Documentaries that will shape 2026

Documentaries were not among my most-watched categories over the past year, if we exclude Mr. Scorsese, Victoria Beckham, who is gaining a new context these days, and one of the most successful regional titles, the Macedonian The Tale of Silyan. Still, 2026 has begun with many exciting streaming promises. Next month, Netflix will release a long-awaited three-part series exploring the controversies and lasting pop cultural legacy of America’s Next Top Model, featuring its creator and host Tyra Banks herself.

Many of the most anticipated films of the year will premiere at the Sundance Festival before reaching cinemas and platforms, including the long-awaited Antiheroine, about the life and art of Courtney Love, as well as the Montenegrin feminist western opera Planina by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić. Later in the year, Leonardo DiCaprio is producing a film about the controversial making of The Wizard of Oz, and a documentary about Kylie Minogue, not Jenner, is also set to arrive. Below, discover the most anticipated documentary films and series of 2026.

Take That

Craving documentaries about boy bands? Take That has just arrived on Netflix, with access to current members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen, as well as interviews with former members Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. The series will show how Take That became one of the most successful bands in British history, with 12 number-one singles over a 30-year career.

Photo: Getty Images

Antiheroine

One of the most influential female figures of alternative culture in the 1990s and 2000s, Courtney Love brings her story to Sundance, unfiltered and unapologetic, in a documentary by directors Edward Lovelace and James Hall. The film includes her perspective on her relationship with Kurt Cobain, while also exploring the creativity that shaped her artistic impact. “We made this film because Courtney’s story is bigger than the headlines. She is raw, complex, and deeply human,” they said. Courtney Love is also working on memoirs and releasing new music after more than a decade. We cannot wait for one of the leading streaming services to acquire it.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model

When America’s Next Top Model premiered more than 20 years ago, host and creator Tyra Banks had a clear goal: to challenge the norms of the fashion industry and spotlight a new generation of models. With 24 seasons, the show was pioneering in putting contestants the fashion industry had previously overlooked at the forefront, but it quickly became known for increasingly bizarre photo shoots and mandatory cosmetic transformations, including drastic hairstyles and invasive dental procedures. Harsh comments about contestants’ body types, weight, and appearance went viral and, in today’s context, are highly unacceptable. The new three-part Netflix documentary series, premiering on February 16, takes us behind the scenes of this pop cultural phenomenon, featuring interviews with judges Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, Nigel Barker, and Tyra Banks herself, as well as many contestants who experienced ANTM’s most controversial moments. As Banks herself admits in the first trailer, she is aware that she “went too far.”

Being Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay returns to his roots while expanding his culinary empire. We follow him as he prepares his most ambitious project to date, five culinary concepts at 22 Bishopsgate, one of the tallest buildings in London. At the same time, he reflects on his past and childhood, while his wife Tana offers deeply personal insights into the life of the famous chef and restaurateur. “This is Gordon as we have never seen him before, because for the first time he opens the doors of his home and his business ventures. Over a six-month period, the expansion of his business begins to take clear shape and, as the official opening approaches, we watch him grapple with the challenges of having too little time for his family, his wife and six children.” On Netflix from February 18.

Kylie

For now, we know only two things about this documentary on Kylie Minogue. It is directed by Michael Harte, who worked on the powerful Still about Michael J. Fox and the highly intriguing Three Identical Strangers, and it is produced by Ventureland, which created Beckham. In other words, another Netflix project expected to reach number one in viewership.

Photo: Getty Images

Oz

With audiences returning to cinemas to see both Wicked films, The Wizard of Oz is more culturally relevant than ever. Still, not everyone knows the story behind the extremely demanding production of the 1939 film, especially generations born in the new millennium. The new documentary Oz, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Appian Way, explores behind-the-scenes moments on set, as well as how the film became a timeless classic that continues to hold great significance today.