Amazon
Amazon Prime is way more than just a way to get your electronics and books in two days or less. There’s a wide breadth of programming available to stream, and it’s not just recycled titles from Netflix or straight-to-DVD rejects. Although it’s not the easiest streaming service to navigate, there are some surprisingly good movies and TV shows out there to choose from if you know what you’re looking for.
To help you out, we’ve put together the 20 best movies on Amazon Prime Instant Video right now, all of them unavailable on Netflix. From new Oscar winners to classic titles, you might be surprised as to what the service has available.
Airplane! (1980)
The cultural unrest of the 1970s inspired some of America’s most memorable films. From the nation’s escalating distrust of its premier institutions came a decade’s worth of challenging dramas and disaster pictures, including a series of films inspired by Arthur Hailey’s novel Airport. It’s appropriate, then, that the country’s transition into the’80s would be couriered by the silliest imaginable send-up of this legacy: Airplane! Using the simple premise of an impending airliner crash, the film manages to operate both as a biting parody of the aforementioned batch of pitch black thrillers and as a freestyle dive into uncharted depths of screwball surrealism. Whether dragging familiar genre tropes (like the airport supervisor with a drinking problem) beyond the brink of ridicule or exploiting common turns of phrase (like the very term “drinking problem”) for anarchic sight-gags, the energetic and hilarious Airplane! is responsible for bringing a new caliber of comic chaos to the big screen.
Room (2015)
On the surface, director Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of an Emma Donoghue novel is the story of a kidnapped young woman and the child she bore in captivity as they make their break for long-desired freedom. Room opts to tackle so much more, however. At its heart, the film is about the prides and pangs of parenthood at the dawn of a child’s entry into the great wide world. Abrahamson tempers his usual quirky cinematic style, allowing the film to thrive on the individual and combined energies of Brie Larson and young Jacob Tremblay. And boy, does it ever. Larson earned an Academy Award for her heartrending performance as the imprisoned Joy, and Tremblay — just seven years old at the time of filming — made his acting debut with a haunting performance.
Ronin (1998)
A small group of ex-military operators from America, France, and Germany are recruited to help some Irishmen steal a mysterious case in Paris. With me so far? The Russians also want it, and there are enough double-crosses among the group and outside parties that you’d think you’re watching a soap opera with more guns and explosions. But if you can keep up with the convoluted plot, Ronin is one of the best spy thrillers out there. Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgård, and Natascha McElhone all deliver expert performances, with De Niro and Reno at their peak as double- and triple-crossed soldiers for hire. Even by the end of the film, you might not know who wanted what, but that’s not what matters. The tense car chases are alone worth a watch as they give the Bourne movies and French Connection a run for their money. Co-written by David Mamet, one of the last films directed by John Frankenheimer keeps your attention even during the slow moments between the rocket launchers and snipers.
Gremlins (1984)
Horror movies of the ’80s were obsessed with small creatures that try to kill everyone, and Gremlins is the finest and most adorable entry in this trend. After Billy gets a cute little Mogwai named Gizmo for Christmas, he proceeds to disobey the only three rules for the mysterious animal’s care, causing Gizmo to replicate more sinister versions. It doesn’t take long for the entire town to be overrun with evil creatures, who love to maim, drink, and smoke (despite their hatred of fire). The Joe Dante-directed film is the sort of lighthearted PG horror that only the ’80s and Steven Spielberg, who executive produced, could bring into the world. Gremlins is still a classic today because it keeps its antics simple, slightly stupid, and fun.
Under the Skin (2013)
If it weren’t cool enough that Under the Skin is one of the weirdest films to hit theaters in the past decade, it also stars the country’s biggest female movie star. Scarlett Johansson takes a break from the blockbuster franchise game with a project far, far removed from it: a heady psychological sci-fi that follows her practically wordless journeys around rural Scotland in hot pursuit of… well, that’s a good question, actually. And the questions will only pile up throughout Jonathan Glazer’s movie, which outdoes itself in the delivery of the strange (even when you assume it can’t get any stranger). But Under the Skin isn’t all style. Watch closely and you’ll pick up a beating heart at the center of this science fiction allegory — one that’s as empathetic as its imagery is alienating.
