The 51 best movies on Amazon Prime right now
The joys of having thousands of movies at your fingertips is enough to make any film-lover giddy. But choice is a double-edged sword, especially if you’re wasting precious viewing time scrolling. Amazon Prime’s library of streaming content is growing at breakneck speeds, and has quickly become a go-to streamer. And while Netflix and Hulu focus more heavily on their originals, Amazon Prime Video has amassed an impressive collection of movies — including blockbusters, indie gems, and Amazon original movies. To help subscribers sift through Amazon’s vault of films, that are updated on a weekly basis, we’re happy to do all the heavy lifting for you by rounding up some of the best movies currently available on the service.
Prefer something else? We’ve also put together guides to the best shows on Amazon, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Netflix, and the best movies on Disney+.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
Make no mistake, while Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of John Hughes’ funniest, laugh-out-loud films, it’s also one of the sweetest, most enduring buddy/road-trip movies you’ll ever see. More than just your standard odd-couple flick, Planes lets the audience tag along with Neal Page (Steve Martin), a buttoned-down Chicago ad-man, and Del Griffith (John Candy), a rough-around-the-edges traveling shower-curtain-ring salesman, as they team up to make it from Manhattan to Chicago for Thanksgiving with their families. Martin plays the uppity Neal to perfection as a man always on his last nerve, while the unrelenting positivity (and poor hygiene) of Candy’s Del is more than Neal can take. Needless to say, everything that can go wrong does — flights are canceled, trains break down, rental cars burst into flames, and to the detriment of Neal’s last nerve, the pair share one too many hotel-room beds (“Those aren’t pillows!”). But at its core, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is about our differences, and how we overcome them to become the best versions of ourselves that we can. It’s also a perfect Thanksgiving movie.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Stars: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean, Kevin Bacon
Director: John Hughes
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Almost Famous (2000)
Want to know what it’s like to hit the road with the coolest band in 1970s America, while you cross the country in a tour bus singing “Tiny Dancer” at the top of your lungs? Just click below. This iconic scene in Cameron Crowe’s Oscar-winning film is one of many nostalgia-drenched moments based on Crowe’s real-life experiences as a teenaged writer for Rolling Stone, and his time on the road with legendary rockers like the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. But Almost Famous is also a beautiful coming-of-age story that follows Crowe’s baby-faced version of himself, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), a kid trying to make a name for himself as a music journalist as he’s sucked into the rock ‘n’ roll inner circle of Stillwater, a band on the verge of the big-time. Inside that circle, William is smitten by enigmatic groupie-leader Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), but she’s in love (or thinks she is) with Stillwater’s “guitarist with mystique,” Russell (Billy Crudup), and that can’t end well. But as William and Russell develop a real friendship, William risks crossing personal and professional lines and must choose which side he wants to be on.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Adventure
Stars: Patrick Fugit, Jason Lee, Billy CrudupFrances McDormandKate Hudson
Director: Cameron Crowe
Rating: R
Runtime: 122 minutes
The Departed (2006)
2007’s Best Picture Oscar-winner is a gritty, tense, South Boston mob flick by Martin Scorsese (who also took home the best director statue) that shouldn’t be missed if you haven’t seen it already. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover cop who infiltrates the criminal organization of boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), with the hope of taking it down from the inside. But Frank’s got his own mole in the Boston police department in the form of Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who’s been groomed by Frank since he was a kid to be the ultimate mob spy. As Billy and Colin move up in their respective fake lives, and ultimately get sucked in their contrasting worlds, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues as they try to root one another out. The Departed is a nail-biter, driven largely by Nicholson, whose portrayal of Frank delivers palpable fear as the scent of rat wafts through his crew. Martin Sheen also shines as police Captain Queenan, and even Mark Wahlberg’s Mark-Wahlberg-ness compliments the cast quite nicely.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Genre: Drama, Action, Suspense
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Runtime: 151 minutes
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
If you’re a fan of Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant’s work on films such as Good Will Hunting, Milk, and My Own Private Idaho, why not take a look back at the film that put him, and arguably actor Matt Dillon, on the map. Drugstore Cowboy is a spiraling outlaws-on-the-run film that follows the lives of two drug-addicted couples living fix to fix as they drift across the country robbing drug stores. Dillion is Bob Hughes, a young man desperately trying to get on the straight and narrow, but who is caught up in the life with the only family he has, his girlfriend Diane (Road House‘s Kelly Lynch), best friend Rick (James Le Gros), and his girlfriend Nadine (relative newcomer Heather Graham). As the late film critic Roger Ebert wrote in his original 1989 review, “this is not a movie about bad people, but about sick people,” a notion that rings true as the desperate crew’s camaraderie, however misplaced, coupled with Bob’s earnest and often funny narration, endures the audience to the gang, making it impossible for you not to root for them.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Genre: Drama, Crime
