The best documentaries on Amazon Prime right now

The best documentaries on Amazon Prime right now

After watching every episode of "Tiger King" for several days, and after finishing the book I've had under my pillow for so long, what else is there to do before I get used to my new normal of living cooped up at home? Watch more engrossing (but while studying). Amazon Prime (open in new tab) has many great documentaries (open in new tab) that entertain and educate us: Fahrenheit 11/9 reminds us that we can do more in politics, and the Jonas Brothers' independently produced documentary "Chasing Happiness" will make us feel all kinds of emotions. Here are eight documentaries you should watch right now.

"One Child Nation" is a powerful and chilling documentary that looks at the history of China's one-child policy. The aftermath of the strict family planning mandate continues 30 years later, and director Nanfu Wang offers an intimate glimpse of the policy's impact on China.

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore's new documentary takes on the Flint water crisis, the Parkland school shootings, and the rise of white nationalism to express an overall sense of unease in contemporary America. The film is filled with Moore's signature jokes and stunts, and urges us to keep fighting the good fight.

Chasing Happiness chronicles the birth, breakup, and everything in between of the Jonas Brothers. This 90-minute documentary attempts to answer the age-old question: who broke up the band in the first place?"

Contemporary artist Ai Weiwei documents the global refugee crisis in Human Flow. The film follows the beautiful visual representation of how this crisis has uprooted the lives of tens of millions of people, regardless of race, age, or religion. As graphic images of men, women, and children fill the screen, Ai Weiwei does not offer easy answers, but rather the only solution: increased empathy.

The story began when the Indonesian government asked Anwar Congo (open in new tab) to eliminate the country's "communists." Director Joshua Oppenheimer explores the complex dynamics of the 1965 Indonesian genocide, using Congo's testimony as an entry point. The film is a surreal, meta-experiment that must be seen for yourself to fully understand.

Here's a short film for those who like to drink sriracha every day: directed by Griffin Hammond, this lighthearted documentary introduces the man behind this spicy phenomenon and how the tiger rooster that is also the company logo was conceived.

Former New Orleans Saints defensive back Steve Gleason is diagnosed with ALS while his wife is pregnant and struggles to find ways to adjust to his new life. Narrated by Gleason's video journal to his unborn son, the documentary is an intimate portrait of one family's struggle with the degenerative disease.

Bruce Brown's masterpiece follows surfers Mike Hinson and Robert August on a year-long journey following the summer season as it moves from hemisphere to hemisphere. Surfing the best waves from New Zealand to South Africa, the film details the universal desire to make dreams come true. The film is a story about unbreakable friendships, intoxicating adventures, and above all, about what we all need right now: a summer that never ends.

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