New year. New you. New list of the best movies on Amazon Prime! It appears that the platform is looking to continue its reputation as one of the best streaming services to subscribe to with the many awesome films it is adding to its library from heart-racing thrillers like Heat to hilarious comedies like Mean Girls and even a few great Amazon Prime original movies, too. Take a look at even more of the best movies to watch with your Amazon Prime subscription, as of January 1, 2025, in the following guide.
Mean Girls (2004)
Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey
What it’s about: A young woman receives a turbulent crash course in the teen social hierarchy when attending an American public high school for the first time.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Tina Fey adapted Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 self-help book, Queen Bees and Wannabes, into one of the funniest, smartest, and simply best high school movies of all time, Mean Girls.
Knives Out (2019)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans
What it’s about: A famed, Southern private investigator is called in to investigate the death of a dysfunctional family’s wealthy patriarch.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The brilliant performances by the star-studded cast and Rian Johnson’s knack for crafting dazzlingly subversive mysteries make Knives Out one of the best whodunits on Amazon Prime.
Mystery Men (1999)
Director: Kinka Usher
Starring: Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Janeane Garofalo
What it’s about: A group of wannabe costumed vigilantes with unusual skills and abilities become the last hope for their city against a paroled supervillain.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Loosely inspired by Dark Horse Comics’ Flaming Carrot series, Mystery Men is one of the most hilariously bizarre and criminally underrated superhero movies, boasting a sharp satirical edge way ahead of its time.
Heat (1995)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
What it’s about: An elusive gang of thieves find themselves under the LAPD’s radar.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Michael Mann is currently working on a sequel to Heat, which is considered his masterpiece for its dynamite performances, absorbing narrative, and beautifully shot action sequences.
Edge Of Tomorrow (2014)
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
What it’s about: A reluctant soldier in a war between mankind and evil extraterrestrials finds himself mysteriously reliving the same day over and over again.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Edge of Tomorrow is one of the most endlessly entertaining time loop movies ever and a great alien invasion movie, too.
Frank (2014)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Micheal Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal
What it’s about: An aspiring musician inadvertently becomes a disruptive force in an experimental band led by a talented eccentric who hides his face under a Papier-mâché mask.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Inspired by the career of indie rock artist Frank Sidebottom and written by his former bandmate Jon Ronson, Frank is an intriguing exploration of the conflict between fame and ambition and one of the most unique and best music movies of its time.
Unforgiven (1992)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
What it’s about: A widowed father and farmer rediscovers the deadly ways of his past in hopes of collecting a reward for avenging an injustice in a quaint village.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Years after breaking through as one of the genre’s finest stars, Clint Eastwood made one of the absolute best Western movies of his career (let alone of all time) with the riveting Unforgiven.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Director: Curtis Hanson
Starring: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
What it’s about: Three California detectives of greatly differing methods take on corruption from within their police department in the 1950s.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: L.A. Confidential is a beautifully told, old-fashioned slice of noir fiction featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Basinger.
Labyrinth (1987)
Director: Jim Henson
Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connolly
What it’s about: A teenage girl must journey to a strange world to rescue her infant brother.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: With timeless puppetry and an iconically devilish performance by David Bowie, Labyrinth is a beloved fantasy movie classic.
Babylon (2022)
Director: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva
What it’s about: The highs and lows of 1920s Hollywood as seen through the eyes of a veteran actor, an up-and-coming starlet, an aspiring studio employee, and others.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Easily one of the best Margot Robbie movies, Babylon is a spectacular, mesmerizing, funny, and ultimately devastating portrait of a formative era in cinematic history.
Oh, God! (1977)
Director: Carl Reiner
Starring: George Burns, John Denver, Teri Garr
What it’s about: An assistant grocery store manager is chosen by God Himself to help spread his message to mankind.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Also one of Teri Garr’s best movies, Oh, God! is a delightful and inspiring comedy.
Die Hard (1988)
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginal VelJohnson
What it’s about: A New York cop becomes the only hope to save his estranged wife and her co-workers when European thieves take them hostage in an L.A. skyscraper on Christmas Eve.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Arguably the all-time best Christmas action movie is Die Hard, which became an instant classic for its heart-racing sequences and Bruce Willis’ brilliant everyman approach to playing John McClane.
My Old Ass (2024)
Director: Megan Park
Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza
What it’s about: A mushroom trip allows teenage Elliott to communicate with her future self.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The coming-of-age fantasy comedy My Old Ass has been well-received for its inventive concept, hilarious performance, and insightful message.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Director: Gus van Sant
Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, Ben Affleck
What it’s about: A young, mathematically gifted custodian is forced to seek psychological counseling to unlock his full potential
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Earning Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Oscars for their screenplay, Good Will Hunting is a wonderful, inspiring drama about redemption and self-discovery.
Monkey Man (2024)
Director: Dev Patel
Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley
What it’s about: An unnamed man wages a personal war against corruption in Mumbai.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Dev Patel makes a promising directorial debut with one of the most moving and exciting thrillers of 2024, Monkey Man.
Modern Times (1936)
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
What it’s about: The Tramp and a homeless woman struggle to make ends meet amidst the rise of the Industrial Revolution.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: While released years after talkies took over, Modern Times is, arguably, Charlie Chaplin’s funniest and most timeless silent film.
Challengers (2024)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor
What it’s about: A tennis prodigy-turned-coach’s husband aims to correct his losing streak by beating his former best friend, who is also her ex-boyfriend.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The 2024 sports movie Challengers became one of the most talked about films of the year for its intriguing plot and steamy subject matter.
