Pictured: Arnold, Boston, Take Care of Maya
Over 50 new documentaries and documentary series have dropped onto Netflix in 2023, and if you’re looking for the full list of what’s come so far, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a breakdown of all the new documentaries you can watch right now.
Netflix still has plenty of documentaries planned for the remainder of 2023 including the likes of Saint of Second Chances, a documentary on the UEFA Euro 2020 final, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food, and plenty of other titles we’re not yet allowed to talk about.
How will this article be split up? We’ll be trying to categorize each documentary by category whether that’s behind-the-scenes documentaries for other Netflix Originals, docs based on celebrities, nature, history or true-crime.
Note: These are mostly global additions to Netflix, although some regional availability factors may apply.
Behind-The-Scenes Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- Copenhagen Cowboy: Nightcall with Nicolas Winding Refn
- Released on Netflix: January 31st
- Behind-the-scenes documentary on the new show by creator Nicolas Winding Refn.
- Making All Quiet on the Western Front
- Released on Netflix: February 20th
- Go behind the scenes of Edward Berger’s WWI epic and see how the cast and crew crafted its amazing authenticity — from the sets to the SFX prosthetics.
- Making Transatlantic
- Released on Netflix: April 7th
- The cast, crew and creators of “Transatlantic” reveal how they crafted an adventure inspired by history that balances darkness with humor and beauty.
Celebrity Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- Pamela, a love story
- Released on Netflix: January 31st
- In her own words, through personal video and diaries, Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal.
- The Romantics (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: February 14th
- Featuring archival footage and in-depth celebrity interviews, this docuseries celebrates the life and legacy of Bollywood filmmaking titan Yash Chopra.
- Money Shot: The Pornhub Story
- Released on Netflix: March 15th
- Featuring interviews with performers, activists and past employees, this documentary offers a deep dive into the successes and scandals of Pornhub.
- The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey
- Released on Netflix: April 25th
- Michelle Obama delves into the challenges and life lessons that shaped her second bestselling book in an illuminating conversation with Oprah Winfrey.
- Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me
- Released on Netflix: May 16th
- From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
- Arnold (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: June 7th
- This intimate docuseries follows Arnold Schwarzenegger’s multifaceted life and career, from bodybuilding champ to Hollywood icon to politician.
- Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: June 28th
- In the ’90s, TV’s stunt-filled “American Gladiators” thrilled fans. This docuseries explores the show’s success — and how it almost ended before it began.
Historical Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- African Queens: Njinga (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: February 15th
- Executive produced and narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, this docuseries about warrior Queen Njinga of Angola features expert interviews and reenactments.
- Queen Cleopatra (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: May 10th
- As Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra fights to protect her throne, family and legacy in this docudrama featuring reenactments and expert interviews.
Nature Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- Chimp Empire (Season 1)
- Released on Netflix: April 19th
- A vast community of chimpanzees thrives in a forest in Uganda, navigating complex social politics, family dynamics and dangerous territory disputes.
- Our Planet (Season 2)
- Released on Netflix: June 14th
- Experience our planet’s natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.
Music Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now
- Released on Netflix: April 5th
- This intimate, all-access documentary chronicles Lewis Capaldi’s journey from ambitious teen with a viral performance to Grammy-nominated pop star.
Mystery Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
- Released on Netflix: March 8th
- In 2014, a plane with 239 people aboard vanishes from all radar. This docuseries delves into one of our greatest modern mysteries: Flight MH370.
Sports Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- Break Point (Series)
- Released on Netflix: January 13th and June 21st (two parts)
- Travel alongside some of the world’s most talented tennis players as they swing for greatness and Grand Slams through an action-packed season.
- Bill Russell: Legend
- Released on Netflix: February 9th
- Winningest NBA champion and civil rights icon Bill Russell builds a larger-than-life legacy on and off the court in this biographical documentary.
- Full Swing
- Released on Netflix: February 15th
- This immersive documentary series follows a diverse group of professional golfers — on and off the course — during a relentless season of competition.
- Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Season 4)
- Released on Netflix: February 24th
- Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane — both on and off the track — during each cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.
- Caught Out: Crime. Corruption. Cricket.
