This Week In Documentary: 'Eyes On The Prize III,' 'The Americas,' 'Ruby Franke'
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - February 21-27, 2025
As we round out the end of February (with one day leftover), this week we’re getting a sequel to a classic Black History docuseries, the streaming release of one of our favorite documentaries of the year (so far), and a nature series narrated by the MAGA crowd’s new favorite celebrity to hate. Also, we continue to highlight programs honoring Frederick Wiseman and Oscar-nominated films.
Without further ado, below you’ll find this week’s highlights, listings, and coming attractions, including our Pick of the Week. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more in-depth highlights and reviews in the future.
Nonfics Picks Of The Week: Eyes On The Prize III: We Who Believe In Freedom Cannot Rest (2025)
Just in time to close out Black History Month, the classic docuseries Eyes on the Prize returns for a third season — or third part — showcasing more movements and leaders from the last 50 years in the continued quests for civil rights, civil liberties, racial equality, racial justice, and racial equity for the Black community in the United States. The original series, broadcast on PBS in 1987, covered the civil rights movement from 1952 to 1965, was nominated for an Oscar, and appears on our list of the greatest Black History films. Eyes on the Prize II arrived three years later. For some reason, it’s not available on Max like the first season. That streaming service even carries the 2021 one-off Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground.
Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe In Freedom Cannot Rest, which comes to Max this week, spotlights mostly lesser-known figures who’ve inspired and fought for Black issues since the civil rights and black liberation movements of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The historical topics recognized include the 1995 Million Man March, the debate over affirmative action, AIDS, the Watts truce, environmental racism, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Not all of the activists and leaders showcased are Black, and not all were without controversy (i.e. Louis Farrakhan). Some of the movements addressed ultimately failed, albeit often due to the usual weight of systemic racism.
Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble) is the primary executive producer of the series this time around, and she and HBO Documentary Films assembled a terrific group of directors for these six episodes, including Geeta Gandbhir (Black and Missing; Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power), Samantha M. Knowles (Black and Missing; Harlem Ice), Muta’Ali (MoviePass, MovieCrash), Rudy Valdez (The Sentence), Smriti Mundhra (St. Louis Superman; I Am Ready, Warden), and Asako Gladsjo (Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise). I’m impressed by the lack of narration this time (R.I.P. Julian Bond), as these filmmakers ask the right questions of their interviewees to guide the storytelling. I’m also impressed by how cohesive the series is despite the wide scope of subject matter — even within the overreaching issue — and different directors.
I think topically the tightest and most interesting of the episodes is the fifth, “We Don't See Color: 1996-2013,” but that might just be due to its affirmative action and neo-segregation concerns being closely related to current dismissals of DEI initiatives. The sad but hopefully inspiring truth, though, is that there’s something in every installment of Eyes on the Prize III that already resonates during the second Trump presidency. The first episode’s disaster capitalism real estate problems recall Donald Trump’s early career racism, while the AIDS segment of Episode 2 is relevant to the greater threat to Black people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental concerns will only get worse with the deregulation happening under Elon Musk’s DOGE guttings. But maybe each positive piece of this vital series influences the next leaders and movements.
Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe In Freedom Cannot Rest premieres its first two episodes on HBO and Max on Tuesday, February 25. The next two episodes premiere on Wednesday, February 26, and the final two on Thursday, February 27.
Other Documentary Highlights
The Americas (2025)
Who better to narrate a nature docuseries about the Americas than America’s dad, Tom Hanks, right? Well, it’s probably not great timing that Hanks just pissed off a bunch of conservative Americans with the return of his MAGA character Doug on last week’s SNL 50 special. Still, Hanks is a comforting voice for this 10-part docuseries, providing informative and anthropomorphizing narration about animals in all parts of North and South America. As with most nature docuseries of late, The Americas amazes with its cinematography. Unfortunately, it covers too much ground so quickly and briefly that there’s no time to grasp any segment before moving on to the next. And the broad overlay isn’t enough for any cohesion.
