I don’t know what’s scarier for documentary right now, A.I. making it so images are difficult to trust as real or fake, or the goverment telling us that what we plainly see in images (i.e. footage of Renee Nicole Good’s murder) is not true. Both threats are the stuff of dystopian science fiction. George Orwell’s line “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” from 1984 has even been quoted a lot in reference to the latter on social media.
These two things are actually terrifying for our civilization in general. Documentaries, at least, are more about telling stories than delivering evidence and indisputable truth, even if many do both. Still, my ongoing crusade preaching for the sake of media literacy is becoming more important and essential, and I hope that I’m gaining more comrades in this attitude and effort. The increasing censorship and decreasing integrity in corporate news media is another issue right now driving the need. Let’s keep watching everything with intelligence, comprehension, sincerity, and scrutiny.
Now, 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: Been Here Stay Here (2024)
Nearly a decade after making his feature debut as a co-director of Albert Maysles’s final documentary, In Transit, David Usui finally went solo for this hidden gem of a film. Been Here Stay Here is a mostly observational portrait of a conservative, religious island community enduring under threat of climate change that they believe is God and nature’s will. Usui follows crabbers and oystermen, tour guides and churchgoers, elders and children in their lives on Tangier Island, located smack dab in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a place that has lost two-thirds of its land to rising sea levels over the last 200 years.
That time span doesn’t make it seem like the problem is completely the fault of humans, but this isn’t a film dealing with details on the science or cause of the situation. It’s driven by the people, who are driven by their faith. Usui uses a few tricks to deliver more than mere people watching and landscape cinematography. He captures another documentary crew interviewing locals, snagging some of those discussions for his own film. He also introduces a young pastor focused on climate change through a Christian perspective in order to present that conversation between differing factions and generations. For another layer, the film includes a sprinkling of archival footage of life on the island from half a century ago.
Been Here Stay Here is a beautiful and serene documentary that may lull us toward a shared acceptance of our fates. The score by James William Blades is epically soothing. Every shot composed by Usui and Peter Steusloff is stunning and full of grace. I couldn’t help but be reminded of montages in disaster movies of people in their daily routines just before the cataclysmic events wipe them out, even if the looming calamity here isn’t as immediately life threatening or destructive. It’s more of a pleasantly provocative stopover in a virtual journey of land and time.
Been Here Stay Here will be released theatrically on Friday, January 9.
Other Documentary Highlights
All The Walls Came Down (2025)
As we shared almost a year ago, filmmaker Ondi Timoner lost her Altadena home in the Eaton Fire, just days before the release of her documentary Dig! XX. Her latest is a short titled All the Walls Came Down and it’s about that disaster. It could be more focused, as it deals with her personal losses but also wants to be about the whole story of the fires. But it has been shortlisted by the Academy, so what do I know? Like most documentary folks, I also know and love Timoner, so it’s hard for me to be objective too. Especially coming so soon after Last Flight Home, her film about her father’s death, she’s been through a lot, yet is strong for continuing to show us all of it.
All the Walls Came Down is now available to stream online via L.A. Times Short Docs.
Holding Liat (2025)
Another film shortlisted for the Oscars, this one for the Documentary Feature category, the Berlinale winner Holding Liat follows an Israeli-American man whose daughter was among those kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attacks in 2023. He is a character who admits his opinions are not shared by many, as he travels to Washington to lobby for U.S. assistance in releasing the hostages while criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the response.
This is a film filled with debate and doesn’t aim to lead viewers to any of the viewpoints being expressed. The eponymous survivor, after her release, also offers thoughts about her captors that might seem unexpected or even controversial. The documentary is as far from propaganda as it can be for an issue and situation that has been heavily propagandized from multiple sides.
Holding Liat will be released theatrically on Friday, January 9.
One Last Adventure: The Making Of Stranger Things 5 (2026)
I’m waiting for my son to catch up on Stranger Things so we can watch the finale together, so I thought I should also wait to watch One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 to avoid spoilers. But this behind-the-scenes documentary is going to be a big deal on Netflix for fans who aren’t ready to say goodbye to the property fully, and therefore worth highlighting. Plus, it’s directed by Martin Radwan, who shot the Oscar-winning shorts The Only Girl in the Orchestra and (with two others) Saving Face and won an Emmy for her work as a cinematographer on Girls State.
