The best movies on Amazon Prime right now (September 2018)
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When Amazon debuted Amazon Prime more than a decade ago, CEO Jeff Bezos and company simply wanted to give their loyal customers a chance to save some money on shipping costs. As the service gained a massive subscription base, the company continued adding a slew of incredible perks, such as access to Prime Pantry, same-day delivery, and Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Now, anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription has easy access to thousands of hit movies and TV shows, all with the simple click of a mouse. To help subscribers sift through Amazon’s sizable library, we’ve taken up the task of finding the best movies currently available on the service.
So pop some popcorn, find your favorite spot on the couch, and throw on an excellent film, courtesy of our list.
David Lowery’s A Ghost Story takes a simple — some might even say silly — premise as its foundation, and builds atop it a beautiful, mournful film about death and the passage of time. The film begins with a man, C (Casey Affleck), and a woman, M (Rooney Mara). C dies in a car crash early on, but his soul continues to wander, draped in a hospital sheet under which he spends the rest of the film. C returns to the house he shared with M, watching as she grieves and eventually moves on. He remains, watching as the house changes hands, and the world changes entirely. A Ghost Story is light on plot and even dialogue, with Lowery using thoughtful shots and beautiful scene compositions to convey emotion.
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An adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fences is a fascinating study of a man in slow collapse. Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) was an accomplished baseball player in the Negro Leagues, whose career ended before Major League Baseball integrated. By the time the film begins in the 1950s, he works as a garbageman in Pittsburgh, living with his wife, Rose (Viola Davis); and son, Cory (Jovan Adepo). Troy seethes at the world, and the story is focused on the ways in which he chips away at his relationships with everyone in his life, cheating on his wife and grinding down his son’s ambitions. It’s a powerful story, and Washington (who also directed) gives it a skillful treatment.
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Set in 17th-century Japan, Martin Scorsese’s Silence (an adaptation of Shsaku End’s novel of the same name) follows a pair of Jesuit priests on a mission to find their missing mentor, Cristvo Ferreira (Liam Neeson), who renounced his faith following torture at the hands of the shogunate, which has outlawed Christianity. The priests, Sebastio Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), sneak into Japan, taking refuge among the remaining Japanese Christians. During their search for Ferreira, Rodrigues and Garupe witness terrible atrocities, and find themselves in a moral quandary that drives them to the brink. At times beautiful, at others horrifying, Silence is a deeply spiritual film, reflecting on the nature of faith, and whether God cares about the suffering of his servants.
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This bleak drama, directed by playwright Kenneth Lonergan, is set in the titular town of Manchester, a town Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) would prefer never to return to. Chandler lives out his days working as a janitor in Quincy, away from any connections to his past. Tragedy brings him home; his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), dies, leaving behind a teenage son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), and a will asking Lee to take care of him. Manchester by the Sea is a deeply personal drama, examining the ways tragedy can wear away at a person’s soul, and whether it is possible to come back from the brink. Despite the premise, the movie is not gloomy from start to end; the script allows for plenty of humor and warmth throughout, making for a film that captures the complexity of life.
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Some of Moonlight’s most important scenes take place near water. Always shifting, water proves to be a potent symbol for protagonist Chiron’s journey through the film. The film follows Chiron from his time as a youngster growing up, impoverished, in Miami, to his tragic, conflicted adulthood. The film’s three acts, set during different stages of his life, show him struggling with his identity and sexuality, as he develops an attraction to his best friend and faces pressure and bullying from other boys his age. Buoyed by excellent performances — particularly Mahershala Ali‘s, which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor — Moonlight is a powerful character study, one rife with mesmerizing imagery.
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Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival tackles a classic sci-fi premise — humanity’s first contact with an alien species — which it treats with appropriate gravity, but the story gets a lift from the protagonist’s personal struggles, which provide a relatable emotional undercurrent. After a brief prologue, the story begins when alien spaceship appear at 12 locations around the world. Unsure whether the aliens have come in peace, the U.S. Army enlists linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to approach the extraterrestrials. As the nations of the world grow restless, Banks studies the alien’s language, hoping to understand them. Based on an acclaimed short story, Arrival is a thoughtful film, a sci-fi tale that withholds easy answers.
