This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - August 15-21, 2025
At a time when professional critics are being let go and film festivals are thinking twice (and thrice) about showing works that could be met with protests, I’m wondering what viewers want out of documentaries. Is it similar to the issue with critics, that many people just want consumer reports or opinions that align with their own? Do most people only watch docs to learn something trivial, see something amazing, or affirm their beliefs about an issue?
I’m always disappointed when someone says they’re not interested in a film or series about a subject they’re not already interested in or a sports team they hate. Even rarer are those who’d watch a documentary sharing an opposing political viewpoint or one humanizing and giving voice to a purely evil individual (unless it’s a serial killer; they’re a beloved exception). Now more than ever we should all be seeking out multiple perspectives and challenging narratives to be fully informed and aware.
The lack of complete engagement with the world may be what has gotten us where we are today. Audiences are too complacent. They fear discomfort and conflict. They only want to be entertained and appeased, even when they think they want to be educated. Hopefully if you’re reading this (and especially if you’re a subscriber), you’re more open to all kinds of documentation, points of view, and angles on the truth, as well as the falsehoods. Also, that you’re interested in thoughts about nonfiction films and series beyond whether they’re good or bad or preaching to the choir.
Without further ado, below are this week’s documentary highlights, including capsule reviews of new nonfiction films and series. They are followed by daily listings for all notable releases and a brief look at what’s coming soon for doc fans (including a five-part series about Martin Scorsese). Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future, and to give me more time to watch more (if not everything) available.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Magic City: An American Fantasy (2025)
Magic City was one of the first places I heard about when I moved to Atlanta. That and the Clermont Lounge. It’s a city partly defined by its strip club scene, I guess, along with its music, sports teams, and its role in the Civile Rights Movement. I’ve still never been to the former club, nor have I tried their famous chicken wings, so I’m glad there’s now a docuseries to show me why it’s such a celebrated establishment. Magic City: An American Fantasy is about more than just a popular place to look at naked women. It taught me more about the history and culture of Atlanta over the last 50 years than anything else in my dozen or so years residing in Georgia (ITP and OTP).
Viewers get plenty of context about the significance of Magic City and its most notable clientele through interviews with present and former dancers, a former Atlanta mayor, rappers, athletes, the owner, his ex-wife, and their sons. One additional thing I like about Magic City: An American Fantasy is how it handles anecdotes. Typically, I can do without these little side stories and subjective tellings of notable incidents, but this series makes a big deal about what they are and who is sharing the details. They’re like tiny bubbles inside the bottled whole rather than throwaway bones. Whether any of it will be of interest to audiences outside the Atlanta metro area is hard to say, but like last week’s release Name of the Game, which looks at the male exotic club scene in Los Angeles, this series does fit into a greater discourse on Black cultural history, and I recommend viewing the two as a pairing.
Magic City: An American Fantasy premieres its first episode on Starz on Friday, August 15, with additional installments debuting subsequent Fridays.
Name of the Game is now only in theaters but will be out on DVD in October.
Other Documentary Highlights
America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys (2025)
Between America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and now America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, Netflix is showing where their favor lies in the NFL. These two series are not related outside of their similar titles and focus on aspects of the Dallas Cowboys, and they’re not the same kind of documentaries at all. Still, they make for an obvious pairing on the same streamer. America’s Team is more akin to my favorite sports series of last year, Matthew Hamacheck’s The Dynasty: New England Patriots, but it’s a little flashier, choppier, less refined or narratively confined, and not as probing. I’m curious how Disney’s new Chiefs series, The Kingdom, compares, too.
America’s Team is directed by Chapman Way and Maclain Way, the filmmakers behind Netflix’s Untold series and the feature The Battered Bastards of Baseball as well as their breakout series Wild Wild Country. They are clearly interested in sports stories, but they’re not necessarily among the Dallas devout. They’re not from the area, nor were they alive for much of the team’s heyday. Like Hamacheck, they’re fans of the dramatic narratives (like Episode 2’s focus on the Cowboys quarterback situation of the 1991 season) and came to this subject objectively. This series isn’t strong enough either in its storytelling, character portrayals, or investigative insights to land on my best of 2025 list, but it had me hooked more often than I expected.
America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys begins streaming in full on Netflix on Tuesday, August 19.
Fit For TV: The Reality Of The Biggest Loser (2025)
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to anyone, but a lot of reality television is bad for us. With some exceptions, it’s unhealthy for viewers, damaging to our culture as a whole, and especially psychologically harmful for most of its participants. The three-part series Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser is another documentary that goes into detail regarding the obvious problems. But it’s about one particular show that seemed to deal with people’s health, so there’s a specific sad irony to its premise and the effects it had on its audience and contestants. As always, it’s fascinating watching interviews with reality show producers where they appear to shrug off the negatives by insisting their program was always openly just about being entertainment.
Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser begins streaming in full on Netflix on Friday, August 15. I recommend pairing it with Predators when that film comes out.
The Original Kings Of Comedy (2000)
Not only does this Spike Lee-helmed comedy concert film turn 25 this week, but as highlighted last week, it was mentioned in the Black Movie Hall of Fame poll results on the best Black Movies Ever. The Original Kings of Comedy presents stand-up performances by Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, and the late Bernie Mac. Some of the jokes might be a bit dated today, but it’s still very funny. The film spawned similar showcases of Black women comedians and Latino comedians.
The Original Kings of Comedy is streaming on Kanopy.
Limitless: Live Better Now (2025)
Technically, Limitless: Live Better Now is the second season of Limitless, but Disney and National Geographic are treating it as its own entity (maybe at least as a sequel?). The three-part docuseries again stars Chris Hemsworth as he pursues the secrets to living a longer and better life. This time, he performs in concert with Ed Sheeran, trains with Special Forces in South Korea, and climbs a dam in the Swiss Alps, all in his quests to aid his memory, his back pain, and the joy of risks, respectively. I’ve only watched the first episode of this installment, and it reminded me of an episode of a show my children loved called Brainchild, only with the Thor actor as its host and participant. It’s hard to relate to a wealthy Hollywood icon, but he’s amiable enough.
Limitless: Live Better Now begins streaming in full on Hulu and Disney+ on Friday, August 15, and airs on National Geographic on Monday, August 25.
My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow (2024)
Julia Loktev's My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow is an immersive and intimate character study of independent journalists in Russia leading up to and just after their country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It’s also about five and a half hours long, broken up into five chapters of varying length but recommended to be watched on the big screen in one sitting, save for an intermission. I found the whole thing both concerning and encouraging about the state of journalism worldwide right now. Here’s part of my review of My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow:
“As a film about journalists, My Undesirable Friends paints a heroic picture of professionals who aren’t well paid, aren’t well-respected enough by the public, and are under constant threat of imprisonment or death, but who believe that the truth and accountability matter. There aren’t a lot of triumphant stories of journalism right now, and nothing as big as what’s depicted in Hollywood movies like All the President’s Men or Spotlight. Not only are journalists having less of an impact than they should or used to, due to misinformation and widespread accusations of biased or fake news by those who might be exposed, but many are killed while doing their jobs. Not just as collateral damage, either; some are murdered in targeted attacks. The profession isn’t the most appealing at the moment, which adds to its endangerment. But there is triumph in the strength and integrity these women exhibit, no matter their results.”
My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow opens theatrically in New York City on Friday, August 15.
Documentary Release Calendar 8/15/25 - 8/21/25
Friday, August 15, 2025
Abandoned: The Woman in the Decaying House (2025) - A three-part docuseries about a real-life horror story in Brazil. (Prime Video)
Anxiety Club (2024) - A documentary about anxiety from the perspectives of comedians. (VOD)
Checkpoint Zoo (2024) - A documentary feature about the rescue of zoo animals in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. (In Theaters)
Dawn Dusk (2024) - A documentary feature about a woman grieving the loss of her sister to domestic abuse. (Tubi, Prime Video, and Roku)
Donkey Baseball (1935) - A short documentary about the fad of playing baseball while riding donkeys. (TCM)
The Echoes of Survivors: Inside Korea’s Tragedies (2025) - A docuseries about the survivors of “Korea’s gloomiest chapters.” (Netflix)
Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser (2025) - A docuseries about the reality TV show The Biggest Loser. (Netflix)
Limitless: Live Better Now (2025) - The three-part second season of a docuseries starring actor Chris Hemsworth, in which he unlocks the secrets to living a longer and healthier life. (Hulu and Disney+)
Magic City: An American Fantasy (2025) - A docuseries about the titular Atlanta strip club. (Starz)
My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow (2024) - A documentary about independent journalism in Russia. (In Theaters)
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Buried in the Backyard Season 6, Episode 6: “A Deal to Die For” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about the odd locations where murder victims were found. This episode involves a killer who was targeting real estate agents. (Oxygen True Crime)
Main Street Memories (2025) - A short documentary about the Edmonds Theatre and the Edmonds Bakery in Edmonds, Washington. (In Theaters)
Naming the Dead Season 1, Episode 3: “The Body in the Sand” - The latest installment of a docuseries about bodies being identified through genealogical investigations. This episode concerns a woman found dead in the desert. (National Geographic)
Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller Season 5, Episode 5: “Million Dollar Highway Heists” - The latest installment of this award-winning investigative series involves armored car heists. (National Geographic)
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Naming the Dead Season 1, Episode 3: “The Body in the Sand” - The latest installment of a docuseries about bodies being identified through genealogical investigations. This episode concerns a woman found dead in the desert. (Hulu and Disney+)
