Sports
August 11, 2023
What Did We Learn From the Johnny Manziel Netflix Documentary?
As the NFL (and CFL, and AAF) washout prepares a College Station comeback, a new film tells Johnny Football's story.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Documentary
Latest
1-50 of 68 Articles
Press Room
July 14, 2023
Texas Monthly Expands Into Feature Documentaries With Upcoming Film
TM has partnered with Peabody- and Critics’ Choice Award–winning filmmaker Deborah Esquenazi on the project.
Film & TV
May 23, 2023
‘How to Create a Sex Scandal’: What You Need to Know About the New Docuseries
The Max docuseries debuting today sheds new light on my reporting for Texas Monthly.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Texas Country Reporter
April 29, 2023
Confessions of a Nature-Documentary Filmmaker
For decades, Lubbock-based filmmaker Dale Johnson traveled the globe documenting the beauty, power, and fragility of the natural world.
Film & TV
January 31, 2023
The Year’s Most Fascinating Documentary Won’t Be at the Oscars
Margaret Brown’s remarkable ‘Descendant’ deserved to take its case for reparations to an audience of millions.
Film & TV
January 25, 2023
Kandy Kaye Horn Was Unknown When She Ran for Governor. A New Documentary Only Deepens the Mystery.
With ‘The Baroness From Kaufman County,’ two Austin filmmakers help the East Texas philanthropist tell her story the way she sees it.
Film & TV
December 8, 2022
The Ballad of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the Boy From Huntsville
Somewhere inside every story—including the one in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to step back from the royal family, as told on Netflix’s ‘Harry & Meghan’—lies a Texan.
True Crime
December 1, 2022
Who Was Robert Abel, the Former NASA Engineer Suspected in the Texas Killing Fields Murders?
A new Netflix docuseries revisits the string of murders near League City. Texas Monthly interviewed Abel in 1999.
Film & TV
November 11, 2022
‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’ Is a Horror Film About Fame
Multiple times throughout the documentary, Gomez repeats that she no longer craves stardom. But what the singer wants instead remains unclear.
Sports
June 22, 2022
This Nolan Ryan Documentary Is a Love Story (and a Home Run)
'Facing Nolan' has all the high heat and bench-clearing brawls that MLB fans expect. But deep down, the film is about a beautiful marriage.
Film & TV
June 2, 2022
‘Deep in the Heart’ Gives Texas the ‘Planet Earth’ Treatment
The visually stunning new nature documentary, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, is a delight.
Film & TV
March 21, 2022
Three Must-Watch Texas Documentaries
SXSW showcased a bevy of films by or about Texans this year. Two sports legends and a disabled Texan were the subjects of three that stood out from the pack.
Film & TV
March 21, 2022
‘What We Leave Behind’ Was the Surprise Masterpiece of SXSW
El Paso filmmaker Iliana Sosa’s feature documentary debut follows her Mexican grandfather, reflecting on life, legacy, and connection.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
March 19, 2022
A Christian Parent of a Trans Child Battles the Texas Government in a New Doc
‘Mama Bears’ ties together the stories of three conservative families with LGBTQ children, but as the only trans child in the film, Kai Shappley stands out.
Music
March 18, 2022
In New Documentary, Tanya Tucker Is All Legend
No country music fan will be disappointed by ‘The Return of Tanya Tucker,’ which puts the focus on artistry and that one-in-a-million voice.
Film & TV
January 31, 2022
‘Mija’ Captures the Beauty and Pressure of Life as a First-generation Daughter
More visual poem than documentary, the film tracks a music manager and singer who follow their dreams while providing for their undocumented parents.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Sports
January 22, 2022
Director Eva Longoria Bastón Opens Sundance With ‘La Guerra Civil’
For the Corpus Christi native, the story of the 1996 championship bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez was also her story.
Music
December 17, 2021
The Texan Who Saved the Beatles
In Peter Jackson’s documentary ‘The Beatles: Get Back,’ Houston-born pianist Billy Preston makes a strong case for himself as the fifth Beatle.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
August 6, 2021
How Alvin Ailey Built a World Where Black Dancers Felt Free
A new documentary about the dance visionary from Rogers shows how he nurtured fellow artists—even while pushing them (and himself) relentlessly.
By Paula Mejía![Paula Mejía's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
August 4, 2021
A New Documentary Pens a Poignant Love Letter to Numbers, a Storied Houston Haunt
‘Friday I’m in Love’ delves into the fascinating history of the former dinner theater, gay disco, and frequent dance party locale.
By Paula Mejía![Paula Mejía's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
July 2, 2021
Texas Executed Carlos DeLuna for Murder in 1989. A New Documentary Says He Was Innocent.
The Phantom stylishly portrays what most everybody knows: the 27-year-old Texan didn’t kill Wanda Lopez.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
June 25, 2021
A Scintillating but Uneven New Documentary Probes the Life of Trini Lopez, a Legend in Plain Sight
The Dallas native was a live-wire entertainer who never shied away from his Mexican American roots.
By Paula Mejía![Paula Mejía's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
March 25, 2021
‘The Last Blockbuster’ Is a Fond Farewell to the Nearly Defunct Video Chain
Each blue VHS box was a transmission from another planet that promised there were others like me somewhere.
Film & TV
March 16, 2021
Hayden Pedigo Ran for Amarillo City Council as a Joke. A New Film Captures Why He Was Worth Taking Seriously.
The then-24-year-old musician’s campaign started as satire and grew into a rare opportunity to change the conversation around local politics.
Film & TV
February 2, 2021
In El Paso, Joining Border Patrol Offers a Rare Path to Financial Security. But for Some Immigrant Kids, It’s Complicated.
