Most documentaries have lessons to impart and important things to say, but some of the best ones do that with nuance and subtlety while keeping us entertained.
Prime Video subscribers have an embarrassment of riches to sift through when they're hunting for their next focused look at a particular topic or subject. Even if you set aside the hefty lineup of streaming-friendly PBS broadcasts to be found there, you'll still find a long list of options to choose from, many of them focused in more quirky and offbeat directions.
This is hardly an exhaustive rundown, and some of these admittedly earned their spot sight unseen, simply because they sound like a wild ride. But here's a rundown of documentaries available on Prime Video that we're most excited about.
SEE ALSO: The 25 best documentaries on Disney+1. Val (2021)
Credit: Courtesy of Amazon StudiosHe's played Batman and The Doors frontman Jim Morrison. His performance in Tombstone as Doc Holliday is a frequently quoted cult hit that's inspired any number of memes. And he's Hollywood's best Moses to date, with his star turn in The Prince of Egypt, an animated retelling of the Passover story from 1998, far exceeding that of Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments. Val Kilmer is one of the greats, without question.
In Val, the famed actor who largely fell out of public view in the mid-2010s as he battled throat cancer, bares his whole self. Kilmer himself created many of the home movies and behind-the-scenes clips featured in this Amazon Original documentary, and they're weaved together here to paint a picture of his life and career. Featuring narration from Kilmer's son Jack and words written by the actor himself, Val is about as personal as a biographical documentary can get. — Adam Rosenberg, Video Game Reporter
Where to watch: Val is now streaming on Prime Video.
2. Jesus Camp (2006)
Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing directed this Oscar-nominated documentary that drops us down into the world of the Kids on Fire School of Ministry summer camp, formerly located in North Dakota – "formerly" because the camp was forced to shut down after the documentary was released (another check in the film's win column).
Focusing on three children who attended the camp in 2005, as well as the camp's head minister Becky Fischer, Jesus Camp proved an invaluable window into the Pentecostal mindset during the George W. Bush years, simply by allowing its subjects to speak their truths – most of which just happened to involve total theocracy. And amid all of that radicalization, it's not too hard to now see the storm (i.e. Donald Trump) brewing on the horizon. — Jason Adams, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Jesus Camp is now streaming on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: The 10 best underrated movies on Prime Video for when you need something new to you3. Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary (2019)
If you've never watched Galaxy Quest, which also streams on Prime Video, you should start there. Don't think of it as homework, though. The 1999 ensemble comedy that cleverly turned the aging cast of a Star Trek-like TV series/success story — played by Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Daryl Mitchell, and Sam Rockwell — into unlikely space heroes is just as delightful today as it was when it released.
The documentary reveals just how this memorable work of Hollywood magic actually came together. Developed and released with an eye toward Galaxy Quest's 20th anniversary celebration, Never Surrender gives us face time with members of the cast and crew as they dig through all manner of behind-the-scenes moments, share their dark secrets and stolen props, and reflect on the film's lasting cultural impact. — A.R.
Where to watch: Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary is now streaming on Prime Video.
4. Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
Credit: Simon Pietri/ShutterstockReleased in 2014, the same year the late Chadwick Boseman starred as the Godfather of Soul in the biopic Get On Up, it's hard not to look at Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown as a companion piece. And maybe it is that. But with an accomplished documentarian like Alex Gibney at the helm, Mr. Dynamite more than stands on its own.
Highlighted by a wealth of rare archival materials showing the funk and soul superstar during his early days, the film chronicles Brown's career from his time playing for Black audiences when the American Civil Rights movement was still taking shape, all the way into his mainstreamed blockbuster success. While Mr. Dynamite's largely uncritical look falls short on chronicling Brown's later years, there are more than enough archival materials and fascinating revelations to sustain this two-hour trip through music history. — A.R.
Where to watch: Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown is now streaming on Prime Video.
5. Grizzly Man (2005)
Credit: Discovery Docs/Kobal/ShutterstockThere are several Werner Herzog documentaries streaming on Prime (see also Happy People: A Year in the Taiga and Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin), and you can’t go wrong with any of them. The man has never made a bad one. But Grizzly Man, the 2005 doc that resurrected the director's career and turned him into a legitimate pop culture icon well beyond the confines of his previously esoteric, art house audience, might just be his non-fiction masterpiece.
