Ghost Elephants

The South African naturalist Steve Boyes believes there is an undescribed species of African elephant on the highland plateau of Angola. The documentary follows that search. Werner Herzog directed and produced. Ernst Reijseger wrote the music, and Eric Averdung, Roger Horrocks and Rafael Leyva shared the cinematography. It premiered out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 28 August 2025. It opened in US cinemas on 27 February 2026 through National Geographic Documentary Films and went to Disney+ and Hulu on 7 March 2026. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 98 percent from 42 reviews with an 8.2 average, and Metacritic at 79 from six. One critic called it mesmerising from the first moment to the last. Who it is for: viewers who like Herzog's nature documentaries and impossible ideas pursued anyway. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a settled scientific result. At the centre is a claim that has not been proven, and the film does not close it.