The Best and Most Anticipated Documentaries of 2026

Halfway through the year, 2026 is shaping up to be a great one for documentary fans. There’s a bit of something for everyone: for pop music lovers, a three-part series on Australian pop star Kylie Minogue (KYLIE); for true crime sleuths, a reinvestigation of the 2022 fatal car crash that shook an Ohio community (The Crash); for history buffs, a found-footage film bringing together the luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance (Once Upon a Time in Harlem); and for fashion fanatics, a front row seat to the making of a Marc Jacobs runway show (Marc by Sofia).

There are reality TV scandals revisited (Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model) and beloved downtown artists studied (Jean-Michel, Bang My Box: The Robyn Bird Story), as well as investigations into shifting social (Louis Theroux: The Manosphere) and technological (The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocoloptamist) scenes. And for just for good measure, there’s John Wilson’s deep dive into the history of concrete.

Below, the best documentaries of 2026 (so far):

JAŸ-Z (fka Jay-Z) is back in a big way this year. There was his headline-making return to the stage at May’s Roots Picnic; the announcement of a series of shows and global activations to celebrate the 30th and 25th anniversaries of his classic albums Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, respectively; and now, an eight-part HBO docuseries to be released this fall. JAŸ-Z In 8 sees the 56-year-old rapper sit down with Rick Rubin to discuss his life and music. It’s similar in format to Rubin’s McCartney 1,2,3—and isn’t the first time Rubin and JAŸ-Z have worked together (the former produced “99 Problems” for JAŸ-Z’s The Black Album in 2003).

What more is there to be said about Jean-Michel Basquiat? It turns out, quite a lot. A new documentary, Jean-Michel, enlists the late artist’s sisters to reveal the childhood, struggles, and true character of the young man behind the artistic myth. The documentary, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival before being acquired by Netflix, follows Basquiat’s journey from the Brooklyn brownstone he shared with his family to his rebellious adolescence and wild career success that put him at the center of the art world’s fascination and downtown New York’s most creative scenes. It also traces his eventual addiction to, and death from, heroin—and explores the outsize impact his too-short life has had on culture ever since.

William Greaves, known for avant-garde films like Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One and his experimental approach to cinema, shot a very important scene in 1972: a party he arranged at Duke Ellington’s home, where he brought together the last living figures of the Harlem Renaissance. While Greaves passed away in 2014, his son, David, was there that day as a cameraman, and he assembled the footage into a rare, intimate look at that pivotal moment in time with Once Upon a Time in Harlem.

Only John Wilson could make a documentary about concrete seem appealing. With The History of Concrete, the humorist makes his feature directorial debut, and his filmmaking trick here is to apply the Hallmark movie formula to a film about cement. If it’s anything like his How to With John Wilson docuseries, it’ll be equal parts funny, moving, thought-provoking, and absurd.

Over the course of fifty years, Barbara Hammer became a leading pioneer of the lesbian film movement, creating works that celebrated and affirmed her identity and life experiences while knocking down barriers along the way. In this intimate portrayal of Hammer’s life, legacy, and creative process, filmmaker Brydie O’Connor draws on archival footage and Hammer’s voice to pay tribute to a legend.

From executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker, this documentary offers the first in-depth look at the life of public-access icon Robin Byrd. The now 70-year-old was an early advocate for sex positivity, discussing typically taboo issues with listeners who called into her show. She was a safe sex activist, free speech champion, friend of the marginalized, and larger-than-life personality on the downtown NYC queer scene. Bang My Box sees Byrd reflecting on her legacy as she approaches her 70th birthday, looking back on a life well lived.

Release date: June 9 at Tribeca Film Festival June 9; June 30 on HBO

Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That's the Weight of the World)

Questlove has added another entry into his burgeoning canon of stories about iconic Black musicians. From his documentaries Summer of Soul to Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), The Roots artist has been steadily creating his own historical archive. Now, he’s back with one more: this time, a deep dive into the creation of legendary funk group Earth, Wind & Fire. The film was made with the full support of the band, including exclusive access to decades of archival footage and material. Best watched in September.

