This Week In Documentary
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - March 28-April 3, 2025
Between all the notable new releases out this week and the fact that we’re heading into a new month (with its usual change in streaming programming), this newsletter is running near the email length limit. So let’s get right to it.
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 Pick Of The Week: Number One On The Call Sheet (2025)
You could see this entry as a single two-part documentary or two separate companion films, but either way, Number One on the Call Sheet is a winning production. The first installment, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood, is helmed by Reginald Hudlin (Sidney) and features great interviews with every Black actor you could hope for — Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart, etc. Oddly enough, Hudlin shows up as a talking head, too.
The actors discuss their careers and the history of Black male stars in cinema, from Sidney Poitier to Blaxploitation to the return of Black films in the ‘90s and today’s blockbuster Black heroes. The most interesting threads have them imitating one another, praising one another, and talking about lifting one another. And they talk about how it’s important for Black talent to learn all the filmmaking jobs to be sure they get work, often making it happen themselves. Also, oddly enough, there are a lot of references to Jim Carrey, even beyond his connection to some of these actors.
While that first installment is full of essential discourse, its tone is rather light and fun, with a lot of laughter from the interviewees and audience. The second part, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood, hits much differently. Directed by Shola Lynch (Free Angela and All Political Prisoners), the film includes interviews with Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard, Halle Berry, Cynthia Erivo, Jurnee Smollett, Viola Davis, and every other working Black actress you’d expect.
Women overall have had a tough time in Hollywood, and Black female leads are not as common even today as their male counterparts. Discussions of the Oscars, beauty standards, makeup and hairstyling, and other topics that Black women deal with more than men take this installment to more emotional places. It’s a more affecting piece, and I admit my eyes watered up a handful of times. Even the fact that it’s second fiddle to the men’s part is fitting (akin to the Girls State), though you could watch it first and maybe on its own. But don’t watch just the men’s part; it’s not as satisfying.
Number One on the Call Sheet begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 28.
Other Documentary Highlights
Art For Everybody (2023) & Make Me Famous (2021)
Whether you love Thomas Kinkade’s paintings or hate them, Art for Everybody is a must-see biographical documentary about the kitschy commercial artist. You have to love a film that begins with interviewees acknowledging the subject was no good at what he did (it had me recalling Penny Lane’s doc Listening to Kenny G). This documentary recognizes the criticisms against Kinkade, allows for love for him via family, friends, and fans, and ultimately portrays the artist as a far more complex figure than expected. And it shows his secret other artworks, most from his youth, that had been locked away in a vault, but which now help to reveal that complexity. It’s one of the most fascinating biographical films of the year.
If you want the opposite of Thomas Kinkade and Art for Everybody (except for the alcoholism part), the biographical documentary Make Me Famous focuses on the essentially unknown painter Edward Brezinski. He was a staple of the ‘80s East Village art scene but never caught on as much as his contemporaries; he was so minor and forgotten that nobody ever bothered confirming whether he had actually died in Cannes in 2007, as reputed. The film is fittingly nonconforming. Its editing and interviews are stunningly erratic, with the narrative structure and perspective even changing direction entirely midway. The two docs make an interesting, contrasting double feature. The best setting to watch this one, though, is in a loft or warehouse space with an audience of wine-drinking art-scenesters, all sitting on the ground.
Art for Everybody opens in theaters on Friday, March 28. Make Me Famous is now playing in theaters and opens in Austin, Dallas, Santa Fe, and Charlottesville on Friday, March 28.
The Encampments (2025)
I’m going to be criticized by some for favoring The Encampments after censuring October 8. But even without supporting all of the content of this film (such as the young woman who keeps referring to Zionists negatively), it’s just a better documentary. It is not a great documentary, and it is still not engaged enough with the questions and complaints posed outside of its political sphere, but it is much better as a work of reportage that presents both facts and ideas, even with a one-sided slant. The Encampments is about the pro-Palestine protests and encampments at Columbia University and other schools, and it’s up to date enough to end with titles mentioning expelled and potentially deported students. Does it offer the whole picture? I doubt it.
The Encampments opens in theaters on Friday, March 28.
Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series (2025)
You’re not going to find a lot of Yankees fans who want to relive the fifth inning of Game 5 let alone the rest of the 2024 World Series. I am a Yankees fan and struggled to get through this three-part docuseries. But it’s my job to watch it, and I generally love a well-told sports documentary. Plus, it’s produced and directed by R.J. Cutler with music by Jeff Beal. Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series is for the Dodgers fans, and not just because they won. Outside of what’s mostly an abridged recap of the five games, the docuseries’ only additional storytelling focuses on the wives of Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Actually, there’s eventually a bit that follows some Yankees fans. That goes to show how this narrative of this matchup goes. The Dodgers are for family; the Yankees are for loud, mean-spirited fans, some of whom nearly took Betts’s hand off in Game 4. I wonder what Fight for Glory would’ve looked like if the Yankees had pulled off a comeback to clinch the championship. I’m curious if Cutler covered any other stories that didn’t make sense to include in how the World Series went down.
Some of the audio commentary from both teams is interesting, but I wish there were more of it. And the first episode, which feels the most like a complete Freeman-focused tale, works well for that reason. The rest is tough thematically, if only because the Yankees kinda lost to themselves in that final game. It was a disappointing World Series as a result — not just for Yankees fans, I believe — and no documentary could make it otherwise.
Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series begins streaming in full on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 28.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (2025)
Five years ago, Liz Garbus helmed a dramatic feature about the Gilgo Beach serial killings, which at the time were unsolved. Now that they’ve identified the Long Island Serial Killer, she’s back with this three-part docuseries chronicling the whole story. The first part of Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is mostly a Doc Option™ retelling of her 2020 film, Lost Girls, again concentrating on the victims and their families seeking justice. The second part goes into a Suffolk County corruption scandal that may have slowed down the case. The third part focuses on the alleged killer, Rex Heuermann, who has still not been tried and convicted. Overall, it’s your standard true-crime documentary, but for a straightforward recap of just the facts, it is very tightly directed.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer begins streaming in full on Netflix on Monday, March 31. Lost Girls is also streaming on Netflix.
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day In America (2025)
The latest in 72 Films’ One Day in America franchise, again produced by Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, might be their best yet. I think part of that might have to do with the relatively small scope and simplicity of the 1995 Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing and how quickly Timothy McVeigh was caught. Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America has a perfect mix of interviewees/characters driving the various stories central to the events. It’s not as tight as Barak Goodman’s feature-length Oklahoma City from 2017, but where that’s more just about what happened, this three-part docuseries has greater emotional weight due to its more limited set of participants.
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America premieres in full on National Geographic on Wednesday, April 2, and then begins streaming on Hulu and Disney+ on Thursday, April 3.
Tarpon (1973)
Jimmy Buffet scoring a documentary about tarpon fishing in Key West is one of those things you didn’t know you needed until you’ve seen and heard it. For decades, Tarpon was really only known as a cult classic among fishermen, having never been officially released, but now this medium-length doc has been restored in 4K for everyone to enjoy. Even if you don’t care about fishing, it can be appreciated as a film about a place and lifestyle at the ends of America at a bygone time, akin to Les Blank’s docs.
Tarpon will be released on VOD and other digital outlets on Friday, March 28.
Thank You Very Much (2023)
I’ve never appreciated, let alone enjoyed Andy Kaufman’s comedy or performance art, but Thank You Very Much has finally made me at least understand him and his work, to the degree that this is possible. The biographical documentary consists of tons of archival material supplemented by all the right interviewees, from professional partner Bob Zmuda to romantic partner Lynn Margulies. Danny DeVito is the MVP of the film, though. There are some odd editing choices, but otherwise it’s a worthy watch for Kaufman’s diehard fans as well as those of us who never got him at all.
Thank You Very Much opens in theaters on Friday, March 28.
View From The Floor (2025)
Following its Sundance premiere, this short animated documentary is available courtesy of The New York Times’ Op-Docs series. View from the Floor is co-directed by and about Mindie Lind, a woman born without legs who reflects on her childhood being exploited on television for her disability. Now she knows she was being used as “inspiration porn” fodder by treating her disability as more of a hardship than it actually was and making her talents as a singer and dancer more of a spectacle than normal achievements. There’s also discussion of this type of misrepresentation in the new PBS documentary Change, Not Charity: The Americans With Disabilities Act, so I recommend pairing the two together.
