25 best Amazon Prime Video original movies (2023)

Amazon Prime Video has one of the biggest streaming libraries around, with new shows and movies added every week. The service functions much like Netflix, Max, and other streamers. It offers a mix of library titles licensed from third parties and original programming exclusive to Prime Video. So, what are the best Prime Video original movies?

Read on for our picks of the best Prime Video originals. And if you’re not already signed up, you can join by clicking the link below.

The 25 best Prime Video original movies

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Director/Creator: Lynne Ramsay
• Main cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov
• Genre: Crime/thriller
• Ratings: 6.7 – IMDB / 89% – Rotten Tomatoes

A quiet, ruthlessly efficient mercenary is hired to retrieve a politician’s daughter from human traffickers. As he works to save the girl, he uncovers a conspiracy that could kill him.

Arguably the very best Prime Video original movie, Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here is a stunning thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix. If you liked Ghost Dog, Léon: The Professional, The Limey, New Boy, or Taxi Driver, Don’t sleep on You Were Never Really Here.

One Night in Miami… (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Director/Creator: Regina King
• Main cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
• Genre: Drama
• Ratings: 7.1 – IMDB / 98% – Rotten Tomatoes

One Night In Miami… offers a fictionalized account of a night in 1964 when Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke met to celebrate a major win for Ali. Over the course of the evening, the four icons discuss their differing thoughts on the Civil Rights movement and Black liberation.

Academy Award-winning actress Regina King made her feature directorial debut with this 2020 film, proving she’s as skilled behind the camera as in front of it. Based on the play of the same name by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, the film is a sure winner for fans of Ali, X, Selma, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Val (2021)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 109 minutes
• Director/Creator: Ting Poo, Leo Scott
• Main cast: Val Kilmer, Jack Kilmer
• Genre: Documentary/biography
• Ratings: 7.6 – IMDB / 94% – Rotten Tomatoes

Having undergone cancer treatment, actor Val Kilmer has largely lost the ability to speak, but his thousands of hours of footage chronicle an incredible life and career, charting many challeneges and successes throughout the Batman and Heat star’s career.

Directors Leo Scott and Ting Poo use new interviews and video footage shot over multiple decades by Kilmer himself to craft a portrait of the global star. One of the best documentaries of 2021, Val is also among the best Amazon Prime Video original movies.

The Vast of Night (2020)

• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 91 minutes
• Director/Creator: Andrew Patterson
• Main cast: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz
• Genre: Sci-fi/mystery
• Ratings: 6.7 – IMDB / 93% – Rotten Tomatoes

In the 1950s in a small New Mexico town, a radio DJ and a young switchboard operator discover a strange radio frequency while virtually everyone in town is distracted by a big basketball game at the local high school. As the two investigate, they become convinced that they’re hearing signals from alien life forms and investigate as best they can.

The Vast of Night is a quiet and moody little genre film with hints of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Signs, and Super 8. For all its low-fi sublety, it’s an electrifying thing to watch.

Suspiria (2018)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 152 minutes
• Director/Creator: Luca Guadagnino
• Main cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth
• Genre: Horror
• Ratings: 6.7 – IMDB / 65% – Rotten Tomatoes

Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, and Mia Goth star in this story of a promising young dancer who joins a prestigious dance company. But things don’t seem quite right. A shadow hangs over the dance company and its members, who face danger at the hands of mysterious forces.

Luca Guadagnino’s reimagining of the classic 1977 Dario Argento horror film is a stunning work of filmmaking and one of the best Prime Video original movies.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 99 minutes
• Director/Creator: Ian Samuels
• Main cast: Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen
• Genre: Romcom/sci-fi/teen
• Ratings: 6.8 – IMDB / 76% – Rotten Tomatoes

A young man carelessly relives the same day again and again, until one day, he meets a girl  stuck in the same time loop. Together, they work to figure out what’s going on and go back to their old lives.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a fantasy teen love story in the tradition of Groundhog Day, The Edge of Tomorrow, and Palm Springs. It’s a charming, fast-paced, and smart film and one of the best Prime video original movies you can watch.