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 begins streaming on Netflix on Monday, January 12.
Pole To Pole With Will Smith (2026)
If Will Smith wanted to quit acting and only host globe-spanning science and nature series for National Geographic, I’d be on board with that. He has a presence and voice that make everything he talks about on these shows so imperative. After following him through One Strange Rock and Welcome to Earth, now it’s time to travel from top to bottom of the planet with Pole to Pole with Will Smith.
The seven-part docuseries presents Smith’s 100-day trek across every continent, facing the world’s harshest terrains and most terrifying creatures. The third episode even functions as a Doc Option for the recent action comedy Anaconda. What makes action movie stars like Smith, Chris Hemsworth, Ewan McGregor, and Orlando Bloom deserve our attention as they take these personal quests to go on real-life adventures? Only the same thing that makes them screen stars to begin with. They’re magnetic in fiction and non.
Pole to Pole premieres its first two episodes on National Geographic on Tuesday, January 13, with new installments airing weekly. The whole series also begins streaming in full on Disney+ and Hulu on Wednesday, January 14.
Project Nim (2011)
It’s been a while since we highlighted a Doc Option, but it’s unavoidable when Hollywood puts out a horror movie about a family’s pet chimpanzee turning homicidal. Primate looks so silly, its trailer seemed like it was made as a Saturday Night Live bit, and it seems particularly ineffective after the killer ape sequence in Nope. But it’s not totally fantastical. James Marsh’s “constantly devastating” Project Nim shares a real story of a pet chimpanzee that isn’t scary but should still be a cautionary tale about taking in these animals as cute playthings.
It’s also worth mentioning the more recent docuseries Chimp Crazy (now streaming on HBO Max) since it’s also “an examination of why keeping chimpanzees as pets is dangerous and wrong.” Remember when a chimp tore a woman’s face off? Yeah, he wasn’t even rabid, like the one in Primate. Watch Project Nim and Chimp Crazy for the sad realities.
Project Nim is available to stream on Kanopy.
Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk (2025)
While it’s not one of my favorites of last year, I was still shocked this film was snubbed by the Academy with their Documentary Feature shortlist. In our review of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, I called it “a difficult watch, and not just because it presents a year in the life of a Palestinian photographer and poet in Gaza [Fatma Hassona] amidst constant bombardment. The film’s aesthetic is unappealing.” However, I did ultimately recommend it, as it “deserves to be seen not for its own sake but for Hassona’s.”
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, January 13.
Awards Highlights
Cinema Eye Honors Winners
Last week, the 19th Annual Cinema Eye Honors were held in New York City, with awards recognizing the best of nonfiction film and television from the past year. Come See Me in the Good Light (streaming on Apple TV) won the top honor of the evening, along with a prize for its score by Blake Neely. Other multiple awards went to The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix), for direction and editing, Seeds (coming to theaters on 1/16), for debut feature and cinematography, and Social Studies (Hulu), for outstanding nonfiction series and outstanding editing in the broadcast categories.
The Alabama Solution (HBO Max) and Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix) tied for the Cinema Eye Honor for Outanding Production. Deaf President Now! (Apple TV) obviously won for its sound design, and I think it was also a sure thing for It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley (HBO Max) to win for its visual design. I’m also not surprised that All the Empty Rooms (Netflix) won Outstanding Nonfiction Short Film. Other films on our list of the best documentaries of 2025 that did well include The Tale of Silyan (Disney+ and Hulu), with the Audience Choice Prize, and Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max), with the top film award on the broadcast side.
Directors Guild of America Awards Nominees
Last week, the Directors Guild of America announced nominations for the 78th DGA Awards, including contenders in documentary categories. The seven directors up for Best Documentary Film include Mstyslav Chernov for 2000 Meters to Andriivka (streaming on the PBS website and app), Geeta Gandbhir for The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix), Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni for Cutting Through Rocks (currently unavailable), Elizabeth Lo for Mistress Dispeller (VOD), and Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus for Cover-Up (Netflix).
Six more directors were nominated in the Documentary Series category: Marshall Curry for the “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room” episode of SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night (Peacock); Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin for the second part of the two-part film Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO Max); Rebecca Miller for the “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy” episode of Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV); Alex Stapleton for the “Official Girl” episode of Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix); and Matt Wolf for the first part of the two-part film Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max). Additionally, Mike Sweeney is nominated for the “Austria” episode of Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max) in the Reality/Quiz & Game category.
