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The 23 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

In Recent years, Netflix and Apple TV+ have been duking it out to have the most prestigious film offerings, but some of the best movies are on Amazon Prime Video. The streamer was one of the first to go around picking up film festival darlings and other lovable favorites, and they’re all still there in the library, so if they flew under your radar the first time, now is the perfect time to catch up.

Our picks for the 16 best movies on Amazon Prime are below. All the films in our guide are included in your Prime subscription—no renting here. Once you’ve watched your fill, check out our lists for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Disney+ if you’re looking for something else to watch. We also have a guide to the best shows on Amazon if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more .

No Time to Die

Daniel Craig’s final turn as James Bond packs in all the thrilling action and globe-trotting set pieces fans of the spy saga expect, but wraps them up in what may be 007’s most emotionally charged adventure yet. No Time to Die starts with Bond comfortably retired, ready to leave MI6 behind. After old ally Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) pulls him back into action to hunt down the scientist behind a deadly new nanobot weapon, he finds that the intelligence agency has already replaced him with an elite new 007 agent, Nomi (Lashana Lynch). Ouch. Tying together threads dating back to Craig’s debut in Casino Royale , the 25th movie in the franchise offers a rare sense of closure for the character, and an ending that will have even the most stony-faced action fans shedding a tear.

Killer Heat

When private investigator Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in peak gumshoe mode) is called out to a Greek island by wealthy Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the suspicious death of her brother-in-law, Leo (Richard Madden), the first clue something is amiss is that her husband Elias is Leo’s identical twin (Madden again, unsurprisingly)—and he's acting very suspicious about the whole “dead brother” thing. Adapted from Norwegian author Jo Nesbø's short story “The Jealousy Man,” Killer Heat hits all the usual notes when it comes to modern noir thrillers—Bali butts heads with local police, uncovers secrets even his client doesn't want revealed, and gets too close to the case—meaning this murder mystery won't win any awards for originality, but for fans of the genre it's a fun, almost cozy outing. At a breezy 90 minutes, and packed with gorgeous location photography, it's a great way to see out the summer.

A larger-than-life biopic of “The King” from director Baz Luhrmann ( Moulin Rouge ), Elvis charts Presley's meteoric rise from impoverished childhood to becoming the biggest music artist in the world. While Luhrmann brings every hip-shaking sex scandal and thrilling performance to vivid life, the heart of the movie is the increasingly fractious relationship between Elvis and his notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Austin Butler is remarkable as Elvis, turning in fantastic performances that'll leave you all shook up, while Tom Hanks offers an increasingly menacing, desperate take on Parker (just try to overlook the accent). Celebrating Presley's legacy without being overly fawning, this jukebox drama is a testament to Luhrmann's singular talents as a filmmaker.

Brittany Runs a Marathon

When Brittany (Jillian Bell) is told by her doctor to lose weight, she uses it as a reason to take control of her life. She starts by putting on a pair of trainers and challenging herself to run one block, which quickly escalates into deciding to run the New York City Marathon. First-time director Paul Downs Colaizzo based the story on the experiences of his friend, and highlights not only the benefits of running but also the pain. This film shows that no matter how bad things get, you can still get back up.

American Fiction

Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is a successful professor of literature but a struggling author, his books constantly rejected for not being “Black enough.” After seeing fellow novelist Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) lauded for her pandering, stereotypical work, Monk pseudonymously pens a novel filled with every lazy trope and cliché he can imagine to lampoon the situation—but is horrified when it becomes an instant success. As a massive advance turns into a multimillion-dollar movie deal, Monk spirals as everyone from the public to his own family seems to love the deliberately offensive work. Based on Percival Everett's novel Erasure, American Fiction is a darkly satirical work with a wicked sense of humor—an all-too-rare modern comedy with something to say, fronted by one of the finest performances of Wright's career.

The Idea of You

The best rom-coms tend to succeed thanks to how unrealistic they are—the improbable meet-cute, the heightened emotions, the exaggerated gestures of affection, the dizzying spin of falling head over heels for someone. It's something The Idea of You perfectly nails as it charts the relationship between successful gallery owner Solène Marchand (Anne Hathaway) and global music superstar Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine)—who also happens to be 16 years her junior. It could so easily have been cheap scandal fodder—and that’s how it’s played in-universe when the paparazzi get wind of Hayes’ relationship with the “older woman”—but as the pair embark on a globe-trotting romance, the charismatic leads serve up enough genuine chemistry to sweep the audience up in the whirlwind of it all. It’s ultimately less “will they, won’t they?” and more “should they, shouldn’t they?” thanks to a well-handled awareness of the age gap (already narrowed from the source novel by Robinne Lee), but for fans of the genre, it’s a delight.

There’s been no shortage of controversy over director Doug Liman's update of the classic ’80s action flick, from arguments over its supposed cinematic release to its use of CGI for some aspects of its bone-crunching fight scenes. Step back from the real-world drama though, and this is a fun, turn-brain-off-now way to kill a lazy afternoon. Swapping in the Florida Keys for the original’s Missouri setting, and trading Patrick Swayze’s James Dalton for Jake Gyllenhaal’s brooding Elwood Dalton—now with a tortured past as a UFC fighter, of course—this still delivers a satisfying tale of one man clearing out local crime lords, one brutal fistfight at a time. It’s far from high art, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need. If you’re still not sold, it’s worth noting that the 1989 original is also currently on Prime for you to compare and contrast.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Adapted from the stage play of the same name—which in turn was based on a true story—this joyful musical charts the journey of Jamie New (Max Harwood). Bullied at school for being gay, and estranged from his homophobic father, Jamie dreams of escape through the art of drag—and when he finds a mentor in retired drag performer Hugo Battersby (a scene-stealing Richard E. Grant), he's soon on his way to bringing his inner queen “Mimi Me” to life. Rooted in Sheffield, England, it's a tale that dances between themes of class and culture while celebrating the importance of self-expression and the liberating power of drag.

Every high school has its social hierarchy, and PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are at the bottom of theirs. Known as the “ugly, untalented gays” even to the faculty, their only hope of getting with two of the school's most popular cheerleaders, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber), is, err, setting up an all-girl fight club to teach them how to handle their cheating, disrespectful jock boyfriends. OK, it might sound like the set-up to some dodgy ’70s exploitation flick—and with an approach to violence that straddles the line between raucous and ridiculous, it's never a million miles removed from that—but Bottoms is far smarter and more subversive than its premise would suggest. Defying expectations at every turn, this is the queer, rage-filled, hilarious twist on the high school comedy you (probably) never knew you needed.

Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is having trouble fitting in at the prestigious British university—until he befriends the popular Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Handsome, rich, and born to the landed gentry, Felix brings the awkward, socially invisible Oliver into his circle, eventually inviting him to spend summer at the family estate, Saltburn. But as Oliver works his way into the family's graces, his obsession with Felix takes increasingly dark and deranged turns. Oscillating between black comedy and psychological thriller, writer and director Emerald Fennel ( Promising Young Woman ) frames the film in 4:3 aspect ratio for a tighter, almost voyeuristic viewing experience that makes its frequently unsettling moments even more uncomfortable. Having attracted plenty of debate since its 2023 release—not least for how it questionably navigates its themes of class and social inclusion— Saltburn was one of the year's most divisive films, but one that demands your attention.