Blow the Man Down (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 91 minutes minutes
• Director/Creator: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy
• Main cast: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Annette O’Toole
• Genre: Crime/mystery/black comedy
• Ratings: 6.4 – IMDB / 98% – Rotten Tomatoes

This American indie feature sees two sisters in a small fishing town grieving the loss of their mother and unsure how to go on. After a fateful encounter with a stranger, the sisters get deeper and deeper into the town’s criminal underworld trying to cover up their crimes.

In the tradition of Fargo and A Simple Plan, Blow the Man Down is a dark comedy thriller set in a small town with big personalities. It’s a terrific film that’s well worth your time.

The Big Sick (2017)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Director/Creator: Michael Showalter
• Main cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
• Genre: Romcom
• Ratings: 7.5 – IMDB / 98% – Rotten Tomatoes

The Big Sick sees Pakistani-American funnyman Kumail Nanjiani looking for love. Following culture clashes with the grad student he’s dating, he finds himself growing very suddenly closer to her family when she’s diagnosed with a mysterious illness.

An early Prime Video original movie, The Big Sick is a dramatization of star Kumail Nanjiani’s relationship with his wife, Emily V. Gordon. The film is written by Nanjiani and Gordon, and it’s a great choice for fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Meet the Parents, and Crazy Stupid Love.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Director/Creator: Jason Woliner
• Main cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova
• Genre: Comedy/mockumentary
• Ratings: 6.6 – IMDB / 85% – Rotten Tomatoes

This film sees the familiar Borat, recently released from prison, returning to America, now with his 15-year-old daughter, to continue his study of the great western nation.

A sequel to the outrageous 2006 mockumentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was a pleasant surprise in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sylvie’s Love (2020)

• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Director/Creator: Eugene Ashe
• Main cast: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Regé-Jean Page
• Genre: Romance/drama
• Ratings: 6.8 – IMDB / 93% – Rotten Tomatoes

In New York, in the 1950s, a TV producer and a jazz saxophonist rekindle a past romance. While much has changed in their lives, their passion for one another remains the same. Set against changing times, Sylvie’s Love is a beautiful mediation on love, ambition, and history.

Tessa Thompson stars in this era-spanning love story. A great pick for fans of The Notebook, Carol, and the Before trilogy.

Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 108 minutes
• Director/Creator: Lena Dunham
• Main cast: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott
• Genre: Comedy/teen
• Ratings: 6.5 – IMDB / 74% – Rotten Tomatoes

A headstrong girl in Mideieval England holds fast against her destitute father’s attemots to marry her off to a wealthy Lord. When one particularly vile suitor emerges, her parents must test their love for the girl.

Directed by Girls creator Lena Dunham and based on the popular YA novel of the same name, Catherine Called Birdy is sure to appeal to fans of The Princess Diaries, Little Women, and Ever After are sure to be delighted.

Master (2022)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 99 minutes
• Director/Creator: Mariama Diallo
• Main cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Amber Gray
• Genre: Horror/thriller
• Ratings: 5.2 – IMDB / 74% – Rotten Tomatoes

Three Black women at an elite university in New England, striving to find theoir places within the institution, begin to have odd, perhaps dangerous encounters with the school’s sinister history in this psychological horror film on Prime Video.

Fans of Candyman, Get Out, and The Haunting of Hill House will no doubt want to give this title, one of the best Amazon Prime Video original movies, a try.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Guava Island (2019)

• Rating: TV-MA
• Runtime: 56 minutes
• Director/Creator: Hiro Murai
• Main cast: Donald Glover, Rihanna
• Genre: Musical
• Ratings: 6.6 – IMDB / 74% – Rotten Tomatoes

A young musician on Guava Island organizes a music festival to help his neighbors escape their lives of oppression through art. He takes a special interest in one woman, whim he seranades while facing obstacles to the upcoming festivities.

