Amazon provides a little bit of everything on its streaming service, but the interface makes it difficult to find anything. They also enjoy randomly rotating their choices, making it difficult to determine what is available when you want to view a movie. So, this is the type of digital minefield that requires a guide. And that is where we come in!
1. The LEGO Movie
Chris Pratt plays an ordinary LEGO boy who embarks on an astonishing trip in a film about the power of imagination, turning the creative joy of playing with LEGOs into a compelling story.
2. Heat
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino feature in one of the best films of the 1990s, a breathtaking cat-and-mouse game between a career criminal and a workaholic cop. The book release of “Heat 2” in 2022 drew a lot of people back to this film, which has held up remarkably well in the nearly three decades after its release. This is definitely a masterpiece.
3. The Fall Guy
This film underperformed in theaters, but it’s already gaining traction on digital and streaming platforms, first as a Peacock exclusive and now in competition. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt appear in a witty, humorous tribute to the men and women who put their bodies in danger for our enjoyment.
4. Imitation of Life
There are so few movies on any streaming site from before 1990 that you should take advantage of the opportunity to view a timeless classic like this Sirk melodrama starring Lana Turner and John Gavin. Sirk’s final Hollywood picture transforms Fannie Hurst’s 1933 novel of the same name into a stunning, affecting story about race, class, and gender.
5. Die Hard
Streamers have a habit of withholding sections of the Bruce Willis franchise, but never the entire series, until now. Watch the entire series in one sitting, from the magnificent original to the appalling “A Good Day to Die Hard”, exclusively on Prime Video. The first is still considered the classic, a film that broke the genre’s norms by focusing on everyman characters like Willis rather than muscular stars like Sly and Ah-nuld. It has stood the test of time, remaining as fascinating today as it did when it was first released.
6. Something Wild
Jonathan Demme was a master of tonal balancing, seamlessly blending comedy and fear in this tale of an ordinary man caught up in a criminal’s web. Charlie (Jeff Daniels) is a mild-mannered banker who embarks on a crazy trip with a girl named Lulu (Melanie Griffith), but everything changes when Lulu’s ex (Ray Liotta) arrives.
7. Some Like It Hot
One of the best comedies ever created. It’s that simple. When someone in your life is having trouble watching anything before 2000, expose them to this Billy Wilder masterpiece, which is so good that it serves as a gateway to classic cinema. It may have been made in 1959, but Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe provide flawless performances, and Wilder’s excellent pacing ensures that it remains as amusing today as it was six decades ago.
8. The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph were Oscar-nominated for this wonderful comedy (Randolph won!), which was formerly exclusive to Peacock but is now available on Prime Video. The narrative of a boarding school over vacation break in the 1970s already feels like a comedy classic, a film that people will watch for generations to come, particularly near the end of the calendar year.
9. Heathers
Talk about a movie that was ahead of its time. Coming-of-age teen comedies have never been as brilliantly sarcastic as this film about four teenage girls whose lives are upended by the entrance of a new child, played by Christian Slater. More than merely destroying the destructive cliques at his new school, Slater’s character has bigger aspirations in this comedy that impacted the teen genre for years to come.
10. Bridesmaids
It’s hard to imagine it’s been more than a decade since “Bridesmaids” surpassed all expectations, earning a fortune and transforming Melissa McCarthy into a household celebrity. It’s a smart and touching movie about a woman (Kristen Wiig) who struggles with her job as Maid of Honor to a friend played by Rose Byrne. It’s still pretty funny.
11. Suspiria
The Luca Guadagnino version is also available on Prime Video, although the Argento original is recommended. One of the most famous and influential Giallo films, it stars Jessica Harper as a ballet student who travels abroad to study and discovers that her new school is full of witches.
12. Challengers
One of the year’s most praised dramas is available exclusively on Prime Video. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor star in a romantic drama about tennis players. When they claim Hollywood no longer makes movies for grownups, they mean smart and sexy films like this one. So, watch this one to make sure they do.
13. Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western utterly deconstructed a genre that the director/star helped establish, earning him an Oscar for “Best Director” and “Best Picture”. It’s a straight-up classic about an aged outlaw who is forced back into one more job that reminds him of his own and this country’s violent history. It is often regarded as Eastwood’s best effort in his distinguished filmography.
14. To Leslie
Andrea Riseborough delivers an outstanding performance as Leslie, an alcoholic who reaches rock bottom and returns to her hometown to rediscover herself. And while the framework of this surprisingly Oscar-nominated picture can be a little by-the-numbers, it’s a gorgeous showcase for Riseborough, who is ably supported by Marc Maron, Owen Teague, and Allison Janney.
