Documentaries are the perfect thing to watch when you want to be entertained but also feel like you’re a little wiser when the credits roll. Whether’s it’s a historical event, a personal journey, or a political or socio-economical subject that interests you, Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service is home to plenty of documentaries on a wide variety of subjects. And with new movies coming to Amazon Prime Video all the time, the collection is always growing. If you find that’s what you’re in the mood to take in, we have rounded up the best documentaries on Amazon Prime Video right now.
We’ve also rounded up the best documentaries on Netflix and the best documentaries on Hulu if Amazon Prime Video doesn’t have what you’re looking for.
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Flight/Risk2022 -
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Chicken People2016
Flight/Risk (2022)
6.6/10
98m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Dominic Gates, Zipporah Kuria, Justin Green
Directed by
Omar Mullick, Karim Amer
Watch on Amazon
When two Boeing 737 Max planes crash five months apart from one another, it causes tragedy and global uproar.
Flight/Risk
examines what happened back in 2018 and 2019, speaking to the affected family members and those representing them in a legal fight, along with whistleblowers and Dominic Gates, a Pulitzer-winning journalist from the Seattle Times. Touching on controversies surrounding alleged corporate greed, safety concerns, and negligence,
Flight/Risk
makes no bones about the political position it takes on the matter.
Warriors on the Field (2022)
AFL legend Michael O’Loughlin takes viewers on an intimate journey into the history and experiences of Indigenous Australian people. Touching on not only the history of the sport but also topics like racism, discrimination, and the tight bond among Indigenous peoples, he is joined in
Warriors on the Field
by current AFL players Michael Walters and Tarryn Thomas. The trio gets deeply personal about their experience, challenges, and triumphs.
A Promise to My Father (2013)
Deeply touching, emotional, and heartwrenching,
A Promise to My Father
follows Holocaust survivor Israel “Izzy” Arbeiter, who returns to the site of the darkest moments in his life, reliving the trauma and sacrifice. Living in Nazi-occupied Poland as a teenager, Arbeiter was captured, force to work as a slave in a factory and in concentration camps, and separated from his family. Joined by his grandson, the now 87-year-old (at the time of filming) travels to various locations, including Auschwitz, and enters his old home looking for family heirlooms that might help bring some closure.
Chicken People (2016)
Chicken People
feels like it should be a mockumentary, but it is deadly serious. This wacky documentary dives into the high-stakes world of competitive poultry. Following three passionate chicken farmers, the film explores their struggles and triumphs as they flaunt their chickens from the Ohio National Poultry Show to the Dixie Classic in Tennessee.
Blackfish (2013)
83%
8.1/10
83m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Dean Gomersall, Samantha Berg, John Jett
Directed by
Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Watch on Amazon
Blackfish
pulls back the shade on the ocean amusement park industry by focusing on Tilikum, a captive orca whale responsible for the deaths of three people, including a leading orca trainer. Orcas are one of nature’s most intelligent and social creatures. They’re also one of the most dangerous, creating a truly terrible recipe when they’re kept in captivity.
Closed for Storm (2020)
6.2/10
77m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Jake Williams, Ryan Bordenave, Kenney G. Guidry Jr.
Directed by
Jake Williams
Watch on Amazon
Six Flags New Orleans is a jewel in the urban exploration community. Devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the massive theme park remains abandoned and forgotten, standing as an enormous blight on the community. This documentary explores the remarkably long-lasting impact of Katrina and asks what communities can do with such enormously difficult rebuilding challenges.
Lucy and Desi (2022)
73%
7.8/10
102m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Lucie Arnaz, Bette Midler, Carol Burnett
Directed by
Amy Poehler
Watch on Amazon
Just when you think everything has been said about this couple, think again. Amy Poehler explores the relationship between the two Hollywood stars in
Lucy and Desi
, getting to the heart of what their relationship was like. The story is largely put in the hands of the stars, utilizing archival recordings and home movies. Poehler also gets the perspective of those who knew the couple best, such as their children and fellow television titans Norman Lear and Carol Burnett. Poehler deftly navigates as complicated a pair that’s ever existed under the Hollywood lights.
Rooney (2022)
6.8/10
105m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Wayne Rooney, Coleen Rooney, Gary Neville
Directed by
Matt Smith
Watch on Amazon
Wayne Rooney is one of the most famous English footballers of all-time. The current Derby County manager is the leading scorer in history for both Manchester United and the English national team. He didn’t always make friends along the way, though, creating plenty of enemies with his brash attitude and getting into legal trouble, including a drunk-driving conviction.