Courtroom dramas are rarely laugh riots, but this tale of funeral home director Jeremiah O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) and his flashy lawyer Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) taking on a major player in America's "death care" system brings a dark sense of humor to already grim proceedings. This is no comedy though. Based on true events, director Maggie Betts' ( The Novitiate ) latest drama retells a real-life legal case that exposed massive inequality in funereal care and the way Black communities were being regularly overcharged. Foxx and Jones are in top form throughout, but it's Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes, Gary's rival attorney who threatens to outpace him at every turn, whose performance threatens to steal the whole movie. For a film about death, The Burial proves warmly life-affirming.

A Million Miles Away

Charting the life of José Hernández, this biopic—based on Hernández's own book—mixes the aspirational with the inspirational as it follows its central figure's rise from, in his own words, migrant farm worker to the first Mexican-American astronaut. Michael Peña is in fine form as Hernández, painting a picture of a man almost myopically driven to reach space, no matter the cost, while Rosa Salazar impresses as his wife Adela, refusing to fade into the background even as she puts her own dreams on pause for José to chase the stars. In lesser hands, this could all be cloying—a twee tale of hard work and achieving the American Dream, with a dash of NASA promo material on the side, but director Alejandra Márquez Abella has her lens as focused on the small beauties of life here on Earth as the splendor and sheer potential of space. A rare delight.

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Look, this is clearly a “best film” by a highly specific metric—and that metric is “gloriously cheesy trash.” Adapted from Casey McQuinston's best-selling novel, this intercontinental rom-com charts the relationship between First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), the "spare" to the British throne, going from rivals through to grudging respect, and ultimately groundbreaking romance. It's often ludicrous, including an inciting incident seeing the pair falling into a wedding cake, a tabloid-worthy tryst in a hotel room, and political intrigue surrounding Alex's mother, President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman, vamping scenes with a bizarre “Texan” accent), but it's all just irresistibly wholesome and upbeat. Red, White, and Royal Blue is the movie equivalent of pizza—not good for you, but still delicious.

Shin Masked Rider

If you’re sick of cookie-cutter Hollywood superhero movies, then this ground-up reboot of one of Japan’s most beloved heroes deserves your attention. Helmed by Hideaki Anno ( Evangelion , Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman —“shin” meaning “new” or “true” in Japanese), this revamps the 1971 TV series Kamen Rider. Like that show, it follows motorcyclist Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu). Kidnapped by the terrorist organization S.H.O.C.K.E.R. and forcibly converted into a powerful cyborg, Hongo escapes before being reprogrammed as an agent of the group, instead using his newfound powers to take down its forces. However, unlike the original, Anno’s approach taps into the body horror of the core concept, while also challenging his characters—and audience—to hang onto their intrinsic humanity in the face of a world trying to dehumanize them. It’s more violent than you’d probably expect, often showing the grisly outcome of regular people getting punched by superpowered cyborgs and monsters, but never gratuitous. While those with some understanding of the source material will get more out of Shin Masked Rider , it’s an exciting outing for anyone looking for something a bit fresher from their hero movies.

Sure, nowadays Michael Jordan is a bona fide sports god, and Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers are still arguably  the court shoe—but that wasn’t the case back in 1984. Jordan was a rookie, and Nike was about to close down its basketball shoe division. Enter Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a talent scout for the footwear maker who has spotted a rising star in North Carolina who could turn everything around—he just needs to convince everyone else that Jordan is worth betting the company on. We all know how that panned out, so thankfully  Air is more than a two-hour advert for shoes. Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, and director Ben Affleck all deliver strong performances—only to be utterly eclipsed by Viola Davis in a magnetic and powerful, if somewhat underutilized, turn as matriarch Deloris Jordan—while Alex Convery’s script keeps the drama on the people and personalities involved, rather than the boardroom. In an age of franchises and endless blockbusters,  Air is the sort of character-focused film that rarely gets made anymore, and is all the more enjoyable for it.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Kazakh” TV reporter (even if he speaks Hebrew) travels back to the US, 14 years after his last feature-long escapade. This time Baron Cohen has brought his (Bulgarian-speaking) teenage daughter along, with the mission of giving her “as a gift” to some powerful American politicians—initially Mike Pence, then Rudy Giuliani. In classic Boratic fashion, the mockumentary follows the wacky duo on a cavalcade across Trump’s America, filming candid performances by unsuspecting characters ranging from QAnon believers to Republican activists to prim debutantes, all the way to Giuliani himself. Even the coronavirus pandemic, which struck America as the film was being shot, is subverted as a comedic plot point. Baron Cohen delivers, with the expected repertoire of shock gags and deadpanned verbal enormities, and he manages to land some punches at the expense of bigots, too. In contrast to its 2006 predecessor, many of the pranks and stunts here seem more aimed at eliciting the audience’s nervous laughter than at exposing America’s heart of darkness, but it remains a worthy—and funny—watch.

Shotgun Wedding

A raucous spin on the traditional romcom,  Shotgun Wedding lures viewers with a cliché setup—a ceremony on a tropical island, with hijinks courtesy of bickering in-laws—before exploding, literally, into an action escapade as the wedding party is taken hostage by violent pirates. If we’re being honest, it’s a little hammy and self-aware in places, but leads Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel are clearly having so much fun as bride and groom Darcy and Tom, whose special day turns into an often hilariously gory battle for survival, that it’s easy to be swept along for the ride. With a solid supporting cast, including the ever-entertaining Jennifer Coolidge as the mother of the groom stealing every scene she graces with her gloriously chaotic presence, this is a wedding worth RSVPing to.

Aisha (Anna Diop) is a Senegalese woman working as a nanny for a rich couple in New York City, hoping to earn enough to bring her son and cousin to join her in America. However, her future is at the mercy of her employers, who seem content to leave Aisha to raise their daughter, Rose, while often withholding her pay. As the stress of the power imbalance weighs on her, Aisha begins having strange dreams of drowning, worsened by her fears of abandoning her own child. The feature debut of director Nikyatu Jusu,  Nanny contrasts the horror of the immigrant experience in modern America with something darker, while swapping the expected tropes of hope and opportunity for a palpable sadness for culture and community left behind.  Nanny takes a slow-burn, psychological approach to its scares, but Diop is phenomenal throughout, and the meticulous pacing and gorgeous cinematography means every frame lingers.

Coming 2 America

Relying on nostalgia to carry new entries in long-dormant series can be risky business, but Eddie Murphy’s return to the role of Prince—now King—Akeem of Zamunda more than three decades after 1988’s Coming to America shows how to do it right. Drawn back to the US in search of a son he never knew he had, Akeem—and the audience—gets to reunite with familiar faces from the first film, before director Craig Brewer ( Hustle and Flow ) reverses the formula and tests the American characters with a trip to Zamunda. With a sharper, smarter, and more globally aware script than the original, Coming 2 America defies the odds to be a comedy sequel that stands up to the reputation of its predecessor.

