3 fresh new Netflix documentaries to watch this weekend (October 9-11)

Published Oct 9, 2026, 11:00 AM 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 Netflix's prestige scripted hits like Florence Pugh's chart-topping East of Eden might get the lion's share of the hype, but documentaries and docuseries reliably rank as some of the streamer's most-watched programming. It turns out that even the greatest writers can't script some of the head-shaking storylines that only real life can conjure. As October's days fall away, Netflix does what Netflix does—keep rolling out docs for U.S. subscribers—from 2026 newcomers to borrowing older gems from elsewhere to rattle your brain. This weekend's top pick is one of the latter: a candid look at one of America's greatest rock and roll bands. 3 Who Is Martin Mull? Gene Parmesan was just one of his many disguises Watching the heartfelt and fascinating new Netflix documentary Who Is Martin Mull?, four words kept popping into my head around every corner: "I had no idea." Whether you knew of him at all or only recognized him from his various TV appearances on shows like Roseanne or Arrested Development, you're about to be enlightened by the story of a Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Renaissance man who died in 2024. Co-directed by Neil Berkeley and the late Bob Saget, who interviews Mull on camera (recorded between 2018 and Saget's death in 2022), the doc traces Mull's storied career and constant reinventions. The actor, musician, producer, and comic was a big deal in the '70s. Let's run down some of his little-known accomplishments: with his unique folk musical comedy act, he opened for some of the biggest acts in the world, including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Frank Zappa; he guest-hosted The Tonight Show more than 30 times; he then went on to have an insane career as an actor, appearing in countless TV shows and movies. OK, now that you know at least a little about him, it's time for another curveball—he was an accomplished, world-class painter who considered all that entertainment stuff his day job so he could fund his art. Mull tells much of the story himself, but he gets help from some of his famous friends and admirers, including Tom Waits, Steve Martin, Fred Willard, Patton Oswalt, and David Alan Grier. Who Is Martin Mull? Release Date October 7, 2026 Runtime 94 minutes Director Bob Saget, Neil Berkeley Producers Neil Berkeley, Sean Bradley, Tara Billik Main Genre Documentary Executive Producer(s) Bob Saget, Caitrin Rogers, Kevin S. Bright, Morgan Neville 2 The First Monday in May Behind the scenes of fashion's biggest night File The First Monday in May under documentaries that you may not have sought out but turn out to be fascinating deep dives. Your knowledge of the Met Gala might only be from your social media feed exploding with the world's biggest stars wearing the world's wildest outfits, but this 90-minute feature will fix that and provide some eye-opening context. Filmed over eight months of shadowing famed Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Met curator Andrew Bolton as they put together the 2015 Met Gala, with its theme China: Through the Looking Glass, The First Monday in May combines fly-on-the-wall footage with interviews and interactions, many of which get heated as politics, artistic vision, and cultural sensitivities are discussed and debated. Bolton steals much of the doc, as it delves into everything from seating-chart foibles, haggling over Rihanna's performance fee, an awkward Beijing press junket, and a confrontation between Bolton and the exhibit's creative director, filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. Baz Luhrmann, Karl Lagerfeld, and Jean Paul Gaultier get involved before Rihanna's iconic yellow gown steals the show. The First Monday in May starts streaming on October 10. The First Monday in May Release Date April 15, 2016 Cast Andrew Bolton, Wong Kar-wai, Karl Lagerfeld, Rihanna, Anna Wintour, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Riccardo Tisci, Bill Cunningham, André Leon Talley Runtime 91 minutes Director Andrew Rossi Producers Skot Bright, Dawn Ostroff, Sylvana Ward Durrett, Matthew Weaver Main Genre Documentary Executive Producer(s) Brent Almond, Sarah Arison, Jason Beckman, Brett Dahl, Ken Halsband, Ryan Kavanaugh, Tucker Tooley 1 History of the Eagles You can check out anytime you like... Love them or hate them, the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is America's all-time best-selling album, ahead of Thriller and another Eagles monster, Hotel California. But as is commonly known, there weren't a lot of peaceful, easy feelings between the iconic band's members, and this Emmy-winning documentary from 2013, which recently landed on Netflix, exposes it all. History of the Eagles was originally a two-part series, but it's been packaged as a single three-hour movie for streaming on Netflix. The first two hours follow co-founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley from their time as Linda Ronstadt's backing band, through the Eagles' formation in 1971, and across their rise to superstardom in the '70s. "Part one" wraps with their dramatic and shocking 1980 breakup, and includes the notorious on-stage confrontation between Frey and guitarist Don Felder in Long Beach that sealed the band's fate. The final hour then pivots to the band's various solo careers leading up to what would become one of the most successful reunions ever with their 1994 Hell Freezes Over tour. If you're an Eagles fan, you'll love the walk down memory lane as it's full of amazing concert footage and home movies, all mixed together with interviews with all seven members. History of the Eagles Release Date 2013 - 2013-00-00 Network Showtime Directors Alison Ellwood Cast Glenn Frey Self (archive footage) Producers Alex Gibney Seasons 1 Documentaries, thrillers, comedies, and more If you're a documentary buff like me, check How-To Geek every Friday for a new list of new and noteworthy docs on Netflix. We also regularly round up the latest movies, thrillers, comedies, and more each week. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four Live TV No Price Starting at $8/month Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.