Wayne’s World (1992)
When Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) sign a contract to take their public access show to the big leagues, they unwittingly sign over the soul of Wayne’s World to an unsavory producer (Rob Lowe). But that’s about as far of a real plot that Wayne’s World gets. It’s a movie that never takes itself too seriously, and that’s the beauty of it. With constant fourth wall breaks and winks at the camera, the movie retains the magic of the original sketches. By keeping the story at a simple premise of “rock and roll vs corporate greed,” Wayne’s World doesn’t fall into the trap of bloated plots that many SNL spin-offs would later fall prey to. We’re left with Myers and Carvey at the top of their games, and Lowe finding his true calling as a comedic, nefarious villain. Wayne’s World remains a hilarious celebration of music and silliness.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Though some film purists will tell you that 2001: A Space Odyssey should only be watched on the biggest and widest of screens, but it’s not especially often that your local theater opts to allot its IMAX stadium for a celebratory broadcast of the 1968 science fiction epic. But rest assured, even if viewing the film on a television or laptop, you can expect to be engulfed by the grandeur of Stanley Kubrick’s cerebral tour de force. Confining the themes of Kubrick’s dazzling symphony of speculative sci-fi to a single paragraph would be futile, as the past 50 years of analysis have reaped enough readings and theories to fill the data banks of a secretly sentient computer. In fact, a viewing of the film is worthwhile if only to your toss in your takes on the voyage of Jupiter-bound Discovery One, the corruption of its on-ship operating system HAL 9000, and the mysterious monolith that seems to change the fabric of time and space. Rest assured that whatever you think, the world’s heard nuttier.
Selma (2014)
Instead of struggling to fit civil rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr.’s entire personal and cultural history into a two-hour movie, director Ava DuVernay instead spotlights a single chapter in the life of MLK: the 1965 activist marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. This window into the work of King and his closest allies epitomizes the story of American civil rights on the macro. We not only get a taste for the ideology behind the movement, but for the strategy and labor that went into enacting tangible change. In fact, watching King — played expertly by David Oyelowo — cautiously deliberate every detail of his plan is just as compelling as watching him deliver impassioned, emotional speeches about the sanctity of human rights. Though many films aim to capture the spirit of this era, Selma best depicts the work that went into it and the lives of those who did that work.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
The bountiful imagination and meticulous eye of writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson makes Punch-Drunk Love at once heartwarming, unsettling, and magnificently weird. Adam Sandler lands miles outside of his usual cinematic terrain as Barry Egan, an emotionally unstable loner whose affection for a kind stranger (Emily Watson) couriers his already erratic psyche to new highs and lows. The key to Punch-Drunk Love is the film’s relationship with its hero; it doesn’t demonize him for his weaknesses or forgive him for his wrongdoings. The film stays real, honest, and raw throughout, earning its ending, whichever way you choose to interpret it.
Amy (2015)
There was so much more to Amy Winehouse than what you hear in her music or saw in the tabloids. She was a unique, tortured soul, and Amy does its best to capture that. The documentary chronicles the life of the singer from the beginning of her career to her untimely death just a few short years later. Although the film is largely narrated by friends and family sharing their snippets of Winehouse’s life, it relies just as much on telling archival footage and explorations of her songs, highlighted by the lyrics that were more personal to her life and struggles than most realized at the time. Amy offers glimpses into the singer’s battles with fame and addiction, but viewers also get to see some of the more beautiful moments in her life. It earned numerous accolades, including an Oscar for Best Documentary, and became the highest-grossing British documentary of all time. It’s a must for any fans of her music, giving viewers insight into who she really was, warts and all.
The Terminator (1984)
Do you remember when this series used to be less about alternate timelines and more about a simple robot who wants to terminate things? James Cameron’s sci-fi slasher The Terminator pits a robot from the future (Arnold Schwarzenegger, in what became his signature role) against the mother of the savior of the human race (Linda Hamilton) and her protector from the future (Michael Biehn). While the sequels venture more into the ramifications of time travel and robo identity, the original entry keeps it simple: There’s an unkillable killing machine coming to kill you, so let’s run away. It’s hard to think of a time when Cameron wasn’t a huge name in blockbuster film, but this is his first real success. There’s so much unrelenting bleakness, both in the endless pursuit from the Terminator and the desperate future, and we get a vision of a dire world that’s unique to this entry in the franchise. With its seemingly futile struggle against time and machines and uzis, The Terminator still holds up as one of the best science fiction movies of all time.
Best in Show (2000)
There’s a good chance that a few of your favorite television shows owe a thing or two to Christopher Guest. The mockumentary form has been used by sitcoms from The Office to Modern Family, but it was Guest who helped reveal the possibilities of the faux-doc format when the was camera turned to everyday oddballs. Guest’s funniest effort is Best in Show, in which he escorts the viewer behind the scenes of the dog show world. All of the director’s usual colleagues play to their strengths: Eugene Levy is the unassuming dork; Parker Posey is the uptight yuppie; Fred Willard, in the movie’s funniest performance, is the oblivious blowhard of a Kennel Club color commentator. Meanwhile, a helping of adorable pooches provides the cherry on top.