Rooney
feels like an attempt to push the narrative forward, past the problems and toward a potentially promising future as a manager in the sport. It doesn’t dive too deeply into the troubles, though Rooney does at times acknowledge them with a certain vulnerability. Still, the movie provides a great retrospective of one of the all-time greats.
A Man Named Scott (2021)
8.1/10
95m
Genre
Documentary, Music
Stars
Kid Cudi, Jaden Smith, Blake Young
Directed by
Robert Alexander
Watch on Amazon
Before Kid Cudi became one of the greatest rappers in the world, he was just a kid named Scott Mescudi. That’s the premise behind
A Man Named Scott
, the latest in Amazon Prime’s music documentaries. Kid Cudi has gone through a lot of different iterations in his career, including acting (he’s set to appear in Netflix’s
Don’t Look Up
in December). But the most important project he ever worked on in the eyes of some is his debut album,
Man on the Moon
, which dove deep into introspective topics like depression and loneliness. The album endeared him to a generation, and this documentary looks at the project, as well as all that followed, through new footage and behind-the-scenes extras.
Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie (1993)
8.1/10
108m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Lucie Arnaz
Directed by
Lucie Arnaz
Watch on Amazon
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz captured the hearts and minds of a generation. In fact, there’s a new biopic coming to Prime Video in December about their lives, titled
Being the Ricardos
, which makes this documentary worth surfacing now. The 1990s documentary was directed and produced by their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, and sees their lives through the use of home videos and fascinating interviews. The documentary earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Information Special, and the archival footage is a great way to inform one’s viewing experience of the new dramatic film.
Mayor Pete (2021)
4.0/10
96m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Pete Buttigieg, Chasten Buttigieg
Directed by
Jesse Moss
Watch on Amazon
“Mayor Pete” may no longer be a fitting moniker for Pete Buttigieg, who is serving as the U.S. secretary of transportation after his failed presidential run. Nevertheless, the spirit of the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is one of the most inspiring to come from a politician in recent memory. His youth helped him connect with a younger generation of voters, while his sexuality was part of his history-making presidential run.
Mayor Pete
tracks the rise of the politician, although it’s hard to call it a definitive documentary on Buttigieg’s life and career, since he isn’t even 40 yet. Still, the documentary gives a good glimpse at someone poised to be a major player in the future of the United States.
Justin Bieber: Our World (2021)
47%
4.7/10
94m
Genre
Music, Documentary
Stars
Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Scooter Braun
Directed by
Michael D. Ratner
Watch on Amazon
Justin Bieber has been the star of numerous documentaries about his life and this is the latest. In all seriousness,
Our World
gives a look at the pop superstar in a relatively stable place, not always an easy accomplishment for the Canadian who became a sensation while the rest of us were in high school. The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at preparation for a pandemic-era concert, so the hallmarks of Covid-19 are unmistakable – this is not an escapist film. Because of where Bieber is in his life, it’s also not particularly dramatic or titillating. It gives insights into Bieber’s life but isn’t pushing the envelope in any particular way. Beliebers will eat this up, while other fans will see it as a nice documentary and a reminder that this is Bieber’s world, we’re all just living in it.
My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021)
73%
6.3/10
91m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Patricia Bell-Scott, Dolores Chandler, Brittney Cooper
Directed by
Julie Cohen, Betsy West
Watch on Amazon
Far too few people know the name Pauli Murray, but the titular documentary should help change that. Murray was a lawyer, poet, and activist, among other roles, but she was also the first Black woman to be ordained. But Murray had a number of struggles in her life, most notably her struggle as a non-binary person, a term not used during her time (the documentary uses “she” and “her” pronouns throughout).
My Name is Pauli Murray
gives insight into somebody not as well known as other activists, but influential to the likes of Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It’s a life worth celebrating and discovering all over again.
Mary J. Blige's My Life (2021)
56%
6.6/10
82m
Genre
Documentary, Music
Stars
Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Taraji P. Henson
Directed by
Vanessa Roth
Watch on Amazon
Mary J. Blige’s
My Life
takes the same name as the R&B great’s second studio album, which catapulted her to fame back when it was released in 1994. The film mostly details Blige’s experiences creating the album and how fans continue to react to it almost three decades after its release, though the movie’s approach misses a chance at exploring a complicated woman more in-depth. Still, Blige spends some time talking about her own struggles in the documentary, which helped reveal the extent of drugs and violence she was exposed to at an early age, as well as suicidal thoughts Blige was experiencing during the recording of the album. The documentary mostly targets fans of the R&B artist, but that can be considered a large group after the incredible career Blige has had.