Operation Dirty Dozen (1967) - A short documentary on the making of the movie The Dirty Dozen. (TCM)
Other Side (2025) - A documentary about Vermont’s Medical Aid in Dying law, and a woman who fought a legal battle to open it up to out-of-state residents. (In Theaters)
Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller Season 5, Episode 5: “Million Dollar Highway Heists” - The latest installment of this award-winning investigative series involves armored car heists. (Hulu)
What Do You Think? (Number Three) (1938) - A short film about communication with the dead. (TCM)
The Yogurt Shop Murders Episode 3: “Mental Evidence” - The third installment of a four-part true-crime docuseries by Margaret Brown (Descendant) about the killing of four teenagers in 1991. (HBO and HBO Max)
Monday, August 18, 2025
A Killer Among Friends Season 1, Episode 6: “Friendship in Disguise” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about murders that tear friend groups apart. This episode involves the stabbing of a UCLA student. (Investigation Discovery)
Let's Ask Nostradamus (1953) - A nonfiction short film about Nostradamus’s predictions of the French Revolution. (TCM)
Survival Mode Season 1, Episode 7: “Kentucky Floods” - The latest installment of this docuseries focuses on devastating flooding in Kentucky. (NBC)
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys (2025) - A docuseries about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his transformation of the team in the 1990s. (Netflix)
Auction (2015) - A short documentary about a cattle auction. (OVID)
Band of Sisters (2005) - A short documentary about The March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. (OVID)
Devo (2024) - A documentary feature by Chris Smith (Wham!) about the titular new wave band. (Netflix)
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills Episode 3 - The latest installment of the Hard Knocks franchise goes behind the scenes with the titular NFL football team. (HBO and HBO Max)
North Putnam (2024) - A documentary feature following a year at a rural Indiana school district. (OVID)
Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror (2025) - A true-crime docuseries about a woman and her dangerous stalker. (Hulu)
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
An Act of Worship (2022) - A documentary feature about life for Muslim women in America since 9/11. (OVID)
Fancy Answers (1941) - A short film in the Pete Smith Specialty series in which an audience is asked multiple-choice questions. (TCM)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 9, Episode 6: “Guns Gone Wild” - The latest installment of a docuseries following U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. This episode involves the smuggling of drugs and guns. (National Geographic)
Three Cheers for the Girls (1943) - A short film showcasing musical numbers from Warner Bros. movies. (TCM)
Yungblud: Are You Ready, Boy? (2025) - A documentary following the titular singer-songwriter as he performs at Berlin’s Hansa Studios. (In Theaters)
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Beyond the Line of Duty (1942) - An Oscar-winning short film about Army Air Forces Captain Hewett T. Wheless, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the early days of World War II. (TCM)
Finding Kukan (2016) - A documentary feature about the documentary producer Li Ling-Ai, who went uncredited for her work on the Oscar-winning film Kukan. (OVID)
Golden Glamour (1955) - A short documentary on the history of gold. (TCM)
James Cagney: Top of the World (1992) - A medium-length biographical documentary about the titular Hollywood actor. (TCM)
Lie Detector: Truth or Deception Season 1, Episode 7: “Chris Turner” - The latest installment of this docuseries about suspected but not charged individuals taking lie detectors to prove their innocence. This episode concerns a man hoping to prove his innocence in a 1984 murder. (A&E)
Pat Neal Is Back (1968) - A short film promoting Patricia Neal’s return to acting in the movie The Subject Was Roses. (TCM)
True Crime Story: Smugshot Season 2, Episode 2: “The Dali Heist” - The latest installment of a docuseries about disturbing cases where people thought they could get away with crimes. (Sundance TV)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
8/25 - A New Kind of Wilderness - A documentary feature about a family attempting to live a free life in the Norwegian wilderness. (PBS)
8/26 - The Britto Doc - A biographical documentary about artist Romero Britto. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (PBS)
8/27 - Katrina: Come Hell and High Water - A docuseries directed by Spike Lee, Geeta Gandbhir, and Samantha M. Knowles about Hurricane Katrina. (Netflix)
9/4 - Blood & Myth - A true-crime documentary about an Alaskan criminal who claimed to be influenced by mythical creatures. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Hulu)
9/5 - Democracy Noir - A documentary feature following three women fighting to expose corruption in Viktor Orbán's Hungary. (In Theaters)
9/12 - Clemente - A biographical documentary about pro baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
9/19 - Predators - A documentary about the TV series To Catch a Predator. Read our review of Predators from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (In Theaters)
10/17 - Mr. Scorsese - A five-part docuseries by Rebecca Miller about filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Watch the first look at the series below. (Apple TV+)
11/5 - Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk - A documentary feature about a Palestinian woman’s life under bombardment in Gaza. (In Theaters)
11/21 - Zodiac Killer Project - A meta-textual true-crime documentary about an abandoned documentary on the Zodiac Killer. Read our review of Zodiac Killer Project. (In Theaters)