The Netflix film offers insight into the pressures faced by the superstars as they came back from military service to make their new album, Arirang
When someone in The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist says that any examples put in the film are going to seem clumsy by the time it’s released, they’re not kidding. Artificial intelligence is moving so fast that the documentary could’ve easily been dated by the time it premiered at Sundance, let alone three months later. Fortunately, this isn’t really a film about AI. Sure, that’s the subject being discussed, but it’s all just filling. This is actually a documentary about any concerning issue if you read between the lines. It’s an example of how all issue documentaries should play out, but it’s also the issue documentary that drops the mic on all the world’s problems.
Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning director of Navalny, makes himself the protagonist of this film (co-directed by Charlie Tyrell), as he interviews experts on artificial intelligence in an effort to quell his existential dread about the technology. First, he talks to the people spreading doom. They discuss all the fears about AI, from the jobs it’s making obsolete to the complete and abrupt extinction of mankind. Roher goes from mere cynicism to terror when he and his wife become pregnant with their first child, and he wonders if having children right now is a bad idea. One of the interviewees bluntly predicts that the kids born today won’t even make it to high school before we go the way of the dinosaurs.
Then Roher talks to the people who see the good in AI, how it’s helping to cure disease and solve all the rest of the world’s problems. Sure, computers will take our jobs, but that means we’ll live in a labor-free utopia where we can all be painters and poets. Roher acknowledges his film has swung like a pendulum. Ultimately, he finds the balance, which mostly comes down to humans being the real concern in the AI race, but he also recognizes the uncertainty of its future. I’ve seen so many issue documentaries that only focus on the doom (the other Sundance AI doc, Ghost in the Machine, comes to mind), and I’ve seen so many that stop after swinging the pendulum to the other extreme. This one has the third act they all need, as anticlimactic as it might come across. In fact, its third act almost applies to all the rest.
Nonfics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
The key is to understand and believe the still-hopeful message here, one that tends to come in the form of simple titles at the end of other documentaries: do your part. I don’t know if I trust humanity to be what this film wants of it, though. Most people will be fine with what Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says in his interview, that we have no idea where things are going, so just do what you’re going to do anyway. Most people like the dazzling distractions of AI too much to give them a second thought, let alone to give the whole topic a deep consideration or to spring into action in response to its dangers. But just because I remain cynical at the end of this film doesn’t make it bad. Again, it’s Roher’s journey. And how it concludes is how Roher concludes the matter personally (with help from his wife, filmmaker Caroline Lindy).
That Roher makes this such a personal film allows it to be so effective. Very few first-person issue films work as well, though, because they’re more self-centered and self-serving. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is relatable, in part because of the parental anxiety and also because Roher asks such universally and inclusively concerning questions. He really seems to be doing the film for us as much as for himself. He’s also just relatable as a genuine, personable character on screen. The way he constantly cuts back to himself during interviews isn’t out of self-importance or to help out the editors (Daysha Broadway and Davis Coombe). It’s to make him identifiable in his expressive and sometimes profane reactions to what’s being said.
Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers.
Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions. What might not help with all audiences is the simplicity of the portrayal of the issue at hand. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist spends a long time explaining AI, but never goes that deep into its definition. There is little information or contemplation in the film that will educate or surprise anyone generally interested in the subject, and even its resolution may feel thin. That’s more suitable for the viewers who need to be pulled away from watching AI-generated nostalgia-baiting mashups and other bewitching slop, if only that were so simple.
Thanks for reading Nonfics! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
When someone in The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist says that any examples put in the film are going to seem clumsy by the time it’s released, they’re not kidding. Artificial intelligence is moving so fast that the documentary could’ve easily been dated by the time it premiered at Sundance, let alone three months later. Fortunately, this isn’t really a film about AI. Sure, that’s the subject being discussed, but it’s all just filling. This is actually a documentary about any concerning issue if you read between the lines. It’s an example of how all issue documentaries should play out, but it’s also the issue documentary that drops the mic on all the world’s problems.
Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning director of Navalny, makes himself the protagonist of this film (co-directed by Charlie Tyrell), as he interviews experts on artificial intelligence in an effort to quell his existential dread about the technology. First, he talks to the people spreading doom. They discuss all the fears about AI, from the jobs it’s making obsolete to the complete and abrupt extinction of mankind. Roher goes from mere cynicism to terror when he and his wife become pregnant with their first child, and he wonders if having children right now is a bad idea. One of the interviewees bluntly predicts that the kids born today won’t even make it to high school before we go the way of the dinosaurs.
Then Roher talks to the people who see the good in AI, how it’s helping to cure disease and solve all the rest of the world’s problems. Sure, computers will take our jobs, but that means we’ll live in a labor-free utopia where we can all be painters and poets. Roher acknowledges his film has swung like a pendulum. Ultimately, he finds the balance, which mostly comes down to humans being the real concern in the AI race, but he also recognizes the uncertainty of its future. I’ve seen so many issue documentaries that only focus on the doom (the other Sundance AI doc, Ghost in the Machine, comes to mind), and I’ve seen so many that stop after swinging the pendulum to the other extreme. This one has the third act they all need, as anticlimactic as it might come across. In fact, its third act almost applies to all the rest.
Nonfics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
The key is to understand and believe the still-hopeful message here, one that tends to come in the form of simple titles at the end of other documentaries: do your part. I don’t know if I trust humanity to be what this film wants of it, though. Most people will be fine with what Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says in his interview, that we have no idea where things are going, so just do what you’re going to do anyway. Most people like the dazzling distractions of AI too much to give them a second thought, let alone to give the whole topic a deep consideration or to spring into action in response to its dangers. But just because I remain cynical at the end of this film doesn’t make it bad. Again, it’s Roher’s journey. And how it concludes is how Roher concludes the matter personally (with help from his wife, filmmaker Caroline Lindy).
That Roher makes this such a personal film allows it to be so effective. Very few first-person issue films work as well, though, because they’re more self-centered and self-serving. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is relatable, in part because of the parental anxiety and also because Roher asks such universally and inclusively concerning questions. He really seems to be doing the film for us as much as for himself. He’s also just relatable as a genuine, personable character on screen. The way he constantly cuts back to himself during interviews isn’t out of self-importance or to help out the editors (Daysha Broadway and Davis Coombe). It’s to make him identifiable in his expressive and sometimes profane reactions to what’s being said.
Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers.
Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions. What might not help with all audiences is the simplicity of the portrayal of the issue at hand. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist spends a long time explaining AI, but never goes that deep into its definition. There is little information or contemplation in the film that will educate or surprise anyone generally interested in the subject, and even its resolution may feel thin. That’s more suitable for the viewers who need to be pulled away from watching AI-generated nostalgia-baiting mashups and other bewitching slop, if only that were so simple.
Thanks for reading Nonfics! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
When someone in The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist says that any examples put in the film are going to seem clumsy by the time it’s released, they’re not kidding. Artificial intelligence is moving so fast that the documentary could’ve easily been dated by the time it premiered at Sundance, let alone three months later. Fortunately, this isn’t really a film about AI. Sure, that’s the subject being discussed, but it’s all just filling. This is actually a documentary about any concerning issue if you read between the lines. It’s an example of how all issue documentaries should play out, but it’s also the issue documentary that drops the mic on all the world’s problems.
Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning director of Navalny, makes himself the protagonist of this film (co-directed by Charlie Tyrell), as he interviews experts on artificial intelligence in an effort to quell his existential dread about the technology. First, he talks to the people spreading doom. They discuss all the fears about AI, from the jobs it’s making obsolete to the complete and abrupt extinction of mankind. Roher goes from mere cynicism to terror when he and his wife become pregnant with their first child, and he wonders if having children right now is a bad idea. One of the interviewees bluntly predicts that the kids born today won’t even make it to high school before we go the way of the dinosaurs.
Then Roher talks to the people who see the good in AI, how it’s helping to cure disease and solve all the rest of the world’s problems. Sure, computers will take our jobs, but that means we’ll live in a labor-free utopia where we can all be painters and poets. Roher acknowledges his film has swung like a pendulum. Ultimately, he finds the balance, which mostly comes down to humans being the real concern in the AI race, but he also recognizes the uncertainty of its future. I’ve seen so many issue documentaries that only focus on the doom (the other Sundance AI doc, Ghost in the Machine, comes to mind), and I’ve seen so many that stop after swinging the pendulum to the other extreme. This one has the third act they all need, as anticlimactic as it might come across. In fact, its third act almost applies to all the rest.
Nonfics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
The key is to understand and believe the still-hopeful message here, one that tends to come in the form of simple titles at the end of other documentaries: do your part. I don’t know if I trust humanity to be what this film wants of it, though. Most people will be fine with what Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says in his interview, that we have no idea where things are going, so just do what you’re going to do anyway. Most people like the dazzling distractions of AI too much to give them a second thought, let alone to give the whole topic a deep consideration or to spring into action in response to its dangers. But just because I remain cynical at the end of this film doesn’t make it bad. Again, it’s Roher’s journey. And how it concludes is how Roher concludes the matter personally (with help from his wife, filmmaker Caroline Lindy).
That Roher makes this such a personal film allows it to be so effective. Very few first-person issue films work as well, though, because they’re more self-centered and self-serving. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is relatable, in part because of the parental anxiety and also because Roher asks such universally and inclusively concerning questions. He really seems to be doing the film for us as much as for himself. He’s also just relatable as a genuine, personable character on screen. The way he constantly cuts back to himself during interviews isn’t out of self-importance or to help out the editors (Daysha Broadway and Davis Coombe). It’s to make him identifiable in his expressive and sometimes profane reactions to what’s being said.
Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers.
Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions. What might not help with all audiences is the simplicity of the portrayal of the issue at hand. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist spends a long time explaining AI, but never goes that deep into its definition. There is little information or contemplation in the film that will educate or surprise anyone generally interested in the subject, and even its resolution may feel thin. That’s more suitable for the viewers who need to be pulled away from watching AI-generated nostalgia-baiting mashups and other bewitching slop, if only that were so simple.
Thanks for reading Nonfics! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
At least three documentaries hitting theaters this month and next are denying requests for screeners. Instead, they’re insisting critics see these films on the big screen. I appreciate that, and I’m happy to see more documentaries getting not just theatrical distribution but theatrical press screenings in my area. Sadly, my busy work and family schedule tend to limit my availability for in-person screenings, meaning I either can’t cover them in time or, like this week, I have to delay coverage (including this newsletter) until I can make it to the first showing at my local multiplex.
The fact that films like this week’s Pick of the Week are playing at multiplexes in the Atlanta suburbs is awesome. I can understand a music spectacular like EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert having an essential wide theatrical run (and proving its worth with continued box office success this year), but I wouldn’t assume it for The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, Marc by Sofia, or Lorne. The good thing is that I’m seeing more documentaries in theaters than usual, and hopefully you are, too. I have no idea when these films will be available at home, and that’s a good thing for them.
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. 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 and most-anticipated lists, 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, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist (2026)
This feature is a bit different from what I expected. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) and produced by Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist takes a personal approach to the AI conversation while also delivering talking points from the experts. Roher doesn’t just have a large directorial presence in the film. He’s its protagonist. In addition to it being interview-driven, there’s also a plot involving Roher’s impending fatherhood. The result is relatable and dynamic, if a bit simplistic and dazzling, to suit the masses.
While the content is specifically about the pros and cons of AI and whether this is the best or worst time to have children, the structure of the film is such a big part of the experience that it could be a documentary about any issue. Ultimately, this is a film that breaks down how we deal with new technology, the future, and any uncertainty that concerns us. It could be about a single medical symptom we’re individually anxious about or a major threat to humanity and even the whole planet. It is about our need to feel both fear and hope, find the balance between the two, and always be prepared and optimistic. Its final directive, though: do something.
Regarding the film’s stylish aesthetic, here’s an excerpt from my review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist:
“Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers. Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions.”
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist will be released in theaters nationwide via Focus Features on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Other Documentary Highlights
Emile De Antonio Documentaries
One of The Criterion Channel’s programming highlights for April is a spotlight on documentarian Emile de Antonio. He’s one of those radical political filmmakers I wish were still around today, as he was an important part of the documentary space in the 1960s and 1970s. He made films about the JFK assassination (Rush to Judgment), President Nixon (Milhouse: A White Comedy), the Army-McCarthy hearings (Point of Order), FBI surveillance of U.S. citizens (Mr. Hoover and I), productively destructive activist groups (Underground and the docudrama In the King of Prussia), and the Vietnam War (the Oscar-nominated In the Year of the Pig).
He also made the lesser-seen artist documentary Painters Painting, which showcases such contemporary figures as Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns in their process. It’s a bit of an outlier in de Antonio’s filmography, but it’s still about an area of counterculture of the period. It’s also the only one of his documentaries I’ve really studied and written about. Unfortunately, that piece got lost when Documentary Channel went away, taking most of my blog posts with it. While most of the films are already available via Kanopy or Hoopla, all of the above-mentioned titles will be new to stream on The Criterion Channel as part of the program “Emile de Antonio’s Cold War Counterculture” beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Henry David Thoreau (2026)
If you watched the Ken Burns docuseries American Revolution during its original PBS airings last fall, you probably saw a trailer for Henry David Thoreau. That was a perfect marketing opportunity, not just because it presented Burns fans with a look at his next project (as an executive producer), but also because the story of the titular 19th-century writer and naturalist fits as a follow-up to the tale of America’s founding. As literary scholar Sandra Harbert Petrulionis explains in the docuseries, Thoreau came of age at a time when the U.S. was trying to figure out its identity and how to further improve democracy after gaining its independence.
With narration by George Clooney and Thoreau’s words spoken by Jeff Goldblum, the three-part documentary does a great job of celebrating its subject as being forever relevant to our world. The series also begins with a quickly poignant tribute to the power of the written word, inspired by an opening quote from Thoreau. From there, Henry David Thoreau, directed by Christopher Loren Ewers and Erik Ewers in the most listless imitation of the Burns style, has its ups and downs as it balances conventional soup-to-nuts biography with a more interesting intermittent exploration of the subject’s legacy and influence in the century and a half since his death.
Henry David Thoreau will air on PBS over two nights, with the first two episodes premiering on Monday, March 30, 2026, and the third on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The series will also be available to stream on the PBS app, website, and YouTube channel following its broadcast debut.
Secrets Of The Bees (2026)
Documentaries about bees have been made since at least 1911. We just looked at one notable example from the 1930s on our list of early Oscar-nominated documentary short films. But we keep seeing advances in cinematography and science that make them worth observing again and again, and always in ways audiences have never seen before. Secrets of the Bees is the fifth installment of a James Cameron-produced franchise of nature documentaries, following Secrets of the Whales, Secrets of the Elephants, Secrets of the Octopus, and Secrets of the Penguins. It’s different in that it eschews the usual celebrity narration and lets Bertie Gregory be our only guide.
This entry also feels a lot smaller, and not just because it’s about miniature creatures and relies more on microscopic cinematography. It’s only two episodes long, making it the shortest in the bunch, not even technically classified as a docuseries. That makes it feel like there could be more, especially when we’re reminded about how many different species of bees there are on Earth. Still, it covers a big picture of the small insects in a general sense while detailing some of the newer discoveries about bees, including how smart they are. They may not appear as intellectually superior as the subjects of Secrets of the Octopus, but these demonstrations will surprise you.
Secrets of the Bees will premiere in full on National Geographic on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and both episodes will begin streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Untold Volume 6
A new season of the Netflix sports documentary franchise Untold begins this week, with the feature-length Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom kicking things off for Volume 6 on Tuesday. This first installment follows the story of NBA star Lamar Odom, centering around his problems with drugs and infidelity that led him to a near-death experience at a Nevada brothel in 2015. Subsequent episodes, releasing on Tuesdays in April, include Untold: Chess Mates, Untold: Jail Blazers, and Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill, which tell sensational stories from the worlds of chess, professional basketball, and horse racing, respectively.
I had never seen an entry in this franchise that I really liked, in part because they’re focused on scandals or controversies and often reach an icky, gossipy shock level, even if the franchise overall is elevated in production value compared to old tabloid shows. Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will probably feel the most associated with reality TV’s sensibilities, too, given its subject and the involvement of ex-wife Khloé Kardashian. I can’t yet offer an opinion on any of the latest episodes (if I’ve watched them), but this is a popular brand that distinguishes itself from being just a 30 for 30 wannabe. It’s not for me, but it’s obviously for a lot of other subscribers.