Co-directors Sean Ono Lennon and Brian Gonzalez spent five years with threeASFOUR, the NYC fashion collective known for their “couture-on-the-street” designs and avant-garde ethos. Designers Gabi Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil—who come from Lebanon, Russia, and Israel—have been working together for over 25 years, with their custom creations worn by figures like Björk, Chloë Sevigny, and Lady Gaga and earning them a 2015 Cooper Hewitt/Smithsonian National Design Award. But threeASFOUR: Full Circle is an intimate look at the struggles independent designers go through, financially, creatively, and relationally, to stay afloat and thriving.

Release date: June 7 at Tribeca Film Festival

Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Chris Smith tackles the Eternal Values cult of the late ’80s and ’90s with Bring Me the Beauties. Through interviews and archival footage, the investigative film follows Hoyt Richards, one of many high-profile models of the era who were pulled into the Frederick Von Mierers-founded group. Richards recounts his story and eventual escape with the help of fellow model Fabio Lanzoni, and includes interviews with former Eternal Values member and model Jacki Adams.Release date: June 1 on HBO

The Crash revisits a shocking 2022 incident in which 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla drove a car into a brick building at 100 miles per hour, killing her passengers (her boyfriend, Dominic, and their friend, Davion), and nearly dying herself. At first thought to be a tragic accident, Shirilla was later convicted of murder (plus several other felonies) and sentenced to 15-years-to-life in an Ohio prison. The Crash reinvestigates the months leading up to the car wreck, the event itself, and the fallout—including a jailhouse interview with Shirilla, who claims to remember nothing, and the friends and family of all involved.

E. Jean Carroll became one of the few people to beat Trump in court when she successfully sued him for sexual abuse and defamation toward the end of his first term. Before that, though, she spent decades at the top of the male-dominated publishing world, making a name for herself as an investigative journalist who wasn’t afraid to live as a single, independent woman during a time when that was less than common. Her advice column for Elle went on to reach millions of readers facing dilemmas that her unique perspective made her uniquely qualified to address. Ask E. Jean chronicles Carroll’s experiences from reporter to household name, with extensive interviews with Carroll herself.

From the creators of the Beckham doc comes a new three-part documentary about Australian icon Kylie Minogue. The series will chart her rise from acting on Aussie soap Neighbours in the 1980s to becoming a chart-topping pop star with a global fanbase and decades of hits. Minogue herself participated in the series, which will draw on footage from her personal archive (including home movies), photographs, and interviews with collaborators, friends, family, and Minogue herself to learn what makes her tick.

Billed by director Lawrence Kasdan as the “definitive documentary” on Martin Short, Marty, Life Is Short chronicles the rise and career of the 75-year-old comedian, from his early days as a performer on “SCTV” in the 1970s to his starring roles in hit movies like Father of the Bride, and Three Amigos, plus his Emmy-nominated run on Only Murders in the Building.

Journalism is going through a period of reinvention, to say the least, and no one understands innovation in the field better than Amy Goodman. The veteran investigative reporter and creator of the daily news show Democracy Now! shares the stories behind the stories, taking audiences behind the scenes of her harrowing lifelong journey to uncover the truth. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Dean and Tia Lessin, Steal This Story, Please! is also an urgent call to action to protect freedom of the press and the integrity of the fourth estate.

Release date: April 10 in NYC, April 17 in LA

Interest in the mainstream Mormon church has reached a pop culture pitch, but this four-part documentary digs into a more radical offshoot: the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). The series chronicles the rise of Samuel Bateman, who has proclaimed himself the next leader of the church, and is told from the perspective of a couple—cult expert Christine Marie and her videographer husband Tolga Katas—who infiltrate Bateman’s world to try and save the vulnerable people he is preying upon.