This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - October 31-November 6, 2025
Happy Halloween and the beginning of November, and congratulations to us for exceeding 1,000 subscribers last week! First, I want to remind readers that no scary movie you watch this Friday will give you nightmares worse than any documentaries about mass murderers, nuclear weapons, or other real terrors. Second, because it’s the start of a new month, there are a lot of documentaries to feature and highlight this week, so I need to make this introduction short.
Before we get to all that, though, I want to share a link to Alexei Aigui’s Critics Choice-nominated score for Orwell 2+2=5, which is now available to stream or purchase. I also want to share the amazing footage of Jim Morrison becoming the first person to ski the North Face of Mount Everest, a feat that will be the subject of a new documentary (tentatively titled Everest North) directed by Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for National Geographic.
Now, 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. 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. If you have a doc in need of coverage or a mention in our listings, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk (2025)
I’m not the biggest fan of Sepideh Farsi’s latest feature, but as I concluded my review of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, it’s worth watching for the sake of its subject if not the film. The documentary follows a year in the life of Palestinian photojournalist and poet Fatma Hassouna as she shares her life in Gaza amidst the bombing, and she deserves to have her story heard and her work seen. Plus, as you’ll see in the awards highlights below, it’s a popular contender and will probably be in the conversation for the Oscar. Films that I don’t like but many others do will always be something to recommend.
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk opens in theaters on Wednesday, November 5.
Other Documentary Highlights
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives Of Q Lazzarus (2025)
If you want to have the song “Goodbye Horses” stuck in your head for days and also learn about the woman who sang that song (best known for its use in the film The Silence of the Lambs), then you’ll want to watch at least a bit of this documentary. You can be forgiven for skimming through it, though, as it’s too long even for a subject with so many chapters, as the title suggests. Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus credits four editors, but it just needed one with the sense to pace the story with more regard for the viewer. As is stressed throughout, Diane “Q” Luckey always deserved better, this film included.
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus begins streaming exclusively on The Criterion Channel on Saturday, November 1.
I Am Curious Johnny (2025)
When it comes to vanity projects, there’s never been anything like I Am Curious Johnny. The film’s subject, uber-wealthy photographer and art collector Johnny Pigozzi, isn’t even listed as a producer, but it comes across as his project more than that of director Julian Temple (The Filth and the Fury). I can’t imagine anyone even asking for a documentary about him other than him. The feature-length profile celebrates him for having a supposedly interesting life while showing off his island, multiple mansions, famous friends, and past lovers. One person compares him to the protagonist of Zelig; Pigozzi seems obsessed instead with comparing his life to that of Citizen Kane. If only he were as compelling a figure as either one.
The documentary makes some creative choices in the ways that it gets Pigozzi’s story out of him. Many of his interviewers are celebrities he knows, mostly via Zoom calls. He also interviews himself, as the film sometimes features two of him on screen in conversation with one another. He is also interviewed by his late father and talks to himself as a boy, F for Fake era Orson Welles, and others, using AI tools. And he is even interviewed by a partially animated cartoon character he claims at the time is his chauffeur. The problem is that he’s not an interesting subject, just a rich and privileged one. The film’s eccentrics fit his character, but especially at the end, the audience is made to (or should) dislike him, undercutting his alleged charm that made him who he is (I have to believe it was more the money than the personality). I am mad that I got to know him, though I enjoyed some of how I got to know him.
I Am Curious Johnny debuts on HBO Max on Monday, November 3.
Indigenous-American Documentaries
Beginning November 1, timed to Native American Heritage Month, The Criterion Channel is spotlighting documentaries by and about Indigenous Americans with a curation called Native Nonfiction. Many of these films, of various lengths, are not available anywhere else ahead of their being exclusively programmed on the streaming service. They include the feature Itam Hakim, Hopiit, and the shorts Navajo Talking Picture, Hooghan, F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now, and Tiger, the last of which just won a directing award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Lee Grant Documentaries
Actress and filmmaker Lee Grant turns 100 years old on October 31, and we recommend watching some of her documentaries for the occasion of her centenary. Last week, we highlighted her Oscar-winning film Down and Out in America as part of an early celebration. You can watch that and the following titles on Kanopy: The Willmar 8, When Women Kill, What Sex Am I?, and Battered. Her American Masters installment, Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light, is streaming on HBO Max.
