4 gripping Paramount+ documentaries to watch this weekend (October 30-November 1)

Published Oct 31, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Tyler is an journalist and content contributor at How-To Geek with over three years of experience covering the automotive and tech industries. His work focuses on delivering clear, well-researched, and engaging content that helps readers better understand the vehicles they drive and the technology that they use everyday. Before entering automotive media, he spent five years as an academic editor, developing a strong foundation in research methodology, factual accuracy, and structured analysis. This background informs his journalistic approach today, ensuring that every article balances technical insight with accessibility for a broad audience. Documentaries are a great weekend watch, giving you a glimpse into some of the biggest events in history. You get to sit back on your couch and watch something for an hour and a half, and you don't even have to feel guilty about it because you're learning something, or at least that's what I tell myself. While all streaming platforms have some good choices, one of the best places to find documentaries is Paramount+. It has a massive collection of flicks that take you back in time. This week's picks have us uncovering one of the music world's biggest controversies, America's most talked-about cult and a personal and heartbreaking tale of abuse. My top pick revolves around a massive prison riot that shook the state of New York in the 1970s. 4 Milli Vanilli A musical scandal that shook the 1990s Just about everyone has heard a Milli Vanilli song, especially if you grew up back in the 1990s. The duo, made up of Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, shot to stardom at an incredibly rapid rate. Their debut album, Girl You Know It's True, hit the airwaves in 1989 and went multi-platinum. It became an international hit, and seemingly overnight the duo was everywhere. They even earned a Grammy Award for best new artist in 1990. However, just as quickly as they rose, everything fell apart. Even though most people know about the Milli Vanilli controversy, I won't spoil what brought them down for the few still in the dark. The 2023 documentary, directed by Luke Korem, examines the formation of the band. It shows their rise to fame and the driving force behind the scenes, producer Frank Farian. The doc was named Best Music Documentary at the Grierson Awards and Best Austin Film 2023 by the Austin Film Critics Association and is one of the highest-rated movies on Paramount+. 3 The Fire That Took Her One for those obsessed with true crime This is not a light-hearted watch. Make sure that you're feeling particularly emotionally steady before you tackle Patricia E. Gillespie's documentary on the harrowing events that rocked Ohio back in 2017. It explores the horrific abuse and murder of Judy Malinowski, a 31-year-old mother of two who lived in Gahanna, Ohio. It explores the systemic failures in law enforcement and how domestic violence is sadly never taken quite as seriously as it should. Judy suffered an attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend that left her covered in third- and fourth-degree burns, with her enduring months in a coma and numerous surgeries. Knowing that she would not survive her injuries, she recorded a video deposition from her hospital bed, making her the first person in Ohio history to testify at her own murder trial. The documentary explores everything that Judy had to go through, but also the massive impact that her case had on legislation and how the legal system handles cases of abuse. The Fire That Took Her Release Date October 21, 2022 2 Prophet's Prey Unraveling a cult Directed and written by Amy J. Berg, Prophet's Prey is an exploration of one of America's most notorious cult leaders, Warren Jeffs. There have been quite a few documentaries about Jeffs, but this 2015 film is one of the most comprehensive. It is adapted directly from a book written by Sam Brower, a private investigator who spent seven years investigating Warren Jeffs and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was instrumental in bringing Jeffs to justice. The documentary also includes the testimony of former members of the cult. Prophet's Prey explores the dangers of a charismatic leader and how one twisted person can corrupt and abuse an entire community. It depicts the way in which Jeffs twisted religion to suit his own horrific goals and exposes the many other people who propped up and were complacent in his scheme. 1 Attica First-hand accounts of an uprising Sadly, the events that Attica depicts are not something that many people still remember. In 1971, 1,200 inmates took control of Attica Correctional Facility, holding over 30 staff members hostage. The tragic mismanagement of the uprising meant that before the prison was recaptured, many people died. Attica explores the systemic racism, abuse, and severe overcrowding that led to the uprising as well as the severe mismanagement of the situation by local leaders. What makes Attica my top pick this week is how it approaches the retelling of events. Rather than relying on heavy narration, the story is told through the first-person accounts of surviving prisoners, former guards, family members, outside observers, and journalists. Archived footage and audio recordings are also used to give us the day-by-day coverage of the uprising. It is a story told from the perspective of the people who were actually there. Attica Release Date September 9, 2021 Plenty to binge this weekend on Paramount+ There is no lack of content to take in this week on Paramount+. The documentaries above will keep any history buff engaged, whether you're into music, true crime, or the twisted webs that some people spin. If you would rather watch something a little more lighthearted, though, the platform offers plenty of captivating movies, from modern classics to new triple-A releases. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams 3