Amazon Prime has a stunning array of documentaries to choose from, but sorting through the fluff
can be a challenge.
These are our picks for the 10 most compelling docs for the discerning documentary film fan.
In the ’90s, three young men from Tennessee were convicted of a shocking triple murder.
The Paradise Lost trilogy follows the original murder investigation of the West Memphis Three,
who were later exonerated thanks in no small part to the national spotlight this documentary
placed on them.
If you were enthralled by Making a Murderer, you’ll want to add these to your queue.
I Am Not Your Negro is based on the book Remember This House by James Baldwin, one of the most
important writers of the Civili Rights movement.
It was the book Baldwin was writing at the time of his death, and the film uses archival
recordings of Baldwin to connect the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to race in America
today.
Director Raoul Peck has authored a heavy documentary that asks difficult questions about the place
of African Americans in U.S.society.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, I Am Not Your Negro is an artistic and educational
triumph, and should be required viewing for every American.
Set aside a box of tissues for when you tackle Dear Zachary, a tragic true-crime story that
paints a harsh picture of the justice system.
In 2001, Andrew Bagby was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Turner, following a
breakup.
She fled to Canada, where Bagby’s parents learned she was pregnant with their son’s
child.
Dear Zachary began as a memorial documentary for a son to learn about his lost father.
But as Shirley Turner’s case spirals wildly out of control, we’re shown a far darker
story.
The first Fantastic Four movie to hit theaters came out in 2005, but the first Fantastic
Four film ever made was shot in 1993, with no intention of ever being seen.
Made by B-movie legend Roger Corman as a way to hold onto the film rights to the characters,
the entire cast and crew set out to make the film without knowing it would never see the
light of day.
Doomed! tells the full story behind one of worst superhero films ever committed to celluloid,
complete with clips from the disaster itself.
Alexander McQueen came out of nowhere to revolutionize the modern fashion industry before burning
out as fast as he arrived.
Told through exclusive interviews with his friends and family, this doc explores a true
artistic rebel, a man who crafted clothing into confrontational art.
Even if you aren’t interested in fashion, McQueen is a staggering tale of tortured genius.
The federal siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, is one the most tragic disasters
in American law enforcement history.
When it was over, 76 members of the religious cult were dead, causing ripple effects that
still reverberate through separatist groups across the U.S.
Waco: The Rules of Engagement explores what went wrong during the lead-up and execution
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives siege.
You don’t have to think David Koresh was a good man to be troubled by what happened
in April 1993.
This even-handed examination lays out the facts with calculated accuracy.
Before Ancient Aliens, Lore, and every other show about murder and the supernatural that
we love today, there was Unsolved Mysteries.
Now you can relive the magic of Robert Stack’s haunting anthology of crime and the unknown
on Amazon Prime.
Featuring all 12 seasons of the groundbreaking show, Unsolved Mysteries is ready and waiting
to be your next binge watch.
And thanks to Google, you can now look up if the crimes you’re hearing about has since
been solved.
Skateboarding has become a massive industry, but in the ’80s, the idea of being a pro
skater was still mostly a pipe dream.
The Bones Brigade helped change that, giving birth to the modern skate video culture, pushing
boundaries with tricks, and becoming one of the greatest teams in the history of the sport.
Today, even your parents know who Tony Hawk is.
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography will show you where he came from and how he and five
other absurdly talented friends helped kick-start a revolution in skateboarding.
The Iron Sheik holds the rare distinction of being both an icon of ‘90s professional
wrestling, and modern Weird Twitter.
This 2014 doc lets you meet Khosrow Vaziri, the man behind the notorious persona, and
understand his impact on the WWE (then WWF) through candid interviews with the Rock, Mankind,
Jake the Snake, and others.
It might not break your back, as the Iron Sheik is want to do with his signature Camel
Clutch finisher, but it will make you humble.
Evil sometimes hides in plain sight, especially when it targets the most marginalized members
of society.
In 2009, the Cleveland police department made a horrifying discovery at the house of a known
sex offender named Anthony Sowell -- the bodies of 11 women on the property.
But the worst horrors were yet to be revealed: how Sowell was able to kill 11 women over
two years without anyone noticing.
Powerful and genuinely haunting, Unseen is an incredible true crime documentary.
Those are our top 10 picks for the best docs on Amazon, but if that’s not enough for
you, check the link in the description of this video to read about 30 more fantastic
documentaries we just couldn’t include here.
And if you’re still not sure what to watch tonight, we have many more video guides and
articles linked here to help you choose.
This video is not sponsored in any way by Amazon, but if you sign up for Amazon Prime
or make a purchase using one of the links below, we may receive a small commission that
helps us make more streaming guides like this one.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time.