It doesn’t take long browsing through Prime Video‘s library of documentaries and documentary shows to fall down a rabbit hole of niche doc topics full of the obscure, fascinating, and wonderful options that go on for pages.
After crawling out of said burrow, Prime Video offered up two movies and a series that I couldn’t resist adding to my watch list, including the controversial new doc that examines an insider’s account of working on secret alien tech, a biopic of a young action star gone too soon, and a chilling series of some of the world’s most dangerous prisoners.
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S4: The Bob Lazar Story
The truth is out there, and it may just be in this new alien doc
If you consider yourself a believer in alien life and that intelligent extraterrestrials have (and perhaps are) visited Earth, this new documentary about the experiences of one of the UFO community’s loudest voices is not to be missed. S4: The Bob Lazar Story has been three years in the making, in which time director Luigi Ventitelli spent countless hours with Lazar, who famously claims to have worked at Area 51 in 1988-89, where says he was tasked with figuring out how the propulsion system of an alien spacecraft housed there worked, so the government could recreate it using Earth-based materials.
For decades, the self-proclaimed physicist’s claims have been disputed, as he has reportedly never produced any evidence of alien life or technology, and, according to a recent Forbes article about the film, researchers have not been able to confirm his education or his employment at Area 51. Nevertheless, the 154-minute documentary tells Lazar’s story, using archival footage and narration from Lazar, as well as interviews with UFO community notables such as investigative journalist George Knapp. The doc also uses dramatizations and visual effects to recreate Lazar’s experiences as he recalls them.
Lazar’s story is fascinating, and the movie is a compelling and interesting watch that delves into the government cover-up conspiracy at the highest level. Whether you believe or not, S4 is sure to reignite the debate.
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I Am Paul Walker
A tribute to the Fast & Furious star who was taken too soon
Fans of the Fast & Furious franchise of high-speed car action movies will love this heartfelt biographical tribute, I Am Paul Walker, which chronicles the life of the actor whose life was cut tragically short before his prime. Best known for his role as undercover cop Brian O’Connor in the Fast & Furious movies, which also starred Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, and many others, Walker was a fan favorite for his blue eyes, big smile, and California surfer cool.
Director Adrian Buitenhuis’s tribute goes back to Walker’s childhood and works forward, using a mix of home videos and archive footage to chronicle his life and career, from child actor on shows like Who’s the Boss? and Charles in Charge to Varsity Blues and eventually the Furious movies that would skyrocket him to fame. It also delves into the tragic 2013 car accident that would take his life at just 40 years old.
I Am Paul Walker is anchored by interviews with Walker’s family as well as with The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen and Walker’s costar Tyrese Gibson, who share their memories about Walker, his kind demeanor, professionalism on set, and the charitable endeavors he spearheaded. The 90-minute doc has an 88% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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World’s Most Evil Prisoners
Short dek goes here
One of the most compelling things I enjoy most about the Netflix series Mindhunter is when its lead investigators, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Trench (Holt McCallany), are sitting in a prison holding room face-to-face with the most heinous serial killers to see how they tick. Prime Video’s chilling docuseries World’s Most Evil Prisoners gives me the same intense vibes, with an up-close view of very bad men—except these aren’t actors playing them.
Through three seasons of this chilling series, each 45-minute episode profiles a different inmate from prisons all over the U.S. and the U.K., taking specific aim at the worst of the worst—life-sentence offenders whose crimes were so violent that their terror often continued beyond the prison walls, and sometimes even within. World’s Most Evil Prisoners isn’t for the faint of heart, though, and delves into the lives and crimes of some truly evil criminals, including Jamie Osuna, Christa Pike, Mikel Brady, and Ezequiel Romo, to name only a few.
Using a mix of archival and news footage, testimony from law enforcement, and terrifying first-hand accounts of some of their crimes, the series is a dark exploration of the wickedness and psychological depravity of some of the world’s worst criminals. It’s a gripping watch for true-crime fans.
Prime Video is a wild place to dig for some of the more unique and deep-dive documentaries and docuseries on streaming, if you’re willing to take a bit more of a chance on something different.
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Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Prime Video has a large volume of content to watch. The other Amazon perks are a bonus as well.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
