Amazon Prime Video wields a larger content library than most streaming services. With a Prime membership, which costs $12.99/mo., you’ll gain access to nearly 13,000 Amazon Prime streaming movies. Or, if you’d prefer Amazon Prime Video without free two-day shipping and other key perks, you could choose Amazon’s video-on-demand service for $8.99/mo. For a well-rounded analysis of Prime Video, jump over to our full review. We also have more information about the service’s pricing and packages.
Amazon’s simply one of the best services for movies. In fact, if you’re jonesing for the best new movies on Amazon Prime, then you probably want to skip ahead to our top five list. Through Amazon Studios, Amazon invests billions of dollars in its original programming. Its subscriber base eclipsed 50 million at the end of 2018 and continues to rise by millions per year.
So, what does that mean for you? To put it simply, easy access to good movies on Amazon Prime — and lots of them. Amazon’s no stranger to awards, with films like Manchester by the Sea and The Big Sick. But, say the movie you’re searching for isn’t available for free within Amazon’s library, then what? Amazon also works as a hub for renting old classics and new blockbusters. Here’s our list of the top movies on Amazon Prime.
How we rate Amazon Prime Video movies
We don’t take rating lightly. Our evaluations are based upon both professional critic and audience scores via Rotten Tomatoes to ensure that rankings are as fair as possible. That way, you’ll know you’re about to watch something that’s tried, tested, and honestly rated. In addition to Rotten Tomatoes scores, we also factor in features such as box office and overall popularity. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
Top 10 Amazon Prime Video movies
Cold War (2018)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 92%
- Average Audience Score: 81%
- Notable cast members: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza, Cédric Kahn, Jeanne Balibar
Cold War is a historical drama and love story that takes place during the onset of the Cold War. Director Pawel Pawlikowski took inspiration from his parents, as the film follows a musical director and a singer who navigate an ever-changing world while also enduring the ideological differences and flaws of one another. This is one of the best movies on Prime for history buffs.
Embrace of the Serpent (2015)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 96%
- Average Audience Score: 84%
- Notable cast members: Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Nilbio Torres, Antonio Bolívar Salvador, Yauenkü Miguee
Chronicling two separate encounters 30 years apart between Western explorers and an Amazonian shaman searching for a sacred plant, Embrace of the Serpent depicts separate periods of time connected by invariable themes. First nation peoples in each encounter are subjected to the ulterior motives of colonizing forces. Both journeys are intertwined with one another, presenting a rarefied glimpse into the jungles of the Amazon and the narrow-minded motivations that demolished civilizations.
Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 82%
- Average Audience Score: 60%
- Notable cast members: Michael Moore
This documentary not only follows up on Farhenheit 9/11 but surpasses it by revealing an entirely new can of worms. Fahrenheit 11/9 examines how America got into its current predicament. This Amazon Prime movie also proposes ways to fix the quandaries that resulted from decades of corrupt policymaking.
Honey Boy (2019)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 94%
- Average Audience Score: 92%
- Notable cast members: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, FKA twigs, Byron Bowers, Laura San Giacomo
Shia LaBeouf recounts his childhood rise to stardom in this autobiographical film, where he explores his relationship with his father by actually playing a version of him. Though the film itself is a fictionalized account of LaBeouf’s life, it conveys the essence of what the actor endured in his early years.
Midsommar (2019)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 83%
- Average Audience Score: 63%
- Notable cast members: Florence Pugh, Liv Mjönes, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter
When an American couple visits a small Swedish town where the sun doesn’t set, what first appears as a paradise quickly turns into a vivid yet bright nightmare. As the inhabitants of the town encourage the couple and their friends to partake in celebrations, they’re subjected to the disturbing world of a horrid fairytale.
One Child Nation (2019)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 98%
- Average Audience Score: 86%
- Notable cast members: Nanfu Wang
One Child Nation is a documentary that dissects China’s inhumane ‘One Child’ policy and examines the hidden impact it had on generations of Chinese citizens. Director Nanfu Wang interviews her own family as well as members of her community that experienced the horrors of the fatal policy.
Suspiria (2018)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 66%
- Average Audience Score: 66%
- Notable cast members: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Lutz Ebersdorf, Angela Winkler, Chloë Grace Moretz
A nefarious force seizes the minds of the artistic director and dancers of a distinguished company in this popular film that provides a dark look at the world of dance, perfection, ritual, and self-preservation.
The Lighthouse (2019)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 90%
- Average Audience Score: 72%
- Notable cast members: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman
A psychological thriller set in the late 1800s, The Lighthouse is a tale that follows two lighthouse keepers who lose their minds after a storm hits, destroying their rations and only leaving them with alcohol. Old sailor superstitions and untold secrets in The Lighthouse make for a uniquely transformative viewing experience.
Wonder Wheel (2017)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 31%
- Average Audience Score: 41%
- Notable cast members: Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, Justin Timberlake, Kate Winslet, Max Casella
A period piece placed in 1950s Coney Island, Wonder Wheel presents an ill-fated love triangle. Carolina returns home to the boardwalk after having eloped with her gangster boyfriend. Only now, she’s worried that he’s out to kill her after she gave information to the FBI. She takes up waitressing with her father’s second wife but starts an affair with the same lifeguard her newfound stepmother is secretly seeing, leading to understandable complications.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
- Average TOMATOMETER: 89%
- Average Audience Score: 65%
- Notable cast members: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman
Joe, a veteran with severe PTSD, works in a grisly world where he tracks down girls reported missing for a price. In this drama, violent memories of his past combat experience leak out in Joe’s dreams. When a particular job goes awry, with nothing left to lose, Joe stops at nothing to complete what he started.