15. Thelma & Louise
Few films still have the same impact as Ridley Scott’s drama/thriller about two women who flee after killing an attacker. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon provide probably their greatest performances in a picture that has lost none of its punch. All that, plus young Brad Pitt!
16. Passion Fish
John Sayles, the brilliant writer/director, delivered one of his most cherished pictures in this 1992 drama about a soap opera actress (Mary McDonnell) who is crippled after being hit by a cab. She returns to her family home, where she meets a nurse (Alfre Woodard) who will not give up on her.
17. Oppenheimer
After winning “Best Picture” at the Oscars, one of the biggest and best movies of 2023 has been appearing on streaming sites. Of course, one of the pulls of Nolan’s great exploration of the construction of the atomic weapon was how it was shown on Imax screens all across the world. It works best when viewed in large, noisy chunks of three hours. So, allow yourself to be immersed in one of the decade’s greatest wonderfully cinematic experiences.
18. Memento
Christopher Nolan made his global debut with this Sundance thriller, which altered the indie and finally blockbuster landscape. Here, Guy Pearce delivers one of his best performances as a man with significant memory loss who must use his body to remind himself of the clues required to solve a case.
19. Melancholia
One of Lars von Trier’s best films is this 2011 sci-fi/drama, featuring Kirsten Dunst as a woman who realizes the world is about to end. Von Trier has stated that the picture is an allegory for his sadness, which can strike unexpectedly, much like an apocalyptic event. It feels especially fitting for the mid-2020s.
20. Manhunter
Believe it or not, Michael Mann’s film isn’t always available to streaming customers, so take advantage of this opportunity to see one of his best works. This is the first cinematic adaptation of Hannibal Lecter, based on Thomas Harris’s “Red Dragon”, and is portrayed by future “Succession” Emmy winner Brian Cox. William Petersen is excellent as Will Graham, a part later played by Hugh Dancy in the NBC series. WARNING: This one is tense and disturbing.
21. The Limey
Terence Stamp gives a riveting performance in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller about a Brit who travels to California in search of his missing daughter and those who may have harmed her. Soderbergh rarely makes a mistake, and “The Limey” is one of his most underappreciated films, a masterfully paced passionate cry that fits its compelling main actor.
22. L.A. Confidential
Curtis Hanson directed this adaptation of James Ellroy’s epic crime book about 1950s Los Angeles. Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, and Kim Basinger star in this great thriller. And many films following this one have attempted to replicate its tough-talking thrills but failed miserably. Well, apparently, being this cool takes more effort than it appears.
23. King of New York
The brilliant Abel Ferrara directed this crime epic that oozes elegance. Three decades after its premiere, it remains one of the most widely cited films of its era. One of the primary reasons for this is the casting. Christopher Walken stars as the notorious drug kingpin Frank White, but the entire cast shines, including Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, and Giancarlo Esposito.
24. Glengarry Glen Ross
For a long time, it seemed like David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1984 masterwork couldn’t be filmed, but Foley, who collaborated with the playwright as screenwriter, worked it out, producing one of the best ensembles of the 1990s. Alec Baldwin is infamous for stealing his one scene, but the entire cast here is stunning, particularly Al Pacino (who was nominated for an Oscar), Alan Arkin, and Jack Lemmon.
25. Fitzcarraldo
Werner Herzog set out to produce a film about a man who was insane enough to try to transport a steamship across land from one river to another, and Herzog was insane enough to try to replicate it. The end effect is a picture that is both hypnotic in its intricacy and overt in its examination of power gone crazy, both in terms of plot and filmmaking. You should definitely watch “Burden of Dreams” afterward, a fantastic documentary on the chaotic making of this film. (It is also available on Amazon Prime.)
26. Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly’s sci-fi classic, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, and Jena Malone, depicts a mad planet. Darko grossed nearly nothing in theaters but gained a devoted following at home, becoming one of the most praised sci-fi films of the 2000s. Join the ongoing discussion about this film (and perhaps Kelly will be inspired to make another one soon – he hasn’t directed in over a decade).
27. Do the Right Thing
Spike Lee’s 1989 masterwork remains as urgent and relevant 35 years later as it did when it was first published. Following the turmoil in early 2020, many individuals seemed to revisit this classic, only to discover that it had not lost any of its force. In fact, each watching of “Do the Right Thing” feels fresh and unique. Critics say this is probably one of the finest films ever filmed.
28. Dark City
This sci-fi masterpiece was so far ahead of its time that people scarcely noticed it when it first came out, and its esteem has only increased over the last quarter-century. Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, and Jennifer Connelly star in a sci-fi noir that features some of the most memorable images from the 1990s.
