Halloween is this weekend. That means we will be sharing a few old discussion posts we originally published 13 years ago. They’re worth mentioning here as well because it’s been a while since they’ve both been so relevant to new documentaries. The piece “What Films Give Us the Most Long-Term Scares?” is about documentaries that reveal the worst of humanity and/or make us fearful about the future. Some might scare us into action while others can leave us feeling hopeless. I felt all of that with Alex Gibney’s Musk, which is overwhelming in its runtime and doom, as it shows who Elon Musk really is and why what he’s saying and doing is bad for us and the planet. We could also add other recent AI-focused films, such as The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist and Ghost in the Machine, even though they might already be dated.
The other relevant Halloween-themed piece is titled “Are There Any Acceptable Documentary-Inspired Halloween Costumes?” While I have dressed up as people from documentaries in the past (my wife and I were the Beales one year), I’m still torn about the idea. It relates to the discussion of whether it’s okay to laugh at or mock a real person via documentaries. I’m sure Elon Musk has been a Halloween costume even before he was the subject of a film, and maybe that’s also true of Elizabeth Holmes. But the phenomenal popularity of You Can See Everything is certainly bringing the latter’s image to costume parties this year more than ever. Whether that’s morally fair, no matter what you think of the person, remains up for debate. Unless what we see on screen is indeed a fictional character Holmes created for her public persona?
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 films by Dawn Porter and Sam Pollard). Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for more in-depth highlights and reviews, 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 an upcoming documentary needing coverage or a mention, reach us at nonficseditor (at) gmail and let us know its release plans.
Nonfics Picks Of The Week: Everest: The Other Side (2026) & The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975)
I’ve seen way too many negative reviews of You Can See Everything that knock it for not being the first documentary to do what it does. As if they don’t see and praise plenty of fiction and nonfiction films that follow in the footsteps of past productions. Will they pan the new Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominee Everest: The Other Side for not only being yet another nonfiction feature about a climber attempting some astounding and perilous feat but also the umpteenth example by its own directors, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi? They keep on making documentaries about climbing mountains while climbing mountains themselves (or at least Chin), yet each one is distinct and still worth watching on its own.
Everest: The Other Side is particularly reminiscent of another couple’s mountain climbing documentary. Released about half a century earlier, the Oscar-winning feature The Man Who Skied Down Everest follows the conquest of Yuichiro Miura as he becomes the first person to ski down part of the titular peak. Men die along the way, but he achieves his personal goal in the end, and producers Budge and Judith Crawley made a poetic and riveting film out of the breathtaking footage Miura brought back. Chin and Vasarhelyi’s documentary follows the conquest of Jim Morrison as he becomes the first person to ski down the North Face of Everest. His wife dies along the way, but he achieves his personal goal in the end.
It’s probably my least favorite of Chin and Vasarhely’s films, and part of that is due to my biased disinterest in stories and characters like these now. I just don’t care if someone accomplishes some unnecessary feat, or if they die in the process. I feel terrible about members of their support teams who wind up as casualties, though it’s still their risk to take. Beyond this subjective issue, I wasn’t wowed by the storytelling or the cinematography this time, as both felt fairly straightforward in following the events at hand. It’s not as artistically memorable as their climbing films Meru or Free Solo. I’m probably taking a lot of the work that went into Everest: The Other Side for granted because they make it all look so easy now. Still, if I don’t care, I don’t care.
Everest: The Other Side will be released in theaters on Friday, October 30, 2026, via National Geographic Documentary Films and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
The Man Who Skied Down Everest is currently available to stream on Prime Video, JustWatch, GuideDoc, Pluto TV, YOW.tv, YouTube, Fawesome, Tubi, and Kanopy.
Other Documentary Highlights
The Cycle Of Love (2025)
One of this year’s best documentaries returns to theaters this week for one night before making its home-viewing debut the following day. The Cycle of Love is not scary or distressing, but it is still important, maybe more so than others because of its positivity. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Oscar winner for The White Helmets and nominee for Virunga), the film tells the romantic story of a man who rode a bicycle from India to Sweden to be reunited with the woman he loved. It’s not just romance fluff, though. Here’s an excerpt from our review of The Cycle of Love that explains why:
“There is more to The Cycle of Love than the romantic story at its center. It’s a timeless film for that aspect, as well as for its focus on racial and social/caste discrimination, but it’s also incredibly vital for the turbulent moment we’re currently living through. The title isn’t just a reference to Mahanandia’s mode of transport but also refers to the friends we meet along the way (sorry, I couldn’t avoid that phrasing). Empathy, respect, kindness, love — it’s all cyclical in how we treat others and are treated in return, whether in present situations and relationships or as time and lives go on. This is a tale that involves destiny and karma as well as determination. Its themes being based in Hindu ideology is essential to its richness as a true story and as a film.”
