There are tons of documentaries released in the blink of an eye in 2026. All these documentaries are based on real-life incidents and information. Some are based on true crime, while others are about nature, the environment, and relatable topics. In this piece, I have gathered the best documentaries of 2026 available on Netflix.
Best Documentaries 2026 (Netflix)
Explore the latest documentaries released in the first quarter of 2026. Take an overview of the documentaries before adding them to your next wishlist. Here is something for everyone. These documentaries are about people who love to watch thrillers, horror, and non-fiction films.
The Investigation of Lucy Letby
The story revolves around the real-life tragedy of Lucy Letby. Lucy, who was a neonatal nurse. In 2018, her case made headlines and resulted in her arrest under suspicion of fatally harming about seven neonatal patients. The documentary shows real footage of the investigation and an interview with the victims’ parents. The film (documentary) premiered on February 4, 2026, on Netflix and is still streaming.
Dominic Sivyer is the director of the documentary. Some of his popular films include The Masked Scammer, Rebel Nun, and Me, My Brother and Our Balls. Carla Wright, Ian Rumsey, Caroline Short, Tibo Travers, and Smitha Kalkuzhi are the producers of the film. The documentary is based on real video clips of the accuser and the victims. The film has a rating of 5.5/10 on IMDb with more than 3.5k reviewers.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart
This film follows the life of Elizabeth Smart, who survives a nine-month captivity after Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, kidnap her at knifepoint when she is 14 years old. The couple keeps her in a nearby mountain area before taking her to California. During her captivity from 2002 to 2003, they sexually abused, psychologically manipulated, and repeatedly rape her. She came out of the accuser’s hand when a witness saw Mitchell in Sandy, Utah. After which, both accused were sent to prison. While Smart has grown up and become a child safety advocate and author.
The documentary was released on January 21, 2026. Benedict Sanderson is the director of the film Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart. While Gabby Alexander. Claire Goodlass, Sophie Jones, and Morgan Matthews are the producers of the film. The film has an IMDb rating score of 6.7 out of 10 by over 5k users.
A Gorilla Story: Told By David Attenborough
The Gorilla Story is a personal story told by David Attenborough. He revisits his 1978 encounter with a baby mountain gorilla, Pablo. The movie shows how Pablo grew up to become the head of his group. It features love, care, and the world from an animal’s view. David expresses his story of encountering a baby gorilla during his visit to the Rwandan mountain. The film features the journey of the baby gorilla growing to become a top silverback.
The film is directed by James Reed and Callum Webster, while David Attenborough is the main cast of the show. The show has a rating of 8.1/10 on IMDb with over 1k reviews.
Queen of Chess
Rory Kennedy has directed the show. Some of her popular films include Ghosts of Abu Ghraib and Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022). The story is about the career of a chess grandmaster, Judit Polgár.
The story shows how a normal girl from Hungary became a chess grandmaster. It shows the efforts and dedication that a player, along with the family, puts into getting the recognition. Mark Bailey and Keven McAlester have written and produced the show. February 6, 2026, was the release date of Queen of Chess, and it has a running time of 93 minutes. It has received a rating of 7.6 out of 10 by over 7k reviewers on IMDb and has a 88% Tomatometer by 16 positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Dynasty: The Murdochs
On March 13, 2026, Dynasty: The Murdochs premieres on Netflix. It is an American documentary film. Liz Garbus and Sara Enright are the directors of the film. The documentary is about power and succession among Rupert Murdoch’s children.
Keith Rupert Murdoch, who is an American former business magnate, investor, and media mogul. He is the owner of multiple media outlets from all over the world, including Fox News and News Corp. It used emails, documents, and texts of the children of Rupert, including Lachlan, Elisabeth, James, and Murdoch. The film features the video clips of the interviews with all Rupert’s children. The show has a 6.8 rating out of 10 on IMDb.
The Dinosaurs
Unlike the above-discussed documentaries, The Dinosaurs is a mini-series of 4 episodes. Nick Shoolingin-Jordan, Jolyon Sutcliffe, Amber Cherry Eames, and Darren Williams are the directors of the series. Morgan Freeman has narrated the film. The show is produced by Amblin Documentaries and Silverback Films. It is an American television nature documentary miniseries. The show describes the rise and end of the dinosaurs from the Triassic period to the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. The series is the successor to Life on Our Planet, which was released in 2023.
