The 40 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (October 2024)

Finding a good movie to watch on Amazon Prime Video can be difficult to say the least. While Amazon’s robust library of titles is available to every Amazon Prime subscriber, they don’t exactly make it easy to find what you’re looking for. That’s where we come in. Below, we’ve assembled a growing list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now. Our carefully curated selection runs the gamut from crowd-pleasing blockbusters to Oscar-winning dramas to delightful rom-coms and beyond. There’s a little something for everyone, so stop the endless scrolling and simply choose one of these great movies to watch.

Check out our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime video below. The list will be updated weekly with new titles.

“Challengers”

“Challengers” is hypnotic. At once a tennis drama, steamy love triangle and dark comedy, the film charts the relationship between three gifted tennis players — played by Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor — over the course of several years. Directed by “Call Me by Your Name” filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, the film offers a fractured narrative, zipping back and forth in time to maximize the impact of reveals, turns and hook-ups. Backed by a pulsating score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the film builds to a thrilling finale that’ll have you leaping out of your seat. – Adam Chitwood

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula”

As Francis Ford Coppola prepares to unveil his epic “Megalopolis,” why not revisit one of his best and somewhat underrated films? “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is a lush, loving and horrific adaptation of its namesake with Gary Oldman playing the vampire, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker and Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing. What sets “Dracula” apart is Coppola revived filmmaking techniques from the silent era, resulting in a movie that looks like nothing else that was being made at the time. The effects and production design are jaw-dropping. – Adam Chitwood

“The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies

Just in time for the second season of Prime Video’s prequel series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which debuts at the end of the month, Amazon has Peter Jackson’s entire “Lord of the Rings” saga available to stream now. The three “Lord of the Rings” films stand as one of the most astounding cinematic achievements in history, earning a bevy of Oscars between them and setting the bar for high-expectation adaptations. Jackson returned to direct the “Hobbit” prequel trilogy and while the story should have been kept to two films per the original plan and there’s a CG overload throughout, there are some bright spots and it’s worth revisiting if you haven’t seen them since they first hit theaters. – Adam Chitwood

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”

This John Hughes classic stars Steve Martin and John Candy as two strangers who team up to try and get home in time for the holiday, traversing various modes of transportation all while Martin absolutely cannot stand Candy. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking and might just be Hughes’ best movie. – Adam Chitwood

Looper

Before Rian Johnson helmed “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” he first entered the sci-fi realm with his excellent 2012 thriller “Looper.” The film opens in the year 2044 where a 25-year-old man named Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works for a crime syndicate that murders people who are sent back in time from the year 2074, as a means of disposing of the bodies. But when his older self (played by Bruce Willis) shows up, he’s forced with an existential dilemma. On top of all of this, Emily Blunt plays the mother to a child who may or may not grow up to one day be one of the most evil person of the planet, and the two Joes – young and old – find themselves operating in the same timeline. This is fascinating sci-fi that’ll make you think. – Adam Chitwood

The Idea of You

Based on the Robinne Lee bestseller of the same name that was famously partially inspired by Harry Styles fanfiction, “The Idea of You” is more romantic drama than romantic comedy, but one thing’s for sure: it’s certainly romantic. Anne Hathaway stars as a mother who strikes up a relationship with the lead singer of her daughter’s favorite band, played by rising star Nicholas Galitzine. Complications ensue as tends to happen when you date a pop star, but director Michael Showalter brings a tender touch to this story of loneliness and the desire to be loved. – Adam Chitwood

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” delivering another adrenaline-pumping installment in his acclaimed 20+ year action franchise. Once again, Cruise gives his all to the jaw-dropping stunts that have come to define his long-running, unusually consistent spy franchise. “Fallout” and “Rogue Nation” director Christopher McQuarrie also returns, and once again demonstrates his knack for crafting intricate set-pieces with breathless stakes. As for newcomers, Hayley Atwell’s Grace makes a welcome, magnetic addition to Hunt’s impossible adventures while the reliably great Shea Whigham acts as a fantastic, endlessly exasperated obstacle to the mission at hand. The film isn’t quite as successful in its attempts to reckon with god-like AI, but “Mission: Impossible” continues to be among the most technically accomplished, character-fueled action franchises in film history. – Haleigh Foutch

Evil Dead Rise

One of horror’s most flexible, yet consistently quality franchises got another reinvention with “Evil Dead Rise.” Director Lee Cronin stepped in and took the “Evil Dead” back to its hard horror roots with the latest installment, transplanting the demonic undead action from the classic cabin in the woods setting to a decrepit condemned city apartment that feels every bit as isolated and hopeless. One of the more blood-soaked and seriously twisted installment, “Evil Dead Rise” also boasts an all-timer Deadite performance from Alyssa Sutherland. – Haleigh Foutch