The White House Effect (2024)
Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen are back to the topic of climate change with one of two documentaries they have hitting Netflix this week (the other is In Waves and War). Previously, he directed and she produced The Island President, which dealt with the issue as it could impact the Maldives. They later co-directed An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. This time, they’ve brought on Pedro Kos, who edited The Island President, as a third director for the fully archival feature The White House Effect.
I’m a sucker for these kinds of films, but its chronicling of the George H.W. Bush administration’s handling of the problem plays like a light gathering of historical material as merely a look back at why we are where we are today on the issue. It’s the rare archival documentary where I wish there were some talking heads or at least some voiceover from fresh interviews discussing more than the obvious connections. The only effect that it may have on viewers is to anger them about a past that can’t be changed. It doesn’t need to be more than that, though some blindly see it as a more important and necessary documentary than it is, simply because it concerns the issue.
The White House Effect begins streaming on Netflix on Friday, October 31.
Werner Herzog Documentaries
Another one of The Criterion Channel’s November programming highlights is a celebration of Werner Herzog’s filmography, including both fiction and nonfiction shorts and features. Many of the titles being added to the streaming service on November 1 are documentaries that haven’t been there already. Most have been available through other outlets, with Tubi being a common place to find his lesser-known works, but now The Criterion Channel will be at least temporarily a hub for anyone to catch up with Herzog’s prolific career as a director. Also, if you want to know which to watch first, we ranked Werner Herzog’s documentaries years ago, and it hasn’t been updated since and so it’s not exhaustive, but 38 of them are on that list.
Awards Highlights
Cinema Eye Honors Nominees
The first batch of nominees for the 19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors was revealed last week, as were this year’s “Unforgettables” honorees. Only eight names were selected for the latter recognition of documentary subjects. They are Noam Shuster-Eliassi from Coexistence, My Ass! (now in theaters), Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley from Come See Me in the Good Light (premiering on Apple TV on 11/14), Seymour Hersh from Cover-Up (in theaters on 12/5), Sara Shahverdi from Cutting Through Rocks (in theaters on 11/21), Pasha Talankin from Mr. Nobody Against Putin (coming soon), Jacinda Ardern from Prime Minister (now on HBO Max), and Fatma Hassouna from Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk (opening theatrically this week). Two of these honorees have died since appearing in their respective films.
All of those films, save for Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, are also up for the Audience Choice Prize. They’re joined by Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix), Deaf President Now! (Apple TV), The Eyes of Ghana (coming soon), Folktales (arriving on VOD on 11/4), It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (now on VOD), The Librarians (in theaters), Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (PBS), Orwell 2+2=5 (in theaters), and The Tale of Silyan (in theaters on 11/28). Deaf President Now! is the only one of those fan favorites to be relegated to the Broadcast Film Nominees section of the Cinema Eye Honors, which also recognizes such hits as My Mom Jayne (HBO Max), Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max), and the series Social Studies (Hulu). The short documentary shortlist was also announced, with contenders including The Devil is Busy (HBO Max), Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud (HBO Max), and We Were the Scenery (debuting on The Criterion Channel on 11/1).
The Gotham Film Award Nominees
Last week, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced its nominees for the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards, including those in the Best Documentary Feature category. The five contenders include 2000 Meters to Andriivka (coming soon to PBS), BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (opening theatrically this week), My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow (currently unavailable), The Perfect Neighbor (now on Netflix), and Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (opening theatrically this week).
