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Esquire’s October 9, 2026 guide, written by Eric Francisco and Josh Rosenberg, offers 28 documentary picks spanning music, history, politics, nature, sport and intimate personal stories. “Best” here means a curated set of recommendations, not a universal ranking; the films also don’t all have confirmed streaming availability. Read Esquire’s full guide.
How to use this list
There is no single viewing order or formal scoring rubric behind the recommendations. Choose by subject and tone: the list moves from music and celebrity portraits to conflict, nature, sport and personal stories, with room for playful, intimate, investigative and unsettling films. The descriptions below identify the titles Esquire names; they are not independent reviews or a claim that every film is available to watch now.
Music, celebrity and creative lives
- Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) — a music-centered portrait connected to the band.
- Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger — a documentary about the band and its story.
- Man on the Run — a Paul McCartney documentary. Director Morgan Neville told Esquire: “There’s still this process of Paul reevaluating what he did in that time. When you hold up a mirror to people and say, ‘This is what I see,’ then they can see themselves in a different way.”
- Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! — a portrait of the comedian and filmmaker.
- I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not — a celebrity portrait of Chevy Chase.
- Beam Me Up, Sulu — a documentary focused on George Takei’s Star Trek character and legacy.
- Lorne — a portrait of television producer Lorne Michaels.
- Disneyland Handcrafted — a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Disneyland.
History, politics and conflict
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem — footage of a 1972 gathering, completed for release by director William Greaves’s son David.
- The Alabama Solution — a documentary about Alabama’s prison system.
- Mr. Nobody Against Putin — a film about a Russian teacher and the effects of wartime propaganda in his school. Esquire’s description frames its claims; this list does not independently verify them.
- World War II with Tom Hanks — a series Esquire describes as 20-part.
- Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare — a documentary about the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
- Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart — a documentary about Elizabeth Smart’s abduction and its aftermath.
- American Doctor — a documentary about a physician working amid conflict.
Nature, science and society
- Ghost Elephants — Werner Herzog’s search story in Angola.
- The History of Concrete — John Wilson’s documentary about concrete.
- Musk — a portrait of Elon Musk.
- Cookie Queens — a look at Girl Scout cookie sellers and the culture around the annual sales season.
- NAZA — a documentary in the guide’s science and exploration orbit.
- Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere — Louis Theroux examines online communities associated with the manosphere.
- Matter of Time — a documentary about the work of musician and activist Jason Isbell.
- André Is an Idiot — a personal story about André Ricciardi confronting a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Sport and personal stories
- Rafa — a portrait of tennis player Rafael Nadal.
- Miracle: The Boys of ’80 — the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
- Queen of Chess — a documentary about chess champion Judit Polgár.
- Marty, Life Is Short — a personal story about comedian Marty Feldman.
- You Can See Everything — a documentary about a family and the experience of a child with a rare condition.
Where to watch: treat platform notes as a snapshot
Esquire reported that Queen of Chess and Miracle: The Boys of ’80 were streaming on Netflix, and described Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart as coming to Netflix streaming. Those are source-reported references, not a live availability guarantee: catalogs and release dates can differ by country and change over time. Check the service in your region for the current listing. The cited guide does not establish current streaming status for the other titles.
How this selection compares with another 2026 roundup
Rotten Tomatoes published a different editorial guide on April 17, 2026, with its own selections and critic-score ordering. On the page consulted, it displayed The AI Doc at 86%, Everybody to Kenmure Street at 100%, Once Upon a Time in Harlem at 100%, and The History of Concrete at 97%. These are mutable aggregator snapshots, not an objective measure of quality or a direct ranking against Esquire’s list. See Rotten Tomatoes’ 2026 guide.
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Choosing your next documentary
- For music and performance: start with Earth, Wind & Fire, Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger or Man on the Run.
- For history and institutions: consider Once Upon a Time in Harlem, The Alabama Solution or World War II with Tom Hanks.
- For science, nature and the built world: look to Ghost Elephants, The History of Concrete or Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare.
- For sports: choose between Rafa, Queen of Chess and Miracle: The Boys of ’80.
- For a personal or challenging story: consider André Is an Idiot, Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart or Mr. Nobody Against Putin; check a film’s subject matter and content guidance if you want to avoid distressing material.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
