10 timely and fascinating 2026 documentaries you can stream right now
10 timely and fascinating 2026 documentaries you can stream right now
Brianna ZiglerMon, June 1, 2026 at 3:39 PM UTC
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Mackenzie Shirilla in 'The Crash'; Martin Short in 'Marty, Life is Short'; Chevy Chase in 'I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not'
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix (2); CNN
Why read a book when you can turn on the TV? We jest, but the reality is that documentaries are perhaps more abundant now than they've ever been.
From dishy celebrity portraits like Lorne and I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not to harrowing true-crime sagas, these documentary films and series prove that learning about our past and present can be highly entertaining.
Below, we've rounded up 10 documentaries released in 2026 that are available to stream right now.
01 of 10
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Daniel Roher in 'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist'
Credit: Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
Filmmaker Daniel Roher investigates the positives and negatives of the artificial intelligence boom and what it means for the future of humanity in The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist.
Through interviews with developers, researchers, and critics on both sides of the debate, Roher takes a balanced approach to uncovering the reality of what’s at stake — and what we can look forward to — when it comes to AI’s steady grip on our rapidly changing world.
Where to watch The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist: Peacock
02 of 10
The Alabama Solution
'The Alabama Solution'
Credit: Courtesy of HBO
When filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman visited Easterling Correctional Facility in Clio, Ala., to film a religious revival meeting in 2019, incarcerated men approached them off-camera to share accounts of the abuse they allegedly experienced behind bars.
That encounter led to The Alabama Solution, a documentary that uses footage shot on contraband cell phones to expose allegedly inhumane conditions inside Alabama's prison system. The film also examines the death of Steven Davis, an inmate whose family and fellow prisoners say was beaten by correctional officers before he died.
Where to watch The Alabama Solution: HBO Max
03 of 10
The Crash
Dom Russo and Mackenzie Shirilla in 'The Crash'
Credit: NETFLIX
In 2022, Ohio teenager Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and a friend. Prosecutors argued that Shirilla intentionally caused the crash, and she was subsequently sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Netflix's new docuseries, The Crash, revisits the case and allows Shirilla to tell her side of the story on camera for the first time.Where to watch The Crash: Netflix
04 of 10
The Dinosaurs
'The Dinosaurs'
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Morgan Freeman, The Dinosaurs is a four-part nature documentary that provides a comprehensive look at the history of dinosaurs — from their emergence during the Triassic Period to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
A sister series to 2023’s Life on Our Planet, The Dinosaurs chronicles the long-dead creatures’ remarkable 165-million-year reign on Earth and explores how natural forces shaped both their evolution and their eventual demise.
Where to watch The Dinosaurs: Netflix
05 of 10
Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare
'Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare'
Credit: Courtesy of HBO
This British-American co-production explores the infamous Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, in which the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused an electrical grid failure at the Fukushima nuclear facility and damaged the backup energy sources. This led to the release of radioactive contamination in the surrounding area.
According to a synopsis, Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare "reconstructs the nine harrowing days following the disaster in forensic, real-time detail, from the control-room engineers fighting to prevent a total meltdown, to the political leaders confronting the unthinkable, to ordinary citizens caught in the fallout."
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Where to watch Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare: HBO Max
06 of 10
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not
Chevy Chase in 'I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not'
Credit: CNN Films
Chevy Chase has plenty of fans, but he’s also made a few enemies over the years. Here, one of the most controversial and abrasive men in comedy gets a documentary about his fascinating career.
Marina Zenovich’s documentary tracks the highs — Chase’s breakout on SNL and years as a box-office draw — and the lows — his notoriously disastrous Comedy Central roast and contentious time on the sitcom Community — in a full-spectrum portrait. I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is an audacious attempt to unravel the enigma that is Chase, with mixed (but no less compelling) results.
Where to watch I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not: HBO Max
07 of 10
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart
Archival photo of Elizabeth Smart in 'Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart'
Credit: Netflix
In 2002, when Elizabeth Smart was just 14, she was kidnapped from her home in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee.
Now, 24 years later, Smart gets to reclaim the narrative that has defined much of her life. Through her own testimony and never-before-seen footage, Smart recounts her harrowing experience of being imprisoned by Mitchell and Barzee for nine months before being rescued.
Where to watch Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart: Netflix
08 of 10
Lorne
Lorne Michaels in 'Lorne'
Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features
Lorne Michaels created Saturday Night Live in 1975 and has been pulling the strings at 30 Rockefeller Center for much of the time since.
Morgan Neville's Lorne paints a portrait of the media icon and examines his influence on television, comedy, and pop culture as we know it. From his early work in Canadian television to his present-day role at SNL, the documentary charts Michaels' legendary career and features interviews with friends and former collaborators such as Tina Fey, Andy Samberg, and Chris Rock.
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Where to watch Lorne: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
09 of 10
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere
Ed Matthews and Louis Theroux in 'Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere'
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Prolific British documentarian Louis Theroux sets out to explore the online ecosystem known as the “manosphere": a group of content creators who promote hyper-masculinity and “red-pilling” to their legions of young male followers.In an interview with Wired, Theroux explained that Inside the Manosphere tackled themes he had previously touched on in his other documentaries. "It combines cult-like groupings, misogyny, adult content, creation of pornographic content, and obviously racism," he said. "All these taboo areas of life that I've spent my TV work documenting in different forms come together in the manosphere".
Where to watch Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere: Netflix
10 of 10
Marty, Life Is Short
Archival photo of Martin Short in 'Marty, Life is Short'
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Marty, Life Is Short takes an intimate look at the beloved actor and comedian Martin Short as he reflects on his decades-long career. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan, the documentary features exclusive home video footage and interviews with Short, alongside friends and colleagues like Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Eugene Levy, and the late Catherine O’Hara.
While serving as a love letter to the comedian, Marty, Life Is Short also explores the Clifford actor’s struggle to find a true home in Hollywood and why his comedic persona continues to polarize audiences. Still, after finding massive late-career success with Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, what better time is there to reexamine the fascinating trajectory of a singular talent?
Where to watch Marty, Life Is Short: Netflix
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