Documentary Release Calendar 1/9/26 – 1/15/26
Friday, January 9, 2026
Been Here Stay Here (2024) – A documentary about a Christian community on Tangier Island, which is threatened by rising sea levels. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Chain Reactions (2024) – A documentary feature by Alexandre O. Philippe (Memory: The Origins of Alien) about the impact of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on five artists, including Stephen King and Patton Oswalt. *NONFICS PICK* Read our review of Chain Reactions. (Shudder)
Holding Liat (2025) – A documentary feature about the father of an Israeli-American held hostage in Gaza after October 7. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
Monsterquest Season 5, Episode 2: “Active Duty” – The latest episode of a docuseries about strange creatures spotted around the world. This installment focuses on entities sighted by soldiers. (History)
Paparazzi King (2026) – A docuseries about Fabrizio Corona, who ran a scandalous photographic agency in Italy. (Netflix)
The Tale of Silyan (2025) – A documentary feature by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) that follows a struggling North Macedonian farmer. Read our review of The Tale of Silyan. *NONFICS PICK* (Disney+ and Hulu)
TMZ Investigates: The Reiner Murders – What Really Happened (2026) – A documentary special on the murders of Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner. (Fox)
The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd Season 3, Episode 10: “Wildest Weapons” – The latest installment of a docuseries about mysterious and bizarre people and things. (History)
Vitaphone Pictorial Revue Series 2 #10 (1938) – A short film including spotlights on beavers, polo players, and wool. (TCM)
World War II: Secrets from Above Season 3 – The return of a docuseries with a bird’s eye view of World War II history. (National Geographic)
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Accident, Suicide, or Murder Season 6, Episode 8: “Groomed to Death” – The latest episode of this true-crime series involves the killing of horse groomers. (Oxygen)
Maxxed Out Season 1, Episode 1: “Love Is Hard, Money Is Harder” – The first episode of a docuseries focused on people currently having financial troubles. (OWN)
Plan for Destruction (1943) – An Oscar-nominated short about Nazi Germany’s plan for world domination. (TCM)
Snow Birds (1932) – A short documentary in the Pete Smith Sports Champion series that looks at winter sports in California. (TCM)
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Alert Today – Alive Tomorrow (1956) – A short documentary about civil defense in the event of a nuclear disaster. (TCM)
Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins Season 4, Episode 10: “A Suitcase of Secrets” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about romances gone tragically wrong. (Oxygen)
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951) – A medium-length documentary presenting footage from new MGM movies of that year. (TCM)
Operation Healing Heroes Season 8 – The return of a docuseries following the lives of U.S. military heroes. (Discovery)
Snapped: Women Who Kill Episode 2: “Elizabeth Carserino” – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries about mysterious and violent cases. This episode is technically part of Snapped Season 36. (Oxygen)
Monday, January 12, 2026
The Curious Case of… Season 2, Episode 1: “The Killer Cheesecake” – A true-crime docuseries involving mind-bending and jaw-dropping cases. (Investigation Discovery)
Here Come the Irish Season 2, Episode 6: “Delayed Gratification” – The latest installment of a docuseries that follows the Notre Dame football team. (Peacock)
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (2026) – A documentary that gives a sneak peek behind the scenes of the fifth season of Stranger Things. (Netflix)
Ontario: ‘Land of Lakes’ (1949) – A short documentary from James A. FitzPatrick’s Traveltalk travelogue franchise focused on the titular Canadian province. (TCM)
People Magazine Investigates Season 9, Episode 1: “Vanished in the Heartland” – The return of a true-crime docuseries associated with the titular publication. This installment involves the death of a Michigan entrepreneur. (Investigation Discovery)
Place de la République (1974) – A documentary feature directed by Louis Malle about daily life in the titular Paris square. (TCM)
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The American Southwest (2025) – A documentary feature directed by Ben Masters and narrated by Quannah ChasingHorse focused on water and wildlife conservation. Read our review of The American Southwest. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Blu-ray: Art of the Disc (2025) – A documentary about the titular home video format. (DVD)
Borderlands Jaguar (2026) – A medium-length nature documentary directed by Ben Masters about the titular species. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Breaking the Silence: Victims of Abuse (2025) – A documentary feature about survivors of childhood abuse and sexual trauma. (DVD)