The bulk of the doc makes use of the footage taken by the naturalist and self-ordained bear advocate Timothy Treadwell during his seasonal trips to live with the grizzlies of Alaska, which he did for over a decade before being summarily killed by one in 2003, along with girlfriend Amie Huguenard. Herzog turns it into a treatise on man’s place in nature — specifically the dark indifference of said nature, the likes of which Treadwell himself never would've imagined. — J.A.
Where to watch: Grizzly Man is now streaming on Prime Video.
6. The Imposter (2012)
Bart Layton's retelling of the extremely curious 1997 case of the French conman Frédéric Bourdin presents us with one of those true stories that seems too baffling to believe – indeed, when the 2009 horror film Orphan stole this documentary's big revelation, it came to be considered one of the greatest horror movie twists of all time! But the twist is indeed based in truth, as Bourdin was able to impersonate a missing Texan boy and “happily reunite” with the boy’s family, even though he was several years older, had a French accent, and didn’t much look like the boy at all. The power of belief is a powerful force indeed. — J.A.
Where to watch: The Imposter is now streaming on Prime Video.
7. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
Credit: Ire Prods/Kobal/ShutterstockThis one is definitely a vibe – Godfrey Reggio's experimental 1983 documentary Koyaanisqatsi (which translates to "life out of balance" in the Hopi language) is 86 minutes of non-narrative, dialogue-free images of the natural world and the technological world interacting, all set to the smooth tunes of Philip Glass. Gorgeous images of the desert meet terrifying footage of atomic bombs detonating. Buildings are collapsed, and crowds of city people pulse in slow motion.
The first and best-known of Reggio's "Qatsi" trilogy of films – followed by Powaqqatsi in 1988 and Naqoyqatsi in 2002 – Koyaanisqatsi was almost impossible to see for a couple of decades, so definitely seize the chance to immerse yourself in this tone poem of cinema distilled to its most basic essence while you've got it. — J.A.
Where to watch: Koyaanisqatsi is now streaming on prime Video.
8. The Howlin' Wolf Story (2003)
Chester Burnett, the Howlin' Wolf himself: Hear that voice once, and you'll never forget it. Burnett's raspy, tortured growl is the sound of a freight train moaning at midnight, and it's just one piece of the portrait painted in filmmaker Don McGlynn's The Howlin' Wolf Story.
The legendary Chicago bluesman left an indelible mark on culture and rock music specifically, as the originator of what are now bona fide blues standards, like "Spoonful" and "Smokestack Lightnin'." This documentary recounts Burnett's early days spent learning under Charley Patton, his travels with Robert Johnson, his impact on the Rolling Stones (and music in general), and the larger-than-life energy he brought to every stage he set foot on as the Wolf. — A.R.
Where to watch: The Howlin' Wolf Story is now streaming on Prime Video.
9. No No: A Dockumentary (2014)
Credit: Ray Stubblebine/AP/ShutterstockNo No: A Dockumentary has one hell of a powerful hook: Dock Ellis, the late Major League Baseball pro who is its subject, once pitched a no-hitter as a Pittsburgh Pirate while tripping his face off on LSD.
Wild as it is, that incident is, of course, just a moment in a much larger and more complex life. Director Jeffrey Radice assembles his picture of Ellis from interviews with friends, family, and former teammates, bolstering the production even further with a generous helping of archival materials — including words from Ellis himself.
No No is a thorough look at the man behind the moment. The documentary anchors itself in that moment only to highlight and heighten the life that led to and followed it. We come away with a deeper understanding of who Ellis was, the various forces that shaped his life, and the highs and lows that characterized his journey. — A.R.
Where to watch: No No: A Dockumentary is now streaming on Prime Video.
10. Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles (2019)
Even if you know every word to Broadway bangers like "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Tradition," there's still a good chance you don't know the full history and impact of the play from which they hail: Fiddler on the Roof. Well, Jews and goyim alike should settle in for Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles, because it's a thoroughly enjoyable look at one of Broadway's all-time greats.
This documentary from Max Lewkowicz examines the 1964 musical from Jerry Bock (music), Sheldon Harnick (lyrics), and Joseph Stein (book) and the difficult road it took to reach the stage. Fiddler on the Roof's provocative setting and themes — the story is set against the backdrop of early 20th century Russia, a time when the local Jewish population faced intense persecution — as well as its full-force dive into Jewish culture made it a tough sell initially.
The doubters were ultimately proven wrong, as Lewkowicz's documentary illustrates. With more than 3,000 performances — the first Broadway show to hit this milestone — and an equally captivating 1971 film adaptation from director Norman Jewison, Fiddler on the Roof left its mark and then some. Featuring interviews and insights from luminaries like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Harvey Fierstein, and Jewison himself, Fiddler is must-watch material for any fan of Broadway past and present. — A.R.