The Silence of the Lambs

Still the only horror film to win Best Picture, “The Silence of the Lambs” is a classic for a reason. Director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation stars Jodie Foster as a young FBI trainee who is tasked with enlisting imprisoned serial killer/cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for help in tracking down a serial killer of women who goes by the name Buffalo Bill. Demme’s direction is the secret weapon here, preventing the film from becoming gross or exploitative and submerging the viewer into the point of view of Foster’s character. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Adapted Screenplay. – Adam Chitwood

Gladiator

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” holds up and then some. And with “Gladiator II” hitting theaters later this year, now’s the perfect time to revisit this Best Picture-winning epic. Russell Crowe stars as a Roman general who is arrested and whose family is murdered when a new king (played by Joaquin Phoenix) takes over. Crowe’s character escapes, finds himself rescued by slave traders and ends up becoming a gladiator, which brings him back to Rome and face-to-face with the man who ruined his life. Epic battles, an epic Hans Zimmer score and delicious performances make this one of Scott’s best. – Adam Chitwood

A.I.

As A.I. is all the rage, it’s a great time to revisit Steven Spielberg’s underrated 2001 film “A.I. Artificial Intelligence.” This is a unique collaboration between Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick – Kubrick developed the project for years but never made it, as he was waiting for visual effects to advance enough for the film to be possible. Spielberg took the spirit of Kubrick’s take on the Philip K. Dick source material and wrote the screenplay himself, resulting in something of a dark and twisted “Pinocchio” story about a lifelike A.I. boy (Haley Joel Osment) who dreams of becoming human so his adoptive mother will finally love him. It’s tragic and terrifying. – Adam Chitwood

Everybody Wants Some!!!

Glen Powell is (deservedly) everywhere these days, but if you missed his breakout role in Richard Linklater’s incredible 2016 hangout film “Everybody Wants Some!!” now’s the perfect chance. Described as a spiritual sequel to Linklater’s seminal “Dazed and Confused,” this film takes place in the 1980s and revolves around a group of college students (in contrast to the ‘70s high school setting of “Dazed”). It is a pure hangout movie in the sense that the plot is light but the characters are rich, and we follow a number of Texas college kids – most of whom are on the baseball team – over the course of a couple of days. Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Wyatt Russell and Tyler Hoechlin costar. – Adam Chitwood

Psycho (1960)

A trio of Alfred Hitchcock classics are on Prime Video this month, and are all must-watches for very different reasons. First up is “Psycho,” a classic horror film about a woman (Janet Leigh) on the run who winds up at a nearly abandoned motel called the Bates Motel, where she crosses paths with its mild mannered owner Norman (Anthony Perkis). Then things get very bad. 60 years later, this one still terrifies. – Adam Chitwood

Rear Window

Next up we have “Rear Window,” one of the most purely entertaining films ever made. Jimmy Stewart plays a professional photographer recuperating from a broken leg who’s confined to a wheelchair. To pass the time in his New York City apartment, he spies on the open windows in the building next door. One night, he thinks he witnesses a murder, and things spiral out of control there. The production design alone makes this a classic, but ever the master of suspense, Hitchcock grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. – Adam Chitwood

Vertigo

And finally there’s “Vertigo.” Somewhat ignored upon release, this one is now hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jimmy Stewart plays a retired detective suffering agoraphobia who’s asked to tail a friend’s wife. She’s been acting strange, you see, and he wants to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Is she possessed? Is she crazy? Is he crazy? Everything’s on the table as one of Hitchcock’s most personal films unfolds, laying bare his prurient obsessions. – Adam Chitwood

Batman Returns

One of the best Batman movies ever made, Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel “Batman Returns” is wild. Following his 1989 smash hit, Burton leaned hard into the weird for this follow-up, which finds Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne squaring off against a trio of villains: Michelle Pfeiffer’s vengeful Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s snarling Penguin and Christopher Walken’s pure evil Max Schreck. Pfeiffer is phenomenal as Selina Kyle, playing a foil to Wayne as the film touches on what motivates revenge and what is just. The movie also just looks incredible, with Gotham City bathed in snow and Burton relishing how far he can push the violence on a PG-13 rating. – Adam Chitwood

Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s breakout 1998 drama “Good Will Hunting” remains a stellar and poignant film all these years later. Damon and Affleck won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for their story of a genius janitor who struggles to reach his full potential. The Boston-set film also finds Robin Williams turning in one of his finest (and Oscar-winning) performances, with lovely direction from Gus Van Sant. – Adam Chitwood

Mission: Impossible 1-5

The first five “Mission: Impossible” movies are now streaming on Netflix, and they are a great hang. This is one of the best franchises still running, as Tom Cruise offers death-defying stunts and an entirely new vibe for each movie owing to a change in directors. Brian De Palma’s first entry is a sexy thriller, John Woo’s “Mission: Impossible 2” is a balletic actioner, J.J. Abrams’ “Mission: Impossible III” is nearly a rom-com and Brad Bird’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” brings the ensemble to the forefront for a full team movie. These films are spectacular, and you can also stream “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and “Dead Reckoning” with a Paramount+ trial. – Adam Chitwood

Asteroid City

Wes Anderson’s latest film “Asteroid City” is now streaming on Prime Video, and it’s one of his best. Released just this year, the story continues the Russian nesting doll structure that Anderson enacted so well in “The Grand Budapest Hotel” as it follows a troupe of actors who are performing a play about a bunch of people who end up quarantined in a 1950s desert after they’re visited by an alien. The film packs an emotional punch as Anderson was clearly inspired by the pandemic with this one, and it boasts yet another incredible cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston and Steve Carell.

The Firm

Who doesn’t love a good legal thriller? They truly don’t make movies like “The Firm” anymore – a character-driven, two-and-a-half-hour mid-budget human drama. Based on the John Grisham book of the same name, the 1993 release stars Tom Cruise as a Harvard Law School graduate who lands a high-profile gig at a top law firm in Memphis, But as he gets deeper into the job, he starts to uncover secrets and conspiracies within. The late, great Sydney Pollack directs and the cast includes Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter and Hal Holbrook.

Bones and All

The 2022 horror drama from “Call Me by Your Name” and “Suspiria” director Luca Guadagnino stars Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell as two young cannibals living in 1980s America, struggling to contain their impulses as they strike up a tenuous relationship. Based on the book of the same name by Camille DeAngelis, it’s a chilling, moving and sometimes sweet film that will rattle you to your bones with a stirring performance by Mark Rylance.

The Truman Show

If you’re itching for more meta fun after “Barbie,” check out “The Truman Show,” a film director Greta Gerwig says she looked towards for inspiration for her take on “Barbie.” Directed by Peter Weird, the 1998 film stars Jim Carrey as a man who has no idea that his entire life is being filmed for a reality TV show, and that his small town is actually an enormous soundstage in which every moment of his life is loosely scripted. It’s wholly unique and inventive, and came at a time when “reality TV” was first starting to take hold of audiences all over the world. In a testament to its quality, it holds up tremendously well today. – Adam Chitwood

Air

Have you ever wondered how Nike secured the rights to Michael Jordan’s likeness and created the unstoppable Air Jordan brand? Well, even if you haven’t, here’s a movie that explains it anyway. Matt Damon stars as Sonny Vaccaro, a plucky employee of upstart Nike (which was on the verge of shutting down its basketball division), who comes across a Freshman player that he thinks has what it takes – Michael Jordan (who is never fully seen, just glimpsed in archival footage and from the neck down). He’s got to convince his boss, Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), his fellow Nike colleagues (including Chris Tucker and Jason Bateman) and, most crucially, Jordan’s parents (played by real-life couple Viola Davis and Julius Tennon). Oddly charming and uplifting for a movie nakedly about the triumph of capitalism, it is smartly directed by Affleck and features a ton of winning performances. Even if you don’t care about the Air Jordan brand and how it was secured by Nike, you’ll still be utterly riveted. – Drew Taylor

Jackass Forever

If you’re looking to laugh your face off, go with “Jackass Forever.” The fourth film in the “Jackass” franchise finds the same old crew tackling brand new stunts, except this time they’re all in middle-age (which, honestly, makes the stunts ever funnier). There is a pure adrenaline rush that comes with watching this movie, but what makes it special is the camaraderie and love these guys have for one another — all while putting each other in terrible situations. — Adam Chitwood

I Want You Back

A clever rom-com with a heck of a charming duo, Amazon’s “I Want You Back” stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate as two strangers who bond after being dumped by their respective partners at the same time. Determined to get them back, they conspire together to sabotage their ex’s new relationships, building a complicated web of friendships, feelings and — of course — accidentally falling for each other. Day and Slate make for a fantastic pair of lovable wrecks at their worst, sparking believable chemistry while delivering the laughs. – Haleigh Foutch