The Cycle of Love will be back in select theaters nationwide on Sunday, November 1, 2026, one day only, for a “Date Night Special Screening Event.” The film will be released on TVOD to rent or purchase digitally (via Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube) on Monday, November 2, 2026.
EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert (2025)
Another of the year’s best documentaries gets an additional release announcement this week, as Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert will be available in a special edition Deluxe Steelbook collector’s set for the first time. The film is already available on VOD, DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD disc, but this is the best physical media option for fans of Elvis and this documentary. It will also make a great gift, as you share one of the best films of 2026 with others. Just make sure you/they can watch it properly in 4K, since that’s the optimal experience outside of seeing it in IMAX, which you hopefully had a chance to do. Here’s an excerpt from our review of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert:
“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 will be released as a Deluxe Steelbook set on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, via Neon.
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of (2026)
First there was Marty, Life is Short, a biographical documentary about Martin Short that covered the Toronto production of Godspell and the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV). Then there was 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), focused on the Godspell production but also featuring Short and many of the same talking heads. Now, within six months, we get SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of, which again features Short and many others seen in the other films (as well as the rare participation of Rick Moranis!), plus mention of the Godspell show again.
If you like these folks, it’s tough not to appreciate three documentaries about them in various capacities. More so if you already miss Catherine O’Hara and want to see her in the SCTV reunion footage. Otherwise, this one is mostly a clip show with a lot of reaction shots from actors watching themselves together. It’s like a less intellectual, whiter, Canadian-er Once Upon a Time in Harlem. Okay, maybe that’s going too far. But I was surprised by how much I learned about the history of SCTV and its legacy that I didn’t already know. Which would be a big deal even if I hadn’t already watched the previous two documentaries about the same comedy legends that came out this year.
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of will premiere and begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Friday, October 30, 2026.
Who Killed Alex Odeh? (2026)
I’ll be honest (I always am): I don’t really remember a lot of Who Killed Alex Odeh?, which I watched back in January during its Sundance run (where it won two awards). I also didn’t review it, maybe because I didn’t have a lot to say about it. But I gave it a pretty good rating on Letterboxd, so I obviously thought it was well done. That happens, and I feel like its director, Jason Osder, is the type who makes solid journalistic historical documentaries that are captivating to watch but maybe don’t stand out enough to be thought about much later. I guess that’s a problem since they’re histories. But not all histories need to be lasting learning experiences. So, watch this film about the murder of a Palestinian American activist in the 1980s, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t seem essential even if it feels completely fulfilling.
Who Killed Alex Odeh? will be released in theaters on Friday, October 30, 2026, via Watermelon Pictures.
Awards Highlights
Gotham Nominees
Last week, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced the nominees for the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards, which will be held at the end of November 2026. Contenders in the Best Documentary Feature category include Closure (now in theaters), A Fox Under a Pink Moon (coming soon to theaters), NAZA (now in theaters), Once Upon a Time in Harlem (now in theaters), and You Can See Everything (now in theaters). That last film was also nominated for this year’s Audience Award.
