IPTV Free Trial sells an IPTV subscription, not documentaries, so nothing here is ranked or scored and this page reports no measurements of our own. The reason a title is on the list is outside our hands: an Oscar or an Emmy nomination this year. The reason it is useful is the second column, where it actually streams, read on November 12, 2026.
How the list was built
We started from two lists published by the people who hand out the awards. The Academy's ceremony page names the documentary feature and short winners from March 15, 2026. The Television Academy publishes its 2026 nominees for documentary series and documentary specials. Then we kept only the titles we could find on a US platform's own page or on JustWatch's US listings, and left out any whose only US home is a service this site doesn't cover.
One caveat on Netflix: its title pages served us a non-US catalog, so a Netflix title here was confirmed as a Netflix title, not as a US listing. Netflix originals are usually worldwide, but check the app before planning a night around one.
The Oscar winner, and four ways to see it
Mr. Nobody against Putin took Documentary Feature Film. No large subscription service streams it, yet it has the most ways in of any title here. Kino Lorber's own site refused our connection, so the routes below come from JustWatch's US page, which lists the film as a 2025 release running 1h 30min:
If you only want to see it once, the $2.99 rental is the cheapest paid route. If your public library offers Kanopy or Hoopla, check there first.
Films for one evening
- Ocean with David Attenborough (Disney+, 2025, 1h 24m). A survey of the world's underwater habitats that ends on hope: given room, marine life can recover at a scale few expect. An Emmy nominee, and the easiest pick for a family.
- Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV, 2025, 1 hr 44 min). The poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley share what may be their last year together, with more humor than the subject suggests. An Oscar nominee.
- John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video, 2025, 1 h 52 min). Colin Hanks directs a life of the comic actor, told by the people who knew him. Prime Video's page offered it with a Prime trial.
- Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix, 2026). Martin Short looks back with old clips, new interviews and home movies. An Emmy nominee, and the lightest film here.
- All the Empty Rooms (Netflix, 2025, short). A journalist and a photographer record the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. The Oscar-winning short, and the heaviest watch on this page.
If real cases are what you are after, our list of the best crime shows to watch picks up where these films stop.
Series for a week of nights
Mr. Scorsese won the 2026 Emmy for documentary or nonfiction series. Apple TV's US page lists five episodes of roughly 52 to 63 minutes, directed by Rebecca Miller, built on interviews, the director's private archive and talks with actors he has worked with. The page offered 7 days free, then $14.99 a month, which is enough time for the whole series and the Apple film above.
Rafa (Netflix, 2026) is a four-episode limited series in which Rafael Nadal talks plainly about what shaped his tennis as he chases one last big win. For soccer stories, see our best football documentaries.
The American Revolution is Ken Burns's six-part, 12-hour history for PBS. The PBS help page says streaming is limited to residents of the US, its territories and Canada; US viewers have needed PBS Passport since January 2, 2026, and Canadian viewers need Passport through a local PBS station. The show page told our connection no episodes were available, so pick your station first.
Paying for one film without paying for a year
Nine documentaries across six services can look expensive, but few of them need a long commitment. Apple TV's pages offered 7 days free before $14.99 a month, which covers both Apple titles here if you watch them that week. Prime Video's page offered a Prime trial alongside John Candy: I Like Me. The Oscar winner rents for $2.99, and library apps may carry it at no charge. The American Revolution needs PBS Passport, which the PBS help page ties to your local PBS station.
The habit that saves the most money is simple: note the date a trial or month ends, watch what you came for, and cancel before the next bill. Then move on to the next service. In Canada, check JustWatch's Canadian pages or the app itself, because a title listed in the US can sit with a different service north of the border.
Which fits whom
- You have one free evening: Ocean with David Attenborough or Come See Me in the Good Light.
- You already pay for Netflix: Rafa, Marty, Life Is Short and All the Empty Rooms.
- You want to spend almost nothing: Mr. Nobody against Putin through a library app, or the $2.99 rental.
- You love cinema: Mr. Scorsese during Apple TV's free week.
- You live in Canada: The American Revolution, one of the few titles here whose rights holder names Canada outright.
Where an IPTV subscription fits
Documentaries like these belong to the platforms that commissioned or bought them, and each needs that platform's own plan. An IPTV subscription is a different thing: live channels in a player app, often with catch-up, which our guide to catch-up TV explains. IPTV is a legal technology; whether a given service is lawful depends on the rights its seller holds, and we don't publish the rights agreements behind our channels. Read whether IPTV is legal before you buy from anyone.
IPTV Free Trial plans are prepaid for a fixed term and don't renew automatically, per our terms. Prices in US dollars:
| Plan | One device | Two devices | Months of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $19.99 | $31.98 | 1 |
| 3 Months | $29.99 | $47.98 | 3 |
| 6 Months | $39.99 | $63.98 | 6 |
| 12 Months + 2 free | $69.99 | $111.98 | 14 |
Search the guide on the 24-hour free trial before paying, or message Ryan on WhatsApp with a question. Your first purchase carries a 7-day money-back guarantee when a service problem you report can't be fixed; the refund policy has the exact terms. For the year's scripted series, see our TV shows to watch in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which documentary won the 2026 Oscar?
Mr. Nobody against Putin won Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, and All the Empty Rooms won Documentary Short Film, according to the Academy's ceremony page.
Where can I stream Mr. Nobody against Putin in the US?
JustWatch's US page, read on November 12, 2026, listed it on Kino Film Collection at $5.99 a month, on the library apps Kanopy and Hoopla, and to rent for $2.99 on Amazon Video, the Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home.
Can I watch Ken Burns's The American Revolution in Canada?
PBS's help page says streaming is limited to residents of the US, its territories and Canada. In Canada it needs PBS Passport through a local PBS station, and in the US Passport has been needed since January 2, 2026.
Is there a short documentary to start with?
Ocean with David Attenborough runs 1h 24m on its Disney+ page, and Mr. Nobody against Putin 1h 30min on JustWatch. All the Empty Rooms is a documentary short on Netflix, though Netflix showed no running time.
Are these documentaries included with IPTV Free Trial?
We don't promise any of them. Each one is sold by the platform listed next to it. If you want to know what our guide carries, search it yourself during the 24-hour free trial before paying.
Sources
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 98th Oscars, read November 12, 2026
- Television Academy, 2026 documentary series and documentary special nominees, read November 12, 2026
- Apple TV: Mr. Scorsese, Come See Me in the Good Light, read November 12, 2026
- Netflix: Rafa, Marty, Life Is Short, All the Empty Rooms, read November 12, 2026 (non-US catalog served)
- Prime Video, John Candy: I Like Me and Disney+, Ocean with David Attenborough, read November 12, 2026
- PBS help, The American Revolution and PBS show page, read November 12, 2026
- JustWatch US, Mr. Nobody against Putin, read November 12, 2026
Couldn't read: Kino Lorber's own film page (it refused our connection), US-specific Netflix listings (Netflix served another country's catalog), and running times for the Netflix films (none shown). These links pay us nothing.