Documentary rec: 'The Phenomenon' (2020) - anyone seen it?

I've just started watching 'The Phenomenon' on Amazon Prime, and I've got to say, it's pretty well-made. It's a mainstream documentary about UFO sightings, directed properly with good production values, but it actually treats the subject seriously rather than sensationalising it.

It covers the Tic Tac incident, Rendlesham Forest, and a bunch of other cases, plus interviews with former government officials and military pilots. The thing is, it doesn't push a particular narrative - it just presents the evidence and lets viewers make up their own minds.

I'm about forty minutes in and I'm genuinely impressed. It's the kind of thing you could show to a skeptical mate and they might actually sit through it without being dismissive. At £4.99 to rent on Prime, it's reasonable value.

Has anyone else watched this? What did you think?

Watched it when it came out. It's solid documentary work. My only criticism is that it still doesn't quite push hard enough on the "what are governments actually hiding" angle - there's a lot of respectful 'we're not sure' language when the evidence of deliberate suppression is actually quite strong. But as a mainstream introduction to the topic, it's genuinely good.

Avi Loeb's involvement is interesting (the Harvard astrophysicist). He brings proper scientific credibility to the conversation. I've read his book 'Extraterrestrial' as well, which goes deeper than the documentary. Worth reading if you get hooked on the topic.

It's the kind of thing you could show to a skeptical mate and they might actually sit through it

Good recommendation. There's also the Netflix series 'Mysteries of the Unexplained' which covers similar ground but from a different angle. 'The Phenomenon' is more focused on UFOs specifically, whereas Netflix's series is broader. Together they make a good double bill.

The fact that mainstream documentaries about this stuff are getting proper funding now is interesting in itself. Five years ago, a major streaming service probably wouldn't have touched it. Either the topic's become more respectable, or someone wants the public thinking about this. Or both.