Hong Kong action legend John Woo delivered one of his best American studio films with the 1997 favorite “Face/Off.” Starring John Travolta as family man FBI agent Sean Archer and Nicolas Cage as his criminal, identity-thieving arch-enemy Castor Troy, who takes over Archer’s life with the help of a plastic surgeon and a revolutionary face-swapping procedure. It’s a completely bonkers blast of a film, with two old-school movie star performances from Travolta and Cage, both of whom fully embrace Woo’s wild over-the-top vision of a cat-and-mouse crime thriller that never stops escalating the action. – Haleigh Foutch

The Outfit

A contained spy thriller with a heck of a lead performance, “The Outfit” hails from Oscar-winning “The Imitation Game” writer Graham Moore who serves as writer and director on the story of an English tailor (played by Mark Rylance) who gets caught up in a mob war one night while working late in his shop on Saints Row. Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien and Johnny Flynn co-star in the film which largely takes place in the same location, but is dripping with tension and packed with reveals. – Adam Chitwood

The Lost City of Z

A Tom Holland adventure movie of a very different sort, “The Lost City of Z” is based on the David Grann book of the same name and follows a British explorer in the early 1900s who is sent to Brazil to search for a supposed lost city in the Amazon. Charlie Hunnam plays the explorer Percy Fawcett, Robert Pattinson plays fellow explorer Henry Costin and Tom Holland plays Percy’s son Jack. As directed and written by James Gray, “The Lost City of Z” is an enthralling story about colonialism and the relationship between a father and a son. – Adam Chitwood

Lucy and Desi

If you’ve already seen Aaron Sorkin’s fictional account of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos,” check out the Amy Poehler-directed documentary “Lucy and Desi.” The film explores the partnership between the “I Love Lucy” stars, offering an insightful and candid look at the relationship between the two buoyed by interviews with Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Norman Lear, Desi Arnaz Jr, Carol Burnett and Bette Midler. – Adam Chitwood

The Courier

“The Courier” is a great “dad movie,” and that’s pejorative. This Cold War thriller is based on a true story and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, a British businessman who was recruited by the Secret Intelligence Service to serve as a messenger between a Russian spy source and the British government in the 1960s. What begins as an exciting romp turns deadly serious, and Cumberbatch commands the screen in the lead role (flanked by Rachel Brosnahan as his wife and Jessie Buckley as his handler). This one’s taut, compelling and surprisingly emotional. – Adam Chitwood

Brittany Runs a Marathon

The 2019 comedy “Brittany Runs a Marathon” manages to be both hilarious and inspiring at the same time, as Jillian Bell stars as a twentysomething woman living in New York City named Brittany who decides to try and get her life together – and to start, she’s going to train to run the New York Marathon. But as Brittany gets deeper and deeper into running, making new friends along the way, she discovers that a change on the inside may be what’s most prudent to pointing her life in the right direction. Bell is fantastic in the lead role, and writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s script is pleasantly surprising in where it takes Brittany’s story. – Adam Chitwood

Suspiria

After he made the Oscar-winning romance “Call Me by Your Name,” filmmaker Luca Guadagnino took on a horror classic with 2018’s “Suspiria.” Set in 1988 Berlin, the film stars Dakota Johnson as a young woman leaving her Mennonite family in Ohio to audition for and train as a dancer at an esteemed academy. But as her training continues, it becomes clear that perhaps this dance troupe has something more sinister, more witchy going on. The brilliance of Guadagnino’s take on the story is how it uses the supernatural horror to tell a real-life horror story about fascism, and the festering wound of evil. Tilda Swinton is mesmerizing pulling double duty here as the dance troupe’s leader and a male doctor curious about the goings-on at the school. – Adam Chitwood

The Report

If a real-life investigative thriller in the vein of “All the President’s Men” is more your speed, check out “The Report.” Released in 2019, the true-story drama stars Adam Driver as Daniel Jones, a staffer for Senator Dianne Feinstein (played by Annette Bening) who is tasked with investigating the CIA’s use of torture following the 9/11 attacks. Writer/director Scott Z. Burns crafts a film that is taught with tension, but also powerful in its pursuit of the truth. The ensemble includes Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Corey Stoll, Ted Levine and Maura Tierney. – Adam Chitwood

