10 Documentaries We Can’t Wait to Watch in 2026
Sometimes the truth really is stranger (and more entertaining) than fiction.
Not-so-fun fact for the movie buffs out there: Documentary films are fully eligible for the Best Picture trophy at the Academy Awards, but have yet to secure a single nomination in the category in the Oscars’s 98-year history. Sure, they’re eligible for two other doc-specific categories, but their absence from the night’s biggest slot might be the Academy’s most egregious and enduring snub. After all, nonfiction films have taken home the top awards at other prestigious events throughout the decades, including at the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin film festivals.
There’s also the fact, of course, that documentaries can be just as gripping and powerful as narrative features and require just as much artistry—if not more so—to tell a real-life story.
Luckily for us true-story truthers, just like last year, 2026 promises to bring a packed slate of deeply moving, thought-provoking, and entertaining documentary films and docuseries, many of which we’ve lined up below as our most anticipated of the year, from eye-opening looks at Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping and the war in Gaza to a Billie Eilish concert film directed by James Cameron (yes, really). We'll be updating this list throughout the year with even more films sure to educate, entertain, and, just maybe, snag an Oscar nomination.
The Best Documentaries Coming in Winter 2026
'Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart'
Release date: January 21
In the more than two decades after Elizabeth Smart’s infamous abduction at the age of 14, when she was held for nine months by a couple in Utah and California, her story has been told in a variety of TV specials, documentaries, and dramatizations. The latest doc about her, from Netflix, retells the horrific story and features new interviews with Smart, her family, and investigators, allowing Smart not only to reclaim agency over her own story but also to share an optimistic look at her healing journey and full life since then.
'The Investigation of Lucy Letby'
Release date: February 4 on Netflix
The story of Lucy Letby rocked the U.K. and the entire world in the late 2010s as the neonatal nurse was found guilty on several counts of murder and attempted murder of infants she was supposed to be caring for. This Netflix doc recounts the story, offering never-before-seen footage of Letby’s investigation, arrest, and questioning.
'Queen of Chess'
Release date: February 6 on Netflix
Call it The Queen’s Gambit IRL. This Netflix film tells the incredible story of Judit Polgár, who emerged in the late ‘80s as a 12-year-old Hungarian chess prodigy. The doc explores how she spent the 13 years of her career working toward a goal of beating the highest-ranked man in chess—all while shattering long-held beliefs about what girls and women could accomplish in the sport.
'Beam Me Up, Sulu'
Release date: February 17 on digital
In the 1960s, Star Trek broke new ground with its dedication to diversity and inclusion on TV screens across the country. 20 years later, a Trekkie made a long-shot ask to George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu in the show, to star in his Star Trek-themed student film. Takei agreed, and after being lost for 40 years, the footage has finally been recovered and appears in this new doc, which charts the still-reverberating impact of Star Trek’s positive representation of a truly diverse team working together in harmony.
The Best Documentaries Coming in Spring 2026
'Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)'
Release date: March 20 in theaters
Billie Eilish has already starred in a (fascinating) documentary about her creative process and life on the road, 2021’s The World’s a Little Blurry. She’ll be back on the big screen this spring for a more traditional 3D concert film, but in a less-traditional twist, she’s joined as co-director by none other than James Cameron. I’ll say it: Billie could do Titanic, but Leonardo DiCaprio could never do “Birds of a Feather.”
'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist'
Release date: March 27 in theaters
Daniel Roher, who directed the Oscar-winning 2022 documentary Navalny, returns to co-direct this film, following his journey to understand the impacts of the artificial intelligence boom on his future children’s lives. Though much chatter about AI tends toward the extremes of either apocalyptic or revolutionary, The AI Doc lands somewhere more in the middle, while still promising audiences a “wake-up call” about the technology.
The Best Documentaries Coming Soon in 2026
'American Doctor'
Release date: TBA; Sundance premiere on January 23
This powerful film centers on three doctors of different backgrounds who travel from the U.S. to Gaza to lend their much-needed medical expertise amid the ongoing war. In addition to offering lifesaving care, the Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian trio also shed light in interviews on wartime horrors that have been concealed from outside journalists and speak out publicly about the terrible situation they’ve witnessed up close.
'The History of Concrete'
Release date: TBA; Sundance premiere on January 22
Fans of John Wilson’s HBO docuseries, How to With John Wilson, know that his creative projects often take bizarre, unexpected, and hilarious turns, and this full-length feature is no exception. It follows the filmmaker’s journey making a wide-ranging documentary about concrete, using the techniques he learned at a workshop about making Hallmark movies.
'Oz'
Release date: TBA
Another 2026 doc with no firm release date—but with plenty of excitement surrounding it—is an upcoming film delving into the surprisingly messy backstory behind the making of The Wizard of Oz in 1939, with Leonardo DiCaprio signed on to produce. According to Variety, the film will include “never-before-seen or heard footage and audio to explore how the beloved classic was forged in crisis during the height of the Hollywood studio era, and why it became and remains one of the most influential films ever made.”
Questlove's Earth, Wind & Fire documentary
Release date: TBA on HBO Max
After helming much-lauded films about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and Sly and the Family Stone, award-winning musician and writer Questlove is turning his lens on legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire. Though a title and release date have yet to be announced, HBO did reveal last fall that it had secured the film for a 2026 release on its platform, saying it would feature “exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio, and written material” to chronicle its cultural impact and legacy.
