What Are the 5 Most Eagerly Awaited Documentaries Coming Out in 2026

Last month, we gave you our tips to watch three great documentaries that came out in 2025 and that are still highly topical due to their treating ongoing social issues. If you haven’t read that post yet, make sure to check it out here.. 

Now, which brand new and controversial documentaries are we looking forward to watch fresh from the screen in 2026? We want to keep the suspense up and give you some teasers on the must-watch documentaries in our opinion for this year.

#1 Legacy of the Builder King by Joachim Oyakhilome is our very own secret must-watch tip. Set to premiere this year, the documentary deals with the ongoing questions on colonial monuments in Belgium’s public space, most noteworthy the statues of King Leopold II, notorious for his violent colonization of Congo. Exploring the very different arguments and suggestions of various experts, the film stimulates public debate on this matter first brought up on a world stage by movements such as Black Lives Matter and Statues Must Fall. 

#2 The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist by Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell is one of the most awaited documentaries this year, and this is certainly thanks to its highly topical theme of artificial intelligence. Exploring both the lurking dangers and the massive potentials of this technology, the documentary follows a father-to-be on his journey and interviews experts presenting both pros and cons of this development. 

#3 American Doctor by Poh Si Teng will tell us the incredible story of three American doctors entering the Gaza war with the only purpose of saving human lives. The doctors’ descent (Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian) plays a role, but even more so their medical practice risks being continuously threatened by political (counter-)interests. 

#4 When a Witness Recants by Dawn Porter is the umpteenth story about a wrongful conviction of the innocent, in this case three teenagers wrongly sentenced for supposedly murdering their schoolmate. The documentary follows author Ta-Nehisi Coates, among other works known for his writing of a Black Panther volume, as he takes viewers to revisit this historical law case. 

#5 Jane Elliott Against the World by Judd Ehrlich tells the story of Jane Elliott, a rural US schoolteacher who became famous on a national level after holding a class on discrimination with her all-white pupils in 1968. Also a Sundance nominee, this documentary features this noteworthy teacher at her current age of almost 90 years, and explores with her important questions about racism and history.

Are you as excited as we are to watch these on the big screen this year or even from the comfort of your home? Now these may not be your typical feel-good movie, but they treat such important and ongoing societal issues. For us at Ghost Pictures, documentary is the most important tool we have, to make people's stories seen, and to contribute to society as filmmakers.