Best new documentaries on Sky / Now
A profile of Kyiv’s longest-running Mayor, a Sean Bean-narrated nature documentary and a new insight into a Hollywood icon top August's picks
Klitschko: More Than a Fight
Documentary | War
2024 | Kevin Macdonald | 96 mins
Summary:With unprecedented access to Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the heavyweight boxing world for more than a decade, Klitschko: More than a Fight captures the longest serving Mayor of Kyiv as he holds his city together in the face of constant Russian aggression.
Why to watch: Vitali Klitschko is a fascinating figure, for both his dominant sporting career and political prowess. This documentary combines archive footage and exclusive interviews with Klitschko and family to paint a vibrant portrait of the man himself as he grapples with a critical moment in Ukrainian history.
Available August 15.
Gladiators
Documentary
Summary:Unlock the killer secrets and ingenious tactics of nature's toughest fighters in four incredible ecosystems around the world. Wild gladiators, from the smallest ants to the biggest bears, do battle for the ultimate prize: survival.
Why to watch: Like the title suggests, Gladiators presents the animal kingdom's most epic fighting rivalries. Filmmakers present the action like a Hollywood action blockbuster, capturing iconic sequences in slow-motion, while breaking down the tactics involved. Sean Bean, who is no stranger to epic film battles himself, adds some extra star quality as narrator.
Available now.
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes
Documentary
2024 | Nanette Burstein | 101 mins | 15
Summary:Newly discovered interviews with Elizabeth Taylor and unprecedented access to the star’s personal archive reveal the complex inner life and vulnerability of the groundbreaking icon.
Why to watch: Critically acclaimed when it premiered at Cannes in May, this doc reveals never-before-heard audio recordings taken from the archive of the late journalist Richard Meryman, who interviewed the two-time Oscar winner throughout her career. This is the beloved actress as you'd never seen her before: open, honest, and reflective about the quality of her films as well as her many turbulent relationships (she married eight times).
Available now.
The Body Next Door
Documentary | Crime
Summary:In November 2015, a disturbing discovery of a human corpse thrust the quiet Welsh village of Beddau, into the spotlight. The identity of the deceased body remained a mystery, with no matching DNA, fingerprints, or dental records available, turning the case into a haunting dual mystery: who did this, and who was the victim?
Why to watch: The case that became known as the "most shocking murder mystery in Welsh history", is the perfect fodder for a true crime documentary. What started in a small Welsh town evolved into a global investigation, with unprecedented discoveries. It almost has to be seen to be believed.
Available now.
Ibiza Narcos
Documentary
Summary:Tells the story of how a tiny, sleepy Mediterranean Island was transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals.
Why to watch: The latest of Sky’s acclaimed Narcos documentaries turns its attention to the infamous European party haven. This doc selects a fascinating oddball series of interviewees, including ravers, drug dealers and detectives - as it charts the island's criminal history.
Available now.
The Truth vs. Alex Jones
Documentary
2024 | Dan Reed | 115 mins
Summary:Filmed over four years with unprecedented access, this documentary chronicles the riveting courtroom drama of two defamation lawsuits brought by Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims' families against Alex Jones and his website, InfoWars.
Why to watch: Conspiracy theorist and right-wing commentator Alex Jones has a number of defamation lawsuits to his name, but none so upsetting as his vendetta against the families of Sandy Hook victims. After Jones told his followers the massacre was a 'false flag' operation perpetrated by gun control activists, grieving families were accused of being actors and hounded by Jones' believers. This is the deeply affecting story of the their fight for justice.
Available now.
The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe
Documentary
Summary:William Shatner explores our earth, and beyond, in search of the universe’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries. Each episode features contributions from scientists, historians, astronauts and other experts—each seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible actually can happen. Seeking answers to age-old questions that have mystified mankind for centuries. Things like, how was our earth born? Will we go back to the moon—or venture even farther? What dangers might lurk in the deep expanse of outer space? And perhaps the biggest of all—are we alone?
Why to watch: The beloved Star Trek actor and one-time astronaut (Shatner was the oldest person to ever go to space in 2021), Shatner is exactly who we want to see presenting the mysteries of the universe. An intergalactic spin-off of hit History show The UnXplained, which has run for six seasons since 2019.
Available now.
Apocalypse: D-Day
Documentary | War & Politics
Summary:6 June 1944. A titanic fleet launched an assault on the beaches of Normandy. Objective: to liberate Europe from Hitler's yoke. Drawing on the lessons learned from the Dieppe raid in August 1942, the mission was a spectacular success.
Why to watch: We all know the British perspective of what happened on D-Day, but this documentary - created by French filmmakers - offers an insightful French perspective. This is the story of French liberation from German control, documenting both the Normandy Landings and the Provence Landings by French troops two months later.
Available now.
Cursed Histories
Documentary
Summary:This series explores the eerie, puzzling and unnerving historical elements, places, icons, or events that seem to be plagued by what can only be described as a ‘curse’.
Why to watch: This is history as you’ve never seen it before, told through tales of ancient curses - and it's addictive viewing whether you choose to believe it or not. One such example is that of The Iceman, a mummy discovered in the Ötztal Alps in September 1991. Strangely, several of the scientists involved in its discovery suffered a series of fatal accidents shortly afterwards. Could the mummy be cursed?
Available now.
The Guilty Innocent with Christopher Eccleston
Documentary | Crime
Summary:An in-depth investigation into some of the world's most infamous cases of wrongful convictions. We explore why and how the system got the wrong person and what it says about our world today.
Why to watch: The award-winning actor fronts this new doc, featuring interviews with investigators, archive footage and reconstructions. Eccleston has some experience with the subject matter: As a youngster, he famously played Derek Bentley, a young man hanged in 1953 for a crime he did not commit, in the acclaimed 1991 film Let Him Have It. The film was helpful in helping Bentley's family's decades-long fight for justice: In 1993, Bentley received a posthumous pardon, and by 1998 his conviction was overturned.
Available now.