Documentary Release Calendar 10/30/26 - 11/5/26
Friday, October 30, 2026
Black Cats and Broomsticks (1955) - A short documentary about superstitions, personal rituals, taboos, and talismans. (TCM)
Everest: The Other Side (2026) - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary feature by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) that follows mountaineering couple Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson as they climb and ski the North Face of Mount Everest. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (In IMAX Theaters)
George Hall and His Orchestra (1937) - A short music film featuring performances by the titular group. (TCM)
Heathens (2026) - A documentary about five strangers who have lost their religious faith as they gather at a mountain retreat. (In Theaters - Los Angeles)
Impact x Nightline Season 5, Episode 3: “The Dropout – Who Is Elizabeth Holmes?” - The latest installment of a news magazine show. This episode is about the titular subject of the documentary You Can See Everything. (ABC)
Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers (2026) - A documentary feature about Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefers Band. (In Theaters)
Paging Hezbollah (2026) - A documentary feature about Israel’s use of electronic devices, including pagers, in attacks against Hezbollah. (In Theaters)
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of (2026) - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary directed by Jason Hehir (The Last Dance) about the history of the titular sketch comedy show. See our highlights section for more info and a brief review. *NONFICS PICK* (Netflix)
Vincent Price: What Keeps Us Alive (2026) - A documentary about the titular actor and horror icon. (TCM)
Who Killed Alex Odeh? (2026) - A documentary feature about the 1985 assassination of the titular Palestinian-American civil rights activist. See our highlights section for more info. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Austin City Limits Season 52, Episode 9: “Ty Myers” - The latest installment of a long-running music series. (PBS)
Earth Odyssey with Dylan Dreyer Season 9, Episode 5: “Wild Australian Seas and Skies” - The latest installment of an adventure series that takes viewers to exotic locations. (NBC)
Impact x Nightline Season 5, Episode 3: “The Dropout – Who Is Elizabeth Holmes?” - The latest installment of a news magazine show. This episode is about the titular subject of the documentary You Can See Everything. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Season 4, Episode 5: “Hidden Puerto Rico” - The latest installment of a nature series focused on wildlife conservation. This episode involves animals in Puerto Rico. (NBC)
Sunday, November 1, 2026
A Body to Live In (2025) - A documentary about artist Fakir Musafar. Read our review. (The Criterion Channel)
Catfish Murders Season 1, Episode 3: “The Hometown Hero” - The latest installment of a true-crime series about murders involving catfish scenarios. (Oxygen)
The Cycle of Love (2025) - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary feature by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) about a Delhi street artist who rode his bicycle 6,000 miles to reunite with the woman he loved. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (Nationwide Theatrical Screening Event)
Color (2024) - A documentary feature about artist Alteronce Gumby and what color means to him. (Fawesome)
Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC (2012) - A documentary feature about New York’s outdoor summer basketball scene. (The Criterion Channel)
Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986) - A concert film by and starring Laurie Anderson. (The Criterion Channel)
The Last Waltz (1978) - A concert film by Martin Scorsese starring The Band and many musical guests. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Late Night Law Season 2, Episode 9 & 10 “Defend and Defuse” & “Missing Machetes” - The latest installments of a docuseries that follows law enforcement during the night shift. (A&E)
Manal Issa, 2024 (2024) - A short documentary by Elisabeth Subrin about the titular Lebanese-French actress. (The Criterion Channel)
Maria Schneider, 1983 (2022) - A short documentary by Elisabeth Subrin centered around a 1983 interview with the titular actress. (The Criterion Channel)
OJ’s Accomplice (2026) - A two-part documentary that investigates more of the story of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman’s murders. (Peacock)
Palimpsest: The Story of a Name (2025) - A documentary feature by Mary Stephen about her family and the origin of her name. (The Criterion Channel)
Pawaganak: The Great Canadian Puberty Rite (1974) - A short documentary by Mary Stephen that follows a couple’s road trip after college. (The Criterion Channel)
Rock Rubber 45s (2018) - A documentary feature by Bobbito García about basketball, sneakers, and the filmmaker’s youth. (The Criterion Channel)
Snapped: Killer Moms Season 1, Episode 3: “Kelly Turner” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about mothers who kill to protect or avenge their children. (Oxygen)
Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives (2015) - A documentary feature by Bobbito García about his hip-hop radio show. (The Criterion Channel)
Two Gods (2020) - A documentary feature about a Muslim casket maker in Newark who begins mentoring two young men. (The Criterion Channel)
A Very Easy Death (1975) - A short documentary by Mary Stephen about her mother’s death. (The Criterion Channel)
Monday, November 2, 2026
The Cycle of Love (2025) - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary feature by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets) about a Delhi street artist who rode his bicycle 6,000 miles to reunite with the woman he loved. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (VOD)
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2, Episode 5: “Caught on Camera” - The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries exposing shocking murders and scandals. This episode involves a couple shot dead in a crashed car. (CBS and Paramount+)