Stars: Matt DillonKelly LynchJames Le Gros, Heather Graham
Director: Gus Van Sant
Rating: R
Runtime: 101 minutes
Funny Girl (1968)
Funny Girl is quite literally the movie that made Barbara Streisand a star, It was her feature film debut, and she won an Oscar for Best Actress when she reprised her role from the Broadway original. It’s fitting that Streisand was playing a real Broadway and film star, Fanny Brice, in a story that spanned several years. Omar Sharif co-starred in the film as Nick Arnstein, Fanny’s lover-turned-husband. Funny Girl opts for a nonlinear approach to Fanny and Nick’s tumultuous relationship by starting near the end and going back to the very beginning. Funny Girl nails both its comedic moments and its dramatic scenes with ease. It’s a film that has withstood the test of time, and it still holds up decades after its initial release. “Hello gorgeous,” indeed.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Drama
Stars: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford
Director: William Wyler
Rating: G
Runtime: 144 minutes
Mud (2012)
Looking back, Mud was an important milestone in Matthew McConaughey’s “McConaughesance,” which reinvigorated his career as a leading man. Within the film, McConaughey plays the titular Mud, a fugitive who befriends two young boys: Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland). While hiding out from the law, Mud tells his new friends that he killed a man who hurt his ex-girlfriend, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). However, there’s more to Mud’s story than he initially lets on, and the kids are left to wonder whether they can truly take him at his word.
Regardless, the bond between Mud and the boys is affecting, and he risks his life to save Ellis when the chips are down. Sam Shepard also has a strong performance in the movie as Tom Blankenship, Mud’s father figure, who isn’t quite sure if he wants to save his surrogate son one more time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard
Director: Jeff Nichols
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 minutes
Hereditary (2018)
After her mother dies, Annie Graham (Toni Collette) struggles to process her feelings while maintaining some semblance of order in her household. After another tragedy strikes her family, however, Annie can barely keep herself together, and her condition worsens as strange occurrences plague her and her family. Hereditary is an exquisitely crafted horror movie, with a tightly coiled plot and skillful camerawork that sells some truly gruesome moments.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Horror
Stars: Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Alex Wolf
Director: Ari Aster
Rating: R
Runtime: 127 minutes
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Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond is almost over, but his first adventure as the legendary spy is still among the best 007 movies to date. Casino Royale was a hard reset for the franchise, which stripped out the camp with a grounded look at Bond’s early escapades. Assigned to pursue a target during a high-stakes tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond forms a sizzling physical and emotional connection with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), his partner for the case. Vesper is the Bond girl he really loved, which ratchets up the intensity when both of their lives are threatened. This is where Bond truly begins.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Stars: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Martin Campbell
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 144 minutes
Chi-Raq (2015)
Aristophanes’ classic Greek comedy Lysistrata gets a modern update in this 2015 film directed by Spike Lee. The film follows a group of women who decide to withhold sex from their partners until they agree to curb the gang violence plaguing their Chicago neighborhood. Told in a mixture of music and verse, the film stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson
Director: Spike Lee
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Inception (2010)
Christopher Nolan wrote and directed this mind-bending sci-fi thriller movie that casts Leonardo DiCaprio as a high-tech thief who steals information from the subconscious minds of his targets. When he’s hired for a different sort of job — to inject a thought into someone’s mind instead of stealing from it — it raises the stakes and traps him in an even more dangerous mission. Along with an endless array of groundbreaking visual effects, the film also features an ensemble cast that includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy
Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 148 minutes
One Child Nation (2019)
The 2019 Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary, One Child Nation, explores a policy many have heard of but few outside China have ever really understood. Chinese-born filmmakers Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang go deep on the 1980 policy — which barred families from having more than one child and fined them if they did — and the devastating consequences it had on both families and the nation as a whole. With gut-wrenching personal testimony and stories from those who lived through it, the documentary sheds a light on a frightening government program, one widely considered to be one of the biggest human rights violations in world history.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Peng Wang, Logan Stuy, Jiamong Pang
Director: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang
Rating: R
Runtime: 89 minutes