Thirteen Lives

Director Ron Howard’s latest gathers a top-notch cast—including Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton—for a dramatization of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, where a Thai junior soccer team and their assistant coach were trapped in the flooded cave system. As an international effort mounts to save the children, the challenges of navigating miles of underwater caverns become ever more dangerous, and Howard masterfully captures every perilously claustrophobic moment of it. A nail-bitingly tense movie with some ingeniously shot aquatic scenes, Thirteen Lives is a testament to one of the most difficult rescues ever performed.

One Night in Miami …

Based on the play of same name, One Night in Miami follows four icons of culture, music, and sports—Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Muhammad Ali—at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, a converging and pivotal point in their lives and careers. Meeting in a motel room in the wake of Ali’s—then still Cassius Clay—heavyweight victory over Sonny Liston in 1964, the four men discuss their roles in the movement and society as a whole, all while the audience knows the weight of history is bearing down on them. The close confines of much of the film reflect its theatrical roots, but this feature directorial debut from Regina King perfectly portrays the larger-than-life personalities of its cast. Kingsley Ben-Adir is on fire as Malcolm X, with Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., and Eli Goree—as Brown, Cooke, and Ali—all utterly magnetic.

Produced by Amazon, The Report is an engrossing depiction of the US Senate's investigation into the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” program—how it came to be, who knew about it, and how the CIA massaged the facts to support its efficacy. Adam Driver stars as Daniel Jones, the lead investigator who plowed an increasingly lonely path to the truth, battling against political resistance and CIA interference all the way. Driver is, as is his habit these days, superb, and the film's 82 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes is well earned.

Sound of Metal

Punk-rock drummer and recovering addict Ruben starts experiencing hearing loss, and it threatens to upend his entire life. Faced with an impossible choice between giving up his hearing or giving up his career, Ruben begins to spiral, until his girlfriend Lou checks him into a rehab center for the deaf, forcing him to confront his own behavior as much as the future he faces. Riz Ahmed is in spectacular form as the troubled Ruben, while Olivia Cooke’s turn as Lou, who suffers with her own demons, including self-harm, is riveting. Fittingly enough, Sound of Metal also features incredibly nuanced use of sound—and its absence—as director Darius Marder crafts one of the finest dramas in recent years.

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Though Streep is dependably terrific in her role, the rest of the movie is too sitcom-ish, and the romance itself is dull.

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Amazon has been producing and releasing original films since 2015. Here is a collection of all of our reviews of their films, in reverse chronological order. 

Space Cadet

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A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst. A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst. A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst.

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David Bloomberg : I'm 23.

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User reviews 213

Not bad but not especially compelling either.

• evanston_dad
• Oct 8, 2006
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• October 28, 2005 (United States)
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• Mi novia secreta
• Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
• Prime Film Productions LLC
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• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $22,000,000 (estimated)
• $22,827,153
• Oct 30, 2005
• $67,937,494
• Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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The 30 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now

This list is regularly updated as movies rotate on and off of Amazon Prime Video . *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.

Amazon has a little bit of everything on their streaming service, but they don’t have an interface that makes it particularly easy to find any of it. They also love to rotate out their selection with reckless abandon, making it hard to pin down what’s available when you want to watch a movie. It’s the kind of digital minefield that demands a guide. That’s where we come in! This regularly updated list will highlight the best films currently on Prime Video, free for anyone with an Amazon Prime account, including classics and recent hits. There’s truly something here for everyone, starting with our pick of the week.

This Week’s Critic’s Pick

* children of men.

Year: 2007 Runtime: 1h 49m Director: Alfonso Cuaron

What happens to a society with no hope? (A more profound question in November 2024 than we ever could have imagined.) That’s the vision of this ‘00s masterpiece, a film about a future in which all women have become sterile, meaning there will be no next generation. Clive Owen is phenomenal as a man who discovers that there may be hope on the horizon. It’s a film that was great when it was released and feels ahead of its time now.

How We Pick Our Films

Critic Brian Tallerico watches and writes about movies and TV every day. To curate this list, he dives into Prime Video’s catalogue to surface acclaimed, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy titles — using his taste and a lifetime of cinema study as his guide, instead of whatever the algorithm happens to be pushing. After triple-checking to make sure they’re still available, he watches each, organizes them by category, then writes his recommendation. We highlight more than just Oscar winners or popcorn flicks: These films present interesting ideas, made an impact on cinema, and changed our culture. Read on to find something to watch.

* 12 Angry Men

Year: 1957 Runtime: 1h 32m Director: Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet’s American classic impacted not just the courtroom dramas that would follow but the very judicial process. Who hasn’t gone into jury duty thinking they would be the “Juror 8” in their group, the one willing to really look at the case before rushing to justice? Henry Fonda gives one of his most iconic performances in a movie that holds up six decades after it was released.

*After Yang

Year:  2022 Runtime:  1h 35m Director:  Kogonada

What a beautiful movie this is. Colin Farrell stars in a near-future tale in which androids are more common. When one dies, it feels like a member of the family is gone, almost like losing a child. Farrell’s character tries to fix Yang, discovering what’s important about life along the way. It also contains a gorgeous score by Ryuichi Sakamato.

* Challengers

Year:  2024 Runtime:  2h 11m Director:  Luca Guadagnino

One of the most acclaimed dramas of the year is exclusively on Prime Video. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor star in a story of tennis players who also happen to be lovers. Smart and sexy, this is the kind of film they’re talking about when they say that Hollywood doesn’t make movies for adults anymore. Watch this one so they do.

Donnie Darko

Year: 2001 Runtime: 1h 53m Director: Richard Kelly

It’s a mad world in Richard Kelly’s sci-fi hit starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Jena Malone. Darko made almost nothing in theaters but developed a loyal following on the home market, becoming one of the more acclaimed sci-fi films of the ‘00s. Join in the conversation that seems to constantly surround this film (and maybe Kelly will be encouraged to make another one soon — he hasn’t directed in over a decade).

Fitzcarraldo

Year: 1982 Runtime: 2h 37m Director: Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog set out to make a movie about a man who was insane enough to try and move a steamship over land from one river to another and Herzog himself was insane enough to actually try and replicate it. The result is a film that’s mesmerizing in its detail and blatant in its study of power gone mad, both in the narrative and the filmmaking. Watch Burden of Dreams after – a great doc about the crazy making of this film. (It’s on Prime too.)

* The Godfather

Year: 1972 Runtime: 2h 49m Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Maybe you’ve heard of it? In all seriousness, there’s a very cool opportunity right now to watch the entire Godfather trilogy on Prime Video, including the superior recent cut of the third film. These films have been regulars on Paramount+, but they’re rarer on other services like Prime Video. Take the chance while you can! Marathon!

