New documentaries and true crime on TV and streaming in May 2026

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By Cameron Frew

1 May 2026, 15:05

By Cameron Frew

1 May 2026, 15:05

True crime and documentary addicts, listen up: we’ve rounded up all of the new documentaries coming to streaming and TV in May 2026.

Netflix has been churning out some serious heavy hitters, no matter what genre of doc you’re into. Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere was a big hit, and April delivered The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson, Trust Me: The False Prophet, and Should I Marry a Murderer.

Elsewhere, we’ve also had the likes of Inside Barlinnie season 2 on the BBC and Disney Plus’ heartbreaking SkyKing.

It’s a new month, which means it’s time to organise your telly schedule. So, whether you’re looking for new Netflix recommendations or what’s coming to the BBC, you’re in the right place.

The 5 best new documentaries to stream in May

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure

• Release date: May 3 at 8pm
• Channel/platform: BBC One and BBC iPlayer
• Length: 1 hour

David Attenborough’s voice is synonymous with nature itself, certainly in the UK. He is one of the most prolific, beloved documentarians of all time – and this one-hour special chronicles one of his earliest, most special achievements.

“This is the remarkable story behind the BBC’s most famous wildlife blockbuster. A three-year, hair-raising odyssey around the world, travelling to 40 countries and filming over 600 species, including the famous mountain gorillas,” the BBC synopsis reads.

“First broadcast in 1979 and watched by 500 million people, it launched David Attenborough’s career as the most successful and influential wildlife film-maker of our time.”

Worst Ex Ever season 2

• Release date: May 6
• Channel/platform: Netflix
• Length: 1 hour, 4 episodes

Worst Ex Ever’s first season did exactly what you’d expect: unpack creepy, bizarre, and violent cases involving jilted ex-lovers.

This month, it’s back with four brand-new cases, including the ‘Handsome Devil’ killer Wade Wilson and 90 Day Fiancé’s Geoffrey Paschel.

According to Netflix, you should expect “gripping testimonials, startling bodycam footage, and vivid animated reenactments that bring harrowing tales of betrayal, violence, and deceit to life – exposing some of the most monstrous relationships and exes you’ll ever encounter”.

We Are Jeni

• Release date: May 8
• Channel/platform: HBO Max
• Length: 1 hour 28 minutes

Dr. Jeni Haynes suffered years of “unimaginable” childhood abuse at the hands of her father. In her words, her dad is a “monster”, and Australian police have described it as one of the country’s worst-ever child abuse cases.

In order to cope, her mind fractured into 2,500 personalities (known as ‘alters’). We Are Jeni is her story, delving into how she survived and “her fight to be believed”.

“As Detective Paul Stamoulis leads a decade-long investigation to validate her accounts of extreme childhood abuse, one question remains: can a woman whose testimony comes from multiple selves ever be believed?” the synopsis teases.

The Crash

• Release date: May 15
• Channel/platform: Netflix
• Length: 1 hour 32 minutes (TBC)

July 31, 2002: a quiet, normal morning in Strongsville, Ohio, is rocked by horrifying news. A car travelling at 100mph had crashed into the side of a building, killing two passengers.

At first, it looked like a horrible accident. However, the driver – Mackenzie Shirilla – was soon suspected of carrying out a calculated crash.

According to Netflix, the film will “dive deep into the volatile relationship at the center of this ill-fated trio” and “examine the shifting narratives surrounding the night of the crash to pinpoint where a fatal mistake turns into cold-blooded murder”.

Confessions of a Serial Killer: Levi Bellfield

• Release date: May 25
• Channel/platform: Prime Video
• Length: TBC

In 2002, Levi Bellfield kidnapped and murdered 13-year-old Milly Dowler. A year later, he attacked 19-year-old Marsha McDonell after she stepped off a bus, beating her over the head and killing her.

These are just two of Bellfield’s confirmed (and several alleged) victims.

According to Prime Video’s synopsis, this documentary will follow DCI Colin Sutton and his team as they re-examine Bellfield’s claims, “whose repeated and conflicting confessions to the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell have reignited one of the country’s most controversial cases”.

“With another man still serving life sentences for the crime, this series unravels a complex web of evidence, doubt and deception, asking whether Bellfield is manipulating the system from behind bars.”

New documentaries on Netflix UK this month

New documentaries on Prime Video this month

New documentaries on BBC iPlayer this month

New documentaries on ITV this month

New documentaries on Channel 4 this month

New documentaries on Channel 5 this month

New documentaries on Disney+ this month

New documentaries on HBO Max this month

New documentaries on Paramount+ this month

Read more: The best Netflix series you should watch right now