Amazon Prime has one of the largest libraries of content in the world filled with good movies to watch. Whether you want to watch a comedy movie or a crime drama television show, Amazon probably has what you’re looking for as far as the best movies to stream right now. When there’s so much to watch, it can be hard to sort through everything to find the best viewing options, though. Thankfully, we’re here to help. We’ve already compiled a list of Amazon Prime TV shows for you to enjoy. And, if you’re looking for the best movies to watch right now, we’ve also found a selection of the best movies on Amazon Prime for you to browse.
If you’re looking for more than just the best Amazon Prime movies, we’ve also found the best Netflix movies, the best Hulu movies, the best Disney Plus movies, and the best Netflix documentaries to stream right now.
The Burial (2023)
127m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett
Directed by
Margaret Betts
A throwback courtroom drama set in 1995, The Burial follows a local funeral home owner who sues one of the biggest conglomerates in the industry for breach of contract. While that may sound almost offensively dry, The Burial is fun from minute one, thanks in large part to Jamie Foxx’s commanding performance as the lawyer representing the funeral home owner. Tommy Lee Jones is great as always as the owner himself, and the movie manages to address some fairly complex ideas about race, even as it tells an entertaining, mostly true story.
Val (2021)
109m
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Stars
Val Kilmer, Kevin Bacon, Marlon Brando
Directed by
Ting Poo, Leo Scott
Focused on and filmed over a span of more than 40 years by Val Kilmer, Val is an Amazon original movie about the mythical man who had legendary roles in Batman: Forever, Tombstone, The Doors, and Top Gun. A recent survivor of throat cancer who is still in recovery, Val Kilmer has decided to tell his story using home video footage that shines a remarkably frank light into his private life and the ways that it’s transformed over the decades of his career.
The Report (2019)
119m
Genre
Biography, Crime, Drama
Stars
Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm
Directed by
Scott Z. Burns
An incredible Amazon Original chock full of award-worthy performances, The Report is a chillingly detailed rendering of the investigation into the morally dubious torture techniques used by the CIA in the aftermath of 9/11. Based on the true story of an investigative finding from Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver), The Report follows his request to better understand the torture and who authorized it. Along the way, he uncovers some horrible information about the merciless and sometimes unprovoked torture tactics that his own country is using regularly.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
137m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler
Directed by
Kenneth Lonergan
With career-defining performances from Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea is a stunningly raw portrayal of tragedy and what it can do to the human spirit. When Lee (Casey Affleck) finds out that his brother has died and has made him the guardian of his teenage nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges), he is forced to quit his job and move back to his hometown, where he comes face to face with all the trauma that drove him away in the first place.
Honey Boy (2019)
94m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe
Directed by
Alma Har'el
Loosely based on the life of erstwhile child actor and now tabloid target Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy is a gripping and emotional tale riddled with fantastic performances. A 12-year-old boy starts to make it in Hollywood on a hit comedy show, causing his alcoholic and abusive father to push him in ways no 12-year-old should be pushed. LaBeouf chose to portray his own father in the film, despite telling his father that Mel Gibson would portray him to get him to sign off on the film’s creation.
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
116m
Genre
Action, Adventure, Drama
Stars
Chia-Hui Liu, Lieh Lo, Yue Wong
Directed by
Chia-Liang Liu
A film that heavily influenced hip hop music group The Wu-Tang Clan, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is referenced by RZA as one of the very best Kung Fu films. When the Manchu government destroys his school, ravages his town, and kills his father, San Te (Chia-Hui Liu) travels to a Shaolin temple to learn the ways of Shaolin Kung Fu and be at peace. Needless to say, the fight choreography in this is incredible.
Sound of Metal (2019)
120m
Genre
Drama, Music
Stars
Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Directed by
Darius Marder
An Amazon original and a breakout starring role for Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal is an intensely dramatic film about a man torn between two lives as he loses his hearing. After hearing the distressing news that his hearing loss will only worsen, he tries to avoid relapsing even as he struggles with his new identity. Winner of best film editing and best sound editing at the 2020 Academy Awards, Sound of Metal was also nominated for a handful of other awards including best picture.