King of New York

Year:  1990 Runtime:  1h 43m Director:  Abel Ferrara

The amazing Abel Ferrara directed this crime epic that oozes with style. Three decades after its release, it’s still one of the most cited films of this kind of its era. One of the main reasons for that is the cast. Christopher Walken leads the way as the legendary drug lord Frank White, but the whole ensemble here is amazing, including Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Year: 1999 Runtime: 1h 28m Director: Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh directs a searing performance by Terence Stamp in his thriller about a Brit who comes to California trying to find his missing daughter, and those who may be responsible for hurting her. Soderbergh rarely missteps and The Limey is one of his most underrated films, a perfectly paced angry shout of a movie that matches its captivating leading man.

* Lost in Translation

Year:  2003 Runtime:  1h 41m Director:  Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola exploded onto the filmmaking scene with her second film, this 2003 dramedy about a fading movie star who meets an American girl in Tokyo and both of their lives change. Bill Murray does career-best work in the film (and should have won an Oscar), and he’s matched by Scarlett Johnansson. But this really is Coppola’s film, a tender, brilliant character study with personal resonance.

Year: 1986 Runtime: 2h 1m Director: Michael Mann

Believe it or not, this Michael Mann flick isn’t regularly available for streaming subscribers, so take this chance while you can to watch one of the best from a masterful American director. Adapting Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, this is actually the first cinematic iteration of Hannibal Lecter, played here by future Succession Emmy winner Brian Cox. William Petersen is great as Will Graham, the role that Hugh Dancy would play many years later in the NBC series. This one is tense, and truly terrifying.

* The Master

Year:  2012 Runtime:  2h 17m Director:  Paul Thomas Anderson

One of P.T. Anderson’s best films, and one of the best films of the 2010s by anybody, is this drama starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. Originally seen as a dissection of the creation of Scientology,  The Master  is a lot more than that, breaking down leader/follower relationships, trauma, and doubt in ways that only one of our best filmmakers could.

Year: 2001 Runtime: 1h 53m Director: Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan announced himself to the world with this Sundance thriller that really reshaped the indie and eventually the blockbuster landscape. Guy Pearce gives one of his best performances as a man with such severe memory loss that he has to use his body to remind himself of the details he needs to solve a mystery. It’s still so clever and riveting.

Oppenheimer

Year:  2023 Runtime:  2h 58m Director:  Christopher Nolan

One of the biggest and best movies of 2023 has been doing a victory lap on the streaming services following its Oscar win for Best Picture. Of course, one of the draws of Nolan’s brilliant examination of the development of the atomic bomb was the way it played on Imax screens around the world. It’s best viewed large, loud, and in a one 3-hour chunk. So don’t break this one up and don’t watch it on your phone. Give yourself over to one of the most truly cinematic experiences of the decade.

Passion Fish

Year: 1992 Runtime: 2h 15m Director: John Sayles

The brilliant writer/director John Sayles delivered one of his most beloved films in this 1992 drama about a soap opera star (Mary McDonnell) who has been paralyzed after being hit by a cab. She returns to her family home, where she crosses paths with a nurse (Alfre Woodard) who refuses to give up on her. It’s moving in a way that feels genuine, never manipulative.

* Raging Bull

Year: 1980 Runtime: 2h 3m Director: Martin Scorsese

As the decade turned, one of the best American filmmakers reunited with his muse to deliver what is widely considered one of the best films of his career, or anyone’s career. Much has been written about the physical transformation that would win Robert De Niro an Oscar for this film, but there’s more to this story of Jake LaMotta than just that. It’s an unforgettable character study of violence, rage, and self-destruction.

Requiem for a Dream

Year: 2000 Runtime: 1h 41m Director: Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky adapted Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel of the same name into one of the most harrowing films about addiction that has ever been made. Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Marlon Wayans, and Jennifer Connelly star in a film that looks at four different spirals into drug abuse and the horrors that can often come with it. The performances are unforgettable, but it’s the incredible visual confidence that Aronofsky displayed in only his second film that makes this such a riveting experience.

* It Follows

Year: 2015 Runtime: 1h 40m Director: David Robert Mitchell

Horror favorite Maika Monroe stars in this 2014 indie horror breakthrough hit as a young woman who discovers that her recent sexual activity has cursed her with a supernatural force that will chase her until she passes it along to someone else. Stylish and striking, the movie felt like nothing else on the American horror market in 2014, helping usher in the era of what is now called “elevated horror.” Whatever you call it, It Follows is still an unforgettable genre flick.

* The Silence of the Lambs

Year: 1991 Runtime: 1h 53m Director: Jonathan Demme

Movies don’t get much better than Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’ chilling thriller about Clarice Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter. With career-defining performances from Jodie Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins, this movie still absolutely slays a quarter-century after it was released. It’s fascinating to see its DNA in so many modern genre films. Nothing about it is dated, which isn’t something that can be said about many films that are over three decades old.

Year: 1977 Runtime: 1h 33m Director: Dario Argento

The Luca Guadagnino remake is also on Prime, but the Argento original is the one to watch. One of the most important and influential of all the Giallo films , it stars Jessica Harper as a ballet student who goes overseas to study and discovers that her new school is populated by witches.

* The Thing

Year: 1982 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: John Carpenter

John Carpenter directed one of the greatest horror movies of all time in 1982’s The Thing, a sci-fi masterpiece about a group of American researchers at a remote base in Antarctica when, well, they’re visited by something. The real problem is that their alien visitor can take the form of anyone around them, leading to a great cinematic depiction of paranoia and distrust.

* The Witch

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 32m Director: Robert Eggers

Robert Eggers’ Sundance hit is a master class in sound design and limited perspective. Using testimony from the Salem Witch Trials, the concept of Eggers’ script is beautifully simple – what if one of those trials was about a legitimate witch? The sound of branches hitting each other from the wind, the sound of footsteps on the leafy ground: This is a movie that understands that horror is often sensory more than purely conveyed through storytelling.

Year: 1995 Runtime: 1h 34m Director: Amy Heckerling

You can keep all those stuffy Jane Austen adaptations — one of the best remains Amy Heckerling’s updating of the 1815 classic Emma to mid-‘90s L.A. Perhaps even the most ‘90s movie ever? From its fashion to its references to its beloved characters, Clueless is certainly one of the most iconic, and it grows even more popular with each generation that discovers it.

Year: 1989 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Michael Lehmann

Talk about a movie ahead of its time. Coming-of-age teen comedies were never quite as wonderfully cynical before this movie about four teenage girls whose lives are upended by the arrival of a new kid, played by Christian Slater. More than just seeking to destroy the damaging cliques at his new school, Slater’s character has plans for something a little more permanent in this comedy that really shaped the teen genre for years to come.

The Holdovers

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 13m Director: Alexander Payne

Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph were Oscar-nominated for this phenomenal comedy (and Randolph won!), which was exclusive to Peacock but has now escaped out to Prime Video. The ‘70s-set story of a boarding school over holiday break already feels like a comedy classic, a movie that people will be watching, especially around the end of the year, for generations to come.