Documentary Release Calendar 10/31/25 - 11/6/25
Friday, October 31, 2025
East Harbor Heroes Season 1, Episode 2: “Heavy Lifting” - The second installment of a docuseries following various maritime workers in St. John’s, Newfoundland. (Discovery Channel)
Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman Season 1, Episode 3: “The Beefy King” - The latest installment of a travel food series following the titular pro wrestler as he attempts to eat every item on restaurant menus. This episode brings him to Orlando, Florida. (USA Network)
I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (2024) - An archival documentary about Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková. (In Theaters)
Murder at the Motel Season 2, Episode 1: “Surf Motel” - The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries involves a murder in Sacramento. (A&E)
Murder on Trial Season 1, Episode 1: “Deadly Betrayal” - The first episode of this new true-crime series involves the death of a celebrity hairdresser. (A&E)
The State of BBQ: A Texas Monthly Special (2025) - A documentary special on Texas barbecue joints. (PBS)
Walk With Me (2024) - A documentary feature by casting director Heidi Levitt about her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. (In Theaters)
What Do You Think? (Number Three) (1938) - A short film about communication with the dead. (TCM)
The White House Effect (2024) - A documentary feature by Bonni Cohen, Pedro Kos, and Jon Shenk about the U.S. government’s failure with climate change. (Netflix)
Who’s Superstitious? (1943) - A short documentary examining various superstitions. (TCM)
A Witch Story (2022) - A documentary feature about the ancestor of one of the Salem witch trial victims. (OVID)
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Austin City Limits Season 51, Episode 5: “Samara Joy” - The latest installment of this music docuseries features a performance by Samara Joy. (PBS)
Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984) - A medium-length documentary by Werner Herzog about the use of child soldiers in Nicaragua. (The Criterion Channel)
The Black and the Green (1983) - A medium-length documentary about African-American civil rights activists who traveled to Belfast during the time of the Troubles in solidarity with the Northern Irish seeking liberation. (The Criterion Channel)
Blue Baby (2024) - A documentary feature following incarcerated youth at a prison alternative called Boys Town. (Tubi)
CNBC Sport: On the Record Season 2, Episode 3: “The Investors”- The latest installment of this sports news and documentary series focuses on the money people. (CNBC)
Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina, May 1940 (1940) - A short filmed record of religious services in a Gullah community. (The Criterion Channel)
The Dark Glow of the Mountain (1984) - A short documentary by Werner Herzog following mountaineers attempting to climb the Karakoram peaks Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II. (The Criterion Channel)
Echoes from a Somber Empire (1990) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog about Bokassa’s rule in the Central African Republic. (The Criterion Channel)
F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now (2022) - A nonfiction short film by Fox Maxy about her move home. (The Criterion Channel)
Faces, Displays, and Other Imaginary Things (2020) - A nonfiction short film about Indigenous labor in the Pacific Northwest. (The Criterion Channel)
Fata Morgana (1971) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog consisting of footage shot in the Algerian Sahara Desert. (The Criterion Channel)
God’s Angry Man (1981) - A short documentary by Werner Herzog about televangelist Gene Scott and his fights with the FCC. (The Criterion Channel)
Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus (2025) - A documentary feature about the singer Diane Luckey, who performed as Q Lazzarus. (The Criterion Channel)
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (1974) - A short documentary by Werner Herzog about a carpenter who is also a champion ski jumper. (The Criterion Channel)
Grizzly Man (2005) - Feature documentary from Werner Herzog on the lives and deaths of grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard. Read our review of Grizzly Man. (The Criterion Channel)
Heart of Glass (1976) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog about the foreman of a village glassworks. (The Criterion Channel)
Herdsmen of the Sun (1989) - A medium-length documentary by Werner Herzog about the Wodaabe people of the Sahara/Sahel region. (The Criterion Channel)
Hooghan (2018) - A short documentary in which a Navajo couple tell their family’s story while a traditional Hogan dwelling is being built. (The Criterion Channel)
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck... (1976) - A short documentary by Werner Herzog about a competition for cattle auctioneers. (The Criterion Channel)
Huie’s Sermon (1981) - A documentary record by Werner Herzog of a sermon delivered by Reverend Huie L. Rogers. (The Criterion Channel)
Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984) - A medium-length documentary about the Hopi nation. (The Criterion Channel)
Land of Silence and Darkness (1971) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog following a deaf and blind woman who works on behalf of others who are deaf and blind. (The Criterion Channel)
