3 intriguing HBO Max documentaries to watch this weekend (August 21-23)

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek Published Aug 21, 2026, 2:30 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 If you've fired up HBO Max in the past few days, you've undoubtedly noticed the spotlight firmly focused on its new DCU series, Lanterns, and, if you're really caught up, the new season of Conan O'Brien Must Go—both of which we wrote about earlier this week. But while the superhero and traveling comedian have been distracting everyone, the streamer's documentary library—new and old—is still more than capable of entertaining you. This weekend is a good example of that, first with the premiere of a bonkers new TLC show where real ER patients relive some terrifying trips to the hospital and share their own footage; second, an inside tag-along with the Seattle Seahawks; and lastly, an acclaimed bio-doc about a restless celebrity chef to tie into a new movie about him that goes wide in theaters this weekend. 3 ER: Caught on Camera (Season 1) Wild and terrifying emergencies, filmed by the patients themselves HBO may be the home of prestige TV, but when it has its wild cousin from out of town, TLC, over, you know the stories are going to be off the chain. The often-salacious reality-centric channel (lovingly referred to as "Terrible Life Choices") has been mining hospital drama for decades, but its latest series hands the cameras over to patients instead. ER: Caught on Camera rolled out on TLC on Wednesday, with each of its eight weekly episodes hitting HBO Max the next day. The voyeuristic series pairs some gobsmacking self-shot footage of real ER emergencies with sit-down interviews and stories from the people they happened to. Real ER doctors and experts also help break down the cases and treatments, as the patients relive them. While some are lighter and less intense, be warned: some are harrowing close calls and can be tough to watch. Everything and anything can happen, and it runs the gamut—everything from cardiac arrests, botched lip augmentations, and massive bee swarms to a woman with a rare split uterus and an animal trainer in Utah who gets death-rolled by an alligator during a live feeding. Buckle up. Fire TV Stick 4K Operating System FireOS Resolution 4K 2 Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks Embedded and behind-the-scenes with the Super Bowl champs The Emmy-winning HBO sports documentary series has been giving football fans in-depth behind-the-scenes looks at the sport's best teams for 21 seasons now, but Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks, now three episodes in, is the first to do so with a defending Super Bowl champion. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeName that sports documentaryTrivia challenge From climbing El Capitan to coaching a Welsh football club — can you name the award-winning sports doc from the clues? ClimbingCyclingBoxingBasketballSoccer Begin This Oscar-winning documentary follows Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to climb El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes or safety equipment. What is it called? AThe AlpinistBFree SoloCMeruDThe Rescue Correct! Free Solo won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, it captured Alex Honnold's historic 2017 free solo climb of El Capitan's 3,000-foot face in breathtaking and nerve-shredding detail. Not quite — the answer is Free Solo. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2019 and followed climber Alex Honnold's attempt to scale El Capitan without ropes. The film was directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, who were also capturing footage while dangling thousands of feet in the air. Continue This Netflix documentary began as an investigation into Russian doping at the Olympics but became a bombshell exposé that rocked the world of professional cycling and athletics. What is it called? AStop at NothingBThe ProgramCIcarusDArmstrong Correct! Icarus won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2018. What began as filmmaker Bryan Fogel's personal experiment in doping for an amateur cycling race turned into a geopolitical thriller when he connected with Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov, who revealed the state-sponsored doping program. Not quite — the answer is Icarus. The 2018 Oscar-winning Netflix documentary started as a simple personal experiment by director Bryan Fogel, who wanted to test whether he could improve his cycling performance through doping. It spiraled into an international scandal when his contact, Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, revealed the full scope of Russia's Olympic cheating program. Continue This Oscar-winning documentary chronicles the legendary 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle' heavyweight championship fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. What is it called? AAliBThrilla in ManilaCThe GreatestDWhen We Were Kings Correct! When We Were Kings won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1997. Directed by Leon Gast, the film used footage shot during the 1974 fight and was finally edited and released more than two decades later. It remains one of the most celebrated sports documentaries ever made. Not quite — the answer is When We Were Kings. Directed by Leon Gast, this Oscar-winning film documents Muhammad Ali's stunning upset victory over a heavily favored George Foreman in 1974. The documentary itself took over 20 years to make it to theaters, finally winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1997. Continue This Emmy-winning ESPN documentary series goes behind the scenes of the Chicago Bulls' 1997–98 season and charts the dynasty built around Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. What is it called? AThe Last DanceBLong ShotCOne and DoneDHoop Dreams Correct! The Last Dance won multiple Emmy Awards after its 2020 release, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The 10-part series gave fans unprecedented access to the Bulls' final championship run, featuring legendary footage and candid interviews with Jordan, Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and coach Phil Jackson. Not quite — the answer is The Last Dance. This 10-part ESPN docuseries won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2020 and drew massive audiences during the early pandemic lockdowns. It gave viewers an extraordinary inside look at the Chicago Bulls dynasty and Michael Jordan's relentless drive to win a sixth NBA championship. Continue This Emmy-winning docuseries follows Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after they purchase a struggling Welsh football club in the fifth tier of English football. What is it called? ASunderland 'Til I DieBWelcome to WrexhamCTake Us HomeDNext Goal Wins Correct! Welcome to Wrexham won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2023. The FX series documents Reynolds and McElhenney's unlikely takeover of Wrexham AFC, one of the oldest football clubs in the world, and their mission to guide the team back up through the English football pyramid. Not quite — the answer is Welcome to Wrexham. This Emmy-winning FX docuseries follows Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator Rob McElhenney as they buy Wrexham AFC, a real club with a passionate fanbase in North Wales. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2023 and has been praised for its heartfelt storytelling. Continue This Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary follows Italian freediver Alessia Zecchini and Irish safety diver Stephen Keenan as they push the limits of human endurance beneath the ocean's surface. What is it called? AThe RescueBInto the DeepCThe Deepest BreathDSeaspiracy Correct! The Deepest Breath is a 2023 Netflix documentary directed by Laura McGann. It tells the intertwining stories of Alessia Zecchini, one of the world's greatest freedivers, and Stephen Keenan, the safety diver she fell in love with, building toward a record-breaking dive with devastating consequences. Not quite — the answer is The Deepest Breath. This gripping 2023 Netflix documentary by director Laura McGann follows champion freediver Alessia Zecchini and safety diver Stephen Keenan. It earned Emmy attention for its masterful storytelling, weaving together two extraordinary lives connected by their passion for the ocean's extreme depths. Continue Free Solo director Jimmy Chin was also co-director of which earlier climbing documentary, which follows three elite mountaineers attempting a notoriously dangerous route in the Indian Himalayas? AThe AlpinistBMeruCTouching the VoidDValley Uprising Correct! Meru was co-directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi in 2015, the same duo behind Free Solo. The film documents their own harrowing attempt to climb the Shark's Fin route on Meru Peak in India, widely considered one of the most technically demanding climbs in the world. Not quite — the answer is Meru. Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi in 2015, this documentary captures their own personal attempt to scale one of the most difficult climbing routes in existence. The film set the stage for their later Oscar-winning collaboration on Free Solo, cementing them as the premier filmmakers in the adventure sports documentary genre. Continue When We Were Kings documents Muhammad Ali's victory over George Foreman in 1974, but how did Ali famously describe his fighting strategy used to tire Foreman out during that bout? AStick and moveBRope-a-dopeCFloat like a butterflyDThe Louisville shuffle Correct! Ali called his strategy the 'rope-a-dope,' in which he leaned against the ropes and covered up, letting the hard-hitting Foreman punch himself into exhaustion before Ali unleashed a flurry in the eighth round to win the title. The tactic became one of the most celebrated and imitated strategies in boxing history. Not quite — the answer is the rope-a-dope. Ali deliberately leaned on the ropes and absorbed Foreman's powerful punches while protecting himself, allowing the harder-hitting champion to tire himself out. It was a bold and controversial gamble that shocked the boxing world, and When We Were Kings captures the tension and drama of that historic strategy perfectly. See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again If you've been distracted with other HBO Max shows and haven't started yet, don't worry—there's still time to get caught up before the September 1 finale. And so far, the season has been a doozy. With HBO and NFL Films' cameras getting unprecedented access to the team, coaches, and staff—on the field, in the locker room, at home—the heat has been rising as Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald feels the pressure to defend the title. The players are feeling it, too, as the season's storylines follow everyone from cornerback Devon Witherspoon to quarterback Sam Darnold, but also capture some key moments like Macdonald enthusiastically dubbing star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba the "Silver Surfer." With mic'd-up practices (the chatter is hilarious) and Liev Schreiber's smooth narration, Hard Knocks is the gold standard of NFL docuseries. Hard Knocks Release Date August 6, 2024 Cast Liev Schreiber Main Genre Documentary Creator(s) Marty Callner Seasons 21 1 Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain A loving and raw portrait of the beloved nomad chef It's been more than eight years since the death of TV's most beloved nomadic chef and travel guru, Anthony Bourdain, and we're still feeling it. With the highly anticipated wide theatrical release of Matt Johnson's new biopic, Tony, this weekend, I found a perfect appetizer streaming on HBO Max—Morgan Neville's (20 Feet from Stardom) gorgeous documentary, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain. An Oscar-winning director, Neville uses a mountain of beautiful and intimate archival footage, unaired outtakes from his shows, and more, as he traces Bourdain's unlikely rise from a little-known New York restaurant through his Kitchen Confidential stardom and his evolution into a world-travelling TV host. Bourdain's own voice from the footage narrates much of his journey, but there's also plenty of insightful and touching interview time with subjects like chefs Éric Ripert and David Chang, artist David Choe, and most importantly, Bourdain's second wife, Ottavia Busia. The 91%-rated doc is a must-see for fans of the charismatic Bourdain. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain Release Date July 16, 2021 Cast Anthony Bourdain, Asia Argento Runtime 119 Minutes Director Morgan Neville Main Genre Documentary Diverse docs for the weekend On its own, a great documentary is a brilliant way to learn and dive into a world or subject that you're curious about or didn't even know you were curious about. In the case of Roadrunner and series like Hard Knocks, they can also help add context and further enjoyment to other current movies and live events. Hopefully these picks add something to your week either way. Subscription with ads Yes, $10.99/month Simultaneous streams 2 or 4 HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more. In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut "HBO" from its name. Live TV Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans Price Starting at $10.99/month or $109.99/year