I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
James Baldwin was one of the most influential writers of the late 20th century, penning numerous essays and acclaimed novels addressing issues of race at a time when racial friction seemed to be boiling over in America. Working from an unfinished Baldwin manuscript, director Raoul Peck has created I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary examining Baldwin’s views and how they apply not only to the tumults of the ’60s, but to modern America as well. Samuel L. Jackson narrates, infusing the material with a husky weariness. I Am Not Your Negro leaves one with the impression that Baldwin’s work has never been finished, and never been more important.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Raoul Peck
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 93 minutes
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Train to Busan (2016)
This South Korean horror movie follows a group of passengers aboard a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan as the outbreak of a deadly virus begins turning people into ferocious, flesh-hungry creatures, and those aboard the train must find a way to survive. One of the tensest, frantic zombie films ever made, director Yeon Sang-ho’s adventure focuses on a small group of people aboard the train as they’re forced to overcome their differences in order to keep themselves and their loved ones alive. The movie broke several box-office records both within South Korea and internationally, and it also spawned a 2020 sequel.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Genre: Horror, Action
Stars: Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jung Yu-mi
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Knives Out (2019)
Writer and director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper) gives the classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery a modern spin in this tale about a famous crime novelist whose unexpected death one night after a family gathering makes everyone a suspect. Daniel Craig portrays the brilliant, debonair detective Benoit Blanc, whose investigation brings the depths of the family’s dysfunction to light and leaves you guessing who will ultimately emerge as the culprit of the film’s heinous crime. The film’s ensemble cast makes a great mystery even better, with memorable performances from each and every actor involved, resulting in a modern mystery masterpiece.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Genre: Mystery
Stars: Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Craig
Director: Rian Johnson
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 minutes
The Vast of Night (2020)
This nostalgic throwback to classic sci-fi thrillers follows a young switchboard operator and a radio DJ whose discovery of a mysterious audio frequency sets off a series of discoveries that lead them deep into the unknown. The Amazon Studios film is the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson and has earned high praise from critics and streaming audiences alike for its suspenseful, low-budget spin on the genre.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery
Stars: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz
Director: Andrew Patterson
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 89 minutes
Rocketman (2019)
Part musical fantasy, part biopic of legendary musician Elton John, Rocketman casts Taron Egerton as the inimitable performer and chronicles John’s evolution from a small-town prodigy to an international superstar. Filled with fantastic musical interludes based on some of John’s most popular songs and performed by Egerton, the film also features Jamie Bell as John’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, and Richard Madden as John’s first manager, John Reid.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Musical, Drama
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Rating: R
Runtime: 121 minutes
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
One of the most unexpectedly unique horror films of the last decade, Drew Goddard’s The Cabin the Woods took the typical story of a group of teenagers tormented by sinister forces while staying in a remote cabin in an entirely new direction. Goddard and co-writer Joss Whedon toyed with and twisted the conventions of the genre in ways that no one saw coming, and the end result was a film that’s as funny as it is terrifying, and packed with hidden elements that demand multiple viewings. If you haven’t seen The Cabin in the Woods yet, it’s best that you know as little as possible going into this film — but if you have seen it, there’s a good chance you’ll end up watching it many times over.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Horror
Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins
Director: Drew Goddard
Rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
Fast Color (2019)
Three generations of women with powerful abilities come together in this sci-fi thriller that explores racism and generational divides against the backdrop of a thrilling story about a woman pursued by sinister forces due to the power she wields. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, and Saniyya Sidney star in the film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney
Director: Julia Hart
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 100 minutes
Boondock Saints (2000)
Two brothers from Boston find themselves on a divine mission to take down the Russian mob in this stylized 1999 action film that became a cult hit in the home entertainment world despite a series of behind-the-scenes issues that doomed its theatrical run. Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus play the MacManus brothers, whose bloody quest — and more than a little luck — turn them into local heroes and put them on a collision path with an eccentric FBI agent played by Willem Dafoe.
