50 Must-Watch Amazon Prime Documentaries to Stream Right Now

Documentaries are finding new life thanks to the streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu. Because of their accessible nature, no longer are documentaries relegated to small art house movie theaters and HBO.

Although it's hard to top the impressive work Netflix has done with acquiring addictive documentaries, Amazon has more than held their own. Films like Author: The JT LeRoy Story, about the literary sensation JT LeRoy and the con that followed; I Am Not Your Negro, about the life or writer and activist James Baldwin; and City of Ghosts, about the group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently and their work to cover the Syrian war.

As far as television docu-series, Amazon seems to excel in sports-related documentaries. The Grand Tour, a British program about cars and racing; and the All or Nothing series, which focuses on specific football teams, offering a look behind the scenes of their highs and lows. Besides sports, Amazon also featured the Long Strange Trip, about the band the Grateful Dead, and The New York Presents, a television show based on stories from the magazine The New Yorker.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, said there are currently 100 million Prime subscribers. Considering that every Prime subscriber gets access to Amazon Prime Video (in addition to that free shipping), it's certainly possible that Amazon could someday compete competitively with Netflix, which currently has 118 million subscribers worldwide.

But never mind the numbers, what you really want to know is what should you watch. Well, if you're in the market for a gritty documentary, we've got you covered. From originals to acquired content, Amazon has a ton of options in the way of documentary films and television series. Here are 50 must watch Amazon Prime documentaries to stream right now.