Year: 2019 Runtime: 1h 27m Director: Alexandre Aja

Alexandre Aja directed this razor-sharp 2019 film about a father and daughter trapped in a basement as flood waters rise during a hurricane. Oh, and they just happen to be being hunted by alligators. A combination of disaster flick and monster flick tropes, Crawl is a delight from start to finish. There’s not an ounce of fat on this one.

* Goldfinger (and more 007!)

Year: 1965 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Guy Hamilton

Classic action! This may be the third James Bond film but it’s arguably the most essential of the early years, the movie that really cemented Sean Connery’s iconic portrayal of 007. Based on the 1959 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, Goldfinger also stars Honor Blackman as the wonderfully named Pussy Galore and Gert Frobe as the title character, one of Bond history’s most iconic villains. There’s a bunch more 007 just added to Prime, from Connery through Craig — far too much to list here.

* Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Year: 1981 Runtime: 1h 55m Director: Steven Spielberg

The first four titles in the franchise featuring one of the world’s most famous action heroes is finally back on Prime Video (jump over to Disney for the fifth one, if you must). Of course, the first entry, Raiders of the Lost Ark , remains the best of the bunch, but there’s some value and fun in Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade too. (And even parts of Crystal Skull . Yeah, we said it.)

*The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Year: 2001-2003 Runtime: Various Director: Peter Jackson

The Oscar-winning franchise by Peter Jackson bounces around the streaming services with alarming regularity, now finding its way to Prime Video for an indeterminate amount of time. Watch the entire saga of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, and the rest of the Fellowship while you can.

Family and Kids

* paranorman.

Year: 2012 Runtime: 1h 32m Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

We don’t deserve Laika. The geniuses at the best stop-motion animation studio in the world delivered the goods with films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings , but their best work remains this 2012 gem about a kid who can see ghosts. As Norman tries to end a centuries-old curse, this visually striking and ultimately moving work never falters once.

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The 28 best Prime Video movies to stream in November 2024

Looking for the best Prime Video movies around? TechRadar's entertainment experts have got you covered

• How we choose

If you're looking for the best Prime Video movies, this guide is for you. Below you'll find our pick of the top films, both original and licensed from other studios, that you can stream right now on Amazon 's Prime Video platform.

Anyone can watch all of the best Prime Video movies if they have an Amazon Prime subscription. It's well worth it because with such an impressive library of films that's updated every month – check out everything new on Prime Video in October for the latest – there's plenty of choice so make sure to check our list of new Prime Video movies for more.

With such an impressive slate of content, it's no surprise why Prime Video is one of the best streaming services around today, especially when seeing its growing library of best Prime Video shows , too. Read on for our selection of the best Prime video movies.

Best action movies on Prime Video

Thirteen lives.

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Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 147 minutes Main cast: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman Director: Ron Howard RT score: 85%

Thirteen Lives follows the real-life story of a group of boys and their soccer coach who were stuck in a cave in Thailand back in 2018 due to flooding. Yes, we all know how the predicament ends (it ends well, don’t worry). But that doesn’t stop this story from being incredibly compelling. Which is why we’ve already recommended Thirteen Lives as one of our Prime Video movies of the day. The now famous rescue mission is very well adapted in this film by famous director Ron Howard ( A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Splash ), who retells the deeply gripping story about the power of working together and holding onto hope against all odds.

• Watch Thirteen Lives on Prime Video now
• Watch the Thirteen Lives trailer on YouTube

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 143 minutes Main cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Bérénice Marlohe Director: Sam Mendes RT score: 92%

For anyone who hasn’t been keeping count, Skyfall is the 23rd instalment in the iconic James Bond series of movies. It’s directed by Sam Mendes ( American Beauty, 1917 ) and offers the expected blend of espionage, action and quippy one-liners that makes Bond films so entertaining. Skyfall revitalized the Bond saga and took an interesting turn, venturing into the relationship between Bond and M. In Skyfall we also meet a chilling new villain, Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem), whose personal vendetta adds some psychological weight to the story. Stunning locations, from Shanghai to the Scottish Highlands, are incredible to watch unfold on screen, and Adele provides a haunting and beautiful theme song. Skyfall is well worth watching if you haven’t caught up on the more recent Bond flicks (it's worth seeing where it ranks in our best Daniel Craig 007 movies guide, too). Alternatively, indulge in a whole Bond saga re-watch, in which case you’ll need our how to watch the Bond movies in order guide.

• Watch Skyfall on Prime Video now
• Watch Skyfall 's trailer on YouTube

Top Gun: Maverick

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 131 minutes Main cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and Monica Barbaro Director: Joseph Kosinski RT score: 96%

It was Q2 2022 when Top Gun: Maverick landed in theaters and wowed many with its box office performance. Now, the movie is available to watch at home thanks to Prime Video (it's also available on Paramount Plus ). You'll want to check it out, too. Maverick is an action-packed, fast-paced movie with impressive special effects, top-class performances and top-tier set-pieces that had my jaw on the floor. Its story is a little formulaic at times, but it’s nonetheless well worth a watch. If you loved the original Top Gun movie you’ll love this one, too. It’s just as fun, exciting, and edge-of-your-seat tense as the first. You won’t be able to take your eyes off Tom Cruise’s electric performance as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and, as mentioned, there are top performances from its younger stars, too, especially Miles Teller as Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw. Read our exclusive chats with director Joseph Kosinki about the mind-boggling number of cameras used on set and how the film got the green light in the most Tom Cruise way possible .

• Watch Top Gun: Maverick on Prime Video now
• Watch Top Gun: Maverick 's trailer on YouTube

Best animated movies on Prime Video

Teenage mutant ninja turtles: mutant mayhem.

Age rating: PG Runtime: 100 minutes Main cast: Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, Brady Noon, Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph, John Cena, and Seth Rogen Director: Jeff Rowe RT score: 95%

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a modern and fresh spin on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story many of us already know and love about a group of turtles transformed into sassy teen mutants. In telling the stories of the popular heroes in a half shell, it manages to appeal to older fans who will tune in for the franchise’s legacy while serving up a new slice of mythos. Visually, this movie is a real treat, with a unique style of animation that's incredibly fun to watch. Combine that with a fantastic voice cast including new talent and well-known names, as well as lots of genuinely funny writing and I think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem could be one of the the best films in the TMNT franchise, and a must-watch for the whole family. Although Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is technically available to watch through Prime Video, it's only available to stream using the Paramount Plus channel add-on. If you enjoy the movie, you'll be happy to learn there's a sequel on the way and Paramount Plus is gearing up to launch a new series called Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set in the same universe.

• Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Prime Video now
• Watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 's trailer on YouTube

Ghost in the Shell

Age rating: R Runtime: 83 minutes Main cast: Atsuko Tanaka, Maaya Sakamoto, Akio Otsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi Director: Mamoru Oshii RT score: 95%

Ghost in the Shell goes down as one of the best anime of all time and is based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow. The neo-noir cyberpunk animation is set in 2029 and follows Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg public-security agent, who sets out to find an enigmatic hacker known as the Puppet Master and stop them from brain hacking. While the visuals and soundtrack are stunning, the narrative explores important themes of identity in a high-tech world. Unfortunately the 2017 movie starring Scarlett Johansson in the main role wasn't as big of a hit as its predecessor.