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with three more installments premiering on the service each Tuesday, through April 21, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 3/27/26 – 4/2/26
Friday, March 27, 2026
After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home (2024) – A documentary about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. (IndiePix)
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) about Roher’s contemplation of the future that his soon-to-be-born child will be growing up in. Read our review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
And She Learned About Dames (1934) – A short film that follows the winner of the Miss Complexion of 1934 contest, which includes a trip to the Warner Bros. studio lot and a preview of a new Dick Powell movie. (TCM)
BTS: The Return (2026) – A documentary feature that follows the reunion of BTS. (Netflix)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short film that shows children what life would be like without rules. (TCM)
Homecoming: The Tokyo Series (2026) – A documentary feature about the 2025 Major League Baseball season opener held in Japan between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. (CNN All Access)
John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Michael Almereyda (William Eggleston in the Real World) and Courtney Stephens, and narrated by Chloë Sevigny, about a neuroscientist studying the limits of consciousness. (In Theaters)
Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time (2026) – A two-part documentary that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Martha Graham Dance Company, with Meryl Streep reading Martha Graham’s words. (PBS)
Pompei: Below the Clouds (2025) – A documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi showing life in the regions surrounding Mount Vesuvius. Read our review of Pompei: Below the Clouds. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
The Predator of Seville (2026) – A three-part docuseries about a predatory tour guide in Spain. (Netflix)
The Propagandist (2024) – A documentary feature about Dutch filmmaker Jan Tuenissen. (OVID)
Something Divine (2026) – A documentary about spirituality and straight edge hardcore music. (VOD)
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Buried in the Backyard Season 6, Episode 15: “Road Paved with Cruel Intentions” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about the odd locations where murder victims were found. This episode involves a filmmaker involved with a deadly cult. (Oxygen True Crime)
Decade for Decision (1957) – A short documentary about the threat of the Soviet launch of the first satellite, Sputnik. (TCM)
MGM Parade Show #4 (1955) – The fourth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This film features a tour of Lake Metro on the MGM backlot. (TCM)
Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949) – A short documentary on MGM’s major productions during their first 25 years. (TCM)
Superpower Dogs 3D (2019) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary narrated by Chris Evans about remarkable dogs. Presented as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. (IMAX Theatrical Event)
Vet Detective Season 1, Episode 5: “Dog with a Mysterious Fever” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the work of veterinarian Dr. Lauren Adelman. (National Geographic)
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Betrayal: Secrets & Lies Season 1, Episode 1 – A true-crime docuseries involving stories of infidelity and deceit. (ABC, Disney+, and Hulu)
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe Season 1, Episode 6: “Dark Discoveries” – The latest installment of a docuseries about legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history. (History)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 4: “Payment Plan” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
R.F.D. Greenwich Village (1969) – A short documentary tour of New York City made to promote corduroy clothing. (TCM)
Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia Episodes 3 & 4: “Freeh / Clinton: Under Scrutiny” & “Mueller / Bush: Tracked and Surveilled” – The final two installments of a docuseries about the relationship between FBI directors and U.S. presidents. (CNN)
Monday, March 30, 2026
Beyond Awestruck: The Scientific Search for Connection Episode 3: “What if Feeling Small is Good for You?” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries about a research project studying awe. (Outside TV)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 10: “Deadly Imitation” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
Henry David Thoreau Episodes 1 & 2: “Who Are We?” & “Being Alive” – The first two installments of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames Season 1, Episode 9: “Battles” – The latest installment of a docuseries about history’s most devastating killers, weapons, battles, and disasters. (History)
Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age (1926) – A documentary feature directed by Robert J. Flaherty about a Samoan family. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Nanook of the North (1922) – A documentary feature directed by Robert Flaherty about an Inuit family’s life in the Arctic Circle. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait (2026) – A documentary that follows pro golfer Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of victory at the Augusta National in 2025. (Amazon Prime Video)
Seeing Spain (1953) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores four famous Spanish cities and the Moors’ influence on them. (TCM)
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
A Faith Under Siege (2025) – A documentary about Evangelical and Protestant Christians in the post-Soviet “Bible Belt.” (DVD)
The Hell of Auschwitz: Maus by Art Spiegelman (2024) – A medium-length documentary about the graphic novel Maus. (OVID)
Henry David Thoreau Episode 3: “Several More Lives to Live” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
Hood Bosses (2008) – A short documentary about the No Limit Records Soldiers. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Episode 1: “Vector W8” – The premiere of an eight-part docuseries starring comedian Jeff Dunham about some of the most iconic vehicles in history. (Discovery Channel)
Justin Timberlake: Dressed to Thrill (2016) – A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (Amazon Prime Video’s Quello Concerts channel)
Natchez (2025) – A documentary feature about the historical legacy of the titular town in Mississippi. Read our review of Natchez. See where the film ranks on our list of the best documentaries of 2025. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Operation Enduring Freedom (2002) – A documentary feature about the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Amazon Prime Video – VOD)
Paul Newman: Behind Blue Eyes (2021) – A medium-length documentary about the titular actor. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Pet Frenzy (2022) – A 24-episode docuseries about pets. (Blu-ray)
Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny Season 2, Episode 3: “Buried Secrets” – The return of a docuseries about declassified government activities. This installment focuses on how close we’ve gotten to apocalyptic events. (History)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (National Geographic)
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom – The first installment of Untold Season 3. This documentary feature is about (still alive) NBA star Lamar Odom. (Netflix)
Will.i.Am: The Way I Am (2016) – A biographical documentary about the titular songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. (Amazon Prime Video’s aspireTV+ channel)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
All Said Done (2025) – An experimental short film by Micah Weber about her father and “an incomplete image of class relations and affective labor.” (The Criterion Channel)
The Bad Foot Clinic Season 1, Episode 3: “Best Foot Forward” – The latest installment of a new docuseries following a podiatrist couple in their work. This episode involves bunions, calluses, and fungal nails. (TLC)
Buseok (2024) – An experimental short film centered around Buseoksa Temple in South Korea. (The Criterion Channel)
Concrete Resources (Thank you for keeping me a company of images) (2025) – An experimental short film focused on Nicaragua. (The Criterion Channel)
Conspiracies & Coverups Episode 1 – The first installment of a docuseries starring ex-CIA officer Andrew Bustamente about the biggest conspiracies in pop culture today. (Discovery)
Endings (2024) – An experimental short film showing the endings of plants. (The Criterion Channel)
Feds Season 2, Episode 5: “Gangbuster” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the FBI on various cases. This episode involves a community terrorized by an unknown gang. (Investigation Discovery)
Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By (2021) – A documentary feature that explores the personal and historical significance of home movies. (The Criterion Channel)
Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. (2021) – A documentary feature about the band Dinosaur Jr. (The Criterion Channel)
Gender Troublemakers (1993) – A short documentary in which two trans women discuss bad experiences with gay men. (The Criterion Channel)
Grasshopper Revolution (2023) – A documentary feature about grasshoppers in Uganda and a group of men catching them for food. (The Criterion Channel)
Hemel (2023) – An experimental hybrid short film by Danielle Dean about her hometown. (The Criterion Channel)
Hunt for the Missing: Chicago Episode 5: “The House of Revere Road” – The latest installment of a six-part series following a retired police detective as she re-investigates cold cases. (Investigation Discovery)
In Dog Years (2019) – A short documentary about the bond between dogs and their owners. (The Criterion Channel)
In the King of Prussia (1982) – A docudrama directed by Emile de Antonio about Christian anti-war activists. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
In the Year of the Pig (1968) – An Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Emile de Antonio on the history of the Vietnam War. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Jane by Charlotte (2021) – A documentary feature directed by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg about her actress mother, Jane Birkin. (The Criterion Channel)
Kalighat Fetish (1999) – An experimental short film centered around the worship of the Hindu Mother Goddess Kali. (The Criterion Channel)
Millhouse (1971) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio on the rise of Richard Nixon. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Mr. Hoover and I (1989) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about his being surveilled by the FBI. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
No Ordinary Man (2020) – A documentary feature about trans musician Billy Tipton. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Norman Norman (2018) – A short documentary about a woman considering cloning her dog. (The Criterion Channel)
Our New World (2026) – A two-part nature docuseries about the ways the Earth is adapting to changes. (PBS)
Painters Painting (1972) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the New York School Painters, including Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Rauschenberg. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Point of Order! (1964) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Pumpkin Movie (2017) – A short hybrid film of two friends telling scary stories on Halloween. (The Criterion Channel)
Remembrance of József Romvári (2020) – A short film by Sophy Romvari about her production designer grandfather. (The Criterion Channel)
Remote Views (2025) – A short experimental documentary about the Black media explosion of the 1980s. (The Criterion Channel)
Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray (2023) – An anthology film comprised of four of Man Ray’s 1920s experimental films, including the hybrid nonfiction short Les Mystères du Château du Dé. (The Criterion Channel)
Rupert Remembers (2000) – A documentary about trans activism in Toronto from 1971 to 1990. (The Criterion Channel)
Rush to Judgment (1967) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the John F. Kennedy assassination. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Still Processing (2020) – A short documentary by Sophy Romvari about old family photos. (The Criterion Channel)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 10, Episode 6: “Rolling in Coke” – The latest installment of a docuseries following U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. This episode involves human trafficking and cocaine smuggling. (National Geographic)
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto (1985) – A medium-length documentary about composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. (The Criterion Channel)
Tuktuit: Caribou (2025) – A short experimental film centered on the terrain of Nunavut in Arctic Canada. (The Criterion Channel)
Underground (1976) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler, and Mary Lampson about the activist group originally known as the Weathermen. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Aisha’s Story (2025) – A medium-length documentary about a family-run grain mill in a Palestinian refugee camp. (OVID)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 15: “Lost in Battle” – The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 5: “Catfishing the Catfisher” – The latest installment of a docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
4/3 – Jimmy & The Demons – A documentary feature directed by Cindy Meehl (Buck) about James Grashow’s sculpture The Cathedral. (In Theaters)
4/13 – Backside – A documentary feature about immigrants who work caring for racehorses. Presented an installment of Independent Lens. (PBS)
4/14 – Cave of Forgotten Dreams – A 3D documentary directed by Werner Herzog about the primitive paintings found in France’s Chauvet Cave, newly restored in 6K. Watch the new trailer for the re-release below. *NONFICS PICK* (In IMAX Theaters)
4/14 – The Dark Wizard – A four-part docuseries directed by The Alpinist filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen about climber, base jumper, and highline walker Dean Potter. (HBO and HBO Max)
4/14 – Untold: Jail Blazers – A documentary feature about the 2000s Portland Trail Blazers. (Netflix)
4/17 – A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough – A nature documentary directed by Oscar-winner James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) and narrated by Sir David Attenborough about gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)
4/20 – Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024) – A documentary feature about a clash between pro-Israel activists and pro-Palestine activists involving posters around New York City. (VOD)
4/21 – Untold: The Shooting of Hawthorne – A documentary feature about a tense relationship between a retired Olympic equestrian and their student. (Netflix)
4/22 – This is a Gardening Show – A docuseries hosted by Zach Galifianakis about gardening. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Netflix)
4/22 – We Are Guardians – A documentary produced by Fisher Stevens and executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about Indigenous people trying to save what’s left of the Brazilian Amazon. (Tubi and VOD)
4/23 – Still Single – A documentary feature about Masaki Saito, Canada’s first Michelin two-star chef. (Documentary+)
4/28 – Come What May – A documentary feature about comedian Ralphie May. (Theatrical Roadshow)
5/9 – K-Everything – A docuseries hosted by Daniel Dae Kim about Korea’s increased influence on culture. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (CNN)
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At least three documentaries hitting theaters this month and next are denying requests for screeners. Instead, they’re insisting critics see these films on the big screen. I appreciate that, and I’m happy to see more documentaries getting not just theatrical distribution but theatrical press screenings in my area. Sadly, my busy work and family schedule tend to limit my availability for in-person screenings, meaning I either can’t cover them in time or, like this week, I have to delay coverage (including this newsletter) until I can make it to the first showing at my local multiplex.