Rotten Tomatoes: 25%
Genre: Action, Comedy
Stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe
Director: Troy Duffy
Rating: R
Runtime: 110 minutes
Murderball (2005)
This Academy Award-nominated documentary follows the players in a “quad rugby” league — a sport in quadriplegics in armored wheelchairs compete in a version of full-contact rugby that tests their fortitude and smashes stereotypes. The film follows several teams as they attempt to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, while exploring the players’ lives, what brought them to the sport, and what it means to them.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Documentary, Sports
Stars: Joe Soares, Mark Zupan, Robert Soares
Director: Henry-Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Rating: R
Runtime: 85 minutes
The Avengers (2012)
It might seem strange given the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there was a time when no one thought a movie like The Avengers was possible. In 2012, Marvel Studios brought together the stars and supporting cast of multiple solo superhero films for a massive team-up that broke just about every box-office record possible and redefined “cinematic universe” for Hollywood. After Asgardian trickster Loki primes Earth for an invasion by an alien armada, it’s up to Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to save the day. More than just an early installment of the MCU, The Avengers was a game-changer for the entire superhero genre.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johanson
Director: Joss Whedon
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 142 minutes
Honey Boy (2019)
Shia LaBeouf’s debut script is directed by Alma Har’el and follows the life of child actor Otis Lort as he rises through young success to self-destructive Hollywood star. Navigating fame and his abusive, alcoholic father proves to be next to impossible as their contentious relationship crumbles across the course of a decade. LaBeouf also stars in this semiautobiographical tale that draws from his experience with his father.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges
Director: Alma Har’el
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018)
The sixth installment in the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise, Fallout shows that the old series can still outpace younger ones when it comes to frenetic action and jaw-dropping spectacle. The film opens with secret agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), part of the Impossible Missions Force, attempting to secure some stolen plutonium cores. When the mission goes sideways, the cores fall into the hands of a terrorist group, forcing the IMF to hunt its members down. Their failure draws the ire of CIA Director Erica Sloane (Angela Bassett), who deploys the assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) to follow Hunt’s trail. With a gripping plot and some awe-inspiring stunts, Fallout is top-notch espionage action.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Genre: Action & Adventure
Stars: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhymes, Simon Pegg
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 147 minutes
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High Life (2019)
From award-winning French filmmaker Claire Denis, High Life is described as an erotic sci-fi horror film, but it really defies classification. It’s difficult to explain High Life in just a few words but we’ll try. Juliette Binoche stars as Dr. Dibs, overseer of a damned space mission that is sending criminals to attempt to extract energy from a black hole. Along the way, Dibs performs sexual experiments on the criminals that lead to their deaths. Ultimately, murderer Monte (Robert Pattinson) is left alone with his daughter, trying to survive and thrive as they hurtle toward certain death.
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Genre: Science Fiction
Stars: Robert Pattinson, André Benjamin, Mia Goth
Director: Claire Denis
Rating: R
Runtime: 110
Eighth Grade (2018)
As delightfully awkward as it is heartfelt and earnest, Eighth Grade is one of the more honest and true-to-life coming-of-age stories you’ll see. The directorial debut of comedian and actor Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade treats the terrors of growing up with a subtler touch, centering on 13-year-old Kayla (the revelatory Elsie Fisher) as she makes her way through the last week of middle school. Eighth Grade is a movie about middle school that stars real middle schoolers, which makes it funnier, more interesting, and vastly more cringe-inducing. If you ever went to a middle school pool party, Eighth Grade is for you.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Genre: Comedy
Stars: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson
Director: Bo Burnham
Rating: R
Runtime: 94 minutes
The Lost City of Z (2016)
Based on the 2009 book of the same name, The Lost City of Z tells the true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who enters the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century. In his travels, he unexpectedly discovers evidence of a previously unknown and advanced civilization that once existed in the region. Unsurprisingly, he is ridiculed and belittled by the British scientific and historical establishment, who consider the entire Amazon region a savage one. Undaunted, Fawcett returns to the jungle, determined to prove his case and discover the Lost City of Z.
