7/24 - Dread Beat and Blood - A re-release of a newly restored 1979 documentary about dub poet master Linton Kwesi Johnson. (In Theaters)
7/28 - Wham! 20 Days in China - A documentary feature about a Wham! concert tour. (In Theaters)
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. (In Theaters)