Veteran members of the streaming platform would agree that the ever-evolving catalog of movies available with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video is endless. There is almost too much to choose from, which often leads to more time scrolling to find the best movies on Prime Video than actually spent enjoying a film.
Of course, as any frequent streamer should know, access to that much content – which also includes many great TV shows on Amazon – is both a blessing (making Amazon Prime one of the best streaming services to subscribe to) and a curse. Allow us to help narrow down your search with our picks for the best movies on Amazon Prime Video currently available to stream as of May 1, 2024, unless otherwise specified.
The Holdovers (2023)
Forced to remain on campus during holiday break, a disgruntled prep school teacher (played by Paul Giamatti), a troubled student (played by Dominic Sessa), and a cafeteria worker (played by Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph) form an unexpected bond. From director Alexander Payne and writer David Hemingson, The Holdovers is destined to be a holiday comedy classic for its tenderly heartbreaking and uplifting moments, wonderful performances, and convincing ‘70s-style aesthetic.
Stream The Holdovers on Amazon Prime.
Titanic (1997)
Romance blooms between a poor artist (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and a spoiled, engaged socialite (played by Kate Winslet) on an ill-fated passenger ship in 1912. Writer and director James Cameron earned box office and Oscar glory for his compelling, stunning retelling of the maiden and final voyage of the Titanic.
Stream Titanic on Amazon Prime.
Monster (2003)
After killing a client in self-defense, a Daytona Beach sex worker (played by Charlize Theron) adopts the deadly act as a typical part of her operation. Theron earned an Oscar for her performance as infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ great directorial debut, Monster.
Stream Monster on Amazon Prime.
Lilies Of The Field (1963)
A group of European nuns believe their prayers for a new chapel in the desert are answered when an unemployed carpenter’s (played by Sidney Poitier) car breaks down near their farm. Poitier earned a groundbreaking Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field – director Ralph Nelson’s adaptation of William Edmund Barrett’s novel.
Stream Lilies of the Field on Amazon Prime.
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Three best friends (played by John Cusack, Craig Robinson, and Rob Corddry) and the nephew of one of them (played by Clark Duke) discover the hot tub at their ski resort is anything but ordinary when they wake up in 1986. Director Steve Pink’s Hot Tub Time Machine is one of the absolute funniest time travel movies of all time.
Stream Hot Tub Time Machine on Amazon Prime.
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
A German Shepherd (voiced by Burt Reynolds) figures out how to escape the afterlife and return to Earth, where he forms a friendship with a girl who can speak to animals. All Dogs Go to Heaven sees a resurrected dog save the day in director Don Bluth’s animated classic.
Stream All Dogs Go to Heaven on Amazon Prime.
Batman (1989)
A wealthy, orphaned businessman (Michael Keaton) dons a fearsome, nocturnal persona to protect Gotham City from a crazed criminal (played by Jack Nicholson). Bruce Wayne’s evolution in cinema from a campy classic to a dark and brooding force for vengeance can be traced back to the first of Tim Burton’s live-action Batman movies.
Stream Batman on Amazon Prime.
The Graduate (1967)
Soon after completing his college education, a young man (played by Dustin Hoffman) is seduced by his father’s business partner’s wife (played by Anne Bancroft) but, later falls for her daughter (played by Katharine Ross). Based on the novel by Charles Webb, director Mick Nichols’ The Graduate is a classic dramedy about learning to grow up amid distressing circumstances.
Stream The Graduate on Amazon Prime.
The Notebook (2004)
A elderly man (played by James Garner) reads a nursing home patient (played by Gena Rowlands) the story of two young lovers (played by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) in 1940s South Carolina. Nicholas Sparks became one of the most essential romance writers of his time after the release of Nick Cassavetes’ adaptation of his heartbreaking novel, The Notebook.
Stream The Notebook on Amazon Prime.
West Side Story (1961)
A member of a New York street gang (played by Richard Beymer) falls for a woman (played by Natalie Wood) who happens to be the sister of a rival. William Shakepeare’s Romeo & Juliet inspired the first dazzling, Oscar-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical hit, West Side Story.
Stream West Side Story on Amazon Prime.
Schindler’s List (1993)
A German industrialist (played by Liam Neeson) conspires to save as many members of his Jewish workforce as possible from deadly persecution by the Nazis in 1940s Poland. Arguably Steven Spielberg’s greatest movie is Schindler’s List – a stylistically entrancing, yet thoroughly heart wrenching, but also unforgettable and inspiring depiction of the Holocaust.