Where to watch: Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles is now streaming on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: The best 90s movies on Prime Video for when you want to get nostalgic11. Good Night Oppy (2022)
Credit: Courtesy of Prime VideoNo matter how much you thought you wanted the titular star of Pixar's animated masterpiece WALL-E to be real, it's guaranteed to only be a fraction of how badly Good Night Oppy director Ryan White and his cast of NASA nerds wanted WALL-E to be real, because they set out with this movie to anthropomorphize the dickens out of their Mars rover called Opportunity. (Or "Oppy" for cutesy short.)
While it is at times a bit much — like when listening to these serious scientists insist their hunk of metal doo-dads they've shipped 230 million miles away totally has a personality — Good Night Oppy doesn't lack for celestial splendor. And making the little can-do robot at its center the audience stand-in does often result in a true sense of the enormity of this mission, and the odds they all faced, both real and imagined. — J.A.
Where to watch: Good Night Oppy is now streaming on Prime Video.
12. Stories We Tell (2012)
Sarah Polley began acting when she was four years old, which is a story she tells with typical intelligence and emotional precision in her 2022 memoir Run Towards the Danger. But a full ten years earlier, she told us a totally different story with her film Stories We Tell – the one about her parents, the secrets of her own birth (from an affair that her mother had), and about the ways her family processed and didn't process this discovery over the years.
The less said beforehand with regards to this movie's unfolding mysteries, the better, but just let it be said you absolutely will not see where Polley is taking you. And if we're being absolutely forced to exist without her acting on-screen, this is further proof (alongside her other directorial efforts Away From Her, Take This Waltz, and Women Talking) that she's got more than enough magic to share from behind the screen. – J.A.
Where to watch: Stories We Tell is now streaming on Prime Video.
13. Judy Blume Forever (2023)
Credit: Courtesy of Prime VideoWe personally have been celebrating "the year of Judy Blume" for decades. But it's hard to not make the case that 2023 – with the delightful adaptation of Blume's book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and this documentary both hitting screens – is a real big year for Blume-heads. And Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok's film on the author is thankfully attuned to Blume's endurance as much as her legacy, and so we get to hear as much on her thoughts about the world today as we do her career past. Seeing as how she's been on the front-lines of book bans and censorship for decades, there's no better authority. – J.A.
Where to watch: Judy Blume Forever is now streaming on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: How 'Judy Blume Forever' uses animation to illustrate taboo topics14. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2017)
Credit: Jim Wells/AP/ShutterstockMusic is awash with secret histories like the one explored in Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. The documentary from co-directors Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana takes a look at the impact indigenous populations in America had on popular music.
In fact, that title speaks very directly to one of those impacts: "Rumble" is a 1958 instrumental from Link Wray, the famed Shawnee singer/songwriter and guitarist. You probably know it. Wray's signature electric guitar distortion drives the mellow, meandering track that anyone who has seen Pulp Fiction will recognize in seconds.
We also learn how "Rumble" is essentially the origin story for one of the most potent devices in any rocker's toolbox: the power chord. But Wray isn't the only focus. We meet Jesse Ed Davis, a legendary studio guitarist whose contributions on notable albums from John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison forever enshrined him in the highest pantheon of rock godhood. Influential artists like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Mildred Bailey, Redbone, even formative blues legend Charlie Patton, who is believed to have been part-Cherokee, all share the spotlight. — A.R.
Where to watch: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World is now streaming on Prime Video.
15. RBG (2018)
Credit: CNN Films/Kobal/ShutterstockRuth Bader Ginsburg needs no introduction for a modern audience. The late Supreme Court Justice spent a career in service to the American people, fiercely advocating for morally just and equal treatment under law first as a lawyer and later as a jurist.
The 2018 documentary RBG from directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen is a thoughtful consideration of Ginsburg's life and career. It's a largely glowing account that makes a point of looking beyond headlines and T-shirts and memes to demystify the human being at their core. RBG never makes the case that its subject was perfect, but it does show us the best version possible of a true American hero. — A.R.
Where to watch: RBG is now streaming on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: 9 best sci-fi movies on Prime Video for a world-rattling escape16. Between Me and My Mind (2019)
It's difficult to describe the appeal of a band like Phish. Like all the best examples of art in its many forms: You either get it, or you don't. Director Steven Cantor's "slice of life" look at Phish frontman Trey Anastasio isn't going to turn any doubters into true believers, but it does offer a glimpse into the life of the guitarist and singer who fuels many of the band's creatively playful and often deeply nerdy antics.