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama
Stars: Tom Holland, Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson
Director: James Gray
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 140 minutes
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
Facing displacement from the home his grandfather built as a result of gentrification in his San Francisco neighborhood, Jimmie and his best friend, Mort, set out on a mission to reclaim the house before it is irreversibly changed. Their odyssey tests their friendship and forces them to question where they belong in the place they’ve always called home. A poignant, often intense journey, this film was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Jimmie Falls, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps
Director: Joe Talbot
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Fighting With My Family (2019)
A comedy based on the true story of WWE wrestler Paige, Fighting with my Family delivers on the story of a real-life wrestling family. Written and directed by Stephen Merchant, the film stars Florence Pugh alongside a strong cast that includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn, and others. Pugh and her brother (played by Jack Lowden) try out for the WWE and, when only one of them makes the cut, Pugh is forced to face the world of professional wrestling alone. It may have a bit of an underdog storyline that’s often used in sports, but there’s a sincerity and truth behind this story that makes it special.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Comedy
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Florence Pugh, Lena Headey
Director: Stephen Merchant
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 107 minutes
The Report (2019)
A political thriller that eschews car chases and assassination attempts for the unexpected tension of trawling through documents, The Report follows senate staffer Daniel Jones (Adam Driver), who is chosen by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to investigate the destruction of CIA interrogation recordings in 2005. For years, Jones and his team pore over millions of pages of documents slathered in redactions, all while dodging the efforts of government officials to squash their effort. With an all-star cast and a particularly great performance from Driver, The Report is a tense thriller.
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm
Director: Scott Burns
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
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It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
A classic Christmas movie with an iconic James Stewart performance, It’s a Wonderful Life follows George Bailey (Stewart), a banker in the town of Bedford Falls who is preparing to throw himself off a bridge. An angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) appears to save George, and takes him on a journey through the most important moments in George’s life, showing him all the good things he’s done for other people despite the costs to himself. It’s a Wonderful Life is a charming story about perseverance in the face of an often cruel universe, and the value of relationships.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction
Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
Director: Frank Capra
Rating: PG
Runtime: 135 minutes
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Manchester by the Sea (2016)
This bleak drama, directed by playwright Kenneth Lonergan, is set in the titular town of Manchester, a town Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) would prefer never to return to. Chandler lives out his days working as a janitor in Quincy, away from any connections to his past. Tragedy brings him home; his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), dies, leaving behind a teenage son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), and a will asking Lee to take care of him. Manchester by the Sea is a deeply personal drama, examining the ways tragedy can wear away at a person’s soul, and whether it is possible to come back from the brink. Despite the premise, the movie is not gloomy from start to end; the script allows for plenty of humor and warmth throughout, making for a film that captures the complexity of life.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Rating: R
Runtime: 135 minutes
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Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
In the soft shadows of The Gaslight Cafe, folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) croons that he “wouldn’t mind the hanging.” Leave it to the Coen Brothers to oblige him. Two of America’s most mercurial filmmakers, the Coens have approached both grim tragedy and madcap comedy in their films, sometimes at the same time. Inside Llewyn Davis falls on the bleaker end of the spectrum, following Davis as he attempts to get his music career on track in the wake of his musical partner’s suicide. His finances are not the only part of his life falling apart; his former lover, Jean (Carey Mulligan), pregnant with a child that is likely his, wants nothing to do with him. Davis’ struggle, set against the frost-glazed backdrop of New York, is a tragic one. But the film is not without humor, black though it may be. The characters surrounding Llewyn are as vibrant as he is cold, particularly Justin Timberlake as Jane’s new boyfriend (although Isaac’s future Star Wars nemesis also has a memorable musical cameo).