The first two episodes of The Americas premiere on NBC on Sunday, February 23.
BAFTA & WGA Winners
Two of the last stops on the awards train before arriving at the Oscars, the British Academy Film Awards and the Writers Guild of America Awards were held last weekend with varied results in the documentary categories. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (now streaming on Max), which is not nominated for the Academy Award, was named Best Documentary at the BAFTA ceremony on February 16. One day earlier, Jim Henson Idea Man (streaming on Disney+) won the WGA Award for Best Documentary Screenplay, honoring the work of writer Mark Monroe. Also, the first episode of Ric Burns’s PBS docuseries Dante: Inferno to Paradise won the WGA Award for Best Documentary Script for Television.
Devil In The Family: The Fall Of Ruby Franke (2025)
This three-part docuseries about the famous family-focused YouTuber and convicted child abuser Ruby Franke will make you wonder about other clans capitalizing on their children online. As your latest true-crime binge, it’s quite watchable — I got pulled in much quicker and more deeply than expected — but also quite cringeworthy. Not just because of the footage that Franke surely never meant to be seen but also because of her husband’s weakness, withdrawal, and apparent complicity to a degree. I’m surprised he even participated in the documentary, given how much he squirms and comes off as remorseless at some questions.
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke debuts on Hulu on Thursday, February 27.
Documentary Now! (2015-2022)
While not a work of nonfiction, the mockumentary series Documentary Now! is essential viewing for any doc lover. Created by Saturday Night Live alums and doc superfans Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, the show sends up specific documentary films, series, genres, and trends to perfection — even if they sometimes get a little too mean, as with the inaugural installment spoofing Grey Gardens. Many of their targets were well-known classics, such as The War Room and Nanook of the North, and filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Agnès Varda. Occasionally they took direct hits on something more obscure, a la Let’s Get Lost and Three Salons at the Seaside.
It seems Documentary Now! may be done after four seasons, but it has covered many of the necessary bases already so that might not be too bad. Now you can buy the whole series in a box set, and I recommend doing so and watching each episode paired with the doc it’s mocking, whether Salesman, The Thin Blue Line, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, or even the disappointing Dear Mr. Watterson. This series is a lot of fun for documentary enthusiasts, but it’s also a great introduction to a lot of films representing the history of the mode. Parody can be a huge help in the study of an art form, and Documentary Now! is no exception to that idea.
The box set Documentary Now!: The Complete Collection arrives on Blu-ray with a 28-page booklet by Fred Armisen, plus behind-the-scenes and deleted footage via Mill Creek Entertainment on Tuesday, February 25.
Frederick Wiseman Documentaries
As Film at Lincoln Center continues its program Frederick Wiseman: An American Institution, here are the Frederick Wiseman documentaries to watch each day of this week: Public Housing, Aspen, and The Store on Friday; Zoo, Racetrack, Primate, and Meat on Saturday; Essene, Ballet, and Belfast, Maine on Sunday; Deaf, Sinai Field Mission, and Multi-handicapped on Monday; Missile, Blind, Adjustment & Work, and The Last Letter on Tuesday; and Boxing Gym on Thursday. If you can watch them on the big screen in 4K at Lincoln Center in New York City, that’s optimal. Otherwise, they should be all streaming for free on Kanopy.
Grand Theft Hamlet (2024)
Despite Grand Theft Hamlet being one of my favorite surprises among this year’s documentary releases, the film is still merely a highlight and may never get the chance to be chosen as the Pick of the Week (admittedly it did have that slot until I got word about Eyes on the Prize III). I previously wrote about the documentary, about the staging of a production of Hamlet within the multiplayer video game Grand Theft Auto Online, for its theatrical release. Here’s an excerpt of that review of Grand Theft Hamlet:
“I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to Grand Theft Hamlet as I have an aversion to documentaries made with or in online video game graphics, a la The Remarkable Life of Ibelen and We Met in Virtual Reality. But this film doesn’t take its environment so seriously, and it ultimately succeeds by being completely committed to the one visual theme and tone. It helps that it’s actually pretty funny at times, partly because of the contrast between the narrative objective and the medium.