Lessons of Darkness (1992) - A medium-length feature by Werner Herzog showing the Kuwaiti oil fields in flames. (The Criterion Channel)
Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog about a U.S. Naval pilot and his experience being held in and escaping from a prison camp during the Vietnam War. (The Criterion Channel)
Long Line of Ladies (2022) - A short documentary about a Karuk coming-of-age ceremony. (The Criterion Channel)
Lucky Dog: Down Under Season 1, Episode 5: “Biscuit and Buster” - A docuseries in the Lucky Dog franchise starring animal trainer Brandon McMillan as he works in Australia. (CBS)
Lucky Dog: Reunions Season 3, Episode 5: “Gunner Reunion” - A docuseries starring animal trainer Brandon McMillan as he revisits past clients. (CBS)
Malni: Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore (2020) - A documentary feature about the death myth from the Chinookan people. (The Criterion Channel)
The Many Miracles of Household Saints, Martina Savoca-Guay (2024) - A medium-length documentary on the making of the film Household Saints. (The Criterion Channel)
Miss Navajo (2007) - A medium-length documentary following the Miss Navajo Nation competition. (The Criterion Channel)
My Best Fiend (1999) - A feature documentary by Werner Herzog on his love/hate relationship with actor Klaus Kinski. (The Criterion Channel)
Navajo Talking Picture (1985) - A short documentary by Navajo filmmaker Arlene Bowman about her grandmother. (The Criterion Channel)
On Location: Where Eagles Dare (1968) - A short documentary on the making of the film Where Eagles Dare. (TCM)
One Hand Don’t Clap (1991) - A classic calypso- and soca-focused music documentary about Lord Kitchener and Calypso Rose. Read our review of One Hand Don’t Clap. (Kino Film Collection)
Prairie Fire (1977) - A short documentary, the first part of the Prairie Trilogy, about a veteran North Dakota poet and socialist organizer. (The Criterion Channel)
Rebel Earth (1980) - A short documentary, the second part of the Prairie Trilogy, about a veteran North Dakota poet and socialist organizer. (The Criterion Channel)
Rev. S.S. Jones Home Movies (1924-1928) - A collection of silent films documenting life in all-Black towns in Oklahoma in the 1920s. (The Criterion Channel)
Survivor (1980) - A short documentary, the third part of the Prairie Trilogy, about a veteran North Dakota poet and socialist organizer. (The Criterion Channel)
Taxi (2015) - A hybrid docufiction film by Jafar Panahi in which he poses as a taxi driver in Tehran. (The Criterion Channel)
This is Not a Film (2011) - A documentary feature by Jafar Panahi chronicling a day in his life during his house arrest as he awaits trial. (The Criterion Channel)
Tiger (2025) - A short documentary about the Indigenous family behind the Tiger t-shirt brand. (The Criterion Channel)
We Were the Scenery (2025) - A short documentary about Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines who became extras in the film Apocalypse Now. (The Criterion Channel)
Wheel of Time (2003) - A documentary feature by Werner Herzog depicting the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. (The Criterion Channel)
White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men (1996) - A short documentary about the commercialization of Native American spiritual traditions. (The Criterion Channel)
Zora Neale Hurston Fieldwork Footage (1928) - A compilation of silent films documenting Black life in the South in the late 1920s. (The Criterion Channel)
Sunday, November 2, 2025
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (2025) - A documentary based on the video art installation of the same name about the Black experience. (In Theaters)
The Fabulous Fraud (1948) - A nonfiction short film about Dr. Anton Mesmer, who discovered hypnotism. (TCM)
From Darkness to Light (2024) - A feature documentary about the unreleased Jerry Lewis movie The Day the Clown Cried. (TCM)
In the Eye of the Storm Season 3, Episode 1: “Tornado Torrent” - The return of this docuseries about natural disasters. (Discovery Channel)
The Magic Alphabet (1942) - A short nonfiction film dramatizing the work of Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman, who discovered vitamins. (TCM)
Monday, November 3, 2025
After Action Season 3, Episode 5: “Veteran Growth” - The latest installment of a docuseries spotlighting U.S. military veterans. (PBS)
Ancient Aliens: Origins Season 2, Episode 5: “Extraterrestrial Deluge” - The latest installment of this docuseries in the Ancient Aliens franchise that looks back at the original show’s greatest mysteries involves global flood myths. (History)
I Am Curious Johnny (2025) - A documentary feature by Julien Temple about photographer, art collector, and fashion designer Johnny Pigozzi. (HBO Max)
In Waves and War (2024) - A documentary feature about U.S. Navy SEALs with PTSD. (Netflix)
Life After (2025) - A Sundance-winning documentary by Reid Davenport (I Didn’t See You There) about a disabled woman who sought “the right to die.” Presented as an episode of Independent Lens. Read our review of Life After. (PBS)
Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024) - A documentary about a clash between pro-Israel activists and pro-Palestine activists involving posters around New York City. Presented in an abridged 56-minute television version. Read our review of Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets. (PBS/WNET)