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Oscar Isaac, John Goodman, Carey Mulligan
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen
Rating: R
Runtime: 105 minutes
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The Handmaiden (2016)
From Korean director Park Chan-wook, award-winning director of Oldboy, The Handmaiden is an intense, pulse-pounding crime drama set in the early 1900s during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The film follows two women — a young Japanese lady on a secluded estate, and the Korean woman who is hired as her new handmaiden. Little does the former know, though, that the latter is conspiring with a con man to defraud the woman out of her inheritance.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Genre: Drama, Romance
Stars: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong
Director: Park Chan-wook
Rating: NR
Runtime: 145 minutes
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
This Amazon Original was nominated for four 2019 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix). Phoenix stars as a traumatized veteran who harnesses his trauma into hunting down missing girls for a living. However, as his nightmares begin to overtake him and he continues to get in over his head, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy or save him, depending on the paths he takes.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, John Doman
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Rating: R
Runtime: 89 minutes
Midsommar (2019)
Called an “operatic breakup movie” by director Ari Aster, Midsommar proves to be exactly that and more in this suspenseful film. It centers around an American couple with serious relationship issues who travel with friends to a midsummer festival. It gets significantly more violent and unsettling from there, with the setting of a remote Swedish village serving as the backdrop for a cult with less-than-admirable intentions, to put it lightly. It was a hit in summer 2019 and, if you’re up for a nearly 2.5-hour movie where the scares consistently and constantly creep up on you, it won’t take long to understand why.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Genre: Horror
Stars: Florence Pugh, Liv Mjönes, Jack Reynor
Director: Ari Aster
Rating: R
Runtime: 140 minutes
Logan Lucky (2017)
After losing his job, construction worker Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is desperate to reverse his fortune, and knows just the way to do it: Having worked on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, he knows all about the pneumatic tube system that moves money under the track. Jimmy recruits his one-armed brother Clyde (Adam Driver), sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and safe-cracker Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) for a heist. Unfortunately, a change in the construction schedule forces them to execute early, on the day of the Coca Cola 600 race. With a sharp sense of humor and memorable characters, Logan Lucky is a wild ride.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Comedy
Stars: Chaning Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 119 minutes
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Cold War (2018)
Paweł Pawlikowski’s gorgeous historical drama Cold War follows Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and Zula (Joanna Kulig), a music director and singer respectively, who meet and fall in love in Poland after the end of World War II. As the years drag on and the Soviet grip over Eastern Europe tightens, the two drift across borders, in and out of each other’s lives. Their turbulent romance, set against a backdrop of paranoia and repression, is messy but moving. Filmed in stark black and white, Cold War is a beautiful film full of masterfully composed shots.
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Rating: R
Runtime: 89 minutes
The Big Sick (2017)
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and comedy writer Emily V. Gordon adapted their real-life love story for film in The Big Sick, a charming romantic comedy that was one of Digital Trends’ favorite movies of 2019 and helped score Nanjiani and Gordon their own Apple TV+ show. The movie begins with Kumail (playing a loosely fictionalized version of himself) struggling to build a stand-up career, mining his Pakistani background for material. After a run-in with a heckler named Emily (Zoe Kazan) turns into a one-night-stand and eventually a relationship, the two start to run into troubles. For starters, Kumail’s parents want him to settle down with a Pakistani woman, leading them to break up. Making things even more complicated, an infection leaves Emily in a coma. While visiting Emily in the hospital, Kumail meets her parents, Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter), learning more about them and Emily as he processes his own feelings.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
Director: Michael Showalter
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
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Rango (2011)
Johnny Depp stars as a former pet chameleon thrust into the harsh environment of the Mohave Desert in this hilarious animated adventure. It’s a uniquely fresh take on the Wild West concept, packed with plenty of comedic lines delivered by prominent actors like Isla Fisher, Alfred Molina, Timothy Olyphant, Bill Nighy, and more. Depp’s Rango finds himself in the town of Dirt and inherits the role of sheriff in a search for the town’s missing water. Directed by Gore Verbinski, he of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, Rango delivers the same sense of off-brand action that Depp has proven to thrive in.