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In the soft shadows of The Gaslight Cafe, folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) croons that he “wouldn’t mind the hanging.” Leave it to the Coen Brothers to oblige him. Two of America’s most mercurial filmmakers, the Coens have approached both grim tragedy and madcap comedy in their films, sometimes at the same time. Inside Llewyn Davis falls on the bleaker end of the spectrum, following Davis as he attempts to get his music career on track in the wake of his musical partner’s suicide. His finances are not the only part of his life falling apart; his former lover, Jean (Carey Mulligan), pregnant with a child that is likely his, wants nothing to do with him. Davis’ struggle, set against the frost-glazed backdrop of New York, is a tragic one, but the film is not without humor, black though it may be. The characters surrounding Llewyn are as vibrant as he is cold … particularly Justin Timberlake as Jane’s new boyfriend.
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Mystic River is proof that Clint Eastwood is as talented a director and composer as he is an actor. It’s a haunting and beautiful story, centered on three childhood friends who reunite later in life as the result of a murder investigation involving one of their teenage daughters. It’s based on Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name, and though the profanity is rampant and the tone is dark, the Oscar-winning performances by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins will leave you floored when the last scenes of Boston fade out.
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The feature directorial debut for David Anspaugh, Hoosiers has long been considered one of the best sports movies ever made. The 1986 film casts Gene Hackman as the new coach of a rural Indiana town’s high-school basketball team whose methods confound both his players and the local community, but eventually inspire everyone around him to better themselves. Dennis Hopper earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film alongside Hackman, while composer Jerry Goldsmith was also nominated for an Academy Award.
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Widely regarded as having one of the greatest screenplays of all time, The Usual Suspects ostensibly tells the story of a group of criminals forced to undertake a dangerous mission by a terrifying, mysterious crime boss known as Keyser Sze, but it becomes so much more than that thanks to its talented cast and director Bryan Singer’s vision for the layered script. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollack, and Benicio del Toro shine in an ensemble cast. The film went on to earn screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1995, with Spacey taking home an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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James Baldwin was one of the most influential writers of the late 20th century, penning numerous essays and acclaimed novels addressing issues of race at a time when racial friction seemed to be boiling over in America. Working from an unfinished Baldwin manuscript, director Raoul Peck has created I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary examining Baldwin’s views and how they apply not only to the tumults of the ‘60s, but to modern America as well. Samuel L. Jackson narrates, infusing the material with a husky weariness. I Am Not Your Negro leaves one with the impression that Baldwin’s work has never been finished, and never been more important.
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Although not as famous as many acts of the ‘60s, the Stooges proved to be a hugely influential rock band, with raw sound and avant-garde songwriting that laid the foundation for early punk and metal bands. It’s only fitting that no less a cinematic renegade than Jim Jarmusch would be the one to direct Gimme Danger, a documentary that tells the story of the Stooges through the words of its members, including Jim Osterberg (aka Iggy Pop). Fans of the band will appreciate the many anecdotes and insights into the philosophy of the band, while newcomers may quickly develop a taste for the music, which sounds as lively as anything released today.
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This documentary from director Penny Lane examines the fascinating and terrifyingly prescient story of John R. Brinkley, an unlicensed doctor who, in the 1920s, became one of the most successful doctors in America, thanks to a truly bizarre operation he invented. At the behest of a man suffering from impotence, Brinkley implanted a pair of testicular glands from a goat into the patient’s scrotum. Although the procedure had no actual medical benefits (indeed, many subsequent patients would die from the operation), his patient was convinced it worked, and Brinkley soon had men and women coming to him in droves for miracle cures. Brinkley amassed a fortune, and he soon sought more power, establishing a successful radio station to broadcast his medical “wisdom,” and even running for governor of Kansas. Nuts! tells the story through interviews with historians, as well as charming animated reenactments.
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A condiment perhaps more widely used than ketchup or mustard, the spicy Sriracha “rooster sauce” takes center stage in this award-winning, short documentary. To help get the flick off the ground, director Griffin Hammond took to the popular crowdfunding website Kickstarter in 2013, successfully raising over $20k in pledges to just a $5k goal. Hammond’s knack for interesting storytelling allow this 30-minute documentary to properly celebrate one of food’s most beloved and popular sidekicks.
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This documentary from award-winning director Kirby Dick explores the ever-increasing incidence of violent sexual assault within the U.S. military. The Invisible War features interviews with veterans from multiple branches of the United States Armed Forces, who recount the events surrounding their sexual assaults. Their stories express the lack of recourse in the justice system, and the absence of emotional and physical care for the survivors. The survivors call for a change in the way military handles sexual assault and hope for a shift to a more honest conversation.