Creed (2015)
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone
What it’s about: The illegitimate son of Apollo Creed asks Rocky Balboa to help train him to become a champion.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: A continuation of the Rocky movies, Creed is a modern boxing movie classic all its own, with brilliant fight choreography, breathtaking performances, and moving themes of forming one’s own path toward glory.
Nosferatu (1922)
Director: F.W. Murnau
Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach
What it’s about: A real estate agent encounters the grim and grotesque Count Orlok.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Before Count Dracula first hit the big screen, F.W. Murnau released an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel called Nosferatu, which is still considered one of the all-time best vampire movies and one of the silent era’s most terrifying films.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell
What it’s about: The latest assignment for Ethan Hunt and his team puts them at odds with a sophisticated computer program.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: For its breathtaking action sequences and ingenious cast additions, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning is one of the best Mission: Impossible movies yet but the story is not over as the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8 is still on its way.
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Director: Zelda Williams
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse
What it’s about: A socially awkward ‘80s teen finds an unexpected connection with a reanimated corpse.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: From Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody, Lisa Frankenstein is a “fun, twisted romance” on fire with beautiful production and costume design and winning ‘80s nostalgia.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.
What it’s about: Gifted physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is tasked with helping the government end World War II by developing the atomic bomb.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The Best Picture Oscar winner for 2024, Oppenheimer – one of the most absorbing history lessons put to film – also took home awards for Best Director, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr., and more.
American Fiction (2023)
Director: Cord Jefferson
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown
What it’s about: A frustrated Black author finally lands his first best-seller but under a pen name and with a book full of racial stereotypes.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Jeffrey Wright earned his first Academy Award nomination for leading American Fiction – a sharp satire based on Percival Everett’s satirical novel, Erasure.
Super Size Me (2004)
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Starring: Morgan Spurlock
What it’s about: Morgan Spurlock puts his health on the line to document what would happen if he only ate at McDonald’s for 30 days.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The late Morgan Spurlock became one of the most esteemed documentarians of his time with his Oscar-nominated breakthrough hit, Super Size Me, which convinced the world to rethink how they consumed the fast food industry.
The Holdovers (2023)
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
What it’s about: Forced to remain on campus during the holiday break, a disgruntled prep school teacher, a troubled student, and a cafeteria worker form an unexpected bond.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: From writer David Hemingson, The Holdovers is destined to be a holiday comedy classic for its tenderly heartbreaking and uplifting moments, wonderful performances, and convincing ‘70s-style aesthetic.
Monster (2003)
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci
What it’s about: After killing a client in self-defense, a Daytona Beach sex worker adopts the deadly act as a typical part of her operation.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Charlize Theron earned an Oscar for her performance as infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ great directorial debut, Monster.
Another Round (2020)
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen
What it’s about: A group of high school teachers conduct an experiment to see how their lives may improve by consuming alcohol on a daily basis.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: One of the best Mads Mikkelsen movies, Another Round won the Best International Feature Oscar 2021 for its darkly humorous execution of a fascinating concept.
Bottoms (2023)
Director: Emma Seligman
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri
What it’s about: Two teen lesbians who start an after-school women’s self-defense class in hopes of getting closer to their crushes.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: In addition to co-leading the Bottoms cast, Rachel Sennott also worked with Emma Seligman on the screenplay for this uproarious and subversive coming-of-age comedy.
Women Talking (2022)
Director: Sarah Polley
Starring: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand
What it’s about: A group of women discuss whether or not to leave their Mennonite village in the wake of a sexual assault.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Sarah Polley won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Women Talking – a heart-wrenching, remarkably timely drama based on true events and anchored by a stunning all-star cast.
Sicario (2015)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin
What it’s about: An FBI agent begins to question the true intentions of her assignment when she joins a government task force taking on a drug cartel.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: The intense action thriller, Sicario, is one of director Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, featuring visually striking cinematography by Roger Deakins.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Director: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page
What it’s about: A charming band of thieves embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve a lost artifact.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Most adventurers would agree that Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves effectively captures the essence of participating in a campaign for the popular role-playing game.
Memento (2000)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
What it’s about: A former insurance investigator desperately tries to overcome his severe condition of short-term memory loss in order to solve his wife’s murder.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Cleverly told in reverse order to keep the audience in the protagonist’s headspace, Memento is one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies and a refreshing achievement in the crime thriller genre in general.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
Director: Matthew López
Starring: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine
What it’s about: After an embarrassing cake-related incident that captured the public’s attention, the son of the President and the prince of England are forced to end their feud, which only leads them to fall for one another.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Based on the best-selling novel by Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue is a winning LGBTQ+ romantic comedy with an upcoming sequel in the works for Amazon Prime.
Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams
What it’s about: Ill-tempered Boston handyman Lee Chandler becomes haunted by painful memories from his past after tragedy suddenly makes him the legal guardian to his teenage nephew.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: Casey Affleck’s inspired performance and Kenneth Lonergan’s devastating original screenplay earned two Academy Awards for Manchester by the Sea – an acclaimed Amazon original that was also produced by Matt Damon.
One Night In Miami (2020)
Director: Regina King
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree
What it’s about: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gather together to discuss the state of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Why it is one of the best movies on Amazon Prime: In her first feature-length directorial effort, Academy Award-winning actor Regina King guides four actors at the top of their game in the One Night in Miami cast in writer Kemp Powers' adaption of his own acclaimed stage play.
Well, a subscriber to the streaming giant certainly cannot ask for a better assortment of flicks for the ultimate binge. Check back to see what other classics have been added or removed from Amazon Prime Video next month.