Val (2021)
73%
7.7/10
109m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Val Kilmer, Jack Kilmer, Mercedes Kilmer
Directed by
Leo Scott, Ting Poo
Watch on Amazon
Here’s something you probably didn’t know: For more than 40 years, Val Kilmer has been documenting his own life through home video. He’s amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers to the obvious footage caught while on set for blockbusters like
Top Gun
,
Tombstone
, and
Batman Forever
. This strange, oddly charming documentary wants to change the way you think about Val Kilmer, long one of Hollywood’s most mercurial or misunderstood actors.
P!NK: All I Know So Far (2021)
60%
7.9/10
99m
Genre
Documentary, Music
Stars
Pink, Carey Hart, Willow Sage Hart
Directed by
Michael Gracey
Watch on Amazon
You may not have thought about P!NK much recently, but rest assured she’s still going strong. Case in point: The mind-boggling success of her 2019 “Beautiful Trauma” world tour. This documentary follows the award-winning performer and musician along this tour, in a notably different stage of her life than when she first exploded onto the scene. Now a mom, a wife, and a boss to a small army of people supporting the P!NK brand, she comes across a little differently in this raw, emotional, personal look behind the curtain.
Sharkwater Extinction (2018)
76%
7.7/10
90m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Rob Stewart, Paul Watson, Madison Stewart
Directed by
Rob Stewart
Watch on Amazon
Documentary filmmaker Rob Stewart made it his mission to spread the word about the peril facing sharks around the world. Stewart perished in a diving accident while making his final film,
Sharkwater Extinction
. Despite the tragedy, the completed documentary explores the vast scale of shark hunting, as well as the distasteful shark fin trade that has decimated the shark population. In addition to sounding the alarm for shark conservation and condemning the brutal slaughter, this film also features gorgeously shot underwater scenes that offer an intimate look at the sea creatures that Stewart tried so hard to protect.
Halston (2019)
64%
7.1/10
105m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Halston, Liza Minnelli, Marisa Berenson
Directed by
Frédéric Tcheng
Watch on Amazon
If you’re immersed in the history of American fashion, then chances are good that you know the name Roy Halston Frowick. In the ‘70s, he simply went by “Halston,” and he created an international sensation thanks to his unique designs that catered to women. Halston became a celebrity for his exploits, his successes, and his epic fall and expulsion from the company that he founded. The documentary
Halston
offers an unflinching look at the man himself, with rare footage from his family as well as testimonials from his surviving friends and colleagues who knew him best.
The Hornet's Nest (2014)
61%
6.6/10
93m
Genre
War, Documentary, History
Stars
Carlos Boettcher, Mike Boettcher, Kalen M. Waite
Directed by
David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud
Watch on Amazon
Imagine stepping into a war film where the stakes were real and nothing was faked.
The Hornet’s Nest
accomplishes that with astonishing footage from a nine-day battle between U.S. forces and the Taliban. There’s even captured footage from the Taliban that shows the fighting from their perspective. But the narrative focus of the film belongs to veteran war correspondent Mike Boettcher and his son, Carlos Boettcher. The father-and-son duo is embedded with American troops in Afghanistan. And while the Boettchers’ bond grew over time, they had first-hand seats for the horrors of war.
Time (2020)
91%
6.8/10
81m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Fox Rich, Rob Rich II, Freedom Rich
Directed by
Garrett Bradley
Watch on Amazon
One of life’s most precious commodities — the one we can never get back — is time. That’s especially true for those who are incarcerated or have a loved one locked up in prison.
Time
takes an unflinching look at a family dealing with the struggles of losing that time through the eyes of Sibil Fox Richardson, whose husband Rob is serving 60 years in prison for robbing a bank. Home videos of the family are used throughout the documentary, adding poignancy to the film and making sure viewers never forget that these are real people living through the prison-industrial complex. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020, where director Garrett Bradley became the first Black woman to win the U.S. Documentary Directing Award.
Jasper Mall (2020)
If it feels like ’80s nostalgia is at an all-time high, you might be right. And right at the center of that nostalgia trip is the shopping mall. In this pensive documentary, Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb expose the reality of the dying American mall industry by focusing on a once-thriving mall in Jasper, Alabama. Formerly the hub of a community, the dying mall is now emblematic of changing economic tides and a culture that may be permanently gone.
The Booksellers (2020)
71%
6.9/10
99m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz, Gay Talese
Directed by
D.W. Young
Watch on Amazon
You might not think a documentary about New York’s rare book world would be interesting or entertaining. You’d be wrong.