“Also, it had to be Shakespeare — he’s the most adapted and adaptable playwright to any medium — and it had to be Hamlet, to work. The latter, particularly its famous “To be or not to be…” speech, perfectly fits with the existential aspects of both the real-world pandemic and the virtual world of the game. It’s an inspiring film, proving that creativity endures, art will find a way, and the show must go on.”
Grand Theft Hamlet begins streaming on MUBI on Friday, February 21.
Oscar-Winning Classics
While Turner Classic Movies has been programming some Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning short documentaries over the last couple of weeks, on Monday the cable station presents a block of classic short and feature contenders. The showcase begins with John Ford’s The Battle of Midway, which I consider the best American propaganda film of all time, followed by fellow World War II film Resisting Enemy Interrogation. Next is the Oscar-winning oceanic nature doc The Sea Around Us and then Rob Epstein’s two Oscar winners, The Times of Harvey Milk and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (also directed by Jeffrey Friedman), both of which are among the 10 best documentaries about LGBT history.
The second half of the Oscar docs day on TCM features Barbara Kopple’s Harlan County U.S.A., which is on my list of the best documentaries of all time, followed by the Oscar-nominated Freedom on My Mind. Leon Gast’s classic “Rumble in the Jungle” documentary When We Were Kings kicks off the evening, and then Al Reinert’s For All Mankind — one of the best documentaries about space travel — finishes the block before TCM devotes their prime time programming to Alfred Hitchcock films. Two nonfiction shorts not officially named in this showcase that are also being screened during the block are Stairway to Light and Wrong Way Butch.
Watch TCM’s “Best Documentary Winners and Nominees” block, part of their 31 Days of Oscar programming, on Monday, February 24.
Documentary Release Calendar 2/21/25 - 2/27/25
Friday, February 21, 2025
Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse (2024) - A biographical documentary about the titular cartoonist. (In Theaters)
Coconut Head Generation (2023) - A documentary focused on Nigerian university students as they discuss ethnicity, feminism, and gender. (OVID)
First Word on Horror Episode 2: “Paul Tremblay” - The latest episode of this docuseries focuses on the titular author. (Etch Studio Substack)
Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) - A documentary about a production of Hamlet staged inside the video game Grand Theft Auto. (MUBI)
How I Escaped My Cult Season 1, Episodes 3-10 - The continuation of this docuseries about former members of modern cults. (Freeform)
Into the Spotlight (2023) - A feature documentary about a theater program for adults with disabilities. (DVD and VOD)
Onside: Major League Soccer (2025) - An eight-part docuseries about Major League Soccer. (Apple TV+)
Soldiers of Song (2024) - A feature documentary about musicians in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. (In Theaters)
UnBroken (2023) - A feature documentary by Beth Lane in which she considers her existence as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. (In Theaters)
Water Trix (1949) - An Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty short showcasing water skiers performing tricks. (TCM)
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Incredible Northern Vets Episodes 5 & 6: “Ranger Danger” & “Our Pets, Ourselves” - The latest installments of a docuseries following the work of three Indigenous veterinarians. (National Geographic WILD)
New York Homicide Season 3, Episode 4: “Death After Disco” - The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries about recent murder cases in New York City is about the murder of a Holocaust survivor turned king of the disco scene. (Oxygen)
Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler Season 2, Episode 5: “The Windshield Murder” - The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries involves the death of a homeless man. (Oxygen)
Sunday, February 23, 2025
The Americas Episodes 1 & 2: “The Atlantic Coast” & “Mexico” - The first two episodes of this 10-part nature docuseries narrated by Tom Hanks showcasing the flora and fauna of North America and South America. (NBC)
