October is shaping up to be a packed month for documentary lovers on Netflix, with the streamer bringing a fascinating mix of real-life stories to screens. From legendary athletes and comedy icons to fashion, music, crime, survival, and deeply personal portraits, the upcoming lineup covers plenty of ground. Some of the titles are Netflix Originals, while others are licensed documentaries making their way to the streaming giant after festival runs or theatrical releases.

Here are all 12 documentaries currently scheduled to arrive on Netflix throughout October 2026.

Michael Schumacher is one of the most recognizable names in Formula 1, and Schumacher ’94 — The Birth of a Legend looks back at the season that helped transform him from a rising talent into a national hero in Germany.

The documentary revisits the 1994 Formula 1 season, a year marked by tragedy, controversy, and the arrival of a new generation of racing stars.

 It features rare archival footage alongside interviews with people who knew Schumacher and followed his career closely, including his wife and confidante Corinna Schumacher, former driver David Coulthard, former manager Willi Weber, and German sports reporter Kai Ebel.

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For F1 fans, the documentary offers a closer look at the season that became a defining chapter in Schumacher’s legendary career, releasing on October 2.

Few names are more closely connected to American comedy than Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live. This documentary explores his life, career, and enduring influence on the comedy world.

Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, Lorne brings together stories and interviews from a star-studded group of comedy figures, set to be on Netflix on October 5. Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph, Chris Rock, and others contribute their perspectives on Michaels and his remarkable career.

The documentary was released earlier in 2026 before heading to Netflix as a licensed title, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at one of television comedy’s most influential figures.

Martin Mull was far more than an actor. Throughout his career, he moved between music, comedy, television, film, and visual art, constantly reinventing himself along the way. And Who Is Martin Mull? celebrates the late entertainer, who died in 2024 at the age of 81, through testimonials from people who knew and worked with him. Steve Martin, Tom Waits, and David Alan Grier are among those featured.

The documentary follows Mull’s journey from smoky folk clubs to television sitcoms and gallery walls, while revisiting some of his best-known roles. Fans may remember him as Leon Carp on Roseanne, Willard Kraft on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Gene Parmesan on Arrested Development, or Colonel Mustard in Clue. The documentary is set to release on October 7.

Fashion and celebrity culture collide in The First Monday in May, a documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of one of the biggest events on the fashion calendar.

Directed by Andrew Rossi, the film follows the creation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2015 exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass. Curator Andrew Bolton spearheaded the exhibition, which explored the relationship between Chinese aesthetics and Western fashion.

The documentary also takes audiences behind the scenes of the star-studded gala that accompanied the exhibition and is all set to release on October 10.

Free Leonard Peltier explores the decades-long campaign surrounding Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier and the effort to secure his release from prison, and is set to release on October 12.

The two-hour documentary comes from filmmakers Jesse Short Bull and David France. It follows the long-running movement surrounding Peltier’s imprisonment and the people who have spent decades campaigning on his behalf.

The documentary arrives as part of Netflix’s continued acquisition of documentaries that have made an impact on the film festival circuit, following titles such as Teenage Wasteland.

Mike Tyson’s life has been filled with extraordinary highs and difficult lows, and Netflix’s four-part documentary TYSON, coming on October 13, promises to explore both sides of the heavyweight champion’s story.

Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history at just 20 years old. But his journey extended far beyond the boxing ring, encompassing incarceration, financial struggles, substance abuse, controversies, and personal battles.

The series aims to present a broad portrait of Tyson rather than simply celebrating his sporting achievements. Tyson himself explained that the project was about confronting his life honestly, including both the good and the bad.

The documentary is developed by Floyd Russ, who previously worked on American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing.

Release date: October 16

One of hip-hop’s strangest and most fascinating stories gets the documentary treatment with The Disciple — A Wu-Tang Fable, all set to release on October 16. It explores the creation of Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary secret album, 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.' Recorded over six years and sealed inside an ornate silver case, the album was sold at auction in 2015 for a reported $2 million.

But there was one extraordinary condition attached to the sale: the album could not be commercially released until 2103.

Directed by Oscar winner Joanna Natasegara, the documentary traces the album’s unusual journey, its origins, and the mythology surrounding it. While viewers will not get to hear the secret record itself, the film dives into the story behind one of music’s most unusual releases.

Another comedy legend takes center stage with Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald, directed by Judd Apatow, set for streaming on October 16. The documentary celebrates the late comedian’s distinctive brand of dry and absurd humor, revisiting his career from Saturday Night Live to his stand-up work and beyond.

Rather than relying solely on traditional interviews, the film incorporates home videos and photographs submitted by friends and fans. It also features footage of Macdonald interacting with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and David Letterman.

The result is an intimate portrait of one of comedy’s most distinctive voices and a look at the moments that made Macdonald so memorable.

Maria Bamford’s comedy has always drawn heavily from her own experiences, and Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story promises to take an even closer look at the woman behind the jokes.

Bamford began her career in the 1990s and eventually became known for her deeply personal and surreal approach to stand-up. She also starred in Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, a sitcom loosely inspired by her own life.

Directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley, the documentary follows Bamford from her childhood in Minnesota to her life and career in Los Angeles. It is releasing on October 23.

Surviving Hurricane Otis turns to a devastating natural disaster for its story, following two half-brothers as they fight to survive Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico. The documentary, releasing on October 13,  focuses on their relationship as they face the destruction around them, with their brotherhood and determination becoming central to the story.

Hurricane Otis struck Mexico in October 2023 and caused widespread devastation. The storm was recorded as the costliest Pacific hurricane on record, with at least 52 people killed and 32 others reported missing.

For millions of viewers, Matthew Perry will forever be Chandler Bing from Friends. But Netflix’s three-part documentary The One About Matthew Perry looks beyond the sitcom character to explore the man and the struggles he faced away from the spotlight.

Perry died in October 2023, leaving behind a career defined by one of television’s most beloved sitcom characters as well as his public advocacy around addiction and recovery.

Directed by Emmy winner Mary Robertson, the documentary uses intimate testimonies from Perry’s family and friends to explore his life, career, and long-running personal battles. Arriving three years after his death on October 28, the series aims to offer a more personal portrait of Perry beyond the character that made him famous.

Netflix closes out its October documentary lineup with a look at one of the most influential sketch-comedy shows of all time: Second City Television, better known as SCTV. The series began in 1976 and became a launchpad for an extraordinary collection of comedy talent, including John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, and Harold Ramis.

Produced by Jimmy Kimmel, SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of explores how a small Canadian production grew into a cultural phenomenon. The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage alongside stories from an emotional cast reunion in Toronto, releasing on October 29.

October’s Netflix documentary lineup has something for every kind of viewer, bringing together stories of icons, athletes, artists, comedians, musicians, and extraordinary real-life experiences.

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Which documentary are you most excited to watch? Let us know in the comments.