The fact that films like this week’s Pick of the Week are playing at multiplexes in the Atlanta suburbs is awesome. I can understand a music spectacular like EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert having an essential wide theatrical run (and proving its worth with continued box office success this year), but I wouldn’t assume it for The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, Marc by Sofia, or Lorne. The good thing is that I’m seeing more documentaries in theaters than usual, and hopefully you are, too. I have no idea when these films will be available at home, and that’s a good thing for them.
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. 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 and most-anticipated lists, 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, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist (2026)
This feature is a bit different from what I expected. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) and produced by Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist takes a personal approach to the AI conversation while also delivering talking points from the experts. Roher doesn’t just have a large directorial presence in the film. He’s its protagonist. In addition to it being interview-driven, there’s also a plot involving Roher’s impending fatherhood. The result is relatable and dynamic, if a bit simplistic and dazzling, to suit the masses.
While the content is specifically about the pros and cons of AI and whether this is the best or worst time to have children, the structure of the film is such a big part of the experience that it could be a documentary about any issue. Ultimately, this is a film that breaks down how we deal with new technology, the future, and any uncertainty that concerns us. It could be about a single medical symptom we’re individually anxious about or a major threat to humanity and even the whole planet. It is about our need to feel both fear and hope, find the balance between the two, and always be prepared and optimistic. Its final directive, though: do something.
Regarding the film’s stylish aesthetic, here’s an excerpt from my review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist:
“Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers. Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions.”
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist will be released in theaters nationwide via Focus Features on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Other Documentary Highlights
Emile De Antonio Documentaries
One of The Criterion Channel’s programming highlights for April is a spotlight on documentarian Emile de Antonio. He’s one of those radical political filmmakers I wish were still around today, as he was an important part of the documentary space in the 1960s and 1970s. He made films about the JFK assassination (Rush to Judgment), President Nixon (Milhouse: A White Comedy), the Army-McCarthy hearings (Point of Order), FBI surveillance of U.S. citizens (Mr. Hoover and I), productively destructive activist groups (Underground and the docudrama In the King of Prussia), and the Vietnam War (the Oscar-nominated In the Year of the Pig).
He also made the lesser-seen artist documentary Painters Painting, which showcases such contemporary figures as Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns in their process. It’s a bit of an outlier in de Antonio’s filmography, but it’s still about an area of counterculture of the period. It’s also the only one of his documentaries I’ve really studied and written about. Unfortunately, that piece got lost when Documentary Channel went away, taking most of my blog posts with it. While most of the films are already available via Kanopy or Hoopla, all of the above-mentioned titles will be new to stream on The Criterion Channel as part of the program “Emile de Antonio’s Cold War Counterculture” beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Henry David Thoreau (2026)
If you watched the Ken Burns docuseries American Revolution during its original PBS airings last fall, you probably saw a trailer for Henry David Thoreau. That was a perfect marketing opportunity, not just because it presented Burns fans with a look at his next project (as an executive producer), but also because the story of the titular 19th-century writer and naturalist fits as a follow-up to the tale of America’s founding. As literary scholar Sandra Harbert Petrulionis explains in the docuseries, Thoreau came of age at a time when the U.S. was trying to figure out its identity and how to further improve democracy after gaining its independence.
With narration by George Clooney and Thoreau’s words spoken by Jeff Goldblum, the three-part documentary does a great job of celebrating its subject as being forever relevant to our world. The series also begins with a quickly poignant tribute to the power of the written word, inspired by an opening quote from Thoreau. From there, Henry David Thoreau, directed by Christopher Loren Ewers and Erik Ewers in the most listless imitation of the Burns style, has its ups and downs as it balances conventional soup-to-nuts biography with a more interesting intermittent exploration of the subject’s legacy and influence in the century and a half since his death.
Henry David Thoreau will air on PBS over two nights, with the first two episodes premiering on Monday, March 30, 2026, and the third on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The series will also be available to stream on the PBS app, website, and YouTube channel following its broadcast debut.
Secrets Of The Bees (2026)
Documentaries about bees have been made since at least 1911. We just looked at one notable example from the 1930s on our list of early Oscar-nominated documentary short films. But we keep seeing advances in cinematography and science that make them worth observing again and again, and always in ways audiences have never seen before. Secrets of the Bees is the fifth installment of a James Cameron-produced franchise of nature documentaries, following Secrets of the Whales, Secrets of the Elephants, Secrets of the Octopus, and Secrets of the Penguins. It’s different in that it eschews the usual celebrity narration and lets Bertie Gregory be our only guide.
This entry also feels a lot smaller, and not just because it’s about miniature creatures and relies more on microscopic cinematography. It’s only two episodes long, making it the shortest in the bunch, not even technically classified as a docuseries. That makes it feel like there could be more, especially when we’re reminded about how many different species of bees there are on Earth. Still, it covers a big picture of the small insects in a general sense while detailing some of the newer discoveries about bees, including how smart they are. They may not appear as intellectually superior as the subjects of Secrets of the Octopus, but these demonstrations will surprise you.
Secrets of the Bees will premiere in full on National Geographic on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and both episodes will begin streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Untold Volume 6
A new season of the Netflix sports documentary franchise Untold begins this week, with the feature-length Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom kicking things off for Volume 6 on Tuesday. This first installment follows the story of NBA star Lamar Odom, centering around his problems with drugs and infidelity that led him to a near-death experience at a Nevada brothel in 2015. Subsequent episodes, releasing on Tuesdays in April, include Untold: Chess Mates, Untold: Jail Blazers, and Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill, which tell sensational stories from the worlds of chess, professional basketball, and horse racing, respectively.
I had never seen an entry in this franchise that I really liked, in part because they’re focused on scandals or controversies and often reach an icky, gossipy shock level, even if the franchise overall is elevated in production value compared to old tabloid shows. Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will probably feel the most associated with reality TV’s sensibilities, too, given its subject and the involvement of ex-wife Khloé Kardashian. I can’t yet offer an opinion on any of the latest episodes (if I’ve watched them), but this is a popular brand that distinguishes itself from being just a 30 for 30 wannabe. It’s not for me, but it’s obviously for a lot of other subscribers.
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with three more installments premiering on the service each Tuesday, through April 21, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 3/27/26 – 4/2/26
Friday, March 27, 2026
After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home (2024) – A documentary about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. (IndiePix)
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) about Roher’s contemplation of the future that his soon-to-be-born child will be growing up in. Read our review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
And She Learned About Dames (1934) – A short film that follows the winner of the Miss Complexion of 1934 contest, which includes a trip to the Warner Bros. studio lot and a preview of a new Dick Powell movie. (TCM)
BTS: The Return (2026) – A documentary feature that follows the reunion of BTS. (Netflix)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short film that shows children what life would be like without rules. (TCM)
Homecoming: The Tokyo Series (2026) – A documentary feature about the 2025 Major League Baseball season opener held in Japan between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. (CNN All Access)
John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Michael Almereyda (William Eggleston in the Real World) and Courtney Stephens, and narrated by Chloë Sevigny, about a neuroscientist studying the limits of consciousness. (In Theaters)
Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time (2026) – A two-part documentary that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Martha Graham Dance Company, with Meryl Streep reading Martha Graham’s words. (PBS)
Pompei: Below the Clouds (2025) – A documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi showing life in the regions surrounding Mount Vesuvius. Read our review of Pompei: Below the Clouds. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
The Predator of Seville (2026) – A three-part docuseries about a predatory tour guide in Spain. (Netflix)
The Propagandist (2024) – A documentary feature about Dutch filmmaker Jan Tuenissen. (OVID)
Something Divine (2026) – A documentary about spirituality and straight edge hardcore music. (VOD)
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Buried in the Backyard Season 6, Episode 15: “Road Paved with Cruel Intentions” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about the odd locations where murder victims were found. This episode involves a filmmaker involved with a deadly cult. (Oxygen True Crime)
Decade for Decision (1957) – A short documentary about the threat of the Soviet launch of the first satellite, Sputnik. (TCM)
MGM Parade Show #4 (1955) – The fourth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This film features a tour of Lake Metro on the MGM backlot. (TCM)
Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949) – A short documentary on MGM’s major productions during their first 25 years. (TCM)
Superpower Dogs 3D (2019) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary narrated by Chris Evans about remarkable dogs. Presented as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. (IMAX Theatrical Event)
Vet Detective Season 1, Episode 5: “Dog with a Mysterious Fever” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the work of veterinarian Dr. Lauren Adelman. (National Geographic)
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Betrayal: Secrets & Lies Season 1, Episode 1 – A true-crime docuseries involving stories of infidelity and deceit. (ABC, Disney+, and Hulu)
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe Season 1, Episode 6: “Dark Discoveries” – The latest installment of a docuseries about legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history. (History)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 4: “Payment Plan” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
R.F.D. Greenwich Village (1969) – A short documentary tour of New York City made to promote corduroy clothing. (TCM)
Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia Episodes 3 & 4: “Freeh / Clinton: Under Scrutiny” & “Mueller / Bush: Tracked and Surveilled” – The final two installments of a docuseries about the relationship between FBI directors and U.S. presidents. (CNN)
Monday, March 30, 2026
Beyond Awestruck: The Scientific Search for Connection Episode 3: “What if Feeling Small is Good for You?” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries about a research project studying awe. (Outside TV)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 10: “Deadly Imitation” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
