The best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video in 2023

Amazon Prime Video is among the best streaming services on the market. Every week, you can access new movies. These include Prime Originals as well as a host of third-party titles that rotate regularly. And if you’re looking for something a bit older, you can check out the classic movies on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon gives you the ability to filter your movie search by decade. So if you’re specifically looking for, say, a laugh-out-loud gem from the 1960s, you can type in comedy and then filter by the 1960s for perfect results.

Or, if you’d like to take a look at some of the best classics we could find on Amazon Prime Video right now, keep on reading. The movies range in style, genre, and period, so there ought to be something for everyone. We’ve also included a few titles you can watch for free on Amazon’s Freevee streaming service.

Best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video

Pulp Fiction (1994)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 17+
• Runtime: 154 minutes
• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Main cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Eric Stoltz
• Genre: Crime
• IMDB score: 8.9

Many lives intersect in this hip crime film. Two hitmen discuss their many views on life and human existence, a gangster tries to keep his operation under control, his wife struggles to stay happy, a boxer questions the ethics of throwing a fight, and more.

One of Quentin Tarantino’s best films and his first major hit, Pulp Fiction is a perfect choice for fans of classic crime movies. Featuring knockout performances by Uma Thurman, John Travolta, and plenty more, the film inspired many other films in the 90s, with few reaching its heights.

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

Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 3+
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Director: Norman Tokar
• Main cast: Stewart Petersen, James Whitmore, Beverly Garland, Jack Ging, Lonny Chapman, Jill Clark, Jeanna Wilson
• Genre: Drama, Family
• IMDB score: 6.8

A boy yearns for two Redbone Hound dogs, but his parents can’t afford them in this family film set in the Ozarks during the Great Depression. The heartwarming film follows the boy on his quest to get the dogs on his own.

Based on the novel of the same name by Wilson Rawls, this story about a boy and animal companionship fits well into the tradition of films like New Yeller, The Incredible Journey, Lassie, and Homeward Bound.

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

Charade (1963)

• Rating: 7+
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• Director: Stanley Donen
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass
• Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.9

Regina Lampert, a married woman, falls for the charming and mysterious Peter Joshua while off on a skiing trip. When she returns home and finds her husband has died, Regina suddenly turns to Peter for help evading the men after her late husband’s stolen fortune. Nothing — and no one — is quite what it seems in this cat-and-mouse mystery that keeps you guessing until the credits roll.

This romantic mystery thriller is an absolute delight, infused with hints of everything from Alfred Hitchcock to James Bond. If you enjoy films like North by Northwest, you won’t want to miss Charade.

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

Titanic (1997)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 11+
• Runtime: 194 minutes
• Director: James Cameron
• Main cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Victor Garber
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.9

As the RMS Titanic makes its fateful maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, two passengers from completely different worlds embark on a grand romance. While their futures are already doomed on the historical voyage that ended in tragedy, the two grow closer, imaging a different life.

A timeless love story and one of the highest-grossing films of all time, Titanic is a must-see for fans of epic romance, historical fiction, and disaster movies.

Fist of Fury (1972)

• Rating: 15+
• Runtime: 108 minutes
• Director: Lo Wei
• Main cast: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Maria Yi, James Tien Chuen, Tien Feng, Huang Tsung-Hsun, Han Ying-Chieh
• Genre: Action, Drama
• IMDB score: 7.2

Martial arts and cinema legend Bruce Lee plays a student of Kung Fu who must face off against foreign aggressors to defend China. When his master is killed, he seeks revenge against mighty foes, showcasing his incredible skill.

Lee’s second major acting role and one of the first titles to introduce him to a North American audience, Fist of Fury is required viewing for fans of action and Hong Kong martial arts cinema. Fans of Kill Bill, The Matrix, and other American action films will likely appreciate this influential title.

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

His Girl Friday (1940)

• Rating: 4+
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Director: Howard Hawks
• Main cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Helen Mack, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 7.8

Newspaperman Walter Burns knows he has one chance to win his ex-wife back when he learns she’s engaged and ready to settle down. Knowing Hildy can’t pass up a good story, he lures her to the courthouse to cover the case of a man on death row. When she realizes the man may be innocent, nothing will stop Hildy, much to her new fiancé’s consternation.

The quintessential fast-talking screwball comedy from director Howard Hawks and one of the best journalism films of all time, His Girl Friday moves at a quick pace, without a wasted moment.

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

Funny Girl (1968)

• Rating: 3+
• Runtime: 149 minutes
• Director: William Wyler
• Main cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Allen, Mae Questel
• Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
• IMDB score: 7.3

Fanny Brice wants to be the next big thing, working her way up from the New York vaudeville stage to fame and glory on Broadway. As she rockets to stardom, her relationship with husband Nick, whose return she awaits while he serves time in prison, is a more complicated matter.