• Watch Ghost in the Shell on Prime Video now
• Watch Ghost in the Shell 's trailer on YouTube

Best comedy movies on Prime Video

Age rating: R Runtime: 91 minutes Main cast: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, and Nicholas Galitzine Director: Emma Seligman RT score: 90%

At first glance, Bottoms may seem like it's going to be a typical American high school movie, but it doesn't take long to realize this is refreshing absurdist comedy that's delightfully weird and incredibly fun to watch – fans of Booksmart will love it. It follows the story of PJ and Josie, two girls at Rockbridge Falls High School who are unpopular, lesbians and desperately pining for the affection of cheerleaders Isabel and Brittany. They end up hatching a plan that involves setting up a self-defense club. If you're looking for a fun but smart film, Bottoms is it. I'm expecting great things from this fresh young cast, especially Rachel Sennott who plays PJ and co-wrote Bottoms with director Emma Seligman ( Shiva Baby ).

• Watch Bottoms on Prime Video now
• Watch Bottoms ' trailer on YouTube

The Big Sick

Age rating: R Runtime: 120 minutes Main cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, and Adeel Akhtar Director: Michael Showalter RT score: 98%

Here’s a cool fact about The Big Sick : it’s written by writer, producer, and podcast host Emily V. Gordon, plus actor, comedian and screenwriter Kumail Nanjiani (the duo are married), and is inspired by their real-life relationship. It’s a story about an interracial couple, played by Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan, who have to deal with cultural differences when Emily becomes seriously ill. It’s a funny and heartfelt movie, and feels fresher and smarter than a lot of more recent rom-coms. Critics and cinephiles agreed, too, with it being chosen by American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of the year when it came out in 2017. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

• Watch The Big Sick on Prime Video now
• Watch The Big Sick trailer on YouTube

Best drama movies on Prime Video

Age rating: PG Runtime: 119 minutes Main cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith Director: John G. Avildsen RT score: 92%

Rocky is a classic sports drama that’s an incredibly fun and uplifting watch whether you’ve seen it many times already or you’re introducing the film to your kids. The movie tells the inspiring story of Rocky Balboa, an underdog boxer from Philadelphia, played by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone's portrayal of Rocky has been highly praised over the years for being both gritty and touching. Directed by John G. Avildsen, the film follows Rocky's journey from a small club fighter to earning a shot at the world heavyweight championship. Rocky is so widely loved because of its heartfelt story, iconic training montages and powerful performances, all set to a rousing score that’ll have you pumping your fists in the air just like Rocky. It’s a timeless tale of hope and resilience. It's no surprise that we picked Rocky as one of our must-watch Prime Videos of the day, but in the meantime check out how to watch the Rocky movies in order.

• Watch Rocky on Prime Video now
• Watch Rocky 's trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 112 minutes Main cast: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis Director: Ben Affleck RT score: 93%

Air is best described as a sports drama, which follows the story of the ground-breaking partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan, leading to the creation of the iconic Air Jordan brand. Directed by Ben Affleck, he also stars alongside Matt Damon, Viola Davis, and Jason Bateman. Air explores the behind-the-scenes negotiations and the visionary marketing strategies that enabled Nike to revolutionize the sneaker industry. As well as providing a surprisingly compelling story about sports and business history, I like this movie for its sharp dialogue, stellar performances, and insightful portrayal of real-life events that shaped modern sports marketing. It's easy to see why Air was selected as one of our best Prime Video movies of the day.

• Watch Air on Prime Video now
• Watch Air 's trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 126 minutes Main cast: Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, and Alan Ruck Director: Margaret Betts RT score: 92%

Set in 1995, The Burial is loosely based on the true story of Jerry O'Keefe, played here by Tommy Lee Jones. O'Keefe is a struggling funeral home owner facing financial difficulties who agrees to a contract with a man called Raymond Loewen of the Loewen Group to help him make ends meet. But Loewen doesn't see their agreement through, and a bitter battle ensues. What follows is a riveting story that sees Jerry hiring a man called Willie E. Gary to help him (Jamie Foxx), a bold and showy personal injury layer. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx have been praised for their contrasting performances, making an unexpected legal team that take the story on some unexpected twists and turns. Like me, if you enjoy high-stakes courtroom dramas with two fantastic leads, The Burial is a must-watch.

• Watch The Burial on Prime Video now
• Watch The Burial trailer on YouTube

Sound of Metal

Age rating: R Runtime: 120 minutes Main cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Chris Perfetti, and Michael Tow Director: Darius Marder RT score: 97%

Riz Ahmed shines in the lead role of Sound of Metal , a thoughtful and provocative movie about grief, addiction, and identity. He plays Ruben, a metal drummer who begins to experience hearing loss. He’s told to eliminate loud noises, but continues to perform, worrying that his career, relationship, and life as he knows it could soon be over. Sound of Metal a challenging watch at times, but one of the best Prime Video movies as it's also deeply moving and introspective. You’ll need to be in a certain mood to watch it, but when you do, you’ll be blown away. A crowd-pleasing flick that was nominated for numerous Academy Awards in 2019, winning in the Best Sound and Best Film Editing categories. Easily one of the best Prime Video movies around. It's certainly true that the Oscar-winning movie "will teach you how to hear without listening."

• Watch Sound of Metal on Prime Video now
• Watch Sound of Metal's trailer on YouTube

One Night in Miami...

Age rating: R Runtime: 110 minutes Main cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., and Lance Reddick Director: Regina King RT score: 98%

One Night in Miami comes from Regina King, who makes her directorial debut. The story is based on a 2013 stage play of the same name – written by filmmaker and playwright Kemp Powers – which itself is inspired by a real meeting that took place in February 1964 at the Hampton House in Miami. During that supposed event, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr) gathered to celebrate Ali’s title win against Sonny Liston. Events unfold over the course of a single night as the legendary quartet talk about power, race, discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement, and the culture of the era. I think it's one of the best Prime Video movies around and, when it was first released, was nominated for several Academy Awards.

• Watch One Night in Miami... on Prime Video now
• Watch One Night in Miami...'s trailer on YouTube

Manchester by the Sea

Age rating: R Runtime: 137 minutes Main cast: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, and Kyle Chandler Director: Kenneth Lonergan RT score: 96%

Manchester by the Sea is a heavy movie. It’s about a depressed and grief-stricken man who needs to care for his teen nephew after his brother dies. Understandably, then, it focuses on themes of guilt, responsibility, and families. It’s masterfully told and beautifully acted by Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in the lead roles. The film received critical acclaim, winning Academy Awards for Best Actor for Affleck and Best Original Screenplay, and was considered one of the best films of 2016 by most critics.

