Image Credit: Netflix
Netflix has five documentaries coming this August, each one completely different from the other. Overall, they cover everything from fast food conspiracies to true crime and the omnipresent profile of a football legend.
In July, Netflix debuted some excellent new documentaries, including highlights Shipwreck: Nightmare at Sea and an utterly captivating, intriguing crime saga a toxic love story. We have five new documentaries coming out in August, covering topics for everyone, whether it’s sports fans, true crime cases, or even a big conspiracy based around fried chicken. Here’s our preview of each.
Check out the full list of what’s coming to Netflix in August 2026 here.
In addition to the original docs below, Netflix will also be adding several licensed docs in August What is Dan eating?.
Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy
coming to netflix: 5 August
Netflix has kicked off its August slate of documentaries with another unique entry. Hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan in his documentary debut, the film explores our global fried chicken obsession – and the hidden costs behind our cravings. In the full 96-minute feature, Mo sets out on an eye-opening journey from South London across the Atlantic to uncover the historical origins of fried chicken, exploring both its economic impact and the major health concerns associated with it, revealing shocking revelations about a food that is so embedded and ubiquitous in cuisines around the world.
Tying the entire documentary together is Mo’s physical experiment: eating fried chicken three times a day for 28 days in a row.
The documentary is produced by award-winning production company Mindhouse, Team Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere.
Inside the Truster Scandal
coming to netflix: 5 August
If big chicken Not for you, Netflix is releasing a very different kind of documentary on the same day. upcoming movie Inside the Truster Scandal The director comes from Karin af Klintberg (good people) and explores the Swedish financial fraud of 1997, detailing how five men take over the investment company Trustor in the spring of 1997, and manage to embezzle upwards of 600 million SK.
The case involved financier Joachim Posner, who was wanted for his involvement in the Trustor affair but was never actually found guilty. He managed to escape from all authorities for almost 30 years. What makes this documentary particularly unique is that it includes an exclusive interview with Posner, who addresses all the key elements of the case. It includes additional interviews with those closest to the case and those who ultimately exposed it.
mourinho
Coming to Netflix: 11 August
Portuguese football manager José Mourinho is one of the most famous figures in modern football. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, he is known for his mysterious style and controversial approach to the game – there is no one like him. During 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 too many other honors to enumerate.
This documentary highlights the career of Mourinho, including interviews with the man himself, as well as praise and anecdotes from the people who knew him best, from Sir Alex Ferguson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Frank Lampard.
It also gives the audience an inside look at his tactical style. Mourinho uses a winning formula and competitive edge that many do not possess, but that does not mean that there were not certain ‘dark arts’ involved in football.
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing
coming to netflix: 19 August
Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing This is not the first time that the aircraft manufacturer has been the target of a Netflix documentary; The streamer first discovered the corporation Fallout: The case against Boeing (2022), which explored two Boeing 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people. This 90-minute documentary serves as a follow-up to the one created by the same team.
Directed by Rory Kennedy, Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing Provides an in-depth look at the drama and controversies surrounding Boeing, including the death of former quality manager and whistleblower John Barnett, who worked at Boeing for more than 30 years. This includes testimony from other whistleblowers who reported safety concerns to managers and were ignored. It argues that Boeing prioritized profits over safety, with compelling evidence.
The film premiered at the DC/DOX Film Festival on June 14, 2026, and will be released exclusively on Netflix on August 19.
Chompoo: Lost and Forgotten
Coming to Netflix: 20 August
Chompoo: Lost and Forgotten Made history as the first Netflix true-crime documentary to come from Thailand. The film takes viewers back to 2020, when three-year-old Orawan ‘Nong Chompu’ Wongsricha went missing from a remote village in Thailand, leading to an intense police investigation. Her body was found in Phu Fa Yon National Park three days after she went missing. The case immediately created a media uproar.
What makes this case particularly interesting is how it developed. Oravan’s uncle-in-law Chapol became a huge national celebrity, achieving online popularity, including a YouTube channel with over 350,000 subscribers – all while being accused of a crime.
Which of these documentaries should you be watching? Let us know in the comments below!