The new documentary ‘At the Ready’ follows the members of Horizon High School’s criminal justice club as they train for Border Patrol careers—and grapple with what that means.
The Culture
December 22, 2020
‘Texas 6’ Offers a Glimpse at the State’s Smallest Football Dynasty
The new docuseries follows tiny Strawn High School's six-player football team in its quest for a three-peat.
Film & TV
October 23, 2020
Up Close With One of Texas’s Most Prized Playwrights in a New Documentary
The late Horton Foote, known for his screen adaptation of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is the subject of a movie premiering at this year’s Austin Film Festival.
Film & TV
August 13, 2020
What ‘Boys State’ Says About the Future of Texas Politics
The annual mock-government summer camp—which I attended in 1995—hits the national spotlight thanks to an engaging new documentary.
By Jason Heid![Jason Heid's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
May 22, 2020
‘AKA Jane Roe’ Finally Gives Norma McCorvey the Nuanced Portrait She Deserves
A new documentary urges viewers to see McCorvey’s essential humanity, not just her role as a symbol in the abortion wars.
Music
May 15, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: ‘The Pushback,’ A Documentary About the State’s Rapidly Changing Political Landscape
Plus, a longread that dives to the deepest places on earth and Molly Burch’s cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘Needy.’
Film & TV
February 5, 2020
The Documentary ‘Boys State’ Delivers a Dose of Political Hope to Our Divisive Age
The Sundance Film Festival award winner follows teenagers from across Texas as they convene in Austin for an immersive lesson in government.
Film & TV
November 15, 2019
A New Documentary Captures Longtime Houston Photographer Ben DeSoto’s Storied Life
‘For Art’s Sake’ delves into the photojournalist’s work documenting local music scenes, poverty, public policy.
Film & TV
October 4, 2019
A New Documentary Exposes the Dark Truth of a West Texas Massacre
'Porvenir, Texas' explores the search for justice after 15 Mexican-Americans were killed at the hands of the Texas Rangers.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Music
September 16, 2019
Ken Burns Talks Waylon, Willie, and How Texas Defined Country Music
The ’Country Music’ documentarian on the Outlaws, forgotten forces, and how Texas country music could bring us all together.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Music
September 3, 2019
Travis Scott’s Documentary Situates Astroworld, and Houston, Front and Center
‘Look Mom I Can Fly’ traces the rapper’s ascent and his efforts to elevate Third Coast hip-hop.
The National Podcast of Texas
September 3, 2019
Janice Engel: “For Molly Ivins, Politics Was About Who’s Getting Screwed And Who’s Doing The Screwing”
On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, a conversation about ‘Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins’ with filmmaker Engel and former Texas agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower.
Film & TV
August 29, 2019
Why We Need Molly Ivins’s Wisdom Now More Than Ever
The director of a new documentary on the inimitable Texas political columnist says there’s much to be learned from her legacy.
Arts & Entertainment
July 29, 2019
Ten Things to Watch That Aren’t the Armie Hammer Toe-Sucking Video
Featuring Selena, a Golden Girls gospel remix, and more.
Film & TV
July 8, 2019
NASA Pioneer Poppy Northcutt Reflects on Her Role in the Apollo Program
New PBS space-race documentary ‘Chasing the Moon’ highlights her challenges as the only woman in Mission Control.
Film & TV
May 28, 2019
New HBO Documentary Offers an Intimate Look at Beto O’Rourke’s Senate Run
A Q&A between filmmaker David Modigliani and Texas Monthly's Eric Benson, who followed O'Rourke for the 2018 'Underdog' podcast.
Music
April 18, 2019
‘Homecoming’ Is Beyoncé’s Ode to the Power and Creativity of Blackness
The Netflix documentary (and surprise album!) offers an unfiltered look at how the Texas singer made music history at Coachella.
Film & TV
April 12, 2019
‘Action’ Producer Bradley Jackson on the Odds of Texas Legalizing Sports Gambling
The documentary filmmaker spent six months investigating the world of gambling from all sides.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
April 8, 2019
Beyoncé’s Netflix Documentary Looks Amazing
Queen Bey’s unforgettable 2018 Coachella set gets a feature-length documentary.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
March 22, 2019
‘Becoming Leslie’ Pays Homage to Austin’s Beloved—and Complicated—Leslie Cochran
The film, which premiered at SXSW, shares a nuanced perspective of the man behind the leopard-print thong.
Music
March 15, 2019
Texas Monthly Recommends: Traveling the Border via the Film ‘The River and the Wall’
Plus, Tom Morello’s SXSW magic, a cancer researcher celebrated, and hand-painted jean jackets.
Film & TV
March 14, 2019
“Who Let the Dogs Out?” Apparently Austin’s Reagan High School Is to Thank (or Blame) for the Baha Men Hit
A SXSW premiere documentary explores the song’s strangely complex origin story and comes to a surprising conclusion.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
March 8, 2019
New Documentary Revives Molly Ivins’s Sharp Wit in the Age of Trump
’Raise Hell,’ which screens at SXSW, introduces the legendary Texas political commentator and humorist to the internet generation.
Film & TV
January 29, 2019
The Texas Film Showcase Presents: ‘From Tonga’
Filmmaker Huay-Bing Law explores how Tongan immigrants revitalized the local high school football team in Euless.
Film & TV
January 22, 2019
The Texas Film Showcase Presents: ‘Night at the Dance’
In this 2011 documentary, filmmaker Annie Silverstein chronicles the scene at Sefcik Dance Hall in Seaton, one of the last small-town Texas dance halls remaining.
Film & TV
January 15, 2019
The Texas Film Showcase Presents: ‘Auction’
In this documentary, filmmaker Joel Fendelman captures the auctioneer, attendees, and atmosphere at a small-town cattle auction in Gonzales.