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Genre: Action & Adventure, Family
Stars: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin
Director: Gore Verbinski
Rating: PG
Runtime: 107 minutes
The Invisible War (2012)
This documentary from award-winning director Kirby Dick explores the ever-increasing incidence of violent sexual assault within the U.S. military. The Invisible War features interviews with veterans from multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces, who recount the events surrounding their sexual assaults. Their stories express the lack of recourse in the justice system and the absence of emotional and physical care for the survivors. The survivors call for a change in the way the military handles sexual assault and hope for a shift to a more honest conversation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick, Kori Cioca
Director: Kirby Dick
Rating: NR
Runtime: 97 minutes
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The Lighthouse (2019)
Director Robert Eggers was initially moved to adapt Edgar Allan Poe’s The Light-House as a film, but The Lighthouse ultimately went in its own direction as one of 2019’s most unusual movies. Filmed entirely in black-and-white, The Lighthouse takes place in the late 19th century, as Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) finds himself stationed with the mercurial Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). Alone and stranded on the remote island, Winslow and Wake battle both each other and the onset of insanity. Pattinson and Dafoe’s confrontations and performances are riveting, but it’s the movie’s surprises that will keep viewers talking long after the film comes to an end.
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe
Director: Robert Eggers
Rating: R
Runtime: 109 minutes
The Farewell (2019)
In China, the name of this movie is “Don’t Tell Her.” The Farewell‘s American title doesn’t entirely capture the premise of the movie in the same way, but the core message is similar. Awkwafina stars as Billi Wang, a Chinese-American writer who learns that her grandmother, Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen), is dying from terminal lung cancer in China. To make matters worse, Billi’s parents, Haiyan Wang (Tzi Ma) and Lu Jian (Diana Lin), as well as the rest of the family, forbid Billi from telling Nai Nai that she has only a short time to live. It’s a promise that weighs heavily on Billi, but her connection with her beloved grandmother is beautiful and touching. Nai Nai may not know the truth, but she’s still got something valuable to teach her family.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shu-zhen
Director: Lulu Wang
Rating: PG
Runtime: 100 minutes
The African Queen (1951)
One of the joys of Amazon Prime is that it allows viewers of all ages to get acquainted with the films that came out decades before they were born. The African Queen is one of director John Huston’s most beloved films, thanks in no small part to the pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn as the leads. The story is set in World War I, as a missionary named Rose Sayer (Hepburn) and the captain of a riverboat, Charlie Allnut (Bogart) join forces against the Germans after their lives are upended. The journey of the African Queen takes Charlie and Rose into countless dangers, as well as an occasionally rocky romance. This is a classic, folks. And everyone should see it at least once.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Adventure
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley
Director: John Huston
Rating: PG
Runtime: 105 minutes
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Concert films are not a new phenomenon, but they do seem to be fewer and far between. In 1984, director Jonathan Demme teamed up with the band called Talking Heads for Stop Making Sense, one of the most influential concert films of all-time. Demme filmed the movie over four live performances at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, and Talking Heads put on the show of their lives every night. The band had a great sense of showmanship and stage presence, and Demme captured it all. Stop Making Sense has even pulled off the rare feat of a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. If it’s not a “Once in a Lifetime” experience, it’s close enough.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Genre: Concert Film
Stars: Talking Heads
Director: Jonathan Demme
Rating: NR
Runtime: 105 minutes
How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
Not every DreamWorks animated film is an instant classic, but How To Train Your Dragon lives up to the hype and exceeds it. Based on a book with the same name, How To Train Your Dragon follows a young Viking boy named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) as he realizes that dragons can be partners to humanity instead of their deadly enemies. By a process of experimentation, and several leaps of trust, Hiccup trains and bonds with a small black dragon named Toothless, which ultimately changes his world forever. The stunning animation still takes our collective breath away a decade after this film came out. It spawned a franchise, but this is still the best movie in the trilogy.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Stars: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler
Director: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
