New and Upcoming Documentaries on Netflix in 2024

Netflix documentaries have grown to be a significant part of the Netflix Original lineup, with over 800 documentaries and docu-series in the library at the time of publishing. 2024 will see that library continue to grow, and below, we’ll preview some of the new docs that have been released already and what’s coming up.

Now, because there’s a lot to cover – we’re going to split this post into multiple sections, beginning with recapping anything released so far, covering some specific genres of documentaries, and then diving into a complete list.

For more on what’s coming up on Netflix in 2024 – check out our master list of everything we know is set to arrive.

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Released Netflix Original Documentaries So Far in 2024

Want a documentary or new docu-series you can watch right now? Here’s a recap of all the 20+ new Netflix Original releases so far in 2024, excluding the sports documentaries, which we’ll cover below.

All of the synopsis for these titles are courtesy of Netflix:

• Bitconned – January 1st – Documentary – “In this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.”
• You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment – January 1st – Documentary – “Identical twins change their diets and lifestyles for eight weeks in a unique scientific experiment designed to explore how certain foods impact the body.”
• American Nightmare – January 17th – Docu-series – “After a harrowing home invasion and kidnapping in 2015, a couple is accused of staging the ordeal when the woman reappears in this true-crime docuseries.”
• The Greatest Night in Pop – January 29th – Documentary – “On a January night in 1985, music’s biggest stars gathered to record “We Are the World.” This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event.”

• Alexander: The Making of a God – January 31st – Docudrama – “Expert interviews and gripping reenactments combine to reveal the extraordinary life of Alexander the Great and his burning desire to conquer the world.”
• Lover, Stalker, Killer – February 9th – Documentary – “In this twisting documentary, a mechanic tries online dating for the first time and meets a woman who takes romantic obsession to a deadly extreme.”
• Raël: The Alien Prophet – February 7th – Docuseries – French series about the UFO-inspired religion that spiraled into a controversial cult.
• Einstein and the Bomb – February 16th – Docudrama – “What happened after Einstein fled Nazi Germany? Using archival footage and his own words, this docudrama dives into the mind of a tortured genius.”

• Little Nicholas: Life of a Scoundrel – February 15th – Docuseries – “As a teen, Little Nicholas managed to sneak between politicians, millionaires and even royals. This docuseries revisits his case through key testimonies.”
• Can I Tell You A Secret? – February 21st – Docuseries – “Three women’s lives are changed forever when a prolific stalker infiltrates their social media accounts. And they’re only a fraction of his many victims.”
• American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders – February 28th – Docuseries – “An investigative journalist pursuing a political conspiracy known as the Octopus is found dead in his hotel room. Decades later, new details emerge.”

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Documentary Films Coming to Netflix in 2024

Now, let’s preview what’s still to come this year:

Apollo 13: Survival

Director Peter Middleton, best known for his 2021 documentary The Real Charlie Chaplin, is behind this new feature film on the doomed NASA mission featuring rare access to the complete audio recordings of the Apollo 13 mission and never-before-seen film from the NASA archives.

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Daughters

Directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, this doc chronicles the emotional journey of four young girls as they prepare for a special Daddy-Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, participating in a unique fatherhood program within a Washington D.C. jail.

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Gut Check: The Secret Science of Eating

Canadian filmmaker Anjali Nayar is behind this new food documentary that sounds on paper like an episode of Vox’s Explained, if you can remember that. It’ll break down the intricacies and minefield that is our diets and how our body absorbs food.

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Ibelin

Acquired from the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, this heartfelt doc tells the story of Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer who died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25 but left a lasting legacy in the online world.

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Living with Leopards

Director Alex Parkinson and co-director Brad Bestelink are behind this new nature documentary that tracks a pair of leopard cubs born into one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth.

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Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors

The team behind Netflix’s 2020 doc Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, including director James Tovell, is behind this new feature documentary that explores Emperor Qin’s extraordinary tomb in China.

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Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa

Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in late 2023, this doc follows Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit Everest, who sees the feat as just the beginning of her extraordinary journey. Directed by Lucy Walker.

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Power

Yance Ford is behind this doc that centers on American policing and how it’s exploded in scope and scale throughout hundreds of years. The documentary premiered at the most recent Sundance Film Festival to glowing reviews.

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Secrets of the Neanderthals

Coming to Netflix: May 2nd, 2024

As we first uncovered, Sir Patrick Stewart will be narrating this fascinating historical documentary that tracks the origins and lifestyles of the Neanderthals. Ashley Gething is directing.

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Skywalkers: A Love Story

Coming to Netflix: July 10th, 2024

This extraordinary documentary will be landing on Netflix over the summer and comes from director Jeff Zimbalist. To save their careers and their relationship, a daredevil couple journeys across the globe to climb the world’s last super skyscraper and perform a bold acrobatic stunt on the spire.