• Watch Manchester by the Sea on Prime Video now
• Watch Manchester by the Sea' s trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 93 minutes Main cast: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs, and Maika Monroe Director: Alma Har'el RT score: 95%

Honey Boy is loosely based on actor Shia LaBeouf’s childhood and his relationship with his father – the title of the movie coming from his nickname as a kid. LaBeouf wrote the screenplay and also stars in it but, rather than play himself, he portrays his father. It follows the troubled relationship between 12-year-old Otis, who is finding some success as a TV star, and his abusive father, who signs himself up as Otis' guardian. LaBeouf allegedly wrote the script as a form of therapy when he was in rehab. For that reason, it’s a difficult watch and feels very raw. Strangely, though, it’s oddly therapeutic for the viewer, too. At its core, this is a movie about a man’s struggles to understand himself and forgive himself, as well as his past trauma.

• Watch Honey Boy on Prime Video now
• Watch Honey Boy' s trailer on YouTube

Best fantasy movies on Prime Video

Dungeons & dragons: honor among thieves.

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 134 minutes Main cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, and Hugh Grant Directors: John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein RT score: 91%

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves "nails what Marvel movies fail at" according to our Prime Video movie of the day article. You don't have to know or care about the game Dungeons & Dragons to enjoy this fun romp of a movie as it follows bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) who rally a crew of unlikely heroes to steal an ancient relic and have to fight off evil forces. This fantasy epic has action-packed sequences, lovable characters, and provides an enchanting world that would appeal to both newcomers and fans. It's an easy watch for the whole family.

• Watch Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Prime Video now
• Watch Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' trailer on YouTube

The Spiderwick Chronicles 

The Spiderwick Chronicles  both mesmerized and terrified me when I first watched it at the cinema in 2008. It's been more than 16 years since then, but its left a long-lasting impression. The movie is based on the children's fantasy books by Holly Black, which chronicle the adventures of  twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace (Freddie Highmore) at the Spiderwick Estate, which is overrun by magical creatures, such as goblins, ogres, fairies and trolls, trying to find a special book that has the power to destroy humanity. It may sound like a fantasy adventure but there's a lot of depth to the film, as it tackles themes like divorce, abandonment, fractured relationships and grief. If you love fantasy movies, then you'll absolutely enjoy this tale of monsters, magic and mayhem.

• Watch The Spiderwick Chronicles on Prime Video now
• Watch The Spiderwick Chronicles trailer

Best horror movies on Prime Video

Totally killer.

Age rating: R Runtime: 103 minutes Main cast: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Julie Bowen, Nathaniel Appiah, and Liana Liberato Director: Nahnatchka Khan RT score: 87%

Totally Killer is best described as a comedy horror, which pays tribute to 80s-era slasher movies and time travel films. It follows the story of Jamie (played by Kiernan Shipka) whose mother is murdered by the Sweet 16 Killer who went on a murdering spree 35 years earlier. Jamie travels back in time (naturally) to find her mother and catch the killer back during his original spree. It's a homage to legendary movies from both sci-fi and horror, like Back to the Future and Scream . Yes, it sounds like a bonkers mash-up of genres, but I promise that although it's not winning any awards, it's an incredibly fun watch nonetheless.

• Watch Totally Killer on Prime Video now
• Watch Totally Killer 's trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 98 minutes Main cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, and Rose Decker Director: Nikyatu Jusu RT score: 91%

Prime Video's horror debut Nanny is getting the praise it deserves as it joins the likes of His House and The Conjuring 2 for their high Rotten Tomatoes ratings. Nanny definitely goes down as one of the best horror movies and became the first horror film to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Nanny follows Aisha (Anna Diop), a nanny who works in New York City for a wealthy family. She hopes her job will help her earn enough money to bring her son and cousin over from Senegal. However, she soon starts seeing terrifying visions and starts fearing for her and Rose's safety, the young girl she cares for. It refrains from the classic horror clichés by using interesting African folktale symbols and imagery to put a sinister twist on the American dream. As TechRadar's resident horror fan writes: "The director has made a big first impression and I hope she continues to deliver psychological horror hits further down the line."

• Watch Nanny on Prime Video now
• Watch Nanny 's trailer on YouTube

Paranormal Activity

Age rating: R Runtime: 98 minutes Main cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat Director: Oren Peli RT score: 83%

By this point, Paranormal Activity is the king of the found footage sub-genre. It appeared in the round up of horrors to watch in October 2024 for good reason, because it still holds up 17 years after its premiere. Director Oren Peli managed to chill audiences to the bone with a movie that feels real. Unknown actors, found footage, it does not need big effects or star power to deliver true horror and instead taps into a common fear: what's actually going on around you when you're asleep? Is there something else in your house?

• Watch Paranormal Activity on Prime Video now
• Watch Paranormal Activity's trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 93 minutes Main cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw Director: Robert Eggers RT score: 91%

Folk horror fans need to get right on The Witch , a wonderfully eerie tale about a banished Puritan family living in 17th century New England. But when a baby is snatched. Anya Taylor-Joy shines in the leading role as Thomasin, and it's quite the feature film debut for the now iconic actress. It's got everything you could want from a movie like this, including a talking goat, so what are you waiting for?

• Watch The Witch on Prime Video now
• Watch The Witch 's trailer on YouTube

Best romance movies on Prime Video

Música.

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 91 minutes Main cast: Rudy Mancuso, Camila Mendes, Francesca Reale, and J.B. Smoove Director: Rudy Mancuso RT score: 96%

When we picked Música as one of our Prime Video movies of the day, we said it’ll “warm your heart without being so sugary it'll rot your teeth”. This fresh and fun story is a romance with a twist. It’s about a man called Rudy who is “tortured by music”, which means he can hear it wherever he goes. His unusual skills are shown on screen as everyday scenarios burst into life as musical performances. One of the more recent picks in our best Prime Video movies guide, Música takes its inspiration from main star Rudy Mancuso’s experience of synesthesia, a neurological condition in which senses can merge and overlap – so Mancuso can see and feel the shapes of music. The rest of the story is described as “true-ish” and is about what happens when Rudy meets, and almost instantly falls for, Isabella (Camila Mendes). Expect a high energy and fun love story with plenty of music along the way that had me dancing around my living room.

• Watch Música on Prime Video now
• Watch Música 's trailer on YouTube

The Idea of You

Age rating: R Runtime: 116 minutes Main cast: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, and Reid Scott Director: Michael Showalter RT score: 81%

Anne Hathaway starring as the romantic lead? Count me in. I've always been a fan of the Oscar-winning star in The Devil Wears Prada and Love & Other Drugs, so when I saw that she had finally made her return to the romance genre, I was all in. As I said in my Prime Video movie of the day article, " The Idea of You arguably crowns Anne Hathaway as the queen of romantic comedy" and it couldn't be more true. Based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, Hathaway stars as divorcee Solène Marchand, a 40-year-old art gallery owner who falls in love with 24-year-old boy band member Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). However, when their age gap relationship faces harsh public scrutiny, Solène is forced to decide whether she wants to continue living the dream. The Idea of You is a refreshing and beautiful take on a traditional romance story with the message that it's never too late to find love as a single woman in your 40s, even when Solène thought it wouldn't happen again.