Donald Glover and Rihanna star in this short film written and directed from a story by Glover. If you like movies like tick, tick…BOOM! A Star Is Born, or Once, you’ll want to give Guava Island a try.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Sound of Metal (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Director/Creator: Darius Marder
• Main cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff
• Genre: Drama/musical
• Ratings: 7.7 – IMDB / 97% – Rotten Tomatoes

A heavy-metal drummer loses his hearing in Sound of Metal. The film explores how its protagonist suddenly losing his livelihood leads him to contemplate a new life without his hearing.

Riz Ahmed gives a career-defining performance in this moving film, offering a sensitive portrait of disability. One of the best Prime Video original movies, The Sound of Metal may be well-suited to fans of Whiplash, CODA, and A Star Is Born.

Neon Demon (2016)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Director/Creator: Nicolas Winding Refn
• Main cast: Elle Fanning, Karl Glusman, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee
• Genre: Horror
• Ratings: 6.1 – IMDB / 58% – Rotten Tomatoes

An aspiring model in Los Angeles rises though the ranks of the industry thanks to her striking beauty and youth, leading to murderous jealousy from her peers in this gorgeous, shocking horror film from Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn.

A great choice if you enjoyed Last Night in Soho, Mulholland Drive, Black Swan, and Suspiria.

I’m Your Woman (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Director/Creator: Julia Hart
• Main cast: Rachel Brosnahan, Arinzé Kene, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Bill Heck
• Genre: Crime/thriller
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDB / 81% – Rotten Tomatoes

In the 1970s, the wife of a criminal has to go on the run with her baby when her husband betrays his dangerous partners. Now, she has to rely on help from people she doesn’t trust, while learning new information about the man she loved.

From director Julia Hart, I’m Your Woman is a tense and clever noir thriller starring The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan. It’s a slow-burn thriller that will appeal to fans of Widows, A History of Violence, The Kitchen, and Fast Color.

Get Duked! (2020)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Director/Creator: Ninian Doff
• Main cast: Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, Lewis Gribben, Eddie Izzard
• Genre: Black comedy/horror
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDB / 88% – Rotten Tomatoes

In Get Duked!, a group of troubled youths are brought to the Scottish Highlands by their teacher in an attempt to help them build character and take pride in themselves. Alone in the wilderness, they soon find themselves hunted by an unhinged couple, and they have to fight back.

A pitch-black British comedy, Get Duked! is Ninian Doff’s feature directorial debut and one of the best Prime Video original movies. Check it out if you liked Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block, or Sightseers.

The Report (2019)

What you need to know:

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Director: Scott Z. Burns
• Main cast: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Sarah Goldberg, Michael C. Hall, Douglas Hodge, Fajer Kaisi
• Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
• Ratings: 7.2 – IMDB / 82% – Rotten Tomatoes

Based on a true story, The Report follows Daniel Jones, the lead investigator for the US Senate’s oversight study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, which eventually revealed widespread abuses and torture approved at the highest levels despite grave ethical concerns and general ineffectiveness. Jones fought to make his finding public while those in power tried to silence him.

Adam Driver gives a career-best performance in this slow-burn political thriller about a man trying to do what’s right while working against a corrupt system intent on hiding the truth. If you like movies like Dark Waters, All the President’s Men, and Erin Brockovich, don’t miss The Report on Prime Video.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Black Box (2020)

• Rating: Not rated
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Director/Creator: Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour
• Main cast: Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad
• Genre: Horror/sci-fi
• Ratings: 6.2 – IMDB / 71% – Rotten Tomatoes

The science-fiction horror feature sees a single father lose his wife and memory in a car crash. An experimental procedure could save his memories but leads him to question who he really is.

Black Box was the second installment in the anthological “Welcome to the BLUmhouse” horror film series on Prime Video, from the now-iconic indie producer. It was directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. and stars Mamoudou Athie.

All the Old Knives (2022)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 101 minutes
• Director/Creator: Janus Metz Pedersen
• Main cast: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Pryce
• Genre: Spy/drama/thriller
• Ratings: 6.1 – IMDB / 64% – Rotten Tomatoes

An aging group of spies are brought back together when one is believed to have been disloyal during an old case. One agent must root out the mole, which brings him face to face with an old lover as trust is tested and old scars are reopened.

