3 fresh new Netflix documentaries to watch this weekend (August 7-9)

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek Published Aug 7, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Derek Malcolm has been covering the worlds of tech and entertainment for more than two decades. Before coming to How-To Geek in 2025, Derek was a contributing editor and writer for the A/V and Home Theater section at Digital Trends, where he wrangled and wrote everything from what to watch on Netflix to reviews, explainers, and guides on the latest Bluetooth speakers, turntables, projectors, and other A/V gear. Based in Toronto, Derek graduated from Humber College's Journalism program in 1999, after which he started covering the worlds of music, movies, TV, and celebrity for publications such as TV Guide, Hello! magazine, and Inside Entertainment. He then got the bug for covering tech and gadgets in 2006, when he served as editor-in-chief of Canadian tech magazine Connected for more than a decade. An avid skier, when all the snow's gone Derek can be found at home spinning vinyl with his daughter or cheering on his favorite F1 team, McLaren. Sign in to your How-To Geek account Documentary fans have been treated to some pretty great stuff on Netflix lately, with a couple of chilling true-crime titles burning up the Top 10 charts in the U.S. recently—The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare and A Toxic Love Story—both of which we've covered in this weekly recommendation list. With August now upon us, though, the streaming giant isn't letting you off the hook just yet. For your realism quota this weekend, Netflix has three fresh arrivals: a second season of a hardcore Australian survival show, a too-wild-to-believe Scandinavian money mystery, and my top pick this week, a British comedian's month-long food experiment that might make you queasy, and not necessarily because of the cuisine. 3 Alone: Australia (season 2) Last person standing wins, in the wilderness of New Zealand I know Alone: Australia isn't technically a documentary series. But that doesn't take away from the incredibly real and well-documented hardships—physical and especially psychological—that the survivalist contestants go through in the hopes of outlasting everyone else for $250,000 (US$165,000). Season 1 of Alone: Australia was the most successful original series in public broadcaster SBS's history, and season 2 (of the show's four, in total), which has just landed on Netflix U.S. this week, did even better. For the first time, the show's 10 contestants left Australia and were dropped in the wilds of New Zealand's rugged South Island. They're totally isolated from each other, stripped of all but a handful of strategic survival tools (this season allowed for bows and arrows, though) and possessions, and left to find food, shelter, and water from their harsh surroundings (while documenting it all themselves). Hunker down for 10 episodes (and a reunion special) of addictive survival TV. The scenery may be beautiful (it is Lord of the Rings country, after all), but the South Island's sub-Antarctic cold fronts, relentless rain, snow, and vicious winds will pound all but one survivor into final submission. Alone Australia Release Date March 29, 2023 2 Inside the Trustor Scandal A fugitive financier finally talks after nearly 30 years If you're a fan of financial fraud stories like Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street, and real-life heist scandals, has Netflix got a scoop for you. In the new documentary Inside the Trustor Scandal, Swedish director Karin af Klintberg pulls off the impossible—she's the first to get the mastermind behind one of Sweden's biggest financial crimes in history to sit for his first on-camera interview in decades, and builds a riveting documentary around it. The 102-minute film recounts the intricate 1997 takeover of Swedish investment firm Trustor AB, spearheaded by financier Joachim Posener, who, along with his associates, used British aristocrat Lord Jonathan Guinness Moyne (yep, of the beer Guinnesses) as a legitimizing ruse for the sale, and used the firm's own money to buy it. Posener then drained the company of around 600 million kronor (roughly $80 million at the time), and spent more than a decade as one of Sweden's most wanted before the charges expired, then stayed out of public view—until now. Af Klintberg's documentary manages to get Posener to open up (at least somewhat) about the heist (the statute of limitations is long expired), using the new details, as well as interviews with others close to the case and archival material, to reconstruct the heist and try to shed light on what happened to all the money. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeNetflix documentariesTrivia challengeFrom true crime to nature — see how well you know Netflix's most gripping documentary films and series.True CrimeNatureSportsCultureBiographyBegin Which Netflix documentary series follows the story of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were convicted of murder in Wisconsin?AThe KeepersBMaking a MurdererCEvil GeniusDDon't F**k with CatsCorrect! Making a Murderer, released in 2015, became a cultural phenomenon and sparked widespread debate about wrongful convictions and the U.S. justice system. It was directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, who spent a decade documenting the case.Not quite — the answer is Making a Murderer. Released in 2015, this groundbreaking Netflix series followed Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey through their controversial murder convictions. It ignited a massive public conversation about wrongful convictions and legal fairness.Continue Which Netflix nature documentary series is narrated by David Attenborough and explores the deepest parts of the world's oceans?AOur PlanetBNight on EarthCSeaspiracyDOur OceansCorrect! Our Oceans is a stunning Netflix nature documentary narrated by the legendary David Attenborough, diving into the mysteries of ocean ecosystems around the globe. It showcases some of the most breathtaking and rarely seen underwater environments on Earth.Not quite — the answer is Our Oceans. While Our Planet is also a beloved Attenborough Netflix series focused on land and sea habitats broadly, Our Oceans specifically dives deep into the world's ocean environments. Both are worth watching if you love nature documentaries.Continue The Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive follows which motorsport?ANASCARBMotoGPCFormula 1DIndyCarCorrect! Drive to Survive offers an behind-the-scenes look at the Formula 1 racing season, giving viewers access to drivers, team principals, and the high-stakes drama of the sport. It's widely credited with massively growing F1's fanbase, especially in the United States.Not quite — the answer is Formula 1. Drive to Survive has been a huge hit for Netflix since its debut in 2019, pulling back the curtain on the glamour, pressure, and politics of the F1 world. The series is often credited with introducing a whole new generation of fans to the sport.Continue Which Netflix documentary covers the infamous Fyre Festival, a luxury music festival that catastrophically failed in the Bahamas in 2017?AFyre FraudBThe InventorCFyre: The Greatest Party That Never HappenedDBad VeganCorrect! Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened was released on Netflix in January 2019 and quickly became a viral sensation. It detailed how entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule sold thousands of tickets to a luxury festival that was entirely unprepared to host guests.Not quite — the answer is Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Fyre Fraud was a competing documentary released on Hulu around the same time, which actually featured an interview with Billy McFarland himself. Both covered the disaster, but Netflix's version became the more widely seen of the two.Continue Which pop star is the subject of the 2021 Netflix documentary Miss Americana?AAriana GrandeBTaylor SwiftCBillie EilishDKaty PerryCorrect! Miss Americana is a deeply personal documentary about Taylor Swift, directed by Lana Wilson. It explores Swift's journey to find her voice, her political awakening, and the intense pressures of being one of the world's biggest pop stars.Not quite — the answer is Taylor Swift. Miss Americana offers a rare, candid look at Swift's life behind the scenes, including her decision to speak out politically for the first time. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival before arriving on Netflix in early 2020.Continue The Netflix documentary series The Last Dance primarily focuses on which NBA player's final season with the Chicago Bulls?AScottie PippenBDennis RodmanCPhil JacksonDMichael JordanCorrect! The Last Dance chronicles Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during their legendary 1997–98 season, widely considered one of the greatest sports documentaries ever made. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews that reveal the drama and genius behind the dynasty.Not quite — the answer is Michael Jordan. While The Last Dance features extensive coverage of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and coach Phil Jackson, it centers squarely on Jordan's legacy and the tension-filled final championship run of the Bulls dynasty. It was released in 2020 and became a global phenomenon.Continue Which Netflix documentary tells the story of Robert Lund and his operation of the Dirty Bird chicken restaurant while secretly running a drug empire?ACocaine CowboysBThe PharmacistCHow to Become a TyrantDDirty MoneyCorrect! Dirty Money is a Netflix documentary series that exposes financial crimes and corruption across multiple episodes, with one episode focusing on a fast-food drug empire. The series covers a wide range of real-world financial scandals involving corporations and powerful individuals.Not quite — the answer is Dirty Money. This Netflix docuseries examines financial crimes and corporate wrongdoing in gripping detail across its episodes. Produced by Alex Gibney, it has been praised for its investigative depth and compelling storytelling.Continue Which Netflix documentary, released in 2021, follows conservationist Ric O'Barry and exposes the controversial dolphin hunting practices in Taiji, Japan?ASeaspiracyBMy Octopus TeacherCThe CoveDBrave Blue WorldCorrect! The Cove is a powerful and award-winning documentary that exposes the annual dolphin drive hunt in Taiji, Japan. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010 and brought international attention to the controversial practice.Not quite — the answer is The Cove. This critically acclaimed documentary follows activist Ric O'Barry, who helped capture the dolphins used in the original Flipper TV series and later dedicated his life to protecting them. It won an Oscar for Best Documentary and remains one of the most impactful environmental films ever made.See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score/ 8Thanks for playing!Try Again 1 Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy Comedian Mo Gilligan eats fried chicken for 28 days straight Late great documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock turned me off McDonald's for years with his trailblazing 2004 film Super Size Me, in which he ate nothing but Micky D's for a month, to disgusting effect. Twenty years on, and now British comedian Mo Gilligan is picking up the greasy gauntlet, but trading Quarter Pounders for battered, deep-fried chicken, in the new Netflix documentary film Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy​​​​​​, which is streaming now. Produced by the same company behind Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere, the self-proclaimed chicken-loving Gilligan traverses from his home base in South London and across the pond to the U.S., feasting on nothing but fried chicken, three times a day for 28 days straight. Along the way, the charismatic and funny Brit also attempts to uncover the social, economic, and industrial factors behind the world's mass consumption of chicken, examining everything from farming practices (with a clandestine night-time sortie to an English chicken farm with animal rights activists) to fast-food chains. And as with Spurlock, Gilligan also keeps close account of the effects the crazy stunt has on his health (it's not good), and speaks to historians, nutrition experts, farmers, doctors, and industry insiders. It's a fun and insightful watch. Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) Brand Apple Operating System tvOS Never a shortage of things to watch Whether you pick any of the great docs on the list above or not, there's always something streaming to dive into. If you're a multi-service streamer, check out what's good this weekend across Netflix, Prime Video, and more, and if you're looking for some suggestions for great shows to download to your devices, just in case, we've got you covered, too. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four Live TV No Price Starting at $8/month