Late Night

Screenwriter Mindy Kaling pulled from the world of late night television for her 2019 comedy “Late Night,” which stars Emma Thompson as a veteran late night TV personality who is in danger of being pushed out by the network, and enlists the help of a new (and inexperienced) writer (played by Kaling) to bring some diversity to her all-male writing staff. The comedy has shades of a mismatched buddy film, behind-the-scenes Hollywood tale and middle-aged drama, and it’s anchored by a terrific performance from Thompson as a woman struggling to keep up with the times. – Adam Chitwood

It’s a Wonderful Life

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit, you can’t go wrong with Frank Capra’s 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man extremely down on his luck who, after attempting to take his own life, is shown what life in his small town would look like had he never existed. While the film is ultimately uplifting, it’s far darker than many remember, and is a brilliant tale about life and the relationships we make (and take for granted) along the way. – Adam Chitwood

Cold War

If you’re into period dramas, the 2018 film “Cold War” is a must-see. Directed and co-written by Pawel Pawlikowski, the Polish-language drama takes place in Poland and France and begins in the 1940s before ending in the 1960s as it follows the relationship between a musical director and a young singer he discovers. Against the backdrop of their love affair, the war rages on. – Adam Chitwood

The Big Sick

A romantic comedy straight from the heart, the based-on-a-true-story “The Big Sick” is delightful and emotional all at once. Written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, the film is based on the origins of their relationship as Gordon slipped into a coma soon after they started dating, and Nanjiani was forced to confront his own fears and contend with Gordon’s parents all with the uncertainty of her condition looming large. Zoe Kazan portrays Gordon in the film with a hearty dose of moxie, and Nanjiani delivers a complex performance that clearly pulls from the depths of his personal life – not just his relationship with Kazan’s character, but his own relationship to his family. – Adam Chitwood

The Handmaiden

“Oldboy” filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s 2016 epic erotic drama “The Handmaiden” is absolutely one of his best films, and is a blast from start to finish. The psychological thriller plays out in three parts chock full of twists and turns, but begins as the story of a con man who conspires with a pickpocket to hatch a plan that would involve marrying a Japanese heiress and committing her to an asylum, thus stealing her wealth. But the film takes a number of turns as various romantic and sexual entanglements ensue. This one’s for adults only. – Adam Chitwood

Manchester by the Sea

“Manchester by the Sea” is a brilliant film, but fair warning it’s also a significant bummer. This 2016 film won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay and stars Casey Affleck as a janitor living in Massachusetts who is suddenly tasked with caring for his nephew following his brother’s abrupt death. The event triggers substantial trauma that Affleck’s character has yet to process, and what follows is a somber, sometimes darkly funny and ultimately touching meditation on grief and guilt. – Adam Chitwood

One Night in Miami

Regina King’s 2020 drama “One Night in Miami” is an excellent snapshot of a moment in time, and how four of the most famous African-Americans in history each approached the changing societal landscape of the 1960s. Set over the course of one night in 1964, the story follows four friends – Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) – as a night of celebrating soon turns into a night of lively conversation about their roles and responsibilities to the African-American community. The film is cleverly drawn and tremendously compelling, and provides much food for thought as it connects the struggles of the 1960s to today. – Adam Chitwood

The Vast of Night

If you like hidden gems, 2020’s “The Vast of Night” is one of the most exciting indies of the last few years. Set in 1950s New Mexico, the story takes place over the course of one evening where a young switchboard operator and a radio DJ pick up a mysterious audio frequency that may or may not be inhuman in nature. This small-scale sci-fi mystery is light on effects but heavy on evocative filmmaking, intrigue and dimensional characters. It’s so good, a scene with a man talking about his experience with aliens over the radio will have you on the edge of your seat. – Adam Chitwood

Sound of Metal

2019’s “Sound of Metal” is an indie with a heart of gold – and an Oscar-winning one at that. The film stars Riz Ahmed as a metal drummer named Ruben who begins to lose his hearing. He leaves his bandmate to go to a facility for Deaf recovering addicts, where he begins to learn how to live his life differently but also struggles with his own demons. Ahmed gives a powerhouse performance, and the film’s sound design puts you right in Ruben’s headspace. – Adam Chitwood

Love and Friendship

If it’s a lovely costume dramedy you’re in the mood for, 2016’s “Love and Friendship” is an absolute delight. Based on the Jane Austen novel “Lady Susan,” the film is written and directed by Whit Stillman and stars Kate Beckinsale as a recently widowed woman who sets out to secure wealthy husbands for herself and her daughter. A comedy of errors ensues, with Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny sharply leading an ensemble that also includes Stephen Fry, Tom Bennett and Xavier Samuel. – Adam Chitwood