View from the Floor is now streaming on the New York Times website.
Documentary Release Calendar 3/28/25 - 4/3/25
Friday, March 28, 2025
Animals, They’re Just Like Us! Episodes 3 & 4: “Meerkat Survival School” & “Pirate Birds” - The latest installments of this new nature docuseries about animals that don’t need to be anthropomorphized. (National Geographic WILD)
Art for Everybody (2023) - A documentary about artist Thomas Kinkade and the paintings of his found after his death. You can find our review of Art for Everybody in the highlights section above. (In Theaters)
Aum: The Cult at the End of the World (2023) - A feature documentary about Aum Shinrikyo, the cult behind the Tokyo subway gas attack in 1995. Read our review of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World. (VOD)
Bad Faith (2024) - A feature documentary on Christian Nationalism in the U.S. (OVID)
The Encampments (2025) - A feature documentary about the Gaza Solidarity Encampment student protests on the Columbia University campus. You can find our review of The Encampments in the highlights section above. (In Theaters)
Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series (2025) - A three-part docuseries chronicling last year’s World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees. You can find our review of Fight for Glory in the highlights section above. (Apple TV+)
The Gospel of Revolution (2024) - A documentary about the Liberation Theology movement in Latin America. (OVID)
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (2024) - A feature documentary about the titular singer-songwriter. (In Theaters)
Magic of the Disney Treasure (2025) - A behind-the-scenes look at the Disney Treasure cruise ship. (National Geographic)
Number One on the Call Sheet (2025) - A two-part documentary about the achievements of Black actors, with one part devoted to men and the other to women. You can find our review of Fight for Glory in the highlights section above. (Apple TV+)
Picturesque Udaipur (1939) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise. This one pays a visit to one of India’s oldest cities. (TCM)
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (1935) - A short, star-studded presentation of a pirate-themed variety show on Catalina Island. (TCM)
Romantic Nevada (1943) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise. This one primarily focuses on Reno’s association with weddings and divorces. (TCM)
Tarpon (1973) - A 4K restoration and re-release of this medium-length documentary depicting fishing in Key West. You can find our review of Tarpon in the highlights section above. (Film Movement+)
Thank You Very Much (2023) - A documentary about actor and comedian Andy Kaufman. You can find our review of Thank You Very Much in the highlights section above. (In Theaters and VOD)
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Animals, They’re Just Like Us! Episodes 3 & 4: “Meerkat Survival School” & “Pirate Birds” - The latest installments of this new nature docuseries about animals that don’t need to be anthropomorphized. (Hulu and Disney+)
Famous Boners (1942) - A short film about real people who caused or were victims of errors, including Sir Isaac Newton. (TCM)
Magic of the Disney Treasure (2025) - A behind-the-scenes look at the Disney Treasure cruise ship. (Hulu and Disney+)
New York Homicide Season 3, Episode 9: “Bloodshed in the Bodegas” - The latest episode of this true-crime docuseries about recent murder cases in New York City is about the serial killing of shopkeepers in Queens and Brooklyn. (Oxygen)
Wildlife Rehab Episodes 1 & 2: “Baby Boom” & “Avian Influenza” - The first two episodes of this docuseries about a wildlife rehabilitator in Saskatchewan and her team. (National Geographic WILD)
Sunday, March 30, 2025
The Americas Episode 7: “The Caribbean” - The latest episode of this 10-part nature docuseries narrated by Tom Hanks continues to showcase the flora and fauna of North and South America. Read our review of The Americas. (NBC)
Burning to Heal (2024) - A short documentary about the aftermath of the Almeda Fire in Oregon in 2020. (In Theaters)
Cypress Hill & The London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at Royal Albert Hall (2025) - A concert film starring the titular hip-hop group and the titular symphony orchestra. (In Theaters)
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt Episodes 3 & 4: “India” & “Arctic Circle” - The latest installments of this six-part docuseries starring the titular magician as he travels the world learning new skills from incredible performers and daredevil artists. Read our review of David Blaine: Do Not Attempt. (National Geographic)
Fatal Family Feuds Season 2, Episode 7: “Hell on the Range” - The latest episode of this true-crime series about murders committed due to family feuds involves a missing mother. (Oxygen)
The Food That Built America Season 6, Episode 6: “Coffee: A Brewed Awakening” - The latest episode of this foodie history docuseries focuses on coffee. (History)
MGM Is on the Move! (1964) - A short documentary promoting MGM’s upcoming movies. (TCM)
Twitter: Breaking the Bird Episode 4: “Disaster” - The final installment of this four-part docuseries about Twitter, from its origins to the eventual sale to Elon Musk. Read our review of Twitter: Breaking the Bird. (CNN)
United States of Scandal Season 2, Episode 4: “Lance Armstrong” - The latest installment of this docuseries starring Jake Tapper about modern controversies focuses on Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal. (CNN)
WWE Rivals Season 5, Episode 7: “Shawn Michaels vs. Scott Hall” - The latest episode of this docuseries about pro wrestling rivalries. (A&E)
Monday, March 31, 2025
Bang the Drum: Taiko in Tacoma (2025) - A documentary about a woman who achieves her dream of playing the Taiko drums in her 70s. (In Theaters)
Celtics City Chapter V: “F**k the Celtics” - The fifth episode of this nine-part docuseries about the Boston Celtics focuses on the team’s success in the mid-80s. Read our review of Celtics City. (HBO and Max)
Cherry Blossom Time in Japan (1936) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise. This one looks at Japan’s cherry blossom festivals. (TCM)
Confessions of Octomom Episode 4: “The Cost of Infamy” - The latest installment of this six-part docuseries about Nadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets plus six other children. (Lifetime)
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt Episodes 3 & 4: “India” & “Arctic Circle” - The latest installments of this six-part docuseries starring the titular magician as he travels the world learning new skills from other incredible performers. (Hulu and Disney+)
Floral Japan (1940) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise. This one explores Japan's flowers, gardens, and cherry blossoms. (TCM)
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (2025) - A three-part true-crime docuseries about the titular serial killer directed by Liz Garbus (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark). You can find our review of Gone Girls in the highlights section above. (Netflix)
Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up Season 2, Episode 4: “Who’s the Daddy” - The latest installment of this docuseries following Gypsy Rose Blanchard since her release from prison. (Lifetime)
Suva: “Pride of Fiji” (1940) - A short documentary installment of James A. FitzPatrick’s TravelTalks travelogue franchise. This one pays a visit to the capital of the Fiji Islands. (TCM)
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
121280 Ritual (2008) - A short film by Antoinetta Angelidi documenting the birth of the filmmaker’s son. (The Criterion Channel)
At the Bamboo Green (2024) - A short film documenting a family's visit to the foot of the Helan Mountains. (The Criterion Channel)
Aum: The Cult at the End of the World (2023) - A feature documentary about Aum Shinrikyo, the cult behind the Tokyo subway gas attack in 1995. Read our review of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World. (DVD)
Before Seriana (2024) - A short documentary film about the Aurès region of Algeria. (The Criterion Channel)
The Class Episode 3: “Personal Statement” - The third installment of this six-part docuseries that follows six high school seniors as they plan for college during and after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Read our review of The Class. (PBS)
The Death Coast (2025) - A new docuseries about shipwrecks in the North Atlantic. (History)
The Fog of War (2003) - An Oscar-winning documentary by Errol Morris about the work of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. (The Criterion Channel)
Hinkelten (2023) - A short nonfiction essay film involving the Yakutian Arctic. (The Criterion Channel)
Icons Unearthed: James Bond (2023) - This fifth season of Icons Unearthed digs into the 007 character and franchise. (Blu-ray)
Landscape Suspended (2022) - A short documentary about the Shaho mountain of the Zagros Mountains range in Iran.
Live Not By Lies (2025) - A docuseries in which survivors of Soviet communism warn the West about totalitarianism. (Angel)
Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024) - A biographical feature-length documentary about Liza Minnelli. Read our review of Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story. (DVD and Blu-ray)
Long Lonesome Highway: The Story of Michael Parks (2025) - A documentary about the titular actor. (In Theaters)
Ma'loul Celebrates Its Destruction (1984) - A short documentary about the titular Palestinian village in ruins. (The Criterion Channel)
MGM Parade Show #25 (1956) - This installment of the Hollywood-focused docuseries showcases the MGM films The Firefly and Meet Me in Las Vegas. (TCM)
Mona Lisa is Missing: The Man Who Stole the Masterpiece (2012) - A feature documentary about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. (OVID)
Norman Mailer vs. Fun City (1970) - A medium-length documentary by Dick Fontaine about the titular author’s run for mayor of New York City. (The Criterion Channel)
On the Battlefield (2024) - A short film about Cairo, Illinois, in the Little Egypt region of the state. (The Criterion Channel)
On the Wing (2025) - A documentary about the impact of World War II on the 15th Air Force. (DVD)
Ping Pong Ping Pong Ping Pong Ping Pong Ping Pong (2024) - A short experimental film about ping pong in New York City’s Seward Park. (The Criterion Channel)
Port Protection Alaska Season 8, Episode 4: “Walk the Lines” - The latest episode of this docuseries about life in the titular Alaskan village. (National Geographic)
Regret to Inform (1998) - An Oscar-nominated documentary about widows of the Vietnam War, including the filmmaker, Barbara Sonneborn. (The Criterion Channel)
Resynator (2024) - An award-winning feature documentary by Alison Tavel about her inventor father, whom she never met, and his synth prototype. (The Criterion Channel)
A Stone’s Throw (2024) - A short documentary looking back at when Palestinians blew up an oil pipeline in 1936. (The Criterion Channel)
UnBroken - A feature documentary by Beth Lane in which she considers her existence as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. (DVD)
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Long Distance Swimmer: Sara Mardini (2023) - A documentary about the titular swimmer as she faces a prison sentence for aiding refugees. (OVID)
Love on the Spectrum U.S. Season 3 - The return of this docuseries that follows romantic relationships between people on the autism spectrum. (Netflix)
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America (2025) - A docuseries in the One Day in America franchise depicting the titular terrorist attack. You can find our review of Oklahoma City Bombing in the highlights section above. (National Geographic)
Port Protection Alaska Season 8, Episode 4: “Walk the Lines” - The latest episode of this docuseries about life in the titular Alaskan village. (Hulu and Disney+)
Seventeen [Right Here] World Tour in Cinemas (2025) - A concert film showcasing the recent world tour headlined by the titular Korean boy band. (In Theaters)
This Is Home (2018) - A documentary about four Syrian refugee families in America. (OVID)
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Accused: Guilty or Innocent? Season 7, Episode 4: “Self-Defense Stabbing or Road Rage Killer? - The latest episode of this docuseries following individuals charged with crimes as told from their perspective. (A&E)
Garnachas: Glorious Street Food! (2025) - A docuseries about Mexico’s street food scene. (Netflix)
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America (2025) - A docuseries in the One Day in America franchise depicting the titular terrorist attack. You can find our review of Oklahoma City Bombing in the highlights section above. (Hulu and Disney+)
Savor the City (2025) - A new culinary docuseries hosted by Chef Jernard Wells, inspired by the historic Green Book and focused on Black culture. (TV One)
Sneak Peak At What’s Coming Soon
4/4 - Can’t Look Away: The Case Against Social Media - A feature documentary by two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Matthew O’Neill (Redemption; China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province) and Perri Peltz about social media’s harm to young users. Watch the new trailer for the film below. (Jolt and In Theaters)
4/9 - Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing - A three-part docuseries about child influencers. (Netflix)
4/11 - Asog - A docufiction feature about a road trip to a drag pageant. (Digital/VOD)
4/18 - 1-800-On-Her-Own - A feature documentary about Ani DiFranco. Watch the trailer for the film below. (In Theaters)
4/23 - Changing Planet: River Restoration - The fourth season of Changing Planet looks at the restorations of the Klamath and Seine rivers. (PBS)
4/25 - Drop Dead City - A feature documentary about New York City’s 1975 fiscal crisis. (In Theaters)
4/27 - My Happy Place - A travel docuseries following celebrities on deeply personal journeys. Watch the new trailer for the series below. (CNN)
5/15 - Deaf President Now! - A feature documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco about the push for a deaf person to be hired to be president of Gallaudet University, a school for the hearing-impaired. (In Theaters)
5/26 - Incandescence - A documentary about how wildfires impact our ecosystem. Watch the trailer for the film below. (NFB)