John Wilson's The History of Concrete Opens in Theatres
John Wilson's first feature film, The History of Concrete, opened in theatres on 18 September 2026. The 2026 documentary was directed by Wilson and is distributed in the United States by Magnolia Pictures, the New York-based company handling the release.
It is a feature-length follow-up to How To With John Wilson, the HBO series that ran from 2020 to 2023, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That show, built from street-level footage filmed around New York, made Wilson known for finding strange stories in ordinary places. Magnolia Pictures describes the new film as a hilarious documentary from Wilson.
The subject is concrete, described as the world's most popular building material. Wilson travels to Rome in Italy to inspect ancient architecture. He also visits a concrete expo that includes a bricklaying competition, and the oldest concrete street in Ohio, according to Artnet News, which interviewed Wilson over a Zoom call about the project.
The film is described as a meditation on how we create, what we destroy, and the impermanence in between. The Hollywood Reporter called it hilarious and poignant, and said it ponders permanence and immortality. Variety, the American entertainment magazine, has also published a review.
Magnolia Pictures maintains an official film page for The History of Concrete with a trailer, showtimes and ticket purchase options. The company also published an official trailer directed by Wilson on its YouTube channel on 28 August 2026.
What makes this stand out is the scale. Wilson spent years on small, hand-shot episodes for television. Now he applies the same wandering method to bridges, roads and ruins. The joke is in the title. The questions are bigger.
