Nebula has three films worth your time right now: *Boomers*, Tom Nicholas's 108-minute documentary on gerontocracy; *17 Pages*, Kevan MacKay's two-version account of a famous scientific fraud case; and *Power Trip*, a 26-minute Patrick Willems short that just finished an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run. That is close to the whole list, and the reason is structural: Nebula is a creator-owned streaming service, so its "movies" are originals it funded itself, not a licensed Hollywood back catalogue.
That makes a Nebula film list short but unusually high-signal. Each title is a one-off feature from a video essayist with a large audience and a specific obsession, which is a very different proposition from scrolling a library of 4,000 titles. Below is what each film actually is, which one to start with, and what the subscription costs this month.
Table of Contents
- Why the Nebula movie list is so short
- Boomers — the one to watch first
- 17 Pages — two films, not one
- Power Trip — the newest and shortest
- What a subscription costs, and what else is coming
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why the Nebula movie list is so short
Nebula owns its film slate outright. The platform launched Nebula Motion Pictures as an in-house studio arm and hired cinematographer Valentina Vee as director of motion pictures in a first-look overall deal, according to Variety's report on the studio launch. There is no third-party feature library sitting behind the originals. So "best movies on Nebula" is not a ranking exercise against hundreds of options.
It is a short shelf of commissioned work, mostly documentary, mostly made by creators whose YouTube channels you may already follow. The platform's biggest long-form events are series, not films. Nebula expanded its Cineworld partnership in September 2026 to put the *Jet Lag: The Game* Season 19 finale into Regal and Picturehouse cinemas, as Variety reported. Treat the film slate as a curated sideline to that.
Boomers — the one to watch first
The subject is gerontocracy — rule by the old — and specifically the Baby Boom generation's continuing grip on political power. The trailer and synopsis frame it as an examination of "the questionable legacy of the Baby Boomers," carrying over the video-essay humour Nicholas's channel is known for, according to FirstShowing's trailer coverage.
Start here if you want a single sitting with a clear beginning and end. It is the most conventional feature on the platform: one film, one runtime, one argument.
- Boomers* is Tom Nicholas's 108-minute debut feature documentary, released exclusively on Nebula on November 4, 2024. It was shot across New York, Washington DC, The Villages in Florida, Paris and London, and produced by Dave Wiskus and Trenton Waterson, per its Letterboxd listing.
17 Pages — two films, not one
Here is the catch. Databases list a combined runtime of roughly 3 hours 26 minutes, because *17 Pages* is two films telling the same story from opposing perspectives — one sympathetic to Imanishi-Kari, one to O'Toole.
A reviewer account from June 2025 describes picking a version rather than watching a single feature. Practical consequences before you press play:.
- 17 Pages* is the most interesting thing on Nebula and the easiest to misjudge. Directed by Kevan MacKay, who makes videos as BobbyBroccoli, it was released digitally on May 12, 2025 and covers the "Baltimore affair": the disputed 1986 *Cell* paper co-authored by Nobel laureate David Baltimore and immunologist Thereza Imanishi-Kari, and the misconduct claims brought by whistleblower Margot O'Toole. Details are in the film's Letterboxd page.
- Budget about 1h 45m per version, not 3h 26m in one go.
- Expect to choose a side's account first; the structure is the point, not a flaw.
- Watching both doubles the time but is where the project's argument about scientific dispute actually lands.
- If you only watch one, you are getting a deliberately partial version of events.
Power Trip — the newest and shortest
That same announcement, dated September 1, 2026, confirmed Regal Global Entertainment would give the short an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run — screening at Regal Essex Crossing in New York from September 24 to 30, 2026 ahead of a wider Regal rollout, with live Q&As after 7:00 PM ET screenings. The New York window has closed, so streaming is now the realistic route for most readers. At under half an hour it is also the lowest-commitment way to judge whether Nebula's scripted work is for you, as distinct from its documentaries.
- Power Trip* is Nebula's most recent film and its first real awards play. It runs about 26 minutes, directed by Patrick Willems and written by Matthew Kelly, produced by Oscar winner Dan Jinks alongside Dave Wiskus, and starring Amir Arison and Julia Knitel. It premiered at HollyShorts in Los Angeles on August 21, 2026, per Nebula's press announcement.
What a subscription costs, and what else is coming
Watching any of these requires a Nebula subscription. Nebula raised its price by $1 in September to $6 per month or $60 per year for new subscribers; monthly members get one week-long guest pass each month, and annual or lifetime members get three per quarter, as covered in pricing roundups. Those guest passes matter for a catalogue this small.
A week is enough to finish all three films comfortably, which makes borrowing a pass a genuine way to evaluate the slate before paying. Do not wait on a fourth feature. Nebula's originals slate announcement lists *The Baltimore Scandal* as a feature documentary from Kevan MacKay — the project that became *17 Pages* — alongside further documentary and animated originals, none with a confirmed 2026 release date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch Nebula movies without a subscription?
Not directly, but monthly members receive one week-long guest pass per month and annual or lifetime members get three per quarter, so a pass from an existing subscriber covers a full viewing.
Is *Power Trip* still in cinemas?
Its Oscar-qualifying run at Regal Essex Crossing in New York ran September 24 to 30, 2026, ahead of a wider Regal rollout; streaming on Nebula is the reliable option now.
Does Nebula carry any studio films?
No. Nebula funds its own slate through Nebula Motion Pictures, so there is no licensed third-party feature library to browse.