- Released on Netflix: March 17th
- This sports documentary examines India’s biggest match-fixing scandal, the icons caught in its web and the journalists who uncovered the corruption.
- Running for my Truth: Alex Schwazer (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: April 13th
- After being banned for doping, Olympic medalist race walker Alex Schwazer enlists one of his accusers to help him make a comeback.
- McGREGOR FOREVER (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: May 17th
- Conor McGregor’s brutal strikes and trash-talking swagger made him the UFC’s biggest draw. This rousing docuseries follows his dynamic career.
- Tour de France: Unchained (Season 1)
- Released on Netflix: June 8th
- Through tears and triumph, this series follows several cycling teams as they compete in the 2022 installment of the world’s most grueling bike race.
True Crime Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
- MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street
- Released on Netflix: January 4th
- Follows the rise and fall of financier Bernie Madoff, who was behind one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in Wall Street history.
- Mumbai Mafia: Police vs. The Underworld
- Released on Netflix: January 6th
- In 1990s Mumbai, a crime boss and his network wield unchecked power over the city — until the rise of “encounter cops,” who brazenly kill their targets.
- The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
- Released on Netflix: January 6th
- This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.
- Monique Olivier: Accessory to Evil (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: March 2nd
- From 1987 to 2003, Michel Fourniret cemented his legacy as France’s most infamous murderer. But his wife was an enigma: Was she a pawn or a participant?
- Waco: American Apocalypse
- Released on Netflix: March 22nd
- This docuseries includes never-before-seen material from the infamous 51-day standoff between federal agents and a heavily armed religious group in 1993.
- Big Mäck: Gangsters and Gold
- Released on Netflix: March 30th
- A man is convicted of a robbery he didn’t commit and spends six years in jail. Decades later, he becomes a suspect again — but is he still innocent?
- American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: April 12th
- Archive footage, chilling reenactments and exclusive interviews shed new light on a tragedy — and two brothers — that suspended a city in terror.
- Missing: Dead or Alive (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: May 10th
- Follow officers from a South Carolina sheriff’s department as they urgently search for individuals who’ve disappeared under troubling circumstances.
- The Playing Card Killer
- Released on Netflix: June 9th
- A playing card left at a murder scene connects a string of killings in this docuseries tracking a notorious serial killer who terrorized Spain in 2003.
- Take Care of Maya
- Released on Netflix: June 19th
- As a medical team tries to understand 10-year-old Maya Kowalski’s rare illness, they begin to question her parents. Suddenly, Maya is in state custody – despite a family desperate to bring their daughter home.
- Catching Killers (Season 3)
- Released on Netflix: June 23rd
- The investigators behind infamous serial killer cases reveal the harrowing, chilling details of their extraordinary efforts in this true crime series.
- King of Clones (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: June 23rd
- From groundbreaking human cloning research to a scandalous downfall, this documentary tells the captivating story of Korea’s most notorious scientist.
Other Documentaries Released on Netflix in 2023
These documentaries don’t quite fit any of the above categories:
- Gunther’s Millions (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: February 1st
- A dog with a trust fund isn’t the strangest part of this story. Gunther’s eccentric handler also lived a luxe life — with a cult-like entourage.
- In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: March 3rd
- This docuseries examining the chilling true stories of four Korean leaders claiming to be prophets exposes the dark side of unquestioning belief.
- Emergency: NYC
- Released on Netflix: March 29th
- This gripping docuseries follows New York City’s frontline medical professionals as they balance the intensity of their work with their personal lives.
- Longest Third Date
- Released on Netflix: April 18th
- When Khani and Matt met on a dating app, they had no idea COVID-19 would turn their spur-of-the-moment trip to Costa Rica into a months-long adventure.
- Working: What We Do All Day (Limited Series)
- Released on Netflix: May 17th
- For some, it’s a paycheck. For others, it’s a calling. This docuseries explores the meaning of work for modern Americans in a time of rapid change.
- MerPeople
- Released on Netflix: May 23rd
- Covers the whimsical world of professional mermaiding, where people’s passion for swimming in fins has exploded into a half-billion-dollar industry.
What’s been your favorite new documentary or documentary-series release on Netflix in 2023? Let us know in the comments.
