Amid all the feature films, TV series, standup comedy special and reality shows that Netflix regularly churns out, the streaming giant also includes plenty of documentary films and docuseries as part of its ongoing release slate. And this month, that includes the release of stories from documentarians covering everything from the origin of the first black Barbie doll to roommate horror stories — as well as a look at “America’s sweethearts,” the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.
Below, we’ve spotlighted three such documentaries coming to Netflix over the next two weeks, including trailers and summaries of what they’re about. And don’t forget to check out our overall guide for the month, available here, with each and every new title coming to the streamer through the end of the month.
This first Netflix documentary is a film that celebrates the impact of three black women at Mattel who had a major impact on the Barbie brand. It’s about the star Mattel employee who asked, “Why don’t we make a Barbie that looks like me?” — a question that led to the introduction of the first non-white official Barbie doll in 1980.
Per Netflix, “That journey launches viewers into a discovery of the history of Black dolls, their impact on civil rights and Black entrepreneurship, and the significant role of imaginative play in shaping children’s identity. The film juxtaposes the legacy of three Black women who blazed new trails at Mattel with the stories of a select group of Black women memorialized by Barbie dolls made in their image, all while highlighting celebrity and fan reflections on the impact of this iconic doll.
“This is a celebration of Black culture over the past 70 years, and of the specific influence of the Black Barbie doll on the diverse array of dolls we’ve come to love today.”
This next seven-episode documentary series comes to Netflix from director Greg Whiteley and the team behind Cheer and Last Chance U. America’s Sweethearts follows the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad during the 2023-24 season, from auditions and training camp all the way through the actual NFL season.
The star-spangled hot pants, billowy blue sleeves, high kicks, and million-dollar smiles — it’s all here, as the cheerleaders open their door to cameras to document their lives both in front and away from game crowds. This is a story of drive, drama, hustle, and beauty, and making the team is just the start.
“The kind of access and creative freedom we need to make the kind of work we want to make is not easy to come by — especially when dealing with a brand as large as the Dallas Cowboys,” Whiteley told Netflix. “To their infinite credit, the Cowboys offered unfettered access for the year we filmed the DCC and left us alone. The result is an authentic portrait of one of the most storied and beloved institutions we have in American pop culture.”
Finally, this month also brings a new season of one of Netflix’s most spine-tingling true-crime docuseries, one in which the nefarious misdeeds of people’s (seemingly ordinary) roommates are exposed.
Be warned, though: If you’ve ever had a roommate upend your life, Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever might be too much for you to hand. This series, the streamer explains, is about “that particularly terrifying kind of roommate with the dark, sinister side you’re constantly fearful of, the roommate who never pays rent or signs a lease or, perhaps, is a serial con artist.” Some of them are even murderers.
Once again, the stories here are violent, malevolent, and extremely unsettling. To put it simply, this Netflix documentary series will definitely make you think twice the next time you’re considering splitting the rent with someone.
