Amazon Prime subscribers can enjoy great films like West Side Story, Top Gun: Maverick, and The Wolf of Wall Street for no extra cost.For many, watching movies at home is the preferred viewing experience, thanks to the rise of streaming services like Amazon Prime. Numerous classic movies and more recent films are available on Prime Video. However, as subscribers know, not every movie comes free with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Still, Amazon Prime Video offers its subscribers many great movies for no additional cost. From recent action flicks like Top Gun: Maverick to iconic musicals like West Side Story and comedy films like The Graduate, Amazon Prime subscribers have plenty of options for a free watch. That said, there are just as many great options for viewers willing to rent movies.
Updated on August 11, 2023, by Ajay Aravind: Juggernauts like Netflix and Hulu have dominated the scene since the advent of the streaming era. Among them is Amazon Prime Video, which contains thousands of movies and TV shows for people to watch — or even binge, for that matter. As such, we’ve updated this list of the best movies on Prime with five new entries.
15. The Graduate (1967)
The Graduate is a dark comedy classic and one of the defining movies of the 1960s. The Mike Nichols film follows Benjamin, a recent college graduate who soon finds himself in an affair with his parents’ best friend, Mrs. Robinson. When Benjamin falls for Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, things go from bad to worse. The Graduate is consistently ranked as one of the greatest movies ever made. Its portrayal of sexual taboos and generational change is a perfect example of what made the 1960s such an iconic decade. Simon & Garfunkel provided the movie’s soundtrack, which was full of hits and earned plenty of praise from critics and fans alike. The Graduate is unquestionably one of the best movies on Prime Video.
14. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn, a Chinese American immigrant who suddenly finds that Alpha-Waymond – an alternate version of her husband – has taken over Waymond’s body. From there, Evelyn enters the multiverse and must come face-to-face with all kinds of threats. EEAAO was the most-nominated movie at the 2023 Oscars, winning Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Picture. It also holds the record for the most-awarded movie of all time. In an era full of multiverse-themed storylines, this movie on Amazon Prime stands out with its beautiful themes of familial love, generational trauma, and redemption.
13. Good Will Hunting (1997)
One of the grittiest movies on Prime Video, Good Will Hunting stars Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon, and the latter two also wrote the movie’s screenplay. In the film, Damon plays Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT with an extraordinary gift for mathematics. After a math professor finds out about Will’s talents, he begins to spiral and begins seeing Dr. Sean Maguire, an unconventional psychologist. Robin Williams won Best Supporting Actor at the 1998 Academy Awards for his unforgettable performance in Good Will Hunting. A rare dramatic turn for Williams, the role showcased his serious acting abilities and his ability to find light in even darker storytelling.
12. West Side Story (1961)
Partly based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story depicts a rivalry between two gangs — the White Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Across the conflict, two star-crossed lovers named Tony and Maria, meet for the first time. When their families and friends find out about their relationship, tensions between the gangs take a turn for the worse. West Side Story is consistently listed as one of the best movie musicals of all time and one of the greatest movies overall. This Amazon Prime movie won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was praised for its eclectic soundtrack, vibrant color scheme, and inimitable choreography.
11. Whiplash (2014)
In Whiplash, Andrew, a young and ambitious drummer, enrolls in the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory. Upon his arrival, he meets Terence Fletcher, an abusive conductor who uses violence and emotional manipulation to push his students to their respective limits. Initially, Andrew is terrified of his teacher, but he uses his ambitions to try to defeat Fletcher. J.K. Simmons’ unforgettable performance as Fletcher helped him win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2015. With Simmons and Miles Teller’s chemistry anchoring the film, Whiplash showcases the pursuit of perfection in all its brutal glory. Amazon Prime Video subscribers who love music will also enjoy this movie’s explosive musical moments.
10. Sound Of Metal (2019)
Sound of Metal follows Riz Ahmed’s Ruben, a former heroin addict who started playing the drums during his recovery. However, his life turns upside down when he loses his hearing. Ruben is then presented with a choice: to either try and save his hearing or accept his new life as a deaf person. Although Sound of Metal revolves around music and performing, the story also takes different directions, discussing disabilities, the loss of a sense, and the nuances of ASL. Critics lauded Sound of Metal for such an accurate portrayal of these real-life issues. In fact, its use of ASL, as well as experimental sound mixing, makes for a unique sensory experience. Amazon Prime Video subscribers are sure to get a kick out of Sound of Metal.