The Booksellers
invites you into a world of fascinating bibliophiles, taking you into some of the extraordinary lengths mildly obsessive people will go to for the sake of adding to their precious libraries. With endlessly entertaining interviews with the likes of Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz, and Gay Talese,
The Booksellers
is one of those rare documentaries that feels like a narrative.
All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020)
79%
6.6/10
102m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Stacey Abrams, Debo Adegbile, Jayla Allen
Directed by
Lisa Cortés, Liz Garbus
Watch on Amazon
The lead-up to the 2020 election was one of the most contentious periods in recent American history. From the coronavirus pandemic to the fight for racial justice to the staggering economic downturn affecting millions around the country, it’s never been more important to make sure your voice is heard and vote. That’s the message behind
All In
, an Amazon Original released in September, less than two months before Election Day. The filmmakers get their message across by zeroing in on the issue of voter suppression, focusing on the 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia, where Stacey Abrams allegedly lost due to voter suppression. Abrams has since founded Fair Fight Action, an organization dedicated to addressing the issue.
That Sugar Film (2014)
56%
7.4/10
97m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Damon Gameau, Stephen Fry, Brenton Thwaites
Directed by
Damon Gameau
Watch on Amazon
That Sugar Film
is in the same mold as Morgan Spurlock’s
Super Size Me
, except it’s Australian and focuses on an even more pervasive food industry evil: sugar. Director Damon Gameau decides to consume a high-sugar diet — through foods commonly assumed to be healthy — for 30 straight days. No, he’s not stuffing his face with candy and soda; Gameau instead illuminates how massive amounts of sugar are often found in places you likely thought were safe. With entertaining cameos from Hugh Jackman and Stephen Fry,
That Sugar Film
feels like a sugar high, right until the eye-opening crash.
One Child Nation (2019)
85%
7.5/10
88m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Nanfu Wang, Jiaoming Pang, Brian Stuy
Directed by
Nanfu Wang, Zhang Jialing
Watch on Amazon
Arguably one of the most controversial policies in the world during its heyday, China’s one-child policy was enacted in 1979 in an attempt to control the population of the country, which was expanding at unsustainable rates. The policy eventually reverted to the previous law, a two-child policy, in 2015. For the 36 years in which the policy was active, however, there were numerous consequences, both intended and unintended, as parents had to grapple with impossible choices largely stemming from the preferred status of being born a male in modern-day China. The filmmakers delve into the personal trauma resulting from a policy that drew the attention of the world as China developed into a global superpower.
Super Size Me (2004)
73%
7.2/10
100m
Genre
Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Lisa Ganjhu
Directed by
Morgan Spurlock
Watch on Amazon
This film was so powerful that many credit it with influencing McDonald’s Restaurants to eliminate their super-sizing options, even though the company swears their decision had nothing to do with the documentary. Morgan Spurlock set out to undergo a crazy experiment: Only eat food from McDonald’s for 30 days straight, three meals a day, to see how it affects him. Without giving too much away, Spurlock documents the various changes he undergoes in body and mind throughout the 30-day period, and it’s staggering, to say the least. The intent was to raise awareness around fast-food companies that encourage poor nutrition for the sake of their own profits and to shed light on America’s obesity problem. It’s a fascinating watch that shows just how much of a difference what you eat can make in your life.
Chasing Happiness (2019)
7.7/10
96m
Genre
Documentary, Music
Stars
Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas
Directed by
John Lloyd Taylor
Watch on Amazon
In recent years, the Jonas Brothers have worked hard to shed their Disney Channel-tinged image and enter the next phase of their musical career. To do so, however, they had to discover what life was like apart from one another.
Chasing Happiness
documents the lives of the three brothers, from their publicized breakup in 2013 to their reunion in 2019. The documentary in part promoted their first new record in years,
Happiness Begins
, but it’s far from being a public relations-palooza, as it also contains previously unreleased footage and personal interviews with the brothers.
Gleason (2016)
80%
8.3/10
110m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Rivers Gleason, Michel Gleason, Steve Gleason
Directed by
J. Clay Tweel
Watch on Amazon
Steve Gleason was on top of the world as a defensive back for the New Orleans Saints, and was best known for monumentally blocking a punt by the opposing Atlanta Falcons during the Saints’ first game back at the Superdome in nearly two years following Hurricane Katrina. The team would go on to win that game, sparking one of the most successful seasons in Saints history. But in 2011, Gleason’s life changed forever when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The documentary, filmed over a period of five years, looks at his life after diagnosis, including the announcement of his wife’s pregnancy, how the diagnosis has played into his family life, and the advancement of his disease to today, where he relies on assistive technology to communicate. It’s an emotional journey of strength, resilience, and determination.