Henry David Thoreau Episodes 1 & 2: “Who Are We?” & “Being Alive” – The first two installments of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames Season 1, Episode 9: “Battles” – The latest installment of a docuseries about history’s most devastating killers, weapons, battles, and disasters. (History)
Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age (1926) – A documentary feature directed by Robert J. Flaherty about a Samoan family. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Nanook of the North (1922) – A documentary feature directed by Robert Flaherty about an Inuit family’s life in the Arctic Circle. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait (2026) – A documentary that follows pro golfer Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of victory at the Augusta National in 2025. (Amazon Prime Video)
Seeing Spain (1953) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores four famous Spanish cities and the Moors’ influence on them. (TCM)
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
A Faith Under Siege (2025) – A documentary about Evangelical and Protestant Christians in the post-Soviet “Bible Belt.” (DVD)
The Hell of Auschwitz: Maus by Art Spiegelman (2024) – A medium-length documentary about the graphic novel Maus. (OVID)
Henry David Thoreau Episode 3: “Several More Lives to Live” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
Hood Bosses (2008) – A short documentary about the No Limit Records Soldiers. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Episode 1: “Vector W8” – The premiere of an eight-part docuseries starring comedian Jeff Dunham about some of the most iconic vehicles in history. (Discovery Channel)
Justin Timberlake: Dressed to Thrill (2016) – A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (Amazon Prime Video’s Quello Concerts channel)
Natchez (2025) – A documentary feature about the historical legacy of the titular town in Mississippi. Read our review of Natchez. See where the film ranks on our list of the best documentaries of 2025. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Operation Enduring Freedom (2002) – A documentary feature about the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Amazon Prime Video – VOD)
Paul Newman: Behind Blue Eyes (2021) – A medium-length documentary about the titular actor. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Pet Frenzy (2022) – A 24-episode docuseries about pets. (Blu-ray)
Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny Season 2, Episode 3: “Buried Secrets” – The return of a docuseries about declassified government activities. This installment focuses on how close we’ve gotten to apocalyptic events. (History)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (National Geographic)
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom – The first installment of Untold Season 3. This documentary feature is about (still alive) NBA star Lamar Odom. (Netflix)
Will.i.Am: The Way I Am (2016) – A biographical documentary about the titular songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. (Amazon Prime Video’s aspireTV+ channel)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
All Said Done (2025) – An experimental short film by Micah Weber about her father and “an incomplete image of class relations and affective labor.” (The Criterion Channel)
The Bad Foot Clinic Season 1, Episode 3: “Best Foot Forward” – The latest installment of a new docuseries following a podiatrist couple in their work. This episode involves bunions, calluses, and fungal nails. (TLC)
Buseok (2024) – An experimental short film centered around Buseoksa Temple in South Korea. (The Criterion Channel)
Concrete Resources (Thank you for keeping me a company of images) (2025) – An experimental short film focused on Nicaragua. (The Criterion Channel)
Conspiracies & Coverups Episode 1 – The first installment of a docuseries starring ex-CIA officer Andrew Bustamente about the biggest conspiracies in pop culture today. (Discovery)
Endings (2024) – An experimental short film showing the endings of plants. (The Criterion Channel)
Feds Season 2, Episode 5: “Gangbuster” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the FBI on various cases. This episode involves a community terrorized by an unknown gang. (Investigation Discovery)
Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By (2021) – A documentary feature that explores the personal and historical significance of home movies. (The Criterion Channel)
Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. (2021) – A documentary feature about the band Dinosaur Jr. (The Criterion Channel)
Gender Troublemakers (1993) – A short documentary in which two trans women discuss bad experiences with gay men. (The Criterion Channel)
Grasshopper Revolution (2023) – A documentary feature about grasshoppers in Uganda and a group of men catching them for food. (The Criterion Channel)
Hemel (2023) – An experimental hybrid short film by Danielle Dean about her hometown. (The Criterion Channel)
Hunt for the Missing: Chicago Episode 5: “The House of Revere Road” – The latest installment of a six-part series following a retired police detective as she re-investigates cold cases. (Investigation Discovery)
In Dog Years (2019) – A short documentary about the bond between dogs and their owners. (The Criterion Channel)
In the King of Prussia (1982) – A docudrama directed by Emile de Antonio about Christian anti-war activists. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
In the Year of the Pig (1968) – An Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Emile de Antonio on the history of the Vietnam War. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Jane by Charlotte (2021) – A documentary feature directed by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg about her actress mother, Jane Birkin. (The Criterion Channel)
Kalighat Fetish (1999) – An experimental short film centered around the worship of the Hindu Mother Goddess Kali. (The Criterion Channel)
Millhouse (1971) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio on the rise of Richard Nixon. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Mr. Hoover and I (1989) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about his being surveilled by the FBI. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
No Ordinary Man (2020) – A documentary feature about trans musician Billy Tipton. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Norman Norman (2018) – A short documentary about a woman considering cloning her dog. (The Criterion Channel)
Our New World (2026) – A two-part nature docuseries about the ways the Earth is adapting to changes. (PBS)
Painters Painting (1972) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the New York School Painters, including Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Rauschenberg. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Point of Order! (1964) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Pumpkin Movie (2017) – A short hybrid film of two friends telling scary stories on Halloween. (The Criterion Channel)
Remembrance of József Romvári (2020) – A short film by Sophy Romvari about her production designer grandfather. (The Criterion Channel)
Remote Views (2025) – A short experimental documentary about the Black media explosion of the 1980s. (The Criterion Channel)
Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray (2023) – An anthology film comprised of four of Man Ray’s 1920s experimental films, including the hybrid nonfiction short Les Mystères du Château du Dé. (The Criterion Channel)
Rupert Remembers (2000) – A documentary about trans activism in Toronto from 1971 to 1990. (The Criterion Channel)
Rush to Judgment (1967) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the John F. Kennedy assassination. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Still Processing (2020) – A short documentary by Sophy Romvari about old family photos. (The Criterion Channel)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 10, Episode 6: “Rolling in Coke” – The latest installment of a docuseries following U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. This episode involves human trafficking and cocaine smuggling. (National Geographic)
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto (1985) – A medium-length documentary about composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. (The Criterion Channel)
Tuktuit: Caribou (2025) – A short experimental film centered on the terrain of Nunavut in Arctic Canada. (The Criterion Channel)
Underground (1976) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler, and Mary Lampson about the activist group originally known as the Weathermen. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Aisha’s Story (2025) – A medium-length documentary about a family-run grain mill in a Palestinian refugee camp. (OVID)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 15: “Lost in Battle” – The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 5: “Catfishing the Catfisher” – The latest installment of a docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
4/3 – Jimmy & The Demons – A documentary feature directed by Cindy Meehl (Buck) about James Grashow’s sculpture The Cathedral. (In Theaters)
4/13 – Backside – A documentary feature about immigrants who work caring for racehorses. Presented an installment of Independent Lens. (PBS)
4/14 – Cave of Forgotten Dreams – A 3D documentary directed by Werner Herzog about the primitive paintings found in France’s Chauvet Cave, newly restored in 6K. Watch the new trailer for the re-release below. *NONFICS PICK* (In IMAX Theaters)
4/14 – The Dark Wizard – A four-part docuseries directed by The Alpinist filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen about climber, base jumper, and highline walker Dean Potter. (HBO and HBO Max)
4/14 – Untold: Jail Blazers – A documentary feature about the 2000s Portland Trail Blazers. (Netflix)
4/17 – A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough – A nature documentary directed by Oscar-winner James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) and narrated by Sir David Attenborough about gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)
4/20 – Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024) – A documentary feature about a clash between pro-Israel activists and pro-Palestine activists involving posters around New York City. (VOD)
4/21 – Untold: The Shooting of Hawthorne – A documentary feature about a tense relationship between a retired Olympic equestrian and their student. (Netflix)
4/22 – This is a Gardening Show – A docuseries hosted by Zach Galifianakis about gardening. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Netflix)
4/22 – We Are Guardians – A documentary produced by Fisher Stevens and executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about Indigenous people trying to save what’s left of the Brazilian Amazon. (Tubi and VOD)
4/23 – Still Single – A documentary feature about Masaki Saito, Canada’s first Michelin two-star chef. (Documentary+)
4/28 – Come What May – A documentary feature about comedian Ralphie May. (Theatrical Roadshow)
5/9 – K-Everything – A docuseries hosted by Daniel Dae Kim about Korea’s increased influence on culture. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (CNN)
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At least three documentaries hitting theaters this month and next are denying requests for screeners. Instead, they’re insisting critics see these films on the big screen. I appreciate that, and I’m happy to see more documentaries getting not just theatrical distribution but theatrical press screenings in my area. Sadly, my busy work and family schedule tend to limit my availability for in-person screenings, meaning I either can’t cover them in time or, like this week, I have to delay coverage (including this newsletter) until I can make it to the first showing at my local multiplex.
The fact that films like this week’s Pick of the Week are playing at multiplexes in the Atlanta suburbs is awesome. I can understand a music spectacular like EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert having an essential wide theatrical run (and proving its worth with continued box office success this year), but I wouldn’t assume it for The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, Marc by Sofia, or Lorne. The good thing is that I’m seeing more documentaries in theaters than usual, and hopefully you are, too. I have no idea when these films will be available at home, and that’s a good thing for them.
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. 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 and most-anticipated lists, 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, you can reach me at christopherbartoncampbell (at) gmail.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist (2026)
This feature is a bit different from what I expected. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) and produced by Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist takes a personal approach to the AI conversation while also delivering talking points from the experts. Roher doesn’t just have a large directorial presence in the film. He’s its protagonist. In addition to it being interview-driven, there’s also a plot involving Roher’s impending fatherhood. The result is relatable and dynamic, if a bit simplistic and dazzling, to suit the masses.
