Filmmaker John Wilson has turned a Hallmark movie workshop into a 100-minute comedy documentary about concrete. The History of Concrete opened in limited US release on September 18, 2026. The film premiered at Sundance in January.

Wilson, the creator of HBO’s How To with John Wilson, follows his attempt to pitch a feel-good documentary about concrete after attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie. Concrete is the world’s most widely used building material. Wilson uses it as the bedrock of his beloved New York City to build his feature debut.

The film travels through city streets, industry conventions, and Rome. But his foundation starts to crumble, literally and figuratively, as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry. The story mirrors Wilson’s own deadpan narration and observational humor.

The film is distributed by Magnolia Pictures and runs 1 hour 41 minutes. It is produced by Central Pictures, Peanut World Pictures, and Bronxburgh. Critics have praised it warmly.

ScreenRant called it “blisteringly funny” and one of the finer documentaries of recent memory. The Wrap said Wilson has become a “funnier, more frenetic version of Frederick Wiseman.”