Rating: PG
Runtime: 99 minutes
Blow the Man Down (2020)
Blow the Man Down is a dark comedy and a hidden gem that arrived on Amazon Prime under the radar earlier this year. Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe co-headline the film as feuding sisters Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly, respectively. When Mary Beth kills a man who tried to harm her, Priscilla decides that blood is thicker than water and she helps her sister cover up the evidence. Unfortunately for the Connolly sisters, secrets are hard to keep in a small town, and they never quite know who they can trust. Margo Martindale also has a terrific supporting turn as Enid Nora Devlin, a local brothel owner who may know too much.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
Stars: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale
Director: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy
Rating: R
Runtime: 91 minutes
First Reformed (2017)
Ethan Hawke stars in First Reformed as Ernst Toller, a pastor who isn’t suffering from just one crisis of faith. He’s suffering from all of them. When a pregnant parishioner named Mary Mensana (Amanda Seyfried) begs Ernst to counsel her radical environmentalist husband, Michael (Philip Ettinger), the pastor finds himself coming around to Michael’s view of the world. Faith alone won’t cure Ernst’s inner doubts, but his daily struggle is all too relatable. Ernst’s dwindling faith leads him on a very dark journey, and the film isn’t afraid to leave the question of his salvation ambiguous through the very end.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles
Director: Paul Schrader
Rating: R
Runtime: 113 minutes
Paterson (2016)
The stakes aren’t particularly high for Paterson the film. But for Paterson himself, they’re everything. Adam Driver stars as the title character, a man who works as a bus driver. But in reality, Paterson is a poet who hasn’t learned to fully accept that aspect of himself. The entire movie takes place over the course of a week, and we see the daily routine of both Paterson and his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani). But when the pattern breaks and misfortune strikes, it will take a minor miracle to get Paterson back on the right track.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Genre: Drama
Stars: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Clue (1985)
Critics were not exactly fond of Clue when it was released in theaters. They didn’t think that this theatrical adaptation of a board game was anything special. However, the critics got it wrong on Clue, and it’s gained a considerable cult following in the subsequent decades. A good deal of the credit for that belongs to the fantastic ensemble cast including Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren.
On a dark and stormy night, the enigmatic Mr. Brody has assembled a group of strangers to his mansion with the intention of blackmailing them. But when the bodies start to pile up, it’s obvious that there’s a killer among them. Hilarious hijinks ensue, including three different outcomes for the story.
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Stars: Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Rating: PG
Runtime: 96 minutes
Crawl (2019)
If you live in Florida, alligators and tropical storms are a way of life. But in this action movie Crawl, a Category 5 hurricane pits a young woman named Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) against those dangerous gators as the waters rise in her family home. Fortunately, Haley’s a strong swimmer, and she’s out to save her dad, Dave (Barry Pepper). But this time, the gators have the upper hand, and they’re blocking all of the exits from the house. Director Alexandre Aja infuses Crawl with a considerable amount of tension with close calls for Haley, Dave, and even Haley’s dog, Sugar. But the Keller family has more to worry about than just the gators or the storm. Crawl literally depicts the fight of their lives, and it creates an exhilarating horror experience as well.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Genre: Action, Drama, Horror
Stars: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
Director: Alexandre Aja
Rating: R
Runtime: 87 minutes
Creed II (2018)
Creed II has the difficult task of following the first Creed while also serving as a direct sequel to Rocky IV. Remarkably, it succeeds at both by giving Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) strong stories and lots of complicated emotions to work through. Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) re-enters their lives while challenging Creed to fight his son, Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). Rocky’s attempt to protect his new charge is no match for Creed’s desire to avenge his father in the ring. The resulting emotional and physical fallout separates Creed and Rocky before bringing them back together yet again. If you’ve seen one Rocky movie, then you know the formula by now. But Creed II does an excellent job of making the formula work yet again. It also gives Rocky some much-needed closure, if this turns out to be his final film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Genre: Drama, Sports, Action
Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
Director: Steven Caple Jr.
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 minutes
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