While the content is specifically about the pros and cons of AI and whether this is the best or worst time to have children, the structure of the film is such a big part of the experience that it could be a documentary about any issue. Ultimately, this is a film that breaks down how we deal with new technology, the future, and any uncertainty that concerns us. It could be about a single medical symptom we’re individually anxious about or a major threat to humanity and even the whole planet. It is about our need to feel both fear and hope, find the balance between the two, and always be prepared and optimistic. Its final directive, though: do something.
Regarding the film’s stylish aesthetic, here’s an excerpt from my review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist:
“Roher and Tyrell also inject the film with an overdose of visual elements, maintaining an unnecessary but dynamic playfulness that keeps the viewer attentive. The variety of animations showcases Roher’s drawings (familiar to those who follow him on social media) and recalls Tyrell’s amusing 2018 short My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes as well as some of the aesthetic of the similarly AI-focused family film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. You also wouldn’t be surprised after watching the documentary to learn that two of the creative geniuses behind Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Jonathan Wang) were involved as producers. Thankfully, those visual elements add to the personality of the film rather than being more dazzling distractions.”
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist will be released in theaters nationwide via Focus Features on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Other Documentary Highlights
Emile De Antonio Documentaries
One of The Criterion Channel’s programming highlights for April is a spotlight on documentarian Emile de Antonio. He’s one of those radical political filmmakers I wish were still around today, as he was an important part of the documentary space in the 1960s and 1970s. He made films about the JFK assassination (Rush to Judgment), President Nixon (Milhouse: A White Comedy), the Army-McCarthy hearings (Point of Order), FBI surveillance of U.S. citizens (Mr. Hoover and I), productively destructive activist groups (Underground and the docudrama In the King of Prussia), and the Vietnam War (the Oscar-nominated In the Year of the Pig).
He also made the lesser-seen artist documentary Painters Painting, which showcases such contemporary figures as Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns in their process. It’s a bit of an outlier in de Antonio’s filmography, but it’s still about an area of counterculture of the period. It’s also the only one of his documentaries I’ve really studied and written about. Unfortunately, that piece got lost when Documentary Channel went away, taking most of my blog posts with it. While most of the films are already available via Kanopy or Hoopla, all of the above-mentioned titles will be new to stream on The Criterion Channel as part of the program “Emile de Antonio’s Cold War Counterculture” beginning on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Henry David Thoreau (2026)
If you watched the Ken Burns docuseries American Revolution during its original PBS airings last fall, you probably saw a trailer for Henry David Thoreau. That was a perfect marketing opportunity, not just because it presented Burns fans with a look at his next project (as an executive producer), but also because the story of the titular 19th-century writer and naturalist fits as a follow-up to the tale of America’s founding. As literary scholar Sandra Harbert Petrulionis explains in the docuseries, Thoreau came of age at a time when the U.S. was trying to figure out its identity and how to further improve democracy after gaining its independence.
With narration by George Clooney and Thoreau’s words spoken by Jeff Goldblum, the three-part documentary does a great job of celebrating its subject as being forever relevant to our world. The series also begins with a quickly poignant tribute to the power of the written word, inspired by an opening quote from Thoreau. From there, Henry David Thoreau, directed by Christopher Loren Ewers and Erik Ewers in the most listless imitation of the Burns style, has its ups and downs as it balances conventional soup-to-nuts biography with a more interesting intermittent exploration of the subject’s legacy and influence in the century and a half since his death.
Henry David Thoreau will air on PBS over two nights, with the first two episodes premiering on Monday, March 30, 2026, and the third on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The series will also be available to stream on the PBS app, website, and YouTube channel following its broadcast debut.
Secrets Of The Bees (2026)
Documentaries about bees have been made since at least 1911. We just looked at one notable example from the 1930s on our list of early Oscar-nominated documentary short films. But we keep seeing advances in cinematography and science that make them worth observing again and again, and always in ways audiences have never seen before. Secrets of the Bees is the fifth installment of a James Cameron-produced franchise of nature documentaries, following Secrets of the Whales, Secrets of the Elephants, Secrets of the Octopus, and Secrets of the Penguins. It’s different in that it eschews the usual celebrity narration and lets Bertie Gregory be our only guide.
This entry also feels a lot smaller, and not just because it’s about miniature creatures and relies more on microscopic cinematography. It’s only two episodes long, making it the shortest in the bunch, not even technically classified as a docuseries. That makes it feel like there could be more, especially when we’re reminded about how many different species of bees there are on Earth. Still, it covers a big picture of the small insects in a general sense while detailing some of the newer discoveries about bees, including how smart they are. They may not appear as intellectually superior as the subjects of Secrets of the Octopus, but these demonstrations will surprise you.
Secrets of the Bees will premiere in full on National Geographic on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and both episodes will begin streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Untold Volume 6
A new season of the Netflix sports documentary franchise Untold begins this week, with the feature-length Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom kicking things off for Volume 6 on Tuesday. This first installment follows the story of NBA star Lamar Odom, centering around his problems with drugs and infidelity that led him to a near-death experience at a Nevada brothel in 2015. Subsequent episodes, releasing on Tuesdays in April, include Untold: Chess Mates, Untold: Jail Blazers, and Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill, which tell sensational stories from the worlds of chess, professional basketball, and horse racing, respectively.
I had never seen an entry in this franchise that I really liked, in part because they’re focused on scandals or controversies and often reach an icky, gossipy shock level, even if the franchise overall is elevated in production value compared to old tabloid shows. Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will probably feel the most associated with reality TV’s sensibilities, too, given its subject and the involvement of ex-wife Khloé Kardashian. I can’t yet offer an opinion on any of the latest episodes (if I’ve watched them), but this is a popular brand that distinguishes itself from being just a 30 for 30 wannabe. It’s not for me, but it’s obviously for a lot of other subscribers.
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with three more installments premiering on the service each Tuesday, through April 21, 2026.
Documentary Release Calendar 3/27/26 – 4/2/26
Friday, March 27, 2026
After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home (2024) – A documentary about Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. (IndiePix)
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) – A documentary feature directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell (My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes) about Roher’s contemplation of the future that his soon-to-be-born child will be growing up in. Read our review of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
And She Learned About Dames (1934) – A short film that follows the winner of the Miss Complexion of 1934 contest, which includes a trip to the Warner Bros. studio lot and a preview of a new Dick Powell movie. (TCM)
BTS: The Return (2026) – A documentary feature that follows the reunion of BTS. (Netflix)
Holiday from Rules? (1958) – A short film that shows children what life would be like without rules. (TCM)
Homecoming: The Tokyo Series (2026) – A documentary feature about the 2025 Major League Baseball season opener held in Japan between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. (CNN All Access)
John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Michael Almereyda (William Eggleston in the Real World) and Courtney Stephens, and narrated by Chloë Sevigny, about a neuroscientist studying the limits of consciousness. (In Theaters)
Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time (2026) – A two-part documentary that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Martha Graham Dance Company, with Meryl Streep reading Martha Graham’s words. (PBS)
Pompei: Below the Clouds (2025) – A documentary directed by Gianfranco Rosi showing life in the regions surrounding Mount Vesuvius. Read our review of Pompei: Below the Clouds. *NONFICS PICK* (Mubi)
The Predator of Seville (2026) – A three-part docuseries about a predatory tour guide in Spain. (Netflix)
The Propagandist (2024) – A documentary feature about Dutch filmmaker Jan Tuenissen. (OVID)
Something Divine (2026) – A documentary about spirituality and straight edge hardcore music. (VOD)
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Buried in the Backyard Season 6, Episode 15: “Road Paved with Cruel Intentions” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about the odd locations where murder victims were found. This episode involves a filmmaker involved with a deadly cult. (Oxygen True Crime)
Decade for Decision (1957) – A short documentary about the threat of the Soviet launch of the first satellite, Sputnik. (TCM)
MGM Parade Show #4 (1955) – The fourth installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This film features a tour of Lake Metro on the MGM backlot. (TCM)
Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949) – A short documentary on MGM’s major productions during their first 25 years. (TCM)
Superpower Dogs 3D (2019) – A medium-length 3D IMAX documentary narrated by Chris Evans about remarkable dogs. Presented as part of AMC’s IMAX Documentary Showcase. (IMAX Theatrical Event)
Vet Detective Season 1, Episode 5: “Dog with a Mysterious Fever” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the work of veterinarian Dr. Lauren Adelman. (National Geographic)
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Betrayal: Secrets & Lies Season 1, Episode 1 – A true-crime docuseries involving stories of infidelity and deceit. (ABC, Disney+, and Hulu)
History’s Greatest Picks with Mike Wolfe Season 1, Episode 6: “Dark Discoveries” – The latest installment of a docuseries about legendary treasures, relics, and artifacts from history. (History)
A Plan to Kill Season 2, Episode 4: “Payment Plan” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries on the meticulous planning conducted by serial killers. (Oxygen)
R.F.D. Greenwich Village (1969) – A short documentary tour of New York City made to promote corduroy clothing. (TCM)
Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia Episodes 3 & 4: “Freeh / Clinton: Under Scrutiny” & “Mueller / Bush: Tracked and Surveilled” – The final two installments of a docuseries about the relationship between FBI directors and U.S. presidents. (CNN)
Monday, March 30, 2026
Beyond Awestruck: The Scientific Search for Connection Episode 3: “What if Feeling Small is Good for You?” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries about a research project studying awe. (Outside TV)
Fatal Attraction: I’d Kill to Be You Season 1, Episode 10: “Deadly Imitation” – The latest installment of a true-crime series about cases involving jealousy. (TV One)