9. Heathers (1989)
Heathers is named after the film’s central group, a clique of attractive and popular high school girls, three of whom share the titular name. Veronica, the only member not named Heather, becomes disillusioned with the group after meeting the school’s newest student, J.D. When Veronica accidentally kills the leader of the Heathers, she and J.D. realize they have an immense new power on their hands. One of the best dark comedy movies on Amazon Prime, Heathers helped seal Winona Ryder’s status as one of the greatest scream queens in cinema. Heathers’ combination of horror and comedy makes for an unflinching look at the brutality of teenage life and high school cliquedom.
8. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of real stockbroker and convicted criminal Jordan Belfort. Initially, Jordan is an earnest, low-grade stockbroker. However, he quickly becomes wrapped in the drugs and sex aspect of his successful lifestyle after participating in fraud. What comes up, however, must come down, so the FBI begins to try and neutralize Belfort’s criminal empire.
Martin Scorsese’s three-hour epic takes viewers along Belfort’s rise and fall. Its depiction of the seedy underworld of big business manages to be tons of fun, though the film never loses its critical eye. With an A-list cast that’s led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street is a fantastic watch for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
7. Manchester By The Sea (2016)
When Lee Chandler’s brother Joe dies suddenly, Joe’s teenage son Patrick is sent to live with him in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. Patrick’s presence in his life forces Lee to take on a reluctant paternal role as Patrick’s new legal guardian. Worse still, the re-emergence of Lee’s family in his new life brings up secrets of the past he had tried to run from. Manchester By The Sea won the coveted Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 2017 and was listed on many critics’ “Best of 2016” lists. The film’s tender, nuanced portrayal of grief and trauma years after a tragedy is perfectly handled, and this Amazon Prime movie never tries to wrap a neat bow on such a complicated experience.
6. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun sees Tom Cruise reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. In 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, the eponymous character returns to his old training ground to aid a new group of Top Gun pilots. When Maverick is confronted by the now-adult son of his deceased best friend, Goose, he must reckon with who he really is. Top Gun: Maverick was the first film since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to gross over a billion dollars, and for good reason. The movie’s intense action, incredible stunts, and high stakes brought back a true cinematic spectacle that renewed the public’s interest in seeing movies on the big screen.
5. Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan has come up with some spectacular cinema, especially with the critically acclaimed Oppenheimer released in July 2023. That said, none of his movies are on the same cinematographic level as Interstellar. Easily one of the best Amazon Prime movies, it follows a man on a mission to save humanity from extinction. Protagonist Joseph Cooper must go on an intergalactic journey through space, time, and concepts too complex for most people to understand. That said, Interstellar manages to distill the physics into gorgeous visuals, allowing audiences to simultaneously appreciate the loneliness and beauty of the cosmos.
4. M3GAN (2022)
There have been numerous horror movies about possessed dolls, like the Child’s Play and Annabelle series. M3GAN, however, is a lot more like Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. A doll comes to life, but it’s neither possessed nor reanimated. On the contrary, Megan is a highly intelligent AI algorithm who suddenly becomes self-aware. M3GAN blends elements of playful comedy into the mix, turning the movie into a pastiche of the horror genre without losing the impact of its scarier moments. Critics have referred to the film as an absurd satire, but there’s also a healthy emotional framework keeping the story together. Anyone who loves science-fiction horror comedies should check out this movie on Amazon Prime Video.
3. No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers’ canon contains some of the finest examples of neo-noir cinema, including Fargo and Barton Fink. No Country For Old Men takes a similar approach but with a heavily Western-themed atmosphere. This movie is adapted from the titular novel by Cormac McCarthy, and consists of seemingly disjointed narrative fragments that don’t resolve even after the conclusion. In other words, No Country For Old Men isn’t about closure as much as it is about the mysteries of fate — Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh doesn’t pay for his crimes, but that doesn’t mean he escapes scot-free, either. All things considered, No Country For Old Men is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime.
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Shawshank Redemption is often listed among the best novel adaptations in cinema history, having borrowed the bulk of its story from Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. Protagonist Andy Dufresne is thrown in prison for allegedly killing his wife and her secret paramour. Dufrense spends the next twenty years learning to navigate Shawshank State Penitentiary, a grueling experience that would have been devastating without Ellis Redding’s help.
Although The Shawshank Redemption initially failed to make headway at the box office, the movie’s seven Oscar nominations led to a global theatrical re-release. This Amazon Prime free movie is a must-watch for anyone interested in genre-defying stories.
1. The Handmaiden (2016)
South Korean director Park Chan-wook is best known for his Vengeance Trilogy, but the critically lauded The Handmaiden deserves equal attention. A psychological thriller on the same level as Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, it takes place during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Handmaiden won the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language, and was also nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or. Describing the mind-bending events in this movie is simply not enough to capture its narrative scope — in fact, audiences might want a second viewing to note the subtleties. There are numerous Korean movies on Prime Video, but The Handmaiden is one of the best.
