Oscars 2026 – Documentary Features – All the year's best docs

Elysia is joined by documentary and TV editor Rebecca June Lane (IMDb) to break down highlight's from the year in documentary filmmaking, starting with this year's Oscar nominees and expanding to recommendations (or anti-recommendations) for more of the most talked about 2025 documentaries and beyond.

• The five nominees, and related docs (00:06:58)
• More recommendations (01:11:21)
• More fun docs (01:29:43)

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.

Documentary Feature nominees:

• Come See Me in the Good Light (USA) – trailer, info (Apple TV)
• Cutting Through Rocks (Iran) – trailer, info (DocPlay in June)
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Russia) – trailer, info (to rent)
• The Perfect Neighbor (USA) – trailer, info (Netflix)
• The Alabama Solution (USA) – trailer, info (HBO Max)

Other films discussed: André Is an Idiot (USA, in theaters: Mar 6 [US]), Viva Verdi! (Italy, Jolt.film), Prime Minister (New Zealand, HBO Max), My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow* (Russia, Mubi: Apr 3), 2000 Meters to Andriivka* (Ukraine, to rent), Coexistence, My Ass!* (Israel/Palestine, on tour), Holding Liat* (Israel/USA, NPO [NL] / select theaters [US]), The House I Live In (2012, USA, to buy), “Classroom 4” (USA, PBS), “Armed with Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” (USA/global, HBO Max), Apocalypse in the Tropics* (Brazil, Netflix), Yanuni* (Brazil, to rent: Eventive), Predators (USA, Paramount+), The Librarians (USA, PBS), “The ABCs of Book Banning” (2023, USA, Paramount+ / Roku), I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (Czechoslovakia/Japan, Metrograph), Cover-Up* (USA/global, Netflix), Vice Is Broke (USA/global, Mubi), Riefenstahl (Germany, Hoopla / Kanopy / Kino / to rent), The Propagandist (The Netherlands, NPO [NL] / to rent: OVD [US]), Afternoons of Solitude (Spain, Mubi / to rent), “Marion” (2024, Spain, Vimeo), Grand Theft Hamlet (USA, Mubi), Diane Warren: Relentless (USA, Hoopla / Kanopy / to rent), The Life Ahead (2020, fiction, Italy, Netflix), Tell it Like a Woman (2022, fiction, various countries, YouTube / etc.), Sally (USA/space, Disney+/Hulu), Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (USA, Kanopy / Kino / to rent), Deaf President Now! (USA, Apple), My Mom Jayne (USA [mostly], HBO Max), LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (USA, NPO [NL] / Hoopla / Kino / to rent), Secret Mall Apartment (USA, Netflix), Unknown Number: The Highschool Catfish (USA, Netflix)

*Other shortlisted doc features: Folktales (Norway, Kanopy / to rent), Mistress Dispeller (China, Kanopy / to rent), Seeds (USA, on tour)

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features (this episode)

Score & Original Song

Animated Features

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers:

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco + Rental Family, Left-Handed Girl)

Imagine Fantastic FF – WhachaWachin (The Last Viking)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTAs shorts

BAFTAs features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

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