Stream Schindler’s List on Amazon Prime.
The Top Gun Movies (1986, 2022)
A rebellious naval aviator (Tom Cruise) falls for his mentor (Kelly McGillis) and later becomes a mentor to a group of talented, recent graduates at one of the most elite piloting schools. Director Tony Scott’s Top Gun was one of the most popular movies of its time, went down in history as one of Cruise’s best action movies, and later spawned a sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, which became the most popular movie of 2022 and the actor’s biggest hit to date.
Stream Top Gun on Amazon Prime.
Stream Top Gun: Maverick on Amazon Prime.
Another Round (2020)
A group of high school teachers conduct an experiment to see how their lives may improve by consuming alcohol on a daily basis. One of the best Mads Mikkelsen movies, co-writer and director Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round won the Best International Feature Oscar 2021 for its darkly humorous execution of a fascinating concept.
Stream Another Round on Amazon Prime.
Witness (1985)
A detective (Harrison Ford) investigating a murder witnessed by an Amish 8-year-old (Lukas Haas) is forced to pose as a member of the boy’s village when he is targeted by the culprits. Ford received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in director Peter Weir’s Witness, which would take home Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.
Stream Witness on Amazon Prime.
Field Of Dreams (1989)
A mysterious voice inspires an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) to convert his cornfield into a baseball field. Costner has made several great baseball movies, but one of the most memorable and emotionally gratifying is Field of Dreams – writer and director Phil Alden Robinson’s adaptation of W.P. Kinsella’s novel.
Stream Field of Dreams on Amazon Prime.
How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
In a time when human beings and winged, fire-breathing creatures are sworn enemies, one bumbling, wannabe hunter (Jay Baruchel) makes a discovery that could change how his people interact with the creatures forever. What makes How to Train Your Dragon a great kids movie that adults will also love is the exciting action sequences at the center of its heartwarming tale of finding friendship in unlikely places.
Stream How to Train Your Dragon on Amazon Prime.
Rain Man (1988)
A young, self-absorbed yuppie (Tom Cruise) meets and takes a cross-country trip with the older brother he never knew he had: an autistic-savant (Dustin Hoffman). Hoffman received his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Rain Man – a Best Picture Oscar winner from Barry Levinson.
Stream Rain Man on Amazon Prime.
Bottoms (2023)
Rachel Sennott and Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri lead the Bottoms cast as two teen lesbians who start an after school women’s self-defense class in hopes to get closer to their crushes. Sennott also worked with director Emma Seligman on the screenplay for this uproarious and subversive coming-of-age comedy.
Stream Bottoms on Amazon Prime.
Fiddler On The Roof (1971)
Three Academy Awards went to this cinematic adaptation of the Tony Award-winning smash, Fiddler on the Roof. Topol leads the cast and Norman Jewison directs this funny, romantic, and heartbreaking musical set in pre-revolutionary Russia.
Stream Fiddler on the Roof on Amazon Prime.
12 Angry Men (1957)
One of the best courtroom dramas of all time barely takes place in the courtroom. With brazen performances by Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and more, director Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men is an intensely captivating thriller from the point of view of the jury for a murder trial.
Stream 12 Angry Men on Amazon Prime.
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Warren Beatty co-writes, co-directs, and stars in the Oscar-winning, fantastic sports dramedy Heaven Can Wait as a professional football player given a second chance at life on Earth. Reason being, he was accidentally taken too early, leading the people in charge above to transfer his soul into a recently murdered millionaire.
Stream Heaven Can Wait on Amazon Prime.
Women Talking (2022)
Writer and director Sarah Polley won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for this heart-wrenching, remarkably timely drama based on true events. The aptly titled Women Talking – depicting a group of women discussing whether or not to leave their Mennonite village in light of sexual assault – is anchored by a stunning all-star cast, including Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckely, Frances McDormand, and more.
Stream Women Talking on Amazon Prime.
Burn After Reading (2008)
In one of the best Coen Brothers movies (let alone one of the duo’s more underrated films), the lives of a forcibly retired CIA agent (played by John Malkovich) and two gym employees (played by Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) converge in unexpectedly grim and ridiculous ways. Also starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, J.K. Simmons, and more, Burn After Reading is a hilariously off-beat crime thriller on fire with many fun twists and turns.
Stream Burn After Reading on Amazon Prime.
Saltburn (2023)
An Oxford student (played by Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan) spends one eventful summer – to say the least – at the lavish estate owned by the family of his wealthy classmate (Jacob Elordi). Oscar winner Emerald Fennell crafts an even darker, more cheekily funny, and sometimes even “disgusting” thriller out of her follow-up to Promising Young Woman, Saltburn.
