As of early January, it is still too soon to know how the year will shape out for documentary film, with many projects still to be announced. But between headline-dominating stories practically begging for a long-form treatment and the evergreen pipeline of celebrity examinations, there’s already a full slate of nonfiction cinema for 2025. From examinations of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting to Elon Musk, the Titan submersible implosion to the grassroots fight against book bans in the US, here are 10 of the most anticipated documentaries this year.
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you may not have seen Sly Lives! ( AKA the Burden of Black Genius) Building on his 2021 Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul, about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, director and Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson continues to explore the legacy of pioneering Black musicians with Sly Lives! (AKA the Burden of Black Genius). The nearly two-hour film on Sly and the Family Stone, which will premiere at Sundance in January before heading to Hulu the next month, captures the groundbreaking funk band’s “rise, reign and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America”, according to the press release. As with Summer of Soul, Sly Lives! boasts a slate of distinguished musical guests, including Andre 3000, D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Q-Tip, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, George Clinton, Ruth Copeland and Clive Dav.
