Best new documentaries to watch on Netflix UK
A Dutch con-artist and an inspirational true story top July's picks
For true crime lovers, the chilling documentary Man with 1000 Kids is a must-see. According to his victims, the handsome and charismatic Jonathan Meijer seemed like the ideal sperm donor. He promised to father only five children through donation, but the truth was very different. Man with 1000 Kids features exclusive interviews with the families he defrauded, as they battle to change international law to prevent Meijer's continued sperm donations.
For celebrity scandal, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam explores the crimes of former Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC manager Lou Pearlman. Featuring candid interviews with stars including Backstreet Boys’ AJ and Howie, plus *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, the doc examines how Pearlman built his music empire on fraudulent wealth. As well as exploiting his musical talent, Pearlman was operating one of the most extensive and long-running Ponzi schemes in US history.
Two influencers creating art from illegally climbing skyscrapers are the focus of Skywalkers: A Love Story. This documentary follows Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, who share more than a million social media followers between them, as they begin preparation to climb Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118 - the world's second tallest structure. What makes two people determined to break all the rules for their art and each other?
Continuing the climbing theme is award-winning filmmaker Lucy Walker's depiction of the inspiring return of Lhakpa Sherpa. Now a 48-year-old supermarket worker and single mum, Sherpa was the first Nepali woman to summit and descend Mount Everest in 2000. Hoping to reverse her family fortunes and inspire her daughters, Sherpa decides to break one more record: to become the first woman to summit and descend Everest ten times. Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa is her story.
Read on for our full list of new documentaries below, or try something different with our best Amazon Prime Video films or BBC iPlayer films.
The Man with 1000 Kids
Documentary
Summary:A group of families learn the charismatic man they had trusted is sperm donor to hundreds — or perhaps thousands — of other children across the world.
Skywalkers: A Love Story
Documentary | Romance | Thriller
2024 | Jeff Zimbalist | 101 mins | 18
Summary:Two real-life daredevils test the limits of their love and trust by illegally scaling one of the world's tallest buildings to perform an acrobatic stunt.
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
Documentary
2024 | Lucy Walker | 104 mins | 12A
Summary:A Nepali mountaineer risks everything on a record-breaking Mount Everest climb to secure a brighter future for her daughters.
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
Documentary | Crime
Summary:Backstreet Boys. NSYNC. Lou Pearlman created the biggest boy bands of the '90s — and one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history.
Simone Biles Rising
Documentary
Summary:Follow gymnast Simone Biles as she balances her personal life, mental health journey and training ahead of a highly anticipated return to the Olympics.
Tour de France: Unchained
Documentary
Summary:Through tears and triumph, this series follows several cycling teams as they compete in the 2022 installment of the world's most grueling bike race.
Unsolved Mysteries
Documentary | Drama | Mystery
Summary:Real cases of perplexing disappearances, shocking murders and paranormal encounters fuel this gripping revival of the iconic documentary series.
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
Documentary | Comedy
2024 | Page Hurwitz | 100 mins
Summary:This rapturous documentary steps into the dynamic world of queer stand-up and examines the powerful cultural influence it has had on social change in America. The film combines rare archival materials, stand-up performances, and interviews with a show-stopping lineup to present a definitive history of queer comedy.
The Yara Gambirasio Case: Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Documentary
Summary:This docuseries digs into the disappearance of 13-year-old Yara and the disconcerting investigation that shattered the peace of a small Italian town.
How to Rob a Bank
Documentary | Crime
2024 | Stephen Robert Morse | 87 mins | 15
Summary:In this true-crime documentary, a charismatic rebel in 1990s Seattle pulls off an unprecedented string of bank robberies straight out of the movies.