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
Whatever you do, don’t watch any promotional material for this movie if you haven’t already. Okay, sure, the trailer is embedded above, but what I’m saying is: don’t start watching this movie with many preconceived notions as to what this movie is really about. Goodnight Mommy centers on a mother returning home to her twin sons after radical reconstructive surgery that has left her face covered in bandages. Based on some peculiar behavior, the children start to question whether or not this person really is their mom and go to extreme lengths to figure it out. This extremely tense and visually striking trip from Austria is, at its heart about dealing with change and how terrifying that can be, to the point where some feel they have to fight against it at all costs.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)
If you’ve got the time for a double feature and the stomach for a boatload of human blood, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga makes for one of the most ghoulishly enchanting revenge epics of recent years. The ultimate result of a story that Tarantino and Uma Thurman came up with on the set of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill follows Thurman’s martial arts master and assassin-by-trade as she claws her way back from the brink of death to exact vengeance upon the five people who took what was most important to her. Kill Bill is a riveting character piece that doubles as Tarantino’s love letter to the movies closest to his heart. Across its two volumes, Kill Bill channels spaghetti Westerns, samurai cinema, kung fu movies, and more, managing a cross-cultural epic that’s winds up as emotionally rewarding as it is thrilling.
The Shining (1980)
Almost 20 years after his death, Stanley Kubrick still owns a style of filmmaking that no one else can (or should) match. Whether it’s monoliths floating through space or aristocratic Brits talking by candlelight, Kubrick leaves his viewers with striking, often haunting images. And it doesn’t get any more haunting than his take on Stephen King’s The Shining. Despite Kubrick’s habit of adapting existing works, he makes every film his own, and The Shining is a prime example of an adaptation that improves on his source material. The film follow a slow descent into madness as Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes increasingly crazed while maintaining an isolated hotel with his wife and son. With only a few significant characters, The Shining relies on Nicholson’s startling performance and Kubrick’s trademark style. While King wasn’t exactly thrilled with Kubrick’s interpretation (to the point where he produced his own TV version), theories and conversations around the film have continued into the present and even led to its own documentary titled Room 237. The Shining is just as powerful and looming as when it debuted, remaining stuck in time much like the Overlook Hotel it presents.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
A romantic comedy for people who don’t really enjoy romantic comedies, When Harry Met Sally… delves into the complexities of what happens when friendship mixes with romance and asks “Can a man and a woman really be just friends?” On the surface, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) seem like they couldn’t be more different, but after a few chance meetings and meaningful conversations, they develop a strong friendship. While helping each other navigate failed relationships, they begin to question whether or not a man and woman can remain friends when you have all that confusing sexual tension to cut through. What sets this apart from the standard rom-com is the chemistry between Crystal and Ryan, which is a delight to watch. It sets the gold standard for the sort of smart romantic comedies that they just don’t make anymore.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Even the most emphatic fans of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s work will occasionally forget about Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. This may be because of its release within just weeks of Adaptation., a more celebrated — and much more “Kaufmany” — movie. Or perhaps it’s because the film has accrued a stronger creative association with director, George Clooney. (Confessions was his first time behind the camera.) Either way, the presumably fictionalized biopic of 1970s game show host and would-be CIA assassin Chuck Barris — based on his “memoir” — should not fall by the wayside. Confessions combines the grand and glitzy eye of Clooney and the inventive pen of Kaufman to play a dark but chipper game with American history, pop culture, and human psychology.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now’s reputation as being one of the most harrowing depictions of the horrors of war may not exactly line up with what you look for in a movie to watch on a cozy night in. But once started it’s hard to look away from Francis Ford Coppola’s trip up Vietnam’s Nung River in a film that loosely adapts Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The deeper we travel into the jungles, the deeper we plunge into the fractured psyches of those forced to wade these waters. Everyone in the film, from a stoic Martin Sheen to a manic Dennis Hopper to Marlon Brando in a terrifying turn as a soldier-turned-warlord, delivers a performance touched by mad genius.
Ex Machina (2015)
What does it mean to be human? It’s a question posed by countless sci-fi stories, but Ex Machina still manages to handle it in an original way. After programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a super secret contest at his job, he’s invited by Nathan, his employer (Oscar Isaac), to interview and investigate just how human his breakthrough A.I. named Ava (Alicia Vikander) is. As Caleb learns more about Nathan’s work and Ava’s humanity, he starts to question his real purpose for being there and to fall for the beautiful robot. Ex Machina has a lot more long conversations and extended dance scenes than a sci-fi involving replicants would normally have, but the script and cold, reserved style brought to it by writer-director Alex Garland keeps you on edge and guessing throughout its entire runtime. Vikander stands out as the caged experiment, blending in the subtle emotions of a machine that can think with the cold, calculating nature of a being made of nothing more than circuitry and hardware. The film joins Black Mirror in crafting a scarily believable vision of the future, and justly won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Since its release nearly 20 years ago, The Big Lebowski has taken on a life of its own. Despite less than stellar box office earnings back in ’98, the film inspired breweries and restaurants, is annually celebrated at Lebowskifest, and still begets conversation over white Russians to this date. However, at its core, The Big Lebowski remains a sendup to the classic detective noir of the past, only with a chill stoner at the helm instead of Humphrey Bogart. When The Dude’s (Jeff Bridges) carpet gets ruined, a series of events unfolds that puts him at the center of a caper involving kidnap, grand theft auto, and missing Credence tapes. While the film has achieved cult status, it lives up to its image on the backs of flawless performances from Bridges, John Goodman, and pretty much everyone else.