Henry David Thoreau Episodes 1 & 2: “Who Are We?” & “Being Alive” – The first two installments of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames Season 1, Episode 9: “Battles” – The latest installment of a docuseries about history’s most devastating killers, weapons, battles, and disasters. (History)
Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age (1926) – A documentary feature directed by Robert J. Flaherty about a Samoan family. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Nanook of the North (1922) – A documentary feature directed by Robert Flaherty about an Inuit family’s life in the Arctic Circle. *NONFICS PICK* (TCM)
Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait (2026) – A documentary that follows pro golfer Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of victory at the Augusta National in 2025. (Amazon Prime Video)
Seeing Spain (1953) – A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise that explores four famous Spanish cities and the Moors’ influence on them. (TCM)
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
A Faith Under Siege (2025) – A documentary about Evangelical and Protestant Christians in the post-Soviet “Bible Belt.” (DVD)
The Hell of Auschwitz: Maus by Art Spiegelman (2024) – A medium-length documentary about the graphic novel Maus. (OVID)
Henry David Thoreau Episode 3: “Several More Lives to Live” – The final installment of a three-part docuseries executive-produced by Ken Burns, narrated by George Clooney, and featuring the voices of Jeff Goldblum, Meryl Streep, Ted Danson, and Tate Donovan about the titular naturalist and writer. (PBS)
Hood Bosses (2008) – A short documentary about the No Limit Records Soldiers. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Episode 1: “Vector W8” – The premiere of an eight-part docuseries starring comedian Jeff Dunham about some of the most iconic vehicles in history. (Discovery Channel)
Justin Timberlake: Dressed to Thrill (2016) – A documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (Amazon Prime Video’s Quello Concerts channel)
Natchez (2025) – A documentary feature about the historical legacy of the titular town in Mississippi. Read our review of Natchez. See where the film ranks on our list of the best documentaries of 2025. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Operation Enduring Freedom (2002) – A documentary feature about the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Amazon Prime Video – VOD)
Paul Newman: Behind Blue Eyes (2021) – A medium-length documentary about the titular actor. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Pet Frenzy (2022) – A 24-episode docuseries about pets. (Blu-ray)
Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny Season 2, Episode 3: “Buried Secrets” – The return of a docuseries about declassified government activities. This installment focuses on how close we’ve gotten to apocalyptic events. (History)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (National Geographic)
Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom – The first installment of Untold Season 3. This documentary feature is about (still alive) NBA star Lamar Odom. (Netflix)
Will.i.Am: The Way I Am (2016) – A biographical documentary about the titular songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. (Amazon Prime Video’s aspireTV+ channel)
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
All Said Done (2025) – An experimental short film by Micah Weber about her father and “an incomplete image of class relations and affective labor.” (The Criterion Channel)
The Bad Foot Clinic Season 1, Episode 3: “Best Foot Forward” – The latest installment of a new docuseries following a podiatrist couple in their work. This episode involves bunions, calluses, and fungal nails. (TLC)
Buseok (2024) – An experimental short film centered around Buseoksa Temple in South Korea. (The Criterion Channel)
Concrete Resources (Thank you for keeping me a company of images) (2025) – An experimental short film focused on Nicaragua. (The Criterion Channel)
Conspiracies & Coverups Episode 1 – The first installment of a docuseries starring ex-CIA officer Andrew Bustamente about the biggest conspiracies in pop culture today. (Discovery)
Endings (2024) – An experimental short film showing the endings of plants. (The Criterion Channel)
Feds Season 2, Episode 5: “Gangbuster” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the FBI on various cases. This episode involves a community terrorized by an unknown gang. (Investigation Discovery)
Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By (2021) – A documentary feature that explores the personal and historical significance of home movies. (The Criterion Channel)
Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. (2021) – A documentary feature about the band Dinosaur Jr. (The Criterion Channel)
Gender Troublemakers (1993) – A short documentary in which two trans women discuss bad experiences with gay men. (The Criterion Channel)
Grasshopper Revolution (2023) – A documentary feature about grasshoppers in Uganda and a group of men catching them for food. (The Criterion Channel)
Hemel (2023) – An experimental hybrid short film by Danielle Dean about her hometown. (The Criterion Channel)
Hunt for the Missing: Chicago Episode 5: “The House of Revere Road” – The latest installment of a six-part series following a retired police detective as she re-investigates cold cases. (Investigation Discovery)
In Dog Years (2019) – A short documentary about the bond between dogs and their owners. (The Criterion Channel)
In the King of Prussia (1982) – A docudrama directed by Emile de Antonio about Christian anti-war activists. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
In the Year of the Pig (1968) – An Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Emile de Antonio on the history of the Vietnam War. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Jane by Charlotte (2021) – A documentary feature directed by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg about her actress mother, Jane Birkin. (The Criterion Channel)
Kalighat Fetish (1999) – An experimental short film centered around the worship of the Hindu Mother Goddess Kali. (The Criterion Channel)
Millhouse (1971) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio on the rise of Richard Nixon. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Mr. Hoover and I (1989) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about his being surveilled by the FBI. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
No Ordinary Man (2020) – A documentary feature about trans musician Billy Tipton. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Norman Norman (2018) – A short documentary about a woman considering cloning her dog. (The Criterion Channel)
Our New World (2026) – A two-part nature docuseries about the ways the Earth is adapting to changes. (PBS)
Painters Painting (1972) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the New York School Painters, including Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Rauschenberg. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Point of Order! (1964) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Pumpkin Movie (2017) – A short hybrid film of two friends telling scary stories on Halloween. (The Criterion Channel)
Remembrance of József Romvári (2020) – A short film by Sophy Romvari about her production designer grandfather. (The Criterion Channel)
Remote Views (2025) – A short experimental documentary about the Black media explosion of the 1980s. (The Criterion Channel)
Return to Reason: Four Films by Man Ray (2023) – An anthology film comprised of four of Man Ray’s 1920s experimental films, including the hybrid nonfiction short Les Mystères du Château du Dé. (The Criterion Channel)
Rupert Remembers (2000) – A documentary about trans activism in Toronto from 1971 to 1990. (The Criterion Channel)
Rush to Judgment (1967) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio about the John F. Kennedy assassination. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Secrets of the Bees (2026) – A two-part nature documentary executive-produced by James Cameron and starring Bertie Gregory about bees. (Disney+ and Hulu)
Still Processing (2020) – A short documentary by Sophy Romvari about old family photos. (The Criterion Channel)
To Catch a Smuggler Season 10, Episode 6: “Rolling in Coke” – The latest installment of a docuseries following U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. This episode involves human trafficking and cocaine smuggling. (National Geographic)
Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto (1985) – A medium-length documentary about composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. (The Criterion Channel)
Tuktuit: Caribou (2025) – A short experimental film centered on the terrain of Nunavut in Arctic Canada. (The Criterion Channel)
Underground (1976) – A documentary feature directed by Emile de Antonio, Haskell Wexler, and Mary Lampson about the activist group originally known as the Weathermen. *NONFICS PICK* (The Criterion Channel)
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Aisha’s Story (2025) – A medium-length documentary about a family-run grain mill in a Palestinian refugee camp. (OVID)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 15: “Lost in Battle” – The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Predator Hunters Episode 5: “Catfishing the Catfisher” – The latest installment of a docuseries produced by Louis Theroux following the work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. (A&E)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
4/3 – Jimmy & The Demons – A documentary feature directed by Cindy Meehl (Buck) about James Grashow’s sculpture The Cathedral. (In Theaters)
4/13 – Backside – A documentary feature about immigrants who work caring for racehorses. Presented an installment of Independent Lens. (PBS)
4/14 – Cave of Forgotten Dreams – A 3D documentary directed by Werner Herzog about the primitive paintings found in France’s Chauvet Cave, newly restored in 6K. Watch the new trailer for the re-release below. *NONFICS PICK* (In IMAX Theaters)
4/14 – The Dark Wizard – A four-part docuseries directed by The Alpinist filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen about climber, base jumper, and highline walker Dean Potter. (HBO and HBO Max)
4/14 – Untold: Jail Blazers – A documentary feature about the 2000s Portland Trail Blazers. (Netflix)
4/17 – A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough – A nature documentary directed by Oscar-winner James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) and narrated by Sir David Attenborough about gorillas in the mountains of Rwanda. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Netflix)
4/20 – Torn: The Israel-Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets (2024) – A documentary feature about a clash between pro-Israel activists and pro-Palestine activists involving posters around New York City. (VOD)
4/21 – Untold: The Shooting of Hawthorne – A documentary feature about a tense relationship between a retired Olympic equestrian and their student. (Netflix)
4/22 – This is a Gardening Show – A docuseries hosted by Zach Galifianakis about gardening. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Netflix)
4/22 – We Are Guardians – A documentary produced by Fisher Stevens and executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio about Indigenous people trying to save what’s left of the Brazilian Amazon. (Tubi and VOD)
4/23 – Still Single – A documentary feature about Masaki Saito, Canada’s first Michelin two-star chef. (Documentary+)
4/28 – Come What May – A documentary feature about comedian Ralphie May. (Theatrical Roadshow)
5/9 – K-Everything – A docuseries hosted by Daniel Dae Kim about Korea’s increased influence on culture. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (CNN)
Nonfics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Thank you , , , , , (sorry we didn’t get to your question, Joel!) and many others for tuning into my live video with !
It was fascinating to learn more about Gary’s roots in indie music distribution, how that led to him starting the DVD label Plexifilm — I am telling you, in my friend group, we watched every single DVD release they put out in those first few years, from Moog to I Am Trying to Break Your Heart to Gary’s directorial debut Helvetica, and I had no idea of the connections between those films and to Gary.