• Watch The Idea of You on Prime Video now
• Watch The Idea of You's trailer on YouTube

Best sci-fi movies on Prime Video

The vast of night.

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 90 minutes Main cast: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis, Greg Peyton, and Mark Banik Director: Andrew Patterson RT score: 92%

The Vast of Night is a 2019 sci-fi mystery set in 1950s New Mexico. It’s loosely based on real events, including the Kecksburg UFO incident – an unidentified fireball being spotted in the sky – and the Foss Lake disappearances, which saw a group of teens and adults mysteriously go missing. The film follows young switchboard operator Fay Crocker (played by Sierra McCormick) and radio DJ Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz) who discover an audio frequency that they think could be extra terrestrial. It’s an engrossing thriller that’s lo-fi and yet shows a lot of film-making skill.

• Watch The Vast of Night on Prime Video now
• Watch The Vast of Night's trailer on YouTube

10 Cloverfield Lane

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 105 minutes Main cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr., Suzanne Cryer, and Bradley Cooper Director: Dan Trachtenberg RT score: 90%

10 Cloverfield Lane is one of the most tense, heart-pounding movies I've seen in a long time. Despite first watching it years ago, the sci-fi horror is still etched in my brain and had me on the edge of my seat even though the majority of the movie takes place in one setting. The second movie in the Cloverfield franchise, 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who wakes up in an underground bunker after a car crash with two men claiming that an attack has the world outside is uninhabitable. More horrifying secrets are uncovered and it becomes a desperate fight to escape with the twists and turns leaving your head in a spin.

• Watch 10 Cloverfield Lane on Prime Video now
• Watch 10 Cloverfield Lane's trailer on YouTube

Best thriller movies on Prime Video

Oppenheimer.

Age rating: R Runtime: 180 minutes Main cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. Director: Christopher Nolan RT score: 93%

Oppenheimer is a difficult watch. There’s no getting around it. That’s because the movie follows the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who became known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” Directed by Christoper Nolan (Interstellar, The Dark Knight trilogy, Dunkirk ), the film gives viewers a tense and meditative portrayal of Oppenheimer’s contribution to the Manhattan Project during World War II, along with the personal dramas and moral dilemmas he was forced to confront at the same time. The film boasts stellar performances with Emily Blunt as Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, Oppenheimer's wife, and Florence Pugh as love interest Jean Tatlock. But Cillian Murphy is outstanding in the lead role, playing Oppenheimer with presence and a simmering unease. Oppenheimer’s intricate storytelling combined with breathtaking visuals and a chilling score make it a must-watch and deserving of a place in our best Prime Video movies guide. It's no wonder why our reviewer went to see Oppenheimer four times in the cinema in 70mm film on the largest IMAX screen in the UK; and in 70mm film in the largest IMAX in the US.

• Watch Oppenheimer on Prime Video now
• Watch Oppenheimer 's trailer on YouTube

Age rating: R Runtime: 119 minutes Main cast: Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, Jon Hamm, Linda Powell, and Annette Bening Director: Scott Z. Burns RT score: 82%

The Report is a gripping and, at times, hard to watch political thriller that follows the story of the investigation into the CIA’s use of torture following 9/11. Directed by Scott Z. Burns, Adam Driver plays Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones, who is tasked with leading up the investigation. The movie focuses on the moral and ethical challenges faced by those in charge of uncovering the grim realities of the US government’s actions. Driver is excellent in the lead role, with a strong supporting cast, including Annette Bening and Jon Hamm. It's an intense but thought-provoking movie, which is why The Report was chosen as one of our top Prime Video movies of the day.

• Watch The Report on Prime Video now
• Watch The Report trailer on YouTube

12 Angry Men (1997)

Age rating: PG-13 Runtime: 117 minutes Main cast: Jack Lemmon, James Gandolfini, Edward James Olmos, and George C. Scott Director: William Friedkin RT score: 93%

12 Angry Men is a remake of the 1950s film about social justice and the way bias and group-think can so easily influence us all. This 1997 version follows the same story about a group of 12 jurors. One of the jurors (played by Jack Lemmon) is the only one stopping the conviction of the alleged murderer that the men have been called to judge. But, over the course of the film, more and more people agree with Jack. The 1957 version didn’t really need to be remade, as it’s such a classic. But director William Friedkin ( The Exorcist, The French Connection ) did a fantastic job creating a fresh take on the gripping story, as did the star-studded cast, including James Gandolfini and Edward James Olmos alongside Lemmon.

• Watch 12 Angry Men (1997) on Prime Video now
• Watch 12 Angry Men 's (1997) trailer on YouTube

Gangs of Lagos

Age rating: R Runtime: 124 minutes Main cast: Tobi Bakre, Adesua Etomi, Iyabo Ojo, and Chike Director: Jade Osiberu RT score: 82% (Audience)

Gangs of Lagos tells the tale of Obalola and the lives of his friends, Gift and Ify, as they grow up on the busy and chaotic streets of Isale Eko, a neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria. A film centered on family, friendship and betrayal, while also exploring the impact of violence and politically-affiliated gang culture in Nigeria, Gangs of Lagos isn't an easy Sunday afternoon watch – especially when you consider that it's based on true stories from Isale Eko. It's also the first Amazon movie to be made in Africa; the pioneering flick being the first of many upcoming international projects.

• Watch Gangs of Lagos on Prime Video now
• Watch Gangs of Lagos' trailer on YouTube

How we choose the best Prime Video movies

To help you find the best Prime Video movies for you, we've selected our favorites from the most highly-rated films available on the platform. Why only the most highly-rated? Because Amazon's paid for streaming service is known for having the biggest movie library out of all the best streaming services , so we had to narrow down the list somehow.

Each movie in this list has been included because it has a Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics of 80% or higher. Of course, review aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes, MetaCritic and IMDb aren't always reliable, which is why every movie has to also be personally recommended by one of the streaming team members: Matt Bolton, Amelia Schwanke, Tom Power, Lucy Buglass and Grace Morris.

We've included epic fantasy, tense drama, family classics, high octane action and much more in this list, with a mix of originals and licensed content. There's a movie for everyone in this guide.

For more Prime Video-based coverage, read our guide on all of the new Prime Video movies to arrive this month. Alternatively, see how much a Prime Video subscription costs or read our best Prime Video shows guide.

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Becca is a contributor to TechRadar, a freelance journalist and author. She’s been writing about consumer tech and popular science for more than ten years, covering all kinds of topics, including why robots have eyes and whether we’ll experience the overview effect one day. She’s particularly interested in VR/AR, wearables, digital health, space tech and chatting to experts and academics about the future. She’s contributed to TechRadar, T3, Wired, New Scientist, The Guardian, Inverse and many more. Her first book, Screen Time, came out in January 2021 with Bonnier Books. She loves science-fiction, brutalist architecture, and spending too much time floating through space in virtual reality. 

• Tom Power Senior Entertainment Reporter
• Grace Morris Entertainment Writer

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