The Big Sick (2017)
120m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Directed by
Michael Showalter
The Big Sick is based on the real-life love story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. The story follows Nanjiani as he struggles to build up a career in standup. After a run-in with a heckler named Emily (Zoe Kazan), the two quickly form a relationship. Shortly after they break up, though, Gordon falls into a coma, and Nanjiani is forced to figure out how what his role should be in supporting her. This original dramedy is one of the best romantic comedy movies to watch.
One Night in Miami... (2020)
114m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge
Directed by
Regina King
This film, which is loosely based on true events, follows four icons in their prime, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke, as they meet in Miami one historic night. As these figures come together in the mid-1960s, they discuss what their success and responsibility mean as they carry the weight of the world during the Civil Rights Movement. In Regina King’s directorial breakout, we get shades of gray from each of the four central characters as they attempt to navigate what it means to be Black and powerful in an era when the world was transforming. Boasting a handful of Oscar nominations, this film is a powerhouse packed with four incredible performances and ruminative, meaningful conversations.
The Lost City of Z (2017)
141m
Genre
Adventure, Drama, History
Stars
Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller
Directed by
James Gray
An earnest examination of one explorer’s quest for greatness, The Lost City of Z is a film about Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), a British explorer who makes repeated journeys to the Amazon. Ultimately, Fawcett’s goal is to prove that there was once a civilized nation living there, and the movie is about his quest to do exactly that. At its core, though, The Lost City of Z is also a movie about one man’s singular focus on a life outside his home, and the toll it takes on everything else he’s supposed to love.
Small Axe: Lovers Rock (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, History
Cast
Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Daniel Francis-Swaby, Ellis George
Created by
Steve McQueen
All of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe films are worth checking out, but Lovers Rock stands above the rest. Set in London in the 1970s, the film is set at a house party and exists primarily so the viewer can revel in the joy that it depicts. There is almost no plot to speak of in Lovers Rock, but the movie doesn’t need one. Instead, it gets by on the vibe that it puts off, one that serves as a reminder of the joy of the Black community, even in the face of the oppression that constantly threatens them.
Saltburn (2023)
131m
Genre
Drama, Comedy, Thriller
Stars
Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike
Directed by
Emerald Fennell
If you’re looking for something a little bit twisted and strange, then Saltburn may be just what you’re after. Telling the story of a poor boy who finds himself suddenly thrust into the world of the ultra wealthy in the U.K. in the early 2000s, the movie is unafraid of pushing past boundaries most movies would leave untouched. Thanks to the fearless central performance from Barry Keoghan, as well as sharp supporting turns from Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike, Saltburn is always entertaining and occasionally downright riveting. On top of all that, it doesn’t hurt that the movie features some truly wonderful cinematography.
12 Angry Men (1957)
97m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb
Directed by
Sidney Lumet
While it’s set almost entirely in a single location, there’s nothing about 12 Angry Men that feels small. The movie, which set the template for so many great jury deliberation episodes that would follow it, tells the story of a single jury deliberating over whether the man they are there to come to a verdict on committed murder. While the jury starts with only one not-guilty vote, he slowly convinces the rest of the room of the man’s innocence and reveals the personal biases that the jurors have brought into the courtroom along the way.
Memento (2000)
113m
Genre
Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
Directed by
Christopher Nolan
If you’re looking for the movie where Christopher Nolan fully became the director he is today, Memento is probably the right place to start. The film is told both backward and forward, and ends exactly in the middle of its story, at least chronologically. Following a man with short-term memory loss as he discovers and then proceeds to forget things about his life, even as he quests after his wife’s killer, the movie is wildly inventive and deeply thrilling, in part because of Nolan’s fascination with the way stories are constructed on the screen. It’s a trick he would return to again and again throughout his career.
Sicario (2015)
122m
Genre
Action, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin
Directed by
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies are a landmark achievement, but before he ventured to Arrakis, the director was already making a name for himself with movies like Sicario. The film tells the story of an FBI agent who becomes embroiled in a battle between the U.S. government and Mexican cartels that makes her question the notions of justice she has long put at the center of her life. Thanks to a brilliant central performance from Emily Blunt, as well as compelling supporting turns from Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro, Sicario is both thrilling and thoughtful, and an important touchstone in Villeneuve’s career.
