Amazon Prime Video has a large and eclectic range of movies available to stream. Critic Tony Stamp lists some of the best you can make a great start with.
Back To The Future (1985)
Watch on Prime VideoRobert Zemeckis’ 1985 classic is the platonic ideal of a Hollywood Blockbuster, a model of setup and payoff that’s supremely satisfying. The buoyant direction and winning performances from Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd are so good you tend to forget some of the movie’s darker elements, which are bracingly welcome.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Watch on Prime VideoTough call, but this might be the Coen Brothers’ funniest film, and possibly the cult-iest of their many cult classics. A late career role for Jeff Bridges that’s so perfectly realised it wound up being career-defining, joined by Goodman, Buscemi, Moore, Turturro, Elliott and more, all giving pitch-perfect comic performances that tune into the Coen’s very specific wavelength.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Watch on Prime VideoVilleneuve took on the legacy of Blade Runner some 35 years after its release, with considerable help from original helmer Ridley Scott. The result feels as vast as its depiction of an alternate Los Angeles, threading new ideas through a compelling mystery, punctuated with bouts of action and crammed with superb design and effects work. It may not be a particularly optimistic vision of the future, but there is plenty of humanity here, just not always provided by actual humans.
Bottoms (2023)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe director of Shiva Baby, Emma Seligman, and her muse Rachel Sennott, take an unexpected turn into broad comedy in this queer high school spoof. Clearly tailored to suit Sennott’s comic persona (and co-written by her), the story subverts genre tropes, with genuinely edgy moments assuaged by the actors’ easy charm.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEODoug Liman’s original Bourne movie cemented Matt Damon as an action star, and filmed action scenes in such a way that the Bond franchise had to correct course. The script was a cut above the action dross of the time, giving a certain blockbuster British spy a run for his money.
The Burial (2023)
Watch on Prime VideoA good old fashioned crowd-pleaser, The Burial is a pleasant reminder that small-scale films can be just as satisfying as your average blockbuster. Tommy Lee Jones hires flashy lawyer Jamie Foxx after falling prey to shady business practices, and the pair enact a kind of David vs Goliath retribution, while establishing an unlikely friendship. It’s a superior effort thanks to its leads’ acting chops and chemistry, and the evergreen pleasure of rooting for the underdog.
Challengers (2024)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOLed by a pulsing techno score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers is ostensibly a love triangle story. But it’s actually more concerned with competition, control, and the pursuit of success at the cost of all else. Luda Guadanino films bodies in motion with attention paid to every drop of sweat and popping calf muscle. His trio of lead actors fill the screen with charisma.
Constantine (2005)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe subject of a well-deserved critical reappraisal, this Keanu Reeves-led comic book adaptation is a total blast, particularly if you’re into fiction that dabbles in the overlap between biblical and supernatural. Rachel Weisz adds support but Tilda Swinton and Peter Stomare walk away with the movie, turning in delicious performances respectively as the archangel Gabriel, and Lucifer himself.
Charade (1963)
Watch on Prime VideoCary Grant and Audrey Hepburn throw near-obscene amounts of charm at the screen in Stanley Donen’s classic screwball caper. Ten years after he helmed Singin’ in the Rain, Donen proved he was still cinematically fleet-of-foot, as Charade whips through plot twists and double crosses to dizzying effect. A gorgeously pastel romp through France led by two all-time great screen presences that’ll keep you guessing till its conclusion.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Watch on Prime VideoAny number of images from this movie are probably etched in your brain, thanks to the phenomenal visual prowess of Steven Spielberg, who had released the equally seminal Raiders of the Lost Ark just one year earlier. It also showed how remarkably attuned the director was to the inner lives of children, be they from earth or three million light years away.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Watch on Prime VideoThe perfect vehicle to showcase mid-career Bill Murray’s particular talents, the classic time travel-karma-caper is also a damn good rom com, with Andie MacDowell serving as yin to Murray’s yang, his weatherman character beginning as an egomaniacal jerk then moving through various mental extremes as he’s relegated to a kind of purgatory in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The shoot may have ended Murray’s friendship with director Harold Ramis, but resulted in a perfect movie.
The Idea of You (2024)
Watch on Prime VideoEven if the phrase “Harry Styles fanfiction” is offputting to you, there’s plenty to enjoy here. It’s rumoured that’s how Robinne Lee’s debut novel came to be, and this eventual adaptation does nothing to shy away from it, but Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer) is a smart guy, and his direction is fully in on the joke. Anne Hathaway is in magnetic movie star mode, and the movie is refreshingly adult.
The Iron Claw (2023)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOSean Durkin’s follow up to The Nest is just as concerned with dysfunctional families, more so than wrestling. It gives room for Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Holt McAllany in particular to deliver some of their best performances. It’s a deeply sad movie, and consequently shocking to learn that the real-life story it’s based on is even more tragic.
The LEGO Movie (2014)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThis isn’t really thought of as a twist movie, even though it has a doozy that recontextualizes everything you’ve seen up until that point. Chris Miller and Phil Lord proved again they had the chops to invest an IP property with real soul, making it very funny and sneakily meta without undermining the story’s stakes. Includes a mega voice cast of talented people, with Will Arnett’s Batman so good he got his own spinoff.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Watch on Prime VideoAll three entries of Jackson’s opus are available on Prime, and it’s a tough choice, but this one may be the best. Gollum remains a miracle, as does the siege of Helm’s Deep, and the Ents for that matter. Looking back it represents a lovely midpoint between practical SFX and CGI overload, all in service of a story that still feels gob-smackingly epic, and more emotional than you’d expect from something involving talking trees.