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Although it sounds like a pulpy action movie, Brawl in Cell Block 99 takes a while to build up to its titular melee, unwinding slowly as its lead character gets deeper into trouble. The film follows Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn), who loses his job only to come home and discover that his wife, Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter), is cheating on him. After smashing her car with his bare hands, Bradley decides to work on their marriage, the first sign that this is a film that doesn’t fit into easy categorization. Bradley also turns to crime in order to pay the bills, and that decision leads him down a dark and violent path. Brawl in Cell Block 99 treads a narrow line between highbrow and low; Bradley is a fascinating character, and the movie explores his complicated mindset, but there is also violence aplenty for those who want to see some action.
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This crazy action flick follows the McManus twins (Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery), who kill some Russian mafia members in self-defense following a St. Patrick’s Day brawl. After turning themselves in, the two receive a vision from God, which tells them to become vigilantes and hunt down the wicked to protect the innocent. The two go on a spectacular killing spree, inspired by classic Hollywood action films, and are tracked all the while by an unorthodox detective (Willem Dafoe) and a dangerous mob associate (Billy Connolly). The film’s unique action sequences and a jaw-dropping performance by Dafoe begat a cult following, and the film launched Reedus — who eventually went on to play Daryl on The Walking Dead — into the spotlight.
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This epic 1981 retelling of the Arthurian legend is widely considered the greatest adaptation of the story of King Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot that has ever been brought to the screen. Co-written, produced, and directed by John Boorman, Excalibur chronicles the saga of Arthur and his knights from his ascent to the throne through the decline of his kingdom, all set to a thrilling score featuring the works of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff. The film runs over two hours — a running time that was practically unheard of when it was made — and helped launch the careers of countless British actors, including Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne, and Ciarn Hinds, among other familiar faces.
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This legendary Steven Spielberg film introduced the world to Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), an intrepid super-archaeologist with a flair for the dramatic and a fear of snakes. The film sees Jones tasked with finding the mysterious Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, who believe the holy relic will grant their military forces invincibility and fast-track their plans for establishing a global empire. The film garnered heaps of critical praise when it first debuted. From the iconic score to the groundbreaking special effects, art design, and cinematography, Raiders was a watershed adventure film that would set the Hollywood standard for years to come. Its lofty legacy has endured some 37 years later, too, and it sits at the No. 2 spot on Empire’s list of the best movies of all time.
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It’s the film that gave generations of movie audiences an automatic answer to the question, “Who you gonna call?” Ivan Reitman’s 1984 supernatural comedy Ghostbusters was a genre-defining classic that spawned a multimedia franchise in the years that followed and is widely regarded as one of the best comedies ever brought to the screen. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis play a trio of out-of-work scientists who decide to make a career out of investing and eliminating paranormal entities in New York City, only to find themselves facing a terrifying threat to the entire world when a rogue god targets the Big Apple. The film’s cast is filled out by Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, and Annie Potts in memorable roles.
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Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age comedy exploded into one of 2017’s biggest hits, thanks to widespread acclaim for the performances of Saoirse Ronan (as rebellious teen Christine McPherson) and Laurie Metcalf (as her mother). Christine, who has decided that she only wants to be called “Lady Bird,” is trying to navigate the academic difficulties of high school — at a Catholic school, no less — while finding herself in various stages of love with two very different boys (rising stars Lucas Hedges and Timothe Chalamet). At the same time, Mom is working overtime to compensate for the layoff of her husband (Tracy Letts) and battling with instincts that are tanking her relationship with Christine. Gerwig draws heavily on personal experience for Lady Bird, crafting a thoughtful and relatable look at adolescence.
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Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and comedy writer Emily V. Gordon adapted their real-life love story for film in The Big Sick, a charming romantic comedy with a realistic tone. The movie begins with Kumail (playing himself) struggling to build a stand-up career, mining his Pakistani background for material. After a run-in with a heckler named Emily (Zoe Kazan) turns into a one night-stand and eventually a relationship, the two start to run into troubles. For starters, Kumail’s parents want him to settle down with a Pakistani woman, leading them to break up. Making things even more complicated, an infection leaves Emily in a coma. While visiting Emily in the hospital, Kumail meets her parents, Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter), learning more about them and Emily as he processes his own feelings.
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It’s 1979, the final chapter in a turbulent decade, and the attitude in America is so distraught that even the president felt the need to address the malaise, the lack of spiritual fulfillment in the country. It’s in this year, this context that Mike Mills sets 20th Century Women, which focuses on a mother, her son, and the people she wants to help him transition to adulthood. It’s largely a coming-of-age story for Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann), who lives with his mother, Dorothea (Annette Bening), in the boarding house she runs. Not sure how to raise her son in an era of dwindling values, she turns to Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a tenant and artist, and Julie (Elle Fanning), Jamie’s very platonic best friend, for help. The three women — with a little help from William (Billy Crudup), a mechanic who also lives in the boarding house — share their experiences with Jamie. 20th Century Women is a warm, inviting film, built around an incredible performance from Bening.