What movies are coming to Amazon in May?
May 1
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- 3:10 To Yuma (1957)
- A Dangerous Method
- A.I. Artificial Intelligence
- Airplane!
- All That Heaven Allows
- American Me
- Anatomy Of A Murder
- Atonement
- Bachelor Party Vegas
- Beautiful And Twisted
- Beautiful Girls
- Because I Said So
- Ben Hur (2013)
- Biloxi Blues
- Blame It On Rio
- Blues Brothers 2000
- Bottle Rocket
- Breach
- Breathless
- Brigsby Bear
- California Suite
- Call Me By Your Name
- Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
- Capote
- Chocolat
- Clockstoppers
- Coco Before Chanel
- Cold Mountain
- Cry Macho
- Dead Reckoning
- Death Race
- Death Race 2
- Death Race 3: Inferno
- Delta Force
- Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
- Drew Peterson: Untouchable
- Emma.
- Erin Brockovich
- Europa Report
- Everybody Wants Some!!
- Fatal Attraction
- Fire In The Sky
- Flight Of The Intruder
- Fluke
- Four Weddings And A Funeral
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Gattaca
- Gilda
- Glory
- Harley Davidson And The Marlboro Man
- Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth
- Hellraiser IV: Bloodline
- Hellraiser V: Inferno
- Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker
- Hellraiser VII: Deader
- Hellraiser VIII: Hellworld
- Imagine That
- In A Lonely Place
- Indecent Proposal
- Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
- Isle Of The Dead
- John Lewis: Good Trouble
- Knock On Any Door
- Koyaanisqatsi
- Lassie: The Road Back
- Lizzie Borden Took An Ax
- Lone Wolf Mcquade
- Magnificent Obsession
- Malcolm X
- Men At Work
- Night School
- Not Another Teen Movie
- On The Waterfront
- Once Upon A Time In The West
- Open Wide
- Pal Joey
- Panic Room
- Pillow Talk
- Pompeii
- Psycho (1960)
- Rear Window
- Reindeer Games Homecoming
- Repo Men
- Roboshark
- Rolling Thunder
- Rope
- Run Lola Run
- Schindler’s List
- Serpico
- Shampoo
- Sliver
- Some Like It Hot
- Soul Plane
- Stargate: Continuum
- Stargate: The Ark Of Truth
- Steel Magnolias (2012)
- Steppin’ Into The Holiday
- The Accused
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across
- the Eighth Dimension
- The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland
- The Devil’s Advocate
- The Big Chill
- The Big Heat
- The Birdcage
- The Birds
- The Blues Brothers
- The Change-Up
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- The Deer Hunter
- The Harder They Fall
- The Lady From Shanghai
- The Last Detail
- The Man in the Iron Mask
- The Man Who Knew Too Much
- The Mountain Men
- The Night of The Hunter
- The One
- The Ring
- The Swimmer
- The Tarnished Angels
- The Wiz
- Tom & Jerry (2021)
- Undercover Brother
- Vertigo
- Virtuosity
- Whiplash
- With This Ring
- Yours, Mine & Ours
May 2
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
- Sixteen Candles
- The Idea of You
May 8
- Maxton Hall – The World Between Us
- Oh My Ghost
- The GOAT
May 14
- American Fiction
- BlacKkKlansman
- Muppets From Space
May 15
- Fifty Shades Of Black
May 16
- Creed
- Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story
May 17
- 99 (2024)
May 23
- The Blue Angels
- The 1% Club
May 25
- Bombshell
May 28
- The Boys in The Boat
May 30
- Die Hart 2: Die Harter
Editors' Recommendations
- The 12 best Adam Sandler movies (they’re not all comedies)
- The 12 best Sean Connery movies of all time
- The 10 best movies to fall asleep to – from Pineapple Express to Friday
- The 14 best Western movies to watch right now
- The 12 best films of John Waters, ranked