Stream Saltburn on Amazon Prime.
Goon (2012)
A violent outcast (played by Seann Williams Scott) finds the sense of purpose he has been longing for when he joins a misfit, semi-pro hockey team. Scott gives one of the best and most underrated performances in one of the best hockey movies ever, Goon.
Polite Society (2023)
A British-Pakistani teen (played by Priya Kansara) aspires to rescue her older sister (played by Ritu Arya) from her impending nuptials. Writer and director Nida Manzoor’s feature-length debut, Polite Society, is an ambitious coming-of-age comedy fused with thrilling, Matrix-style action.
Stream Polite Society on Amazon Prime.
Sicario (2015)
An FBI agent (played by Emily Blunt) begins to question the true intentions of her assignment when she joins a government task force taking on a drug cartel. Also starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, the intense action thriller, Sicario, is one of director Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, featuring visually striking cinematography by Roger Deakins.
Stream Sicario on Amazon Prime.
Interstellar (2014)
A NASA pilot-turned-farmer (played by Matthew McConaughey) goes on an expedition to find the human race a new home as Earth grows more uninhabitable. Writer and director Chrisopher Nolan tries his hand at an ambitious Kubrickian “space odyssey” with the visually stunning cosmic mindbender, Interstellar.
Stream Interstellar on Amazon Prime.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Join the star-studded Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves cast (including Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and more) on this epic, fantastic, and often hilarious quest. Most adventurers would agree that directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s action-packed fantasy film effectively captures the essence of participating in a campaign for the popular role-playing game.
Stream Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Amazon Prime.
Memento (2000)
A former insurance investigator (played by Guy Pearce) desperately tries to overcome his severe condition of short-term memory loss in order to solve his wife’s murder. Cleverly told in reverse order to keep the audience in the protagonist’s headspace, Memento is one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies and a refreshing achievement in the crime thriller genre in general.
Stream Memento on Amazon Prime.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
After an embarrassing cake-related incident that captured the public’s attention, the son of the President (played by Taylor Zakhar Perez) and the prince of England (played by Nicholas Galitzine) are forced to end their feud, which only leads them to fall for one another. Based on the best-selling novel by Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue is a winning LGBTQ+ romantic comedy exclusively available on Amazon Prime.
Stream Red, White & Royal Blue on Amazon Prime.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Teenage Gary (Cooper Hoffman) and an older woman named Alana (Alana Haim) struggle to navigate the trials and tribulations of falling in love in the San Fernando Valley in the early 1970s. Hoffman and musician Haim both received praise for their debut performances as the leads of the Licorice Pizza cast in writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson’s, Oscar-nominated coming-of-age period piece.
Stream Licorice Pizza on Amazon Prime.
Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Ill-tempered Boston handyman Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) becomes haunted by painful memories from his past after tragedy suddenly makes him the legal guardian to his teenage nephew (played by Lucas Hedges). Affleck’s inspired performance and director Kenneth Lonergan’s devastating original screenplay earned two Academy Awards for Manchester by the Sea – an acclaimed Amazon original that was also produced by Matt Damon.
Stream Manchester by the Sea on Amazon Prime.
The Big Sick (2017)
Pakistani-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani (as himself) is forced to confront various aspects of his life when his white girlfriend, Emily (Zoe Kazan) is placed in a medically induced coma. Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon, received Oscar nominations for writing The Big Sick - a wonderful romantic dramedy inspired by their own real love story.
Stream The Big Sick on Amazon Prime.
Sound Of Metal (2020)
In addition to wearing a lot of cool band T-shirts, Riz Ahmed received a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for his performance in the powerful, heartbreaking, and inventively executed Amazon Prime original Sound of Metal as a rock and roll drummer struggling with his own identity and purpose when he begins to lose his hearing.
Stream Sound of Metal on Amazon Prime.
One Night In Miami (2020)
In her first feature-length directorial effort, Academy Award-winning actress Regina King guides four actors at the top of their game (played by Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Eli Goree) in the One Night in Miami cast as four of the most famous faces of the 1960s civil rights movement in Kemp Powers' adaption of his own acclaimed stage play.
Stream One Night in Miami on Amazon Prime.
Well, a subscriber to the streaming giant certainly cannot ask for a better assortment of flicks for the ultimate binge. Check back to see what other classics have been added or removed from Amazon Prime Video next month.
