Picture Credit: Netflix
Netflix has five documentaries coming our way this August, each one completely different from the other. Altogether, they cover everything from fast food conspiracies to true crime to an all-encompassing profile of a football legend.
In July, Netflix debuted some excellent new documentaries, with highlights including Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea and a completely captivating, twisty crime saga with A Toxic Love Story. We have five new documentaries on the way in August, spanning topics for everyone, whether it’s sports fans, twisty true crime cases, or even a vast conspiracy surrounding fried chicken. Here’s our preview of each.
Check here for the full list of what’s coming to Netflix in August 2026.
In addition to the below Originals, Netflix will also add a number of licensed docs in August, including What’s Eating Dan?.
Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy
Coming to Netflix: August 5
Netflix kicks off its August slate of documentaries with one of its more unique entries. Hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan in his first-ever documentary, this film explores our global fried chicken obsession — and the hidden costs behind our cravings. Throughout the 96-minute feature, Mo embarks on an eye-opening journey taking him from South London across the Atlantic to reveal the historical origins of fried chicken, exploring both its economic impact and the major health concerns that surround it, leading to shocking revelations about a food that’s so ingrained and ubiquitous in worldwide cuisine.
Piecing the entire documentary together is Mo’s physical experiment: eating fried chicken three times a day for 28 days straight.
The documentary is produced by the award-winning production company Mindhouse, the team behind Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere.
Inside the Trustor Scandal
Coming to Netflix: August 5
If Big Chicken isn’t for you, Netflix is releasing a very different type of documentary on the same day. Upcoming film Inside the Trustor Scandal comes from director Karin af Klintberg (Nice People) and explores the 1997 Swedish financial fraud, chronicling how five people acquired investment company Trustor in spring 1997, managing to siphon off upwards of 600 million SEK.
The case involved financier Joachim Posener, who was wanted for his participation in the Trustor affair but never actually found guilty. He managed to evade all authorities for almost 30 years. What makes this documentary particularly unique is that it features an exclusive interview with Posener himself, who addresses all the key elements of the case. It features additional interviews with those closest to the case and the people who ultimately exposed it.
MOURINHO
Coming to Netflix: August 11
Portuguese football manager José Mourinho is one of the most legendary figures in modern football. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One,’ he is known for his enigmatic style and controversial approaches to the sport — there’s nobody quite like him. Throughout his illustrious managerial career, Mourinho has won 26 major honours, including the UEFA Champions League twice with Porto and Inter Milan, as well as the English Premier League three times with Chelsea. And there are plenty more honours to count.
This documentary unpacks Mourinho’s career, including interviews with the man himself, as well as testimonies and anecdotes from people who know him best, from Sir Alex Ferguson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Frank Lampard.
It also gives viewers an inside look at his tactical style. Mourinho harnesses a winning formula and a competitive edge that many don’t possess, but that’s not to say there weren’t certain footballing ‘dark arts’ involved.
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing
Coming to Netflix: August 19
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing isn’t the first time that the aircraft manufacturer has been under the lens of a Netflix documentary; the streamer previously explored the corporation in Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022), which explored the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people. This 90-minute documentary serves as a follow-up, made by the same team.
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing delves deeper into the drama and controversies surrounding Boeing, including the death of John Barnett, the former quality manager and whistleblower who worked at Boeing for over 30 years. It features testimonies from other whistleblowers who reported safety concerns to managers and were overlooked. It argues that Boeing prioritised profits over safety, complete with captivating evidence.
The film premiered at the DC/DOX Film Festival on June 14, 2026, and will release exclusively on Netflix on August 19.
Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten
Coming to Netflix: August 20
Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten makes history as the first Netflix true-crime documentary to come out of Thailand. The film takes viewers back to 2020, when three-year-old Orawan ‘Nong Chompoo’ Wongsricha vanished from a remote village in Thailand, prompting a thorough police investigation. Three days after her disappearance, her body was found in Phu Pha Yon National Park. The case caused an instant media storm.
What makes this case particularly interesting is how it developed. Orawan’s uncle-in-law Chaipol became a massive national celebrity, gaining immense online traction, including a YouTube channel with over 350,000 subscribers — all while being accused of the crime.
Which of these documentaries will you be watching? Tell us in the comments down below!