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. Season 12, Episode 2: “Great Migrations” – The latest installment of a docuseries presenting celebrities with their ancestral history. Rapper Wiz Khalifa and actor Sanaa Lathan are the participants in this episode. (PBS)
Great Mysteries Of Akhenaten (2025) – A documentary about the Ancient Egyptian king also known as Amenhotep IV. (DVD)
Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East Episode 7 – The latest installment of a docuseries that goes behind the scenes of NFL teams. (HBO Max)
Killer Confessions: Case Files of a Texas Ranger Season 1, Episode 1: “Pathologically Evil” – A true-crime docuseries involving confessions, starring a retired Texas Ranger. (Investigation Discovery)
MGM Parade Show #2 (1955) – The second installment of a documentary series devoted to promoting MGM’s films. This film features Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. (TCM)
Modern New Orleans (1940) – A short documentary from James A. FitzPatrick’s Traveltalk travelogue franchise focused on the titular Louisiana city. (TCM)
Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo Season 2, Episode 10: “Deadliest Discoveries” – The latest installment of a docuseries exploring hidden worlds. (History)
Naked Ambition (2023) – A biographical documentary about photographer Bunny Yeager. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Pole to Pole with Will Smith Episodes 1 & 2: “The South Pole” & “The Amazon: Deadly Creatures” – A nature docuseries starring Will Smith covering the whole planet. (National Geographic)
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025) – A documentary feature about a Palestinian woman’s life under bombardment in Gaza. Read our review of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk. *NONFICS PICK* (DVD and Blu-ray)
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Alaska State Troopers Season 9, Episode 2: “Wild and Dangerous” – The latest installment of a docuseries about state troopers in Alaska. (A&E)
Expedition X Season 11, Episode 2: “Atomic Ape Cat” – The latest installment of a paranormal investigation series. (Discovery)
Godfrey: Rebel with a Cause (2025) – A stand-up comedy concert film starring Godfrey. (In Theaters)
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 1, Episode 2 – The latest installment of a true-crime docuseries exposing shocking murders and scandals. (CBS and Paramount+)
The Luck of Water (2023) – A medium-length documentary about sacred bodies of water in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. (OVID)
Made in Ethiopia (2024) – A documentary feature about a Chinese factory in Ethiopia. (CBC Gem)
My Strange Addiction Season 7, Episode 2 – The latest installment of a docuseries about individuals with obsessive behaviors. (TLC)
Pole to Pole with Will Smith (2026) – A six-part nature docuseries starring Will Smith covering the whole planet. (Disney+ and Hulu)
The Weaver’s Songs (2024) – A documentary feature about a violinist, through the tales of a weaver, in San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca, Mexico. (OVID)
Thursday, January 15, 2026
The Caretaker (2012) – A short documentary about a Fijian woman taking care of a 95 year old man. (OVID)
The Collector of Bedford Street (2002) – An Oscar-nominated short documentary about a community activist and fundraiser in New York City in need of assistance himself. (OVID)
When the Light’s Red (2007) – A short documentary about responses to panhandlers. (OVID)
Sneak Peek At What’s Coming Soon
1/16 – Deepfaking Sam Altman – A documentary feature that asks questions about AI and the future of humanity. (In Theaters)
1/20 – Handsome Devil: Charming Killer – A three-part true-crime docuseries about murderer Wade Wilson, known online as the “Deadpool Killer.” Watch the new trailer for the series below. (Paramount+)
1/20 – The Man with the Hat – A biographical documentary feature about Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. (In Theaters)
1/22 – Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! – A two-part documentary directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio about the titular comedian and filmmaker. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (HBO Max)
1/22 – Mr. Nobody Against Putin – A documentary feature about a Russian teacher who secretly exposes the militarization of youth in his country following the invasion of Ukraine. Read our review of Mr. Nobody Against Putin. *NONFICS PICK* (In Theaters)
1/27 – Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire – A biographical documentary about the titular author and Holocaust survivor best known for writing the memoir Night. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (PBS)
2/20 – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert – A concert film directed by Baz Luhrmann starring Elvis. (In IMAX Theaters)
3/30 – Lumière, Le Cinema! – A documentary feature directed by Thierry Frémaux (Lumière!) compiling rare films by the Lumière brothers. (In Theaters)
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