The Best Documentaries and Docuseries to Stream: September 2026’s Top Picks

Gunn speaks candidly about the psychological toll of the global "pile-on." She discusses the conspiracy theories that emerged regarding her qualification for the Olympic team and the professional repercussions she faced in her academic and personal life. Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly serves as a cautionary tale about the intersection of niche sports, the Olympic stage, and the merciless nature of internet culture. It is a squirm-inducing watch at times, but it ultimately provides a sympathetic look at the person behind the meme, questioning the ethics of a world that can turn an athlete into a punchline overnight.

3. Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story (Prime Video)

Prime Video has adopted a "quality over quantity" approach to its documentary output, and Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story is a prime example of that strategy succeeding. The 90-minute feature focuses on DeSean Jackson, one of the most electric and polarizing wide receivers to ever play in the NFL. While football fans may remember him for his blistering speed and game-changing plays—most notably his legendary walk-off punt return for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants—this documentary is far more interested in the man than the highlight reel.

Writer-director Mandon Lovett was granted access to a truly unique archive: nearly 35 years of home movies captured by DeSean’s older brother, Byron. An aspiring filmmaker who also had a stint on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, Byron spent decades obsessively filming his family’s journey. This wealth of footage allows the documentary to track DeSean’s life with an intimacy rarely seen in sports biographies. It follows him from the youth leagues of California to his standout years with the Golden Bears and through his 15-season professional career.

The film excels at portraying the "cost" of the NFL dream. It delves into the internal family friction, the pressures of high-level athletics, and the personal struggles that accompanied Jackson’s rise to fame. By balancing the "electric" on-field persona with the "enigmatic" off-field reality, Go Deep provides a nuanced portrait of an athlete who was often misunderstood by the public and the media. It is a story of ambition, family loyalty, and the complex reality of living life in the professional spotlight.

2. A Killer Story (HBO Max)

HBO Max continues to maintain its status as a premier destination for high-quality investigative true crime. With A Killer Story, director Matthew Galkin pivots the focus from the crime itself to the people who become obsessed with solving it. The three-part series revisits a tragic case from 2002 in Topeka, Kansas, involving the murders of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. Dana Chandler, Sisco’s ex-wife, was eventually convicted of the crime in 2012, but the legal saga was only just beginning.

The documentary follows seasoned journalist Joe Sexton as he is drawn into the case by Eileen Umbehr, an amateur sleuth who became convinced of Chandler’s innocence. A Killer Story is a fascinating examination of the "armchair detective" phenomenon that has exploded in the age of podcasts and streaming. It tracks the decades-long obsession of Umbehr and her husband, who effectively made the Chandler case their life’s work, leading to three separate trials between 2012 and 2025.