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Bullets and Blueberries (2025) - A documentary feature about the direct perpetrators involved in the Holocaust. (DVD)
The Campaign (2013) - A medium-length documentary on marriage equality and the campaign to defend California’s law permitting same-sex marriage. (OVID)
Cat’s in the Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives (2025) - A documentary feature about the titular tune by Harry Chapin. (DVD)
Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie (2024) - A documentary about the legacy of the titular comedy duo. (Blu-ray)
Folktales (2025) - A Critics Choice-nominated documentary by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) about a folk high school in Arctic Norway. Read our review of Folktales. (VOD)
History of a Movement (2023) - A documentary feature about a student-led movement in Mexico that sparked political protests among the country’s youth. (OVID)
Ice Road Rescue Season 7, Episode 2 - The latest installment of a docuseries about rescue workers in Norway. (National Geographic)
Men of War (2024) - A documentary feature about a U.S. Green Beret who failed in his task to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. (DVD)
Northwoods Survival Season 2, Episode 2: “Breaking New Ground” - The latest installment of a docuseries following young Canadians living in remote landscapes. (National Geographic)
The Rising Girls of K-Pop Confidential (2025) - A documentary about K-pop. (VOD)
Who Hired the Hitman? Season 1, Episode 1: “Home on the Range” - The first episode of this new six-part true-crime docuseries about murder-for-hire-plots involves the death of a farmer. (ID: Investigation Discovery)
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
About Face Season 1, Episode 2: “Marked at Birth”- The latest episode of this series that follows surgeons specializing in facial reconstruction. (TLC)
Expedition Files Season 3, Episode 1 - The return of this docuseries that presents historical stories. (Discovery Channel)
Expedition Unknown Season 16, Episode 1: “Shipwreck Triangle of Greece” - The return of this docuseries that follows an archaeologist looking for lost artifacts. (Discovery Channel)
Fugitives Caught on Tape Season 2, Episodes 9 & 10 - The latest installments of a docuseries following law enforcement in their pursuit of fugitives. (A&E)
Ghost Adventures Season 30, Episode 2: “Mountain of Madness Part 2” - The latest installment of a docuseries following paranormal investigators. (Discovery Channel)
The Mayor (2013) - A short documentary about a Republican mayor in Georgia and his connection to the local Latino immigrant community. (OVID)
Nature Season 44, Episode 3: “The Pigeon Hustle” - The latest installment of this long-running docuseries focuses on pigeons in New York City and London. (PBS)
Power Struggle (2016) - A documentary feature about the effort to shut down a nuclear power plant in Vermont. (OVID)
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025) - A documentary feature following a Palestinian woman in Gaza as she shares her life under bombardment. (In Theaters)
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Alex vs. A-Rod (2025) - A three-part docuseries about baseball icon Alex Rodriguez. (HBO Max)
Love+War (2025) - A documentary feature directed by Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) about Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Lynsey Addario. Read our review of Love+War. (National Geographic)
Sarkozy - Gaddafi: the Scandal of Scandals (2025) - A documentary feature investigating the case that Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan government financed Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign in France. (OVID)
The Toys That Built America Season 2 - The complete second season of this historical docuseries about toys. (Hulu)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
11/7 - Pistachio Wars - An investigative documentary about a farming empire in California. (VOD)
11/10 - Saving Superman - A Critics Choice-nominated short documentary about a beloved man with autism spectrum disorder who dresses as Superman. (Switchboard)
11/11 - Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay - A three-part docuseries exploring secrets of the Mormon Church. (Bravo)
11/14 - Quiet Voices in a Noisy World - A documentary feature about Black volunteers in Jasper, Texas, working to advance social justice. (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)
11/26 - The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder (2025) - A three-part true-crime docuseries about the killing of a mortician in Colorado. Watch the new trailer for the series here. (ID: Investigation Discovery)
11/28 - The Tale of Silyan - A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) that follows a struggling North Macedonian farmer. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
12/3 - Peaches Goes Bananas - A documentary feature following the musician known as Peaches over 17 years. (In Theaters)
12/5 - Endless Cookie - An animated documentary feature by Canadian half-brothers, one white and one Indigenous, about their family. The film was just acquired by the new distributor Obscured Releasing. (In Theaters)
12/7 - Monsta X: Connect X in Cinemas - A concert film starring the titular Korean boy band. (In Theaters)
2/25 - Man on the Run - A documentary feature by Morgan Neville (Piece by Piece) about Paul McCartney post-Beatles as he formed Wings. (Prime Video)