If you’re just as obsessed as us with the spectacle that is the Met Gala, you’re probably itching to soak up as much content as possible before the illustrious fashion fundraiser takes place on May 4. This year, the theme is ‘Costume Art’ or ‘Fashion is Art’, with big names like Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams co-chairing the event alongside Anna Wintour.
However, if you’re not an A-list celebrity or Hollywood insider (if you are… call us), then it’s often films, TV shows and some good old fashioned TikTok sleuthing that gives us some intel on what happens behind those Met curtains, where all the paparazzi disappear and phones are silenced.
In the lead up to the 2026 Met Gala, we dove into all the best documentaries, movies, and TV shows to watch if you’re eager for more glamour in your life.
And best yet, you can enjoy it all from your couch.
That’s what we call a win-win.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
We’re starting off strong.
With The Devil Wears Prada 2 coming out just before the Met Gala on May 1 — and with a Met Gala plot line teased for the sequel — it’s only fitting to schedule some time to watch the original film for a double dip into the world of Miranda Priestly.
While the original 2006 film doesn’t see Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) or Miranda (Meryl Streep) actually attend the Met Gala, it has certainly gone down in history for it’s iconic display of the fashion industry’s glamour, fast-pace, and elevation of style.
However, The Devil Wears Prada 2 certainly leans into the Met Gala fanfare, with the trailers for the film teasing Miranda Priestly attending the fashion fundraiser in a striking red gown.
Whether we get some cinematic retelling of what happens behind-the-scenes at the elite event remains to be seen, but is a mystery that will be uncovered very soon.
You can stream The Devil Wears Prada on Disney+ and relive the magazine fairytale that the 2000s were so good at selling to us.
In Vogue: The 90s (2024)
In Vogue: The 90s is a six-part docuseries on Disney+ that chronicles the 90s most iconic fashion and popular culture moments.
Covering the rise of supermodels, grunge, hip-hop, and fashion’s globalisation, the series features iconic celebrity interviews with stars like Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Kate Moss, Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful, Tonne Goodman, Hamish Bowles, Mary J. Blige, Amber Valletta, Baz Luhrmann, and John Galliano.
With an episode dedicated to the Met Gala itself and how it evolved from a fashion fundraiser to a global pop culture phenomenon, the series also provides industry-first insight into the highs and lows of fashion and celebrity culture, and the shifts that have led us to where we are today… and, therefore, why the Met Gala still has such a hold on the lives of people who have little to no connection to the industry.
The docuseries, released in 2024, is available to stream in Australia on Disney+.
Oceans 8 (2018)
The steadily approaching Met Gala is just one of many reasons why you should rewatch this 2018 masterpiece, starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, George Clooney, Dakota Fanning, and Katie Holmes.
Alongside it’s star-studded cast and existence within the already beloved Oceans franchise, Oceans 8 is truly a fun watch with a plot that centres around stealing a jewelled necklace worn by Anne Hathaway’s character during her attendance at the Met Gala.
As all your favourite high-security heist tropes meets a group of women simply getting the job done, the backdrop of the fashion and celebrity world became the icing on the cake for a film already set up for success.
If you’re interested in what cinema has reimagined the Met Gala seating charts and dinner tables look like, this film gives a playful insight with a spy twist.
Oceans 8 is available to stream in Australia on BINGE.
Swarm (2023)
Given Beyoncé is one of the co-chairs for the Met Gala this year, it’s only fitting that the Prime Video series Swarm gets some much-needed attention as the show not only explores the dangers of “stan” culture in the pop star world, but also recreates a viral moment from the Met Gala in 2014.
Swarm, created in 2023 by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, is a surreal horror-thriller that follows a young woman, Dre, whose obsessive love for a pop star, Ni’Jah (inspired by Beyoncé), drives her to commit murder after she faces a personal tragedy.
In 2014, a viral moment involving Beyoncé, her husband Jay-Z and her sister Solange took place at the Met Gala in an elevator, with security footage later leaked of Solange and Jay-Z having what appeared to be a heated exchange.
Swarm references this moment as actress Nirine S. Brown channels Beyoncé as the character Ni’Jah, wearing a similar costume to Beyoncé’s Met Gala look, which was a Givenchy dress and birdcage headpiece, honouring the late designer Charles James.
Both this Met Gala moment and the pop culture themes in the show itself is reason enough to binge ahead of the 2026 Met Gala.
The show is available to watch on Prime Video in Australia.
The First Monday in May (2016)
If you’re looking for something more on the nose, the documentary film The First Monday in May showcases the behind-the-scenes preparation needed for the Met Gala.
The film follows Vogue editor Anne Wintour and curator Andrew Bolton in the lead up to the 2015 Met Gala where ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ was the exhibition on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The mammoth effort involved in planning an event at the scale of the Met Gala is in full-force in this film, as well as the tension between high art and commercialism; topics that are gaining more traction recently amidst the backlash of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos roles as chairs of the event.
The documentary The First Monday in May is available to watch in Australia on ABC iview.
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