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The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem

Coming to Netflix: April 5th

Giorgio Angelini and Arthur Jones are behind this new documentary that will undoubtedly turn heads—documenting internet phenomena about a group of bored teenagers who build an online community that led to the rise of QAnon to the January 6th riots.

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To Kill a Tiger

Coming to Netflix: March 8th

Acquired after its Oscar nomination and released on Netflix ahead of the Oscars ceremony is To Kill a Tiger, the Indian documentary that’s about Ranjit, a farmer in India, who takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape.

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Vampires of Gem City

Joshua Rofe, who was behind Netflix’s Bob Ross documentary, returns for a new title in 2024. Here’s what you can expect:

“For the last 30 years, Dayton, Ohio has been home to the largest coven of vampires outside of New Orleans. When a man goes missing in the goth nightclub they use as their headquarters, the case goes cold until a police officer comes forward in 2008 with a story.”

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What Jennifer Did

Jenny Popplewell for Raw TV is behind this new doc with previous credits, including American Murder: The Family Next Door for Netflix and Head Over Heels in Rats and Gypsy Kids Our Secret World. Details are being kept under wraps. 

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Will & Harper

Also acquired from the most recent Sundance Film Festival is Will & Harper, which received rave reviews.

Per Netflix, here’s what you can expect:

“When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.”

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That’s not all, however – Netflix also has announced in development or for release soon the following docs:

• Black Barbie – Lagueria Davis is behind this doc that was acquired by Shondaland and Netflix about the first Barbie toy that was Black.
• Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution – Documentary on the history of LGBTQ+.
• Tokyo Crime Squad: The Lucie Blackman Case – Japanese crime doc.
• Treasure Hunters – Documentary based on a New York Magazine article from director Theo Love

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Documentary Series Coming to Netflix in 2024

ARA San Juan: The Submarine That Disappeared

Coming to Netflix: March 7th

Mauricio Albornoz Iniesta is behind this 8-part series that delves into the 2017 disappearance of a military submarine that shook the world.

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Homicide: New York

Coming to Netflix: March 20th

From Dick Wolf (the creator of Law & Order), this docu-series sees investigators and detectives relive and retell stories of their most famous cases.

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Katseye Global Girl Group Music Series

Nadia Hallgren is behind this new docu-series that will go behind the scenes with unprecedented access to the one-of-a-kind girl music group.

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Our Living World and Our Oceans

From Freeborne Media and Wild Space Productions, these two hugely ambitious nature documentaries series will debut in 2024. Per Netflix, “Our Living World is the definitive celebration of our living planet, revealing the astonishing web of connections that unites us all and sustains our universe’s most magical phenomenon — life.”

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Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War

Coming to Netflix: March 12th

Over 100 interviews conducted in 7 countries make this one of the definitive war documentaries of our time covering the Cold War. It comes from director Brian Knappenberger.

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Testament: The Story of Moses

Coming to Netflix: March 27th

One of the greatest stories from the bible will be retold in this Turkish docudrama series.

Also coming up:

• Fatherhood with My Father
• Fertility Fraudster
• Homicide: Los Angeles
• Hunting Gary Glitter
• Inside the World’s Toughest Forces
• Our Water World
• The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan
• Untitled 2016 Bitfinex hack docuseries
• Untitled Carmen Cervera docuseries
• Untitled Dream Academy docuseries
• Untitled Gilgo Beach serial killings docuseries

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Sports Documentaries Coming in 2024

To round out, we’ve got Netflix’s expansive library of sports docs. We’re going to be super brief in this section as we cover all the new sports docs on Netflix’s roster separately here.

Released in 2024 and coming up are:

• Break Point (Season 2) – Tennis – Released on January 10th
• Six Nations: Full Contact (Season 1) – Rugby – Released on January 24th
• NASCAR: Full Speed (Season 1) – NASCAR – Released on January 30th
• Sunderland ‘Til I Die (Season 3) – Football/Soccer – February 13th
• Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Season 6) – F1 – February 23rd
• Full Swing (Season 2) – Golf – March 6th
• From Dreams to Tragedy: The Fire that Shook Brazilian Football – March 14th
• LaLiga 24 (Season 1) – Football/Soccer – Late 2024
• Tour de France: Unchained (Season 2) – Cycling – TBD
• Quarterback (Season 2) – NFL – TBD
• Untitled Sprinting Docuseries – Athletics / Track and Field – TBD
• Untitled NBA Docuseries – Basketball – TBD

What new documentary are you most looking forward to watching on Netflix in 2024?