A modest spy thriller, All the New Knives boasts an all-star cast including Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, and Jonathan Pryce. If you enjoy less flashy spy films than Mission: Impossible and James Bond, preferring the likes of Three Days of the Condor or Bridge of Spies, don’t miss All the New Knives.

The Voyeurs (2021)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Director/Creator: Michael Mohan
• Main cast: Sydney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo
• Genre: Erotic thriller
• Ratings: 6 – IMDB / 43% – Rotten Tomatoes

Starring Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney, The Voyeurs follows a couple in Montreal who become fascinated by neighbours who they can see from their window. Their obsession soon gets out of hand, and as they witness shocking events, they may be in too deep to turn back.

An erotic thriller that didn’t get anywhere near as much attention as it deserved when it came out in 2021, The Voyeurs is one of the best Prime Video original movies. Check it out if you like Hitchcock’s Rear Window or classic erotic thrillers like Basic Instinct, Eyes Wide Shut, or Body Double.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Director/Creator: Kenneth Lonergan
• Main cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges
• Genre: Drama
• Ratings: 7.8 – IMDB / 96% – Rotten Tomatoes

A janitor’s solitary life is rocked when he becomes the legal guardian of his 16-year-old nephew. Now, he’s learning how to look out for someone else and learning about himself in the process.

Amazon’s first major hit, Manchester by the Sea is directed by Kenneth Lonergan and stars Casey Affleck (who won an Academy Award for his starring role), Michelle Williams, and Kyle Chandler, and it’s one of the best Prime Video original movies, perfect for fans of difficult, moving dramas, like Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me, or Short Term 12 and Magnolia.

Good Night Oppy (2022)

• Rating: PG
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Director/Creator: Ryan White
• Main cast: Angela Bassett
• Genre: Documentary
• Ratings: 7.7 – IMDB / 88% – Rotten Tomatoes

Narrated by Angela Bassett, Good Night Oppy is a documentary look at OPPOrtunity, nicknamed Oppy, a Mars rover launched in 2003. While Oppy’s mission was scheduled to last 90 days, she kept exploring for nearly 15 years. This film follows Oppy’s progress as well as that of her human counterparts on Earth at NASA.

With archival footage provided by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and visual effects work from Industrial Light & Magic, Good Night Oppy is a stunning documentary that should appeal to anyone who has ever marvelled at our solar system. Like true-life version of Pixar’s Wall-E, the doc is a heartfelt portrait of space exploration.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

I Want You Back (2022)

• Rating: R
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Director/Creator: Jason Orley
• Main cast: Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, Manny Jacinto, Clark Backo, Gina Rodriguez
• Genre: Romcom
• Ratings: 6.6 – IMDB / 86% – Rotten Tomatoes

Two strangers find comfort and companionship in each other when they realize they were both dumped unceremoniously on the same day. Their relationship turns to scheming when they discover both of their exes have immediately moved on.

Released just in time for Valentine’s Day, I Want You Back earns its spot as one of the best Prime Video original movies because it nails all the right classic romcom beats. The romantic comedy has been on the decline in recent years, but it’s staying alive thanks mostly to streaming, and this is one of the best entries so far.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 140 minutes
• Director/Creator: Chris McKay
• Main cast: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge
• Genre: Action/sci-fi
• Ratings: 6.5 – IMDB / 52% – Rotten Tomatoes

In the near future, time travellers from the future come back with a dire warning. In 30 years, humanity will be losing a war against an invading alien species. Can a group of soldiers travel ahead to help win the war and save the planet?

If you like your sci-fi action movies to center on time travel, The Tomorrow War is in good company. There’s the Terminator franchise, Edge of Tomorrow, Looper, 12 Monkeys, and so many more. The Tomorrow War may not be among the best of the genre, but it’s a solid entry and a solid, straightforward actioner, if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Ready to watch? You can find the movie right here on Prime Video.

Those are 25 of the best Prime Video original movies that you can stream now.

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