While the film centers itself in a particular moment — a busy period in which Anastasio is finishing up the solo album Ghosts in the Forest as he prepares for Phish's 2018 run of New Year's Eve concerts at Madison Square Garden — it's not all about the music. This is a family affair that presents viewers with a glimpse into the subdued rocker's home life and off-stage history. Through that lens, we learn much about the way Anastasio thinks and approaches his work.
Just like Phish itself, you either get Between Me and My Mind, or you don't. For those who get it, the documentary is as thorough a look at the Phish frontman as any fan has ever seen. — A.R.
Where to watch: Between Me and My Mind is now streaming on Prime Video.
17. Pumping Iron (1977)
Back before he was the Governator — even before he said he'd be baaaack — Arnold Schwarzenegger was just a simple muscle man from Austria who'd won five consecutive Mr. Olympia awards. One who just wanted to pump some iron, smoke some weed, and kick the soon-to-be-green butt of future Incredible Hulk star, Lou Ferrigno. George Butler and Robert Fiore's 1977 film documents that rivalry, along with the stories of a few other bodybuilders of its moment, and in so doing introduced general audiences to a subculture that had been mostly niche before. A box office hit, it would be just the first of many for that big Austrian at its bulging center. — J.A.
Where to watch: Pumping Iron is now streaming on Prime Video.
18. The Booksellers (2020)
If your toes curl during the scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast shows Belle his enormous library and she spins around so we can stare at the shelves of books going up, up, up into the rafters, then have we got the documentary for you! D.W. Young's 2019 doc (executive produced and narrated by Party Girl star and librarian icon Parker Posey) takes us into the world of rare and antiquarian book shops and book dealers in New York. Speaking with the people who run famed institutions like the Strand and the Argosy, as well as erudite authors and personalities like Fran Lebowitz and Gay Talese, you can practically smell the bookshop smell — you know, that sweet musty something — wafting off your screen as you watch. It'll make your best Belle fantasies come roaring back. — J.A.
Where to watch: The Booksellers is now streaming on Prime Video.
19. Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
Credit: Courtesy of HBOFocusing on LGBTQ refugees escaping from Chechnya, where they've been subject to government-sanctioned torture and murder, How to Survive a Plague filmmaker David France's harrowing 2020 doc follows its subjects' flight from their homeland using a wealth of modern tech, including cell phones and GoPros.
But it's the film's usage of AI technology, in order to disguise the refugees' faces and preserve their anonymity, that proved revolutionary, showing that AI can actually be used for good in some instances (rather than to just obliterate all artists' well-being, as has been the case as of late). But that tech still never manages to outshine the very human and very scary stories at the film's heart — one which has only felt closer to home with time — and which should shake any decent person to their core. — J.A.
Where to watch: Welcome to Chechnya is now streaming on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: 67 essential LGBTQ films to stream this Pride Month20. Shine a Light (2008)
It's Martin Scorsese filming the Rolling Stones! What more needs to be said? Granted, it's not Martin Scorsese filming the Rolling Stones in 1970 at the infamous Altamont show where the Hells Angels were caught on camera murdering a man — that's the superior documentary Gimme Shelter, which is streaming on Amazon via Max for a fee. Shine a Light is Scorsese filming an entire Stones' concert in 2006 at the Beacon Theater, and though almost 50 years has passed for everybody, there's just as much chicken-dancing and guitar-riffing to be had. The two bookends stand as a testament to the band's extraordinary longevity, not to mention the filmmaker's. — J.A.
Where to watch: Shine a Light is now streaming on Prime Video.
21. Time (2020)
Documenting Sibil Fox Richardson's 20-year battle to get her husband Rob out of the Louisiana State Penitentiary for a crime that he very much did commit, filmmaker Garrett Bradley pieced together Time using home movies that Richardson herself filmed over the years. What the two summon forth is a devastating critique of the prison industrial complex and the state-sanctioned gears that grind up families. Because, as the film's moving footage attests at every turn, Rob's guilt is not who he is, not as a man or a husband or a father. We are all so much more than the mistakes we make, and the system as it's designed is blind, cruel, and indifferent. Rob was granted clemency in 2018, 21 years after he was convicted as a first-time felony offender to 60 years in jail, with no possibility for parole or probation. — J.A.
Where to watch: Time is now streaming on Prime Video.
UPDATE: Sep. 1, 2023, 2:00 p.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the current selection on Prime Video.