It was also great to learn more about the genesis of Eno. As I’ve mentioned before, Eno is both a feature doc on Brian Eno and a radical experiment in documentary storytelling, in which each time the film is presented, it’s a new iteration, never to be seen again. I asked Gary how he ensured each version would still be a satisfying cinematic journey, when so much of the runtime is given over to chance. Gary shared some news with me about the future of that film on streaming.
Gary’s long and sui generis career in film has been an inspiration to me, and judging from the comments, to many of you as well. I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Thank you , , , , , (sorry we didn’t get to your question, Joel!) and many others for tuning into my live video with !
It was fascinating to learn more about Gary’s roots in indie music distribution, how that led to him starting the DVD label Plexifilm — I am telling you, in my friend group, we watched every single DVD release they put out in those first few years, from Moog to I Am Trying to Break Your Heart to Gary’s directorial debut Helvetica, and I had no idea of the connections between those films and to Gary.
It was also great to learn more about the genesis of Eno. As I’ve mentioned before, Eno is both a feature doc on Brian Eno and a radical experiment in documentary storytelling, in which each time the film is presented, it’s a new iteration, never to be seen again. I asked Gary how he ensured each version would still be a satisfying cinematic journey, when so much of the runtime is given over to chance. Gary shared some news with me about the future of that film on streaming.
Gary’s long and sui generis career in film has been an inspiration to me, and judging from the comments, to many of you as well. I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Short films were first officially recognized at the Oscars in 1932 when the 5th Academy Awards introduced two categories honoring live-action “short subject” motion pictures and one honoring cartoons. The Academy would take almost a decade to add a category specifically devoted to documentary shorts, but nonfiction films were represented in this area of the Oscars from the start. In fact, all three of the nominees for Best Live Action Short Subject (Novelty) were documentaries, and one of them was named the winner at the ceremony that November.
In all, seven documentary shorts won Oscars during that time before they received their own category. Following the first documentary to win an Oscar, these shorts proved the need for exclusive awards for nonfiction cinema. While the Academy didn’t honor a documentary at every one of their first 13 ceremonies, they at least nominated nonfiction films for Oscars every year of their awards during that period. Most were shorts recognized in the Novelty category, which was intended, in part, for newsreels, travelogues, and other types of nonfiction works.
What constitutes a documentary is up for discussion, but I’m only considering films that don’t consist solely of scripted reenactments of events performed by professional actors. Give Me Liberty, which won the Oscar for Best Short Subject (Color) in 1937, is technically listed as a documentary on IMDb, but it’s a wholly dramatized, narration-free account of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech in 1775. Similar winners in later years, such as Declaration of Independence, Sons of Liberty, and Teddy the Rough Rider, lack this label, and none of them qualify for this focus.
Excluding those history films, here’s a breakdown of the first seven short documentaries to win Oscars:
Wrestling Swordfish (1931)
Mack Sennett’s eight-minute documentary Wrestling Swordfish officially won the inaugural Oscar certificate for Best Live Action Short Subject (Novelty), though some historians might add an asterisk to its victory. According to the November 8, 1932, edition of Variety, this now-lost record of one of Sennett’s own deep-sea fishing trips originally came in second place during the nominating committee’s vote. The Pete Smith production Swing High, which showcases the trapeze artist family The Flying Codonas, received 133 points, while Wrestling Swordfish earned 128 points. Yet, the 15-person committee reportedly picked the latter as the winner, causing some confusion.
To settle the “mix-up,” the Academy reportedly was to hold a run-off for the new category, with voting opened up to all members following a screening of the two documentary shorts on November 9. According to the following week’s edition of Variety, however, the decision was still being determined by the nominating committee at a meeting held on November 14, with a revote needed because some of its members weren’t present at the final voting. Wrestling Swordfish was again deemed the winner, as acknowledged at the ceremony on November 18 and in the November 22 edition of Variety, but the trade gave no further details on the process.
Some accounts claim that Sennett bullied for the result. IMDb’s trivia notes for both films paint him as a villain in the matter. This also probably could have just ended with a compromise of a tie (after all, Fredric March and Wallace Beery tied for the Oscar for Best Actor that same year due to a rule involving any tally where the outcome has two top choices separated by three or fewer votes). In his 1993 book Behind the Oscar: The Secret History of the Academy Awards, Anthony Holden implies that the Academy Executive Secretary was at fault in the scenario for avoiding his responsibility to cast a tie-breaking vote. We may never know the whole truth.
We also may never know which film deserved the Oscar more. Wrestling Swordfish appears to be lost, with only its positive reviews remaining to indicate its worth. Swing High is a decent spotlight of an impressive act that might not otherwise be seen by its audience without this cinematic record. Its narration is overdone. Its slow-motion sequences are appreciated, adding an element that even those seeing The Flying Codonas live wouldn’t get. I actually might have preferred the mostly lost third nominee, Screen Souvenirs, an archival compilation that treats cinema as a kind of time machine where we can revisit people and events of the past through old film footage.
The big irony of the Wrestling Swordfish win is that Sennett was and remains best known as an icon of slapstick comedy films, yet he received his only competitive Oscar for a work of relatively serious nonfiction. The Keystone Studios founder and former Charlie Chaplin boss was only nominated for one other film. The same year that Wrestling Swordfish won, the Sennett-produced short The Loud Mouth was up for the inaugural Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film (Comedy). That lost to the Hal Roach-produced Laurel and Hardy short The Music Box. Presumably, the results in that race weren’t even close, as there was no dispute or run-off there.
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Krakatoa (1933)
Another documentary that’s hard to find today, the 26-minute film Krakatoa won the second Oscar for Best Live Action Short Subject (Novelty). It’s an educational production depicting the 1883 eruption of the titular volcanic island, and its sound design was apparently as significant as its visual spectacle. I wouldn’t know, unfortunately, but reports of its impact on theatrical exhibition make it seem to have been for sound systems what James Cameron’s Avatar was for digital 3D projection. The film was originally narrated by play-by-play sports broadcasting pioneer Graham McNamee, though a 1965 re-release replaced him with actor Joseph Cotten.
City Of Wax (1934)
The nine-minute nature documentary City of Wax won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Subject (Novelty) the next year, at the 7th Academy Awards. It’s such an emblematic educational film, with its close-up look at honey bees and its droning narration (by actor Gayne Whitman), that you can easily picture it running through a rickety high school projector. But it gets dark at the end, almost seeming to have a political message about the uniformity and disposability of workers in such a system. That probably wasn’t intended.
City of Wax was produced and directed by brothers Horace Woodard and Stacy Woodard, the latter of whom also worked on The Sea, a short documentary nominated in the same category the previous year. They made other nature documentaries together, but later they separately went into business with the U.S. government. Horace Woodard went on to shoot part of the important World War II propaganda film The Negro Soldier, and Stacy Woodard shot part of Pare Lorentz’s classic New Deal propaganda film The River.
Wings Over Everest (1934)
At the 8th Academy Awards, three more documentaries were nominated in the Live Action Short Subject (Novelty) category, while one of the first films we’d classify as a mockumentary, How to Sleep, was nominated and won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Subject (Comedy). The Novelty winner was the 22-minute film Wings Over Everest, which reminded me of the first documentary Oscar winner, With Byrd at the South Pole, because it similarly presents views of a cold, rough, as-yet inaccessible place that were unavailable to audiences before film cameras could be taken up in airplanes. In this case, that location was the peaks of Mount Everest.
While the film highlights exclusive footage of a historical expedition, and it is part of that era when cinema was commonly a part of scientific exploration, not just a representation, Wings Over Everest is nowhere near an achievement on the level of With Byrd at the South Pole. Most of the film consists of the real people, including pilots Lord Clydesdale and David McIntyre and financial benefactor Lady Houston, in staged reenactments of the lead-up to the flight. And they are as lifeless as you might dread with a documentary. The footage taken from the planes is important, but also not the most exciting, plus the clearer shots are apparently from a later flight.
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The Private Life Of The Gannets (1934)
The Novelty category went away after the 8th Academy Awards (as did Comedy shorts), but that didn’t stop nonfiction from being nominated. The Oscars changed its live-action shorts categories to award the best one-reel, two-reel, and color films. An installment of Paramount’s educational Popular Science series (“J-5-1”) was nominated for Best Short Subject (Color), while the music film Moscow Moods was up for Best Short Subject (One-Reel). No documentary won at the 9th Academy Awards. However, as already mentioned, the completely dramatized Short Subject (Color) winner, Give Me Liberty, is labeled as a documentary on IMDb. Also, the significant nonfiction film series The March of Time received a Special Award for revolutionizing the newsreel.
One year later, at the 10th Academy Awards, The Private Life of the Gannets won the Oscar for Best Short Subject (One-Reel). The 10-minute film is another old-fashioned educational nature documentary focused on a single animal, and even compared to the fantastically shot City of Wax, it’s pretty simple. It takes us to the island of Grassholm, off the coast of Wales, to observe the titular seabirds. The one notable thing about the film is that famed documentarian, critic, and theorist John Grierson was one of its cinematographers. And he specifically shot the short’s best footage, a slow-motion sequence of gannets diving into the ocean to catch fish.
Non-winning documentaries nominated that year include another installment of Popular Science (“J-7-1”) and the Pete Smith short Romance of Radium, a fully narrated, acted-out history of the titular element that was helmed by future horror and film noir auteur Jacques Tourneur. The former was up for Best Short Subject (Color) but lost to another Pete Smith production, Penny Wisdom, which is a comedy but also served to promote the newspaper advice columnist Prudence Penny. The latter lost to The Private Life of the Gannets, which was a more unique achievement at the time.