Megan McLachlan looks at the 2026 Best Documentary contenders, including Scott Feinberg’s Docs to Watch lineup at the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Fest, happening October 25 through November 1.
Last year was the first year in a long time that one of Scott Feinberg’s Docs to Watch documentaries at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival didn’t win the Oscar! A lot of people like me thought that the captivating Porcelain War would edge out a victory, but it ended up being another incredible film: No Other Land, which details the Israel/Palestinian conflict from the Palestinian perspective.
Ahead of Feinberg’s 2025 Docs to Watch panel coming up at the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, I wanted to take a look at where we are in this particular race (one of my favorites!). Here are Scott’s 2025 picks:
Amy Berg, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Mstyslav Chernov, 2000 Meters to Andriivka
Petra Costa, Apocalypse in the Tropics
Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor
Mariska Hargitay, My Mom Jayne
Suzannah Herbert, Natchez
Andrew Jarecki, The Alabama Solution
Tamara Kotevska, The Tale of Silyan
Andres Veiel, Riefenstahl
Ryan White, Come See Me in the Good Light
Lots of good stuff in here, including director Mstyslav Chernov, who won two years ago for 20 Days in Mariupol. I haven’t seen all of these films yet, but I would keep an eye on a few, including Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor, Petra Costa’s Apocalypse in the Tropics, and Suzannah Herbert’s Natchez.
The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix
When the trailer for this doc dropped, there was a definite buzz — which rarely happens for documentaries! But this one is different. Compiled using body cam and ring footage, The Perfect Neighbor follows the dispute between one neighbor and an entire neighborhood that culminates in a horrific death. It’s part true crime, part cultural moment, part commentary on where we are as a society. People are definitely watching this one, too.
Apocalypse in the Tropics on Netflix
Petra Costa earned an Academy Award nomination for The Edge of Democracy in 2020, which explored Brazillian politics, and Apocalypse in the Tropics serves as a pseudo sequel, this time going in depth on how evangelical groups are influencing Brazillian politics. It’s fascinating and highly disturbing (and also feels highly familiar…).
Natchez at Tribeca Film Festival
Natchez won the documentary feature prize at The Tribeca Film Festival, and as The Hollywood Reporter review puts it, “observes how an American city that profits off its antebellum history grapples with its legacy of slavery.” Last year’s Best Documentary nominee Sugarcane also confronted uncomfortable truths about North American history related to indigeonous people, and Natchez feels like it could tackle similar interest among voters.
More 2026 Best Documentary Contenders
I have a stack of doc screeners I’ve been dying to get to, and one includes Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2 + 2= 5, which leads Critics Choice documentary awards with seven nominations (Sugarcane was in this position last year). Peck’s profile on author George Orwell also examines 1984‘s influence as a novel. Another profile doc is Cover-Up, from Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus, which looks at the journalism of Seymour Hersh. I also really enjoyed David Osit’s Predators from MTV Docs (they distributed nominee Black Box Diaries from last year) that looks at the impact of Dateline’s To Catch a Predator. I also really loved Joshua Zeman’s Checkpoint Zoo, which follows the efforts to save Ukranian zoo animals when the war broke out.
It’s also not an Oscar season without Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. They have Love + War about photojournalist Lyndsey Addario as well as Lost in the Jungle with co-director Juan Camilo Cruz, about four children whose plane crashes in the Amazon. And don’t forget Ivy Meeropol’s Ask E. Jean, a stunning look at the woman who took on Trump.
2026 Best Documentary Predictions
Last year, when I made my pre-SCAD predictions, I got three of the five nominees correct. Let’s see how I do this year, as it’s a much wider open field at the moment:
- The Perfect Neighbor by Geeta Gandbhir
- Apocalypse in the Tropics by Petra Costa
- Natchez by Suzannah Herbert
- Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 by Raoul Peck
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov
Watch out for: Cover-Up, Checkpoint Zoo, Ask E. Jean
I'm really behind on the doc contenders but concerning the only of these I've managed to see so far, I can't really think of the previous time that the Academy nominated a fairly straightforward explication of the life, work and influence of someone who's a household name for voters like Orwell: 2+2=5 is. I guess RBG would be the previous example
So glad to see awards worthy documentaries covered. Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 has me the most excited.
Also no mention of Mr. Nobody Against Putin? I haven't seen it but it has already surprised me when Denmark submitted it for Best International Feature to AMPAS instead of a narrative feature (Was hoping they'd pick Second Victims ).
So glad to see awards documentaries covered. Personally feel most excited about Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 but no mention for Mr. Nobody Against Putin ?
It still feels rather strange to see Denmark send said documentary as the International Feature to AMPAS instead of their narrative works (Mainly my the deeply complex and moving Second Victims ).
Glad to see this piece on awards documentary features and out of above titles, Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 seems to be the most interesting.
No Mr. Nobody Against Putin though? It felt rather strange to see Denmark send this documentary as its International Feature to AMPAS instead of a narrative feature like Second Victims (Incredibly yet underseen film).
(Also sorry about multiple posting. I only saw the notice about waiting to be posted now while before thought it was a browser issue).