Love Lies Bleeding (2023)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEORose Glass, the director of Saint Maud, pivots from horror to crime, cooking up a queer love story that’s morally murky and occasionally shocking. Especially when it comes to Ed Harris’ mulleted hair. Kristen Stewart is as good as ever, and Katy O’Brian is a real discovery, with acting talent as powerful as her bulging biceps. The story is told with visual chutzpah and a pinch of magical realism.
Men In Black (1997)
Watch on Prime VideoAgent Kay: “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.” I’ve thought about this quote a lot during the last few years, delivered with unmatchable gruffness by Tommy Lee Jones. Will Smith matches him with supernova levels of charm, and the whole thing whips by thanks to an airtight script and fantastic SFX.
Moonlight (2016)
Watch on Prime VideoBarry Jenkins seriously levelled up with his second feature, which follows its lead character Chiron at three stages of his life, inhabiting three different personas. Exquisitely photographed and infused with soul, it won Best Picture at the Oscars and propelled its director into the upper echelon, along with supporting player Mahershala Ali. Delicate and devastating, Moonlight deserves its place as one of the most acclaimed films of the last ten years.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOSteven Soderbergh broke into the big leagues with a throwback heist movie full of megawatt Hollywood charm. It’s the definition of an easy watch: handsome men in suits cracking jokes, while undertaking an absurdly complicated casino heist that’s only properly understood in retrospect. Loads of fun, with a great score by David Holmes.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOA hangout movie featuring three of America’s biggest stars, directed by one of its most distinctive auteurs. Tarantino leans into our knowledge of the Manson crimes of 1969 and contrasts them with easygoing storytelling vibes. Things eventually take a turn, but until then this is a pure love letter to a certain section of Los Angeles.
Road House (2024)
Watch on Prime VideoCan’t possibly hope to match the charm of the original, but regardless we have cartoonishly jacked Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor being left to do whatever he wants, and some kinetic, computer-assisted fight scenes. Mostly though, Doug Liman is good at being breezy and entertaining, and there’s kind of a loathsome swagger to the whole thing which is repellent but weirdly compelling.
Shoplifters (2018)
Watch on Prime VideoJapanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda has a long career crafting hugely empathetic slice-of-life dramas, with this one richly deserving its Palme d’Or win in 2018. Following a makeshift family (the specifics of which are teased out over the film to heartbreaking effect) who are forced to steal in order to survive, it’s firmly non-judgemental, warm, and ultimately wise.
Skyfall (2012)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOQuite possibly the best of Daniel Craig’s run of Bond films, Sam Mendes’ first entry has the British superagent reemerging from hiding and reckoning with advancing age and alcohol issues, while taking on another global threat. It feels as whopping as its stakes, loaded with eye popping scenery, the usual globetrotting, and a welcome focus on Dame Judy Dench as Bond’s boss M.
Snatch (2000)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOGuy Ritchie’s second feature (following Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels), kept the sprawling cast, labyrinthine London underworld, and cockney geezer attitude, while chucking a few Americans into the mix (Dennis Farina, and Brad Pitt showing of an impenetrable Irish accent). Lots of wisecracks, bursts of violence, and a blistering pace that makes everything more cartoonish than bruising, it’s still one of the Brit director’s best.
The Social Network (2010)
Watch on Prime VideoDavid Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s typically incisive, journalistic look at the psychology behind the creation of Facebook only gets more relevant each year, as social media continues to influence our culture and politics. Impeccably directed and performed, with an appropriately unsettling score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to boot, and a final shot that should haunt us all.
Species (1995)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOIn 1995 some truly great actors—Forrest Whitaker, Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, and Ben Kinsley—signed up to do this absolute schlock, which, under the direction of NZer Roger Donaldson, is a real blast. A weird combination of Alien ripoff (with designs from H.R. Giger), erotic thriller, and police procedural, the film sees our leads pursue a sexy alien-human hybrid, with boneheaded but always entertaining results.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Watch on Prime VideoExpanding on the unfettered imagination of the first Spider-Verse movie seemed like a tall order, only for its follow-up to vault over it with ease, introducing a ludicrous number of distinct new Spider-People (not all of them called Peter Parker). Mashing up different animation styles, each suiting their respective universe, once again it’s elevated by the emotional stakes of Miles Morales and his compatriots.
Suspiria (2018)
Watch on Prime VideoLuca Guadanino wisely chose to disregard most of Dario Argento’s original Suspiria (itself a masterpiece) and focus on making something that’s equally gonzo—just in different ways. Set in 1977 (the year of the original’s release), the film sees Dakota Johnson arrive in Berlin to attend a dance academy, encountering Tilda Swinton (playing multiple roles) and some distinctly witchy goings-on. Thom Yorke’s emotional score is one of many elements that works strangely well.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe way this film operates on a meta level—Tom Cruise as an ageing star who returns to show the youngsters how it’s done—became all the more sweet when it went on to dominate the global box office. It’s a tribute to the filmmaking of Tony Scott (who helmed the original), not just through visual technique, but the crafting and telling of a simple yet satisfying story. Add thrilling, practically shot action sequences and you have a near perfect movie.
Whiplash (2014)
Watch on Prime VideoDrum lessons wouldn’t seem to be the stuff of thrillers, but in the hands of Damien Chazelle they most certainly are. Miles Teller’s enrolment at a prestigious jazz academy turns out to involve psychological and physical abuse at the hands of his tutor J.K. Simmons, a dynamic which takes over both their lives, becoming a game of cat and mouse between two seriously intense individuals.
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