This classic musical marked the start of Barbra Streisand’s film acting career, reprising her iconic Broadway role — and she took home an Oscar for it. Fans of Hello Dolly, Chicago, and other classic Hollywood musicals are sure to enjoy this beloved film.

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

The Graduate (1967)

• Rating: 12+
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Director: Mike Nichols
• Main cast: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, Murray Hamilton, William Daniels, Elizabeth Wilson, Buck Henry
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
• IMDB rating: 8

Recent college graduate Benjamin returns home, adrift and unsure of what the future holds. Soon, he finds himself caught in a love triangle with a young woman and her older mother.

A thoughtful meditation on the existential angst that comes with entry into adulthood, especially during the postwar economic boom in America, The Graduate remains as relevant today as the day it was released. It also features an iconic soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel.

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

Top Gun (1986)

• Rating: 9+
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Director: Tony Scott
• Main cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, John Stockwell
• Genre: Action, Drama
• IMDB score: 6.9

At an elite fighter pilot school, the Navy’s top pilots compete to be number one. Among their ranks is Maverick, who earns his nickname by flaunting the rules, earning the respect of his classmates in unconventional ways.

An action classic, Top Gun is a near-universally adored staple of the genre and provided a career-defining role for star Tom Cruise. Cruise returned to the role almost 30 years later in 2022’s Academy Award-nominated Top Gun: Maverick.

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

El Dorado (1967)

• Rating: 8+
• Runtime: 126 minutes
• Director: Howard Hawks
• Main cast: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey
• Genre: Romance, Western
• IMDB score: 7.5

The McDonald family are being muscled out of their home by a heartless tycoon who wants to claim their land. There’s not much the alcoholic sheriff can do about it. That is until his gunslinging friend comes to town to lend a hand.

Amazon Prime Video doesn’t have too many westerns included with a subscription, which is too bad. That makes El Dorado a rare treat, though. For fans of the genre and its biggest stars, El Dorado is a must-see classic movie on Prime Video. Fans of Rio Bravo and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance won’t want to miss this one.

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

Dazed and Confused (1993)

• Rating: 14+
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Director: Richard Linklater
• Main cast: Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane, Milla Jovovich, Shawn Andrews, Adam Goldberg
• Genre: Comedy
• IMDB score: 7.6

It’s the last day of high school in 1976. Rowdy seniors look ahead to their futures as incoming freshmen try to avoid hazing in Austin, Texas.

A 90s classic focused on the 70s, Dazed and Confused is sure to appeal to anyone from either generation. Fans of That 70s Show may get a kick out of the more mature throwback, as will anyone who enjoyed Linklater’s later film Everybody Wants Some!

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

Guys and Dolls (1955)

• Rating: 5+
• Runtime: 150 minutes
• Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
• Main cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Robert Keith, Stubby Kaye, B.S. Pully
• Genre: Comedy, Crime, Musical
• IMDB score: 7.1

Hoping to finance a craps game, a gambler bets one of his peers that he can’t get a virtuous missionary to agree to a date with him, but the two unexpectedly start to fall for each other as the gambler’s own girlfriend demands that he go straight and marry her.

Based on the 1950 Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls is full of charm and humor, and fans of musicals won’t want to miss it. It’s one of the best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video and features stunning dance numbers choreographed by Michael Kidd, who staged the dances for the Broadway production.

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

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

What you need to know:

• Rating: 8+
• Runtime: 123 minutes
• Director: John Ford
• Main cast: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray
• Genre: Western
• IMDB rating: 8.1

When a senator returns to the town where he rose to fame for killing a notorious outlaw to pay his respects to a recently deceased friend, he reminisces and has the chance to set the record straight about what really went down all those years ago.

One of the best western films of all time and certainly among the best classic movies on Prime Video, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance explores the idea of American mythmaking, allowing for heroism and chivalry while poking holes in the official narratives we’re taught.

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

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)

• Rating: 8+
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Director: Henry King
• Main cast: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Hildegard Knef, Leo G. Carroll, Torin Thatcher, Ava Norring
• Genre: Adventure, Romance
• IMDB score: 6.1

Writer Harry Street is injured on Mount Kilimanjaro and realizes he will die from an infection he developed while on his African safari. The knowledge of his inevitable death causes him to want to look back at his life, reminiscing about love, loss, success, failure, including his love for three different women and the one that got away.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro is based on a 1936 short story by Ernest Hemingway. Viewers who have enjoyed classics like For Whom the Bell Tolls and The African Queen should certainly seek it out on