Her Honor, the Nurse (1956) - A short documentary about the work of the modern nurse. (TCM)
Pati Jinich Explores Panamericana Season 2, Episode 2: “New Mexico & Colorado -- Life Along the Rio” - The latest installment of a docuseries starring the titular chef about Pan-American food, culture, and history. (PBS)
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
100 Beds (2020) - A documentary feature in which people talk about their worst beds. (DVD)
Billy Idol Should Be Dead (2025) - A biographical documentary feature about the titular rock star. (DVD and Blu-ray)
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2025) - A documentary feature directed by Baz Luhrmann starring the King of Rock and Roll as he returns to the stage in his later years. See our highlights section for more info and a link to our review. *NONFICS PICK* (Deluxe Steelbook 4K UHD/Blu-ray)
A Hidden Star (2022) - A documentary feature about two women who take a trip to Ireland with their friend’s ashes. (Blu-ray)
In Search Of (2026) - A documentary feature about a man traveling the country in mourning for his late actor brother. (DVD)
A Marble in the Jar (2025) - A documentary feature about surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb and her mentor, Greg Browning. (VOD)
Picturesque Patzcuaro (1942) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores Mexico’s Lake Patzcuaro and the island of Janitzio. (TCM)
A Soldier Home (2018) - A documentary feature about an Iraq War veteran after his return home. (DVD)
Tony Driver (2019) - A documentary feature about an assimilated Italian immigrant. (DVD)
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
40 Takes Willy (2025) - A medium-length documentary about director William Wyler. (TCM)
Birds of War (2026) - A documentary feature that follows the love story of a London-based Lebanese journalist and Syrian activist/cameraman. (In Theaters)
Founding Further: James Forten (2026) - A documentary about the titular Black Revolutionary War hero. (In Theaters)
Ghost Adventures Season 31, Episode 33: “Goumond House of Grim” - The latest installment of a docuseries following paranormal investigators. (Discovery Channel)
Nova Season 53, Episode 16: “Evolution: The Mating Game” - The fourth installment of a five-part series within Nova about evolution on Earth over billions of years. This episode looks at the evolution of sexual reproduction. (PBS)
Rammstein - Live in Mexico City (2026) - A concert film starring the titular German band. (In Theaters)
Taken: Natalee Holloway (2026) - A three-part true crime docuseries about the 2005 disappearance of the titular teenager during her high school graduation trip to Aruba. (Netflix)
The Water Rats (2022) - A medium-length documentary about strangers swimming in London’s Hampstead Heath during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. (OVID)
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena Season 1, Episode 6: “Aliens & Demons” - The latest installment of a docuseries that explores prophetic dreams, ESP, near-death experiences, alien encounters, and messages from beyond. (Sundance Channel)
The Bridge (2026) - A music-centered documentary feature about survivors of the October 7 attacks in Israel who travel to Los Angeles to attend the Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. (In Theaters)
Nature Season 45, Episode 4: “HumanLike: The Chimps of Fongoli” - The latest installment of a nature series. This episode involves chimpanzees. (PBS)
Terrell & T.O. (2026) - A documentary about former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens. (Prime Video)
Wolobougou (2025) - A documentary feature about a women’s clinic in Burkina Faso. (OVID)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
11/6 - Nuisance Bear - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary feature about the relationship between a community on the shore of the Hudson Bay and the polar bears getting too close to their town. Read our review of Nuisance Bear. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
11/6 - Passengers - A documentary unveiling footage from the 1990s of disillusioned New Yorkers. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (VOD)
11/10 - Get Huge: Looksmaxxing to Death - A docuseries about male influencer culture. (Hulu)
11/12 - The Jigsaw Puzzle Murder - A two-part true-crime documentary about a mysterious case involving the discovery of unidentified body parts. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Paramount+)
11/17 - The Boys and the Bees - A short documentary about a beekeeping family in Georgia. (PBS)
11/17 - When a Witness Recants - A documentary feature by Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble) about three men who were wrongfully convicted of killing a fellow teenager in Baltimore in 1983. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (HBO and HBO Max)
11/20 - Ash & Crayons - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) that follows seven Ukrainian children during the war. (In Theaters)
11/24 - The Slightest Touch - A documentary feature about a woman living with a rare and extremely painful genetic condition involving her skin and her friendship with actor Colin Farrell. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (HBO and HBO Max)
12/1 - Seized - A documentary feature about a legal battle between a small town newspaper and the local authorities. Read our review of Seized. (HBO Max)
12/4 - Every Contact Leaves a Trace - A documentary feature directed by Lynne Sachs (Film About a Father Who) about her collection of hundreds of business cards from contacts she’s made over the years. (In Theaters)
12/16 - To Hold a Mountain - A documentary feature about a shepherd mother and daughter who defend their land in Montenegro from military threats. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
12/18 - Tutu - A documentary feature directed by Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI) about Desmond Tutu. (In theaters)
1/6 - Cookie Queens - A documentary feature about Girl Scouts selling cookies. Read our review of Cookie Queens. (Paramount+)
Your Everest review is the grumpiest I've ever read from you 😅