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How do you keep up appearances when you can’t actually see yourself in the mirror? It’s a problem hilariously examined in What We Do in the Shadows, a horror-mockumentary that follows the lives of four vampires living in modern-day Wellington, New Zealand. The film is the byproduct of Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords‘ Jemaine Clement, and as such, is baked with impeccable comedic timing and gags that become more borderline outlandish as the film goes on. It’s the chemistry between cast members that really belies the jokes, however, many of which rely on age-old vampire clichs, including an ongoing feud with Rhys Darby’s werewolf pack. Think The Real World, but with more blood, sweat, and tears (emphasis on the blood).
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The cult classic Pretty in Pink tells the story of social outcast Andie (Molly Ringwald), who somehow gets asked out by the popular and charming Blane (Andrew McCarthy). Against her classmate Duckie’s (Jon Cryer) wishes, she goes on the date and has the time of her life. Written by the talented John Hughes, who perfected the art of making 1980s teen classics like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink showcases the trials and tribulations of high school, and how everything that goes wrong may seem like it’s the end of the world.
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James Franco’s track record as a director is spotty at best, but The Disaster Artist is a masterful stroke of comedy, in which the Hollywood heavyweight tells about the making of The Room, an infamously bad movie from oddball auteur Tommy Wiseau. Franco plays Wiseau himself, mimicking his weird mannerisms and speech to a “T,” while his brother Dave plays Wiseau’s best friend, Greg Sestero (author of the memoir upon which the film is based). The odd meta-movie setup works perfectly for Franco’s performance, and he pulls in enough supporting talent — Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson, Jacki Weaver — to bring everything together in idiotic harmony.
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This mind-bending, time-twisting thriller set in the ’80s stars a young Jake Gyllenhaal as the title character, a teenager haunted by bizarre, prophetic visions that interrupt his suburban life and set a sequence of events in motion that rock his community over the course of 28 days. A surprise hit on the home-video market, Donnie Darko featured an impressive cast that included Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in memorable roles, and is widely regarded as one of the best independent films of all time.
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Veteran horror director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Murder Party) lends his slick technical chops and subversive comedy to Green Room, which follows a punk band as they attempt to escape from a group of murderous neo-Nazis after a show. The film’s frenetic pace and brutal violence are a sight to behold, and an unexpected appearance by Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) only adds to the fun.
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It Comes at Night begins with a familiar horror premise: An outbreak has ravaged humanity, and the survivors must scavenge for supplies among the ruins of society. Paul (Joel Edgerton), Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), and their son, Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), live in a house in the woods, cut off from the world at large. The world intrudes on their lives in the form of Will (Christopher Abbott), who stumbles on their house and offers food in exchange for shelter for himself and his family. Will, his wife, Kim (Riley Keough), and their young son, Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner), move in, and the two families maintain a cautious peace. As the nights pass and strange occurrences plague the house, problems arise. It Comes at Night is a tense film in which the ordinary humans are as scary as whatever lurks outside their door.
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Oz Perkins’ take on demonic possession films is a lot mellower than most entries in the genre. Gone are the jump scares and jets of vomit; Perkins prefers long, slow shots that suggest that behind every corner or door, something lurks. Set at a Catholic school in upstate New York, the film centers on two students, Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton). Neither girl’s parents arrived on time to pick them up for winter break, and so they will have to stay at the school, with only a pair of nuns for company until their parents arrive. Rose has no desire to babysit the younger Kat, who wanders the empty halls, seeking some unseen presence. Thrill seekers may not find The Blackcoat’s Daughter exciting, but those who prefer horror that creeps up and places a hand gently on their shoulder should love it.
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Based on the real-life serial killer of the same name, Zodiac takes place in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the Zodiac Killer terrorizes the people of San Francisco. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards) and newspapermen (Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.) become obsessed with trying to figure out the identity of the killer. Director David Fincher interviewed witnesses and surviving victims giving, Zodiac the feel of the real-life horror the people of San Francisco endured during this ordeal.
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This 1999 film about a group of student filmmakers who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, in order to investigate a local legend brought found-footage thrillers into the mainstream and went on to become one of the most successful independent movies of all time. Found-footage films have become common in recent years, but at the point when The Blair Witch Project hit theaters, it was a relatively new narrative technique, and the marketing for the film framed it as footage “recovered” a year after the filmmakers disappeared in the woods. Almost two decades later, the scares in The Blair Witch Project still hold up, despite the flood of found-footage movies that were released in its wake.
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