Documentaries can offer a glimpse of genuine life in a way that fictional films cannot offer. While any type of film can teach audiences about vital social issues, provide information on rarely discussed topics, and show someone else’s point of view, the roots of documentaries actually give them an original quality that is hard to fit into a film. So while it’s a laugh to settle down with a romantic comedy or a gritty drama, you also deserve to consider adding some nonfiction videos to your watchlist.
To help you, we’ve compiled a variety of the most popular documentaries that can be streamed for free with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Whether you’re looking for a world-renowned condiment or serious attention to systemic racism in America, there’s a clock for you.
These are some of the documentaries about the streaming service at this time (without a specific order).
To celebrate their recent reunion, the Jonas Brothers released a documentary about their lives and were waiting for their fifth studio album, Happiness Begins.
Chasing Happiness is intimate and warm, and reveals a facet of Jonas’ circle of family history that had not been made public before. Most audiences may not share the same appeal delight that children delight in, but there’s something so revealing and understanding about them that it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to be an avid Jonas Brothers fan to appreciate the real prospects of the boys.
Where to watch: Chasing Happiness is now broadcast on Amazon Prime.
One Child Nation takes a bizarre look at the one-child policy implemented in China between 1979 and 2015. Directors Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang were born in the country during this period, meaning they have noticed the destructive effects of the directive firsthand. They focus on the effect of this rule on citizens, both individually and collectively.
The archive footage and unhappy stories of the documentary make it an awkward but convincing watch.
Where to watch: One Child Nation is now airing on Amazon Prime.
As you continue to be informed about systemic racism in the United States, you may need this documentary founded on James Baldwin’s reminiscence of civil rights leaders.
While I’m Not Your Black reflects on the paintings of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., it also reminds us that America has a long way to go. This angle is as applicable today as it was released in 2016, and will remain vital as we move forward.
Where to look: I’m your now being streamed on Amazon Prime.
Sriracha tells the story of this world-famous hot sauce. And at 33 minutes of digestion, it’s a simple watch on a laughing matter.
The short film is a culinary love story, combining the brilliant criticisms of the public with an exploration of sriracha origins. The impressive cinematography hastens the already entertaining history.
Where to look: Sriracha is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Matt Embry was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating, unhealed disease, in 1995. Then, to find answers and document your adventure along the way.
Embry’s story is just one of many featured in Living Proof. It provides a platform for a variety of other people who have been affected by MS, and the result is poignant. While it’s frustrating to see the effects of disease and corruption on the pharmaceutical industry, Living Proof ends with a hopeful note and creates an indispensable awareness in the process.
Where to watch: Living Proof is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Snowy mountains, thrilling fights and the thrill of adventure? All those things and more make up Meru, a 2015 documentary about 3 climbers hoping to climb the incumbent summit in the Indian Himalayas after a failed attempt in the past. Meru’s sparkling story and visuals will effortlessly draw your attention, and his message of perseverance is empathetic and inspiring.
Where to look: Meru is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Human Flow takes the audience on an adventure around the world. But instead of showing the most productive portions of each culture, it focuses on those who suffer as a result of the global refugee crisis.
The film’s technique is analytical and personal, with interviews with refugees and experts to communicate the effects of forced human migration. While the spoken content is in motion, the camera angles are just as powerful. The good looks of the film are almost disturbing, with photographs captured through drones, especially when contrasted with the story that those shots tell.
Where to look: The Human Flow is now airing on Amazon Prime.
Rock and roll fans, listen up. Sound City is your jam.
Foo Fighters singer and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl takes the audience to a recording studio in Los Angeles, where some of the iconic rock albums have been made. Although the Sound City story is intriguing, his interviews with artists such as Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Rivers Cuomo give him a soul. The nostalgic soundtrack is also an advantage.
Where to watch: Sound City is now airing on Amazon Prime.
In 2011, former New Orleans Saints football defensiveer Steve Gleason diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS. A short time later, he discovered that his wife was pregnant. This documentary focuses on the physical deterioration of the disease while awaiting the birth of Gleason’s first child.
Gleason will make you cry. It’s touching and exhilarating, but heartbreaking. This is the type of movie that will attract you and allow you to think about the most productive way to progress in your own life.
Where to look: Gleason is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Hale County this morning, this afternoon is not a narrative documentary. Rather, it acts as a series of clichés that follow other people living in The Black Belt of Alabama.
The camera has a familiar quality, as it shows citizens bowling, playing electric guitar and making a song in church. It gives the film a good look and gives the film a deeply human element.
Where to look: Hale County this morning, tonight is now airing on Amazon Prime.
Director Kirby Dick is known for exposing cultures of hypocrisy. While he was recently hailed for creating On the Record (a documentary examining allegations of sexual abuse as opposed to hip-hop recording director Russell Simmons), he has already discovered the rape epidemic in the U.S. military. Through The Invisible War.
Although the documentary has already influenced the army’s policies, there is still a long way to go, hence why it remains relevant. In the wake of the brutal murder of Vanessa Guillén, she is reviewing and discovering the need for consistent reform.
Where to watch: Invisible warfare now airs on Amazon Prime.
Young Elion González was at the center of a high-profile custody war involving the governments of the United States and Cuba in 2000. This film puts the event in context and non-public interests ignite the event.
Elion’s greatest strength is his detailed contribution. The creators of the documentary were meticulous, gathering testimonies from all to provide layered storytelling. You’ll feel right in the middle of the show.
Where to look: Elion is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Invisible is not your documentary about common crime. While this shows the story of Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell, it brings more out to survivors through a combination of interviews, court images and evidence.
It is heavy and unsettling because it shows the mistakes of a police force that allowed the abuses to last so long. While you can see Invisible for its captivating story, you’ll go away with a more marginalized woman.
Where to look: Unseen is now streamed on Amazon Prime.
Raqqa is killed in silence is an organization of media activists reporting on the war and human rights violations that are taking up position in Syria. In the City of Ghosts, these citizen hounds will have to go to their homeland after being overtaken by Daesh.
The documentary is surprising and difficult to deal with. It draws attention to the importance of an open press and shows the horrors that other people in other parts of the world will have to go through to have their voices heard. Serves as a precaution and as a reflection.
Where to watch: City of Ghosts is now airing on Amazon Prime.
Rewind is a useful documentary. Its creator, Sasha Neulinger, does not contemplate his past; rather he commits to resolving secrets. As you search through a collection of non-public videos, she discovers long-standing patterns of sexual abuse within her family.
The film is disturbing and desirable because it shows Neuligner’s non-public history. However, it also offers a broader observation on the culture of violence. Their autobiographical format is helping the audience to join when they are taken on the journey.
Where to look: Rewind is now streaming on Amazon Prime.