Army Champions (1941) - An Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty short about young men enlisting in the U.S. Army. (TCM)
Fatal Family Feuds Season 2, Episode 2: “A Family Affair” - The latest episode of this true-crime series about murders committed due to family feuds involves a woman stabbed to death in her home. (Oxygen)
Fur Babies Episodes 1 & 2: “Pups, Kitties, And Three Little Piggies” & “Not So Standard Poodles, Pups, And Personalities” - The first two episodes of this new docuseries focused on pets’ pregnancies. (National Geographic WILD)
The Food That Built America Season 6, Episode 1: “Tortilla Takeover” - The new season of this historical foodie docuseries focuses on tortilla chips and salsa. (History)
Jammin' the Blues (1944) - An Oscar-nominated short documentary presenting a jazz jam session. (TCM)
Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Episodes 3 & 4: “The Verdict” & “The Reckoning” - The final two episodes of this four-part docuseries about the 1988 airline tragedy focus on the trial of two Libyans accused of bombing Pan Am 103. (CNN)
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski Episodes 1 & 2: “Florence Pugh’s English Odyssey” & “Awkwafina’s Korean Homecoming” - The first two episodes of this new docuseries focus on the culinary ancestries of Florence Pugh and Awkwafina. (National Geographic)
WWE Rivals Season 5, Episode 2: “‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper Vs. Mr. T” - The latest episode of this docuseries about pro wrestling rivalries. (A&E)
Monday, February 24, 2025
The Battle of Midway (1942) - An Oscar-winning short documentary by John Ford depicting the titular World War II battle first-hand. Read our review of The Battle of Midway. (TCM)
Bike Vessel (2023) - A feature documentary following a father and son cycling trip from St. Louis to Chicago. Presented as an episode of Independent Lens. (PBS)
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) - An Oscar-winning documentary about the AIDS Memorial Quilt. (TCM)
For All Mankind (1989) - An Oscar-nominated feature documentary about NASA’s missions to the Moon. (TCM)
Freedom on My Mind (1994) - An Oscar-nominated feature documentary about the Mississippi voter registration drive of 1961-1964. (TCM)
Fur Babies Episodes 1 & 2: “Pups, Kitties, And Three Little Piggies” & “Not So Standard Poodles, Pups, And Personalities” - The first two episodes of this new docuseries focused on pets’ pregnancies. (Hulu and Disney+)
Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) - An Oscar-winning documentary about a coal miner’s strike in Kentucky. (TCM)
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski Episodes 1 & 2: “Florence Pugh’s English Odyssey” & “Awkwafina’s Korean Homecoming” - The first two episodes of this new foodie docuseries focus on the culinary ancestries of Florence Pugh and Awkwafina. (Hulu and Disney+)
Resisting Enemy Interrogation (1944) - An Oscar-nominated training film about the Germans’ interrogation techniques during World War II. (TCM)
The Sea Around Us (1953) - An Oscar-winning feature documentary adapted from Rachel Carson’s book on ocean life. (TCM)
Stairway to Light (1945) - An Oscar-winning short film in MGM’s Passing Parade series presenting a biography of 18th-century French physician Dr. Phillipe Pinel, who pioneered humane treatment of the mentally ill. (TCM)
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) - An Oscar-winning feature documentary about the titular gay San Francisco city supervisor assassinated by his colleague. (TCM)
When We Were Kings (1996) - An Oscar-winning documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Africa. Read our review of When We Were Kings. (TCM)
Wrong Way Butch (1950) - An Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty short that comedically informs viewers about safety with tools and machinery. (TCM)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
2073 (2024) - A dystopian hybrid nonfiction film by Asif Kapadia (Senna) set in the titular year. (Blu-ray)
Dinner with Leatherface (2024) - A documentary about actor Gunnar Hansen, who played Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Episodes 1 & 2: “America, Don't Look Away 1977-1988” & “Trapped: 1989-1995” - The first two installments of this Black History docuseries chronicling movements since the late 1970s deal with systemic issues from the Carter Administration through the Clinton years. (Max)
Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP (2025) - A biographical documentary about the titular NAACP leader. Presented as an episode of American Experience. (PBS)
Full Swing Season 3 - The return of this popular docuseries following PGA golfers. (Netflix)
In Search of Edgar Allan Poe (2024) - A documentary about the pioneering literature of Edgar Allan Poe. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Life Below Zero Season 22, Episode 19: “A New Reality” - The latest episode of this docuseries following secluded life in Alaska. (National Geographic)
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy (2025) - A documentary special about the death of the titular actor. (Peacock)
The Power of Chi (2025) - A documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman about Tai Chi. (Digital/VOD)
Welcome to Nuclear Land (2009) - A documentary about nuclear power in France. (OVID)
Women Against the Bomb (2021) - A medium-length documentary about an all-women peace camp. (OVID)
Year-round Metal Enjoyment (2015) - A documentary about the origin of graffiti artists tagging freight trains. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
The Champagne Safari (1995) - A biographical documentary about a French-American industrialist — one of the richest men in the world at the time — who was also a Nazi collaborator. (OVID)
Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Episodes 3 & 4: “Million Man March: 1995” & “Spoil The Vine: 1982-2011” - The middle two installments of this Black History docuseries on movements since the 1970s involve the 1995 Million Man March and environmental justice over the last 45 years. (Max)
Homicide Squad New Orleans Season 1, Episode 10: “The Rookie” - The latest episode of this new docuseries involves a rookie detective. (A&E)
IVE: The 1st World Tour in Cinema (2024) - A concert film starring the titular K-pop group. (In Theaters)
Miss Italia Mustn’t Die (2025) - A feature documentary about the Miss Italia pageant and the controversies that could kill it. (Netflix)
Now You See It (1947) - An Oscar-nominated Pete Smith Specialty short demonstrating micro- and macro-photography. (TCM)
Thursday, February 27, 2025
The Case of Iwona Wieczorek (2023) - A true-crime docuseries about the disappearance of a 19-year-old girl. (Viaplay)
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (2025) - A three-part docuseries about the titular YouTuber who went to prison for child abuse. (Hulu)
Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Episodes 5 & 6: “We Don't See Color: 1996-2013” & “What Comes After Hope?: 2008-2015” - The final two installments of this Black History docuseries chronicling movements since the late 1970s deal with challenges to affirmative action and the new hope that came with the election of Barack Obama as America’s first Black president. (Max)
The Great Heart (1938) - An Oscar-nominated short about Father Damien and his work with lepers on Molokai Island. (TCM)
Strauss Fantasy (1954) - An Oscar-nominated short showcasing the MGM Symphony Orchestra as they perform a medley of waltzes. (TCM)
That Mothers Might Live (1938) - An Oscar-winning short about Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, who changed medical hygiene forever. (TCM)
Sneak Peak At What’s Coming Soon
3/3 - Celtics City - A nine-part docuseries about the Boston Celtics. (Max)
3/9 - Breaking the Bird - A four-part docuseries about Twitter, from its origins to the eventual sale to Elon Musk. (CNN)
3/13 - Like Tears in the Rain - A documentary about actor Rutger Hauer. (Viaplay)
3/14 - October 8 - A documentary about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses and social media after the October 7 attacks in Israel. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
3/14 - An Unfinished Film - A docufiction hybrid about the making of a movie during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. (In Theaters)
3/18 - The Class - A docuseries following six high school seniors as they plan for college during and post-COVID-19. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (PBS)
3/28 - Janis Ian: Breaking Silence - A feature documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (In Theaters)
3/28 - Thank You Very Much - A documentary about Andy Kaufman. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (In Theaters and VOD)