Where to watch The Slightest Touch: Colin Farrell’s moving documentary

Colin Farrell is set to share a deeply personal story with audiences in The Slightest Touch, a new documentary exploring friendship, resilience and the extraordinary bond between the Hollywood actor and his longtime friend Emma Fogarty.

The film is attracting attention ahead of Farrell’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show this week, where he is promoting the documentary. Directed by Rachel Fleit, The Slightest Touch follows Fogarty, who lives with a rare and extremely painful genetic condition, as she takes on an extraordinary challenge alongside Farrell.

HBO Documentary Films has acquired worldwide television and streaming rights to the documentary, which will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max globally, including in the UK and Ireland, later this year.

Where can you watch The Slightest Touch?

The Slightest Touch will be available to watch on HBO Max in the UK and Ireland, as well as internationally, following its HBO debut.

Although an exact streaming release date has yet to be confirmed, the documentary is expected to arrive later in 2026. The film will also make its world premiere at the 2026 Dublin International Film Festival.

The acquisition brings the intimate story of Fogarty and Farrell to a global audience, with HBO Documentary Films backing a project that explores the power of friendship in the face of extraordinary challenges.

What is The Slightest Touch about?

At the heart of the documentary is Emma Fogarty, who lives with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic condition that causes the skin to blister and tear with even the slightest friction or touch.

The condition is extremely painful and can have a profound impact on everyday life. As Fogarty approaches her 40th birthday, she reaches an age doctors once predicted she would never see.

To mark the milestone, Fogarty takes up an offer from her longtime friend Colin Farrell to complete the Dublin Marathon together. Farrell accompanies her throughout the challenge, pushing her wheelchair for the final few miles.

The documentary follows their journey, capturing the marathon challenge alongside moments from their lives and the enduring friendship that has supported them through the years.

Rather than focusing solely on the physical feat, The Slightest Touch offers a personal portrait of two friends whose relationship has been shaped by love, loyalty and shared experiences.

Colin Farrell describes the film as a collection of memories

For Farrell, the documentary represents something more personal than a conventional film project. Reflecting on the experience, the actor said:

“I can’t think of THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH as a film, certainly not like any film I’ve ever been a part of before. For me, it’s simply a collage of home videos, moments in time that we all shared during its making. Whatever the film is, whatever people may find it to be, we’re so grateful that our adventure, our friendships, and our shared love for each other has found a home on HBO.”

His comments underline the intimate nature of the project, which brings together personal memories and footage documenting the friendship between Farrell and Fogarty.

The actor, known for films including The Banshees of Inisherin and The Lobster, has taken on a different role here, helping tell a story rooted in real life rather than a fictional character.

Director Rachel Fleit on the documentary’s message

Rachel Fleit, who directed and produced the film, said the experience reinforced the importance of human connection and the people who support us through life.

“Making this film brought me back, over and over, to what I think matters most in life: love, care, community, and the friendships that carry us. It was an honor to bear witness to the extraordinary bond between Emma and Colin, and I’m deeply grateful to HBO Documentary Films for helping bring this story, and its message, to audiences around the world.”

Fleit previously directed HBO Max’s Bama Rush. Her latest documentary turns its attention to a friendship that has endured over many years, exploring how care and companionship can help people navigate life’s most difficult circumstances.

Who made The Slightest Touch?

The documentary is a Fine Point Films and Chapel Place Productions production, made in association with The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Original Films, Deshe Capital LLC, The deNovo Initiative, Union Editorial, Northern Ireland Screen and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.

Fleit serves as director and producer, alongside producers Claudine Farrell, Colin Farrell, Trevor Birney, Eimhear O’Neill and Frank Marshall.

The executive producers include Aly Parker, Tony Rosenthal, Alexandra Bowen, Ori Eisen, Michael Raimondi, Katherine LeBlond and the Deshe Family. Niamh Fagan serves as executive producer for Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, while Dawn Bonder, Daniel J. Chalfen and Marci Wiseman are co-executive producers.

The project brings together an international production team to tell a story rooted in Ireland and centred on the lives of two longtime friends.

When is The Slightest Touch released?

The Slightest Touch will debut on HBO and stream on HBO Max globally, including in the UK and Ireland, later in 2026. An exact release date has not yet been announced.

With Farrell discussing the project on The Graham Norton Show this week, the documentary is set to bring Fogarty’s remarkable story and their enduring friendship to wider attention.

At its heart, The Slightest Touch is a story about more than completing a marathon. It is a portrait of friendship, determination and the people who stand beside us through life’s most challenging moments — a reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary journeys are the ones we take together.

Watch Colin Farrell discuss The Slightest Touch on The Graham Norton Show, this Friday, 16 October, 2026.

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