The full season was dropped together on March 6, 2026. Different directors have each episode.
| Episodes | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rise | Nick Schoolingin-Jordan |
| 2 | Conquest | Jolyon Sutcliffe |
| 3 | Empire | Amber Cherry Eames |
| 4 | Fall | Darren Williams |
The show has a rating of 7.5/10 by over 7k reviewers on IMDb and has a 100% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.
Should I Marry a Murderer
Should I Marry a Murderer is a British true crime documentary television mini-series. It consists of three episodes and was out on 29 April 2026 on Netflix. The story revolves around a forensic pathologist, Caroline Muirhead, and her husband, Scottish farmer Alexander McKellar, aka Sandy.
All of this started when, in 2020, Sandy confessed that he, along with his twin brother, Robert, killed a man during a hit-and-run case involving cyclist Tony Parsons in 2017 and buried his body.
The synopsis of Should I Marry a Murderer is about the accused fiancée of Caroline. Here, Caroline is the only witness to the crime. She stayed engaged with him to collect the evidence. The show is directed by Josh Allott. It has a rating of 6.4/10 by over 2k reviewers on IMDb. And on Rotten Tomatoes, it has 5 positive reviews, which brings the show a 100% Tomatometer.
BTS: The Return
It is a documentary film by Bao Nguyen. He has also directed a documentary film, The Greatest Night in Pop (2024), and Be Water (2020) on Bruce Lee. The film features the boy band BTS of South Korea. The show was released on March 27, 2026, and has a running time of 93 minutes.
The story revolves around the life and career journey of all seven members of the BTS group. The synopsis mentions the life of BTS members after returning from their mandatory military enlistment. Hybe (South Korean multinational conglomerate) is the co-producer of the film. It is available globally on Netflix.
The documentary shows the reunion of the members for their 5th album together, Arirang, and their comeback performances at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The seven members of BTS, including RM (Kim Nam-joon), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Suga (Min Yoon-gi), Hope (Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), V (Kim Tae-hyung), and JK (Jeon Jung-kook), are in the film. The documentary has a rating of 7.8 out of 10 by around 1k users on IMDb.
Being Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is a British celebrity chef, television presenter, restaurateur, and writer. Gordon Ramsay is known as a judge on cooking shows such as MasterChef and many others. The miniseries documentary Being Gordon Ramsay is a six-part series that releases on February 18, 2026. The series provides a behind the scenes of Ramsay’s life. The series shows the problems that he faced while promoting and expanding his restaurants and juggling with balancing his role as a husband and father.
Dionne Bromfield has directed the series. Gordon Ramsay has played the cast as himself in the series. The documentary has received a rating of 7 out of 10 on IMDb. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 56% Tomatoes rating.
A Friend, A Murderer
It is a 3-episode mini-series on Netflix. The series explores the case of Philip Patrick Westh, a man who has been committing several terrifying crimes, including murder and assault, while maintaining a normal life for 8 years. Christian Dyekjær has directed the series, who has also directed shows like All I Want for Christmas and The Great Bird Race.
The film revolves around the lives of three close friends, Amanda, Nichlas, and Kiri. They came to know that their friend was a cold-blooded criminal and had been hiding for more than 8 years from the local police.
Wrapping Up
Here, in this blog, I have mentioned the top 10 popular documentaries on Netflix. Make a list of the films and series that you liked the most after taking an overview of the above section.
Let me know which one you liked the most in the comments section. Also mention your favourite genre of documentary film and series.
FAQs
What is a documentary?
A documentary is a non-fiction movie or series that is related to real-life incidents, people, stories, and nature. People misunderstood documentary films or series as personal documentaries, but their genre is very vast. Examples of 2026 personal documentary films are Melania and Being Gordon Ramsay.
What Netflix series are coming out in 2026?
Some of the most popular series that are coming on Netflix in 2026 are The Gentlemen, ONE PIECE, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Bridgerton.
What’s the most popular documentary right now?
Melania, Modern Whore, and The AI Doc are some of the best documentaries trending now in 2026.
Which are the best documentaries to watch on Netflix?
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial, and World War II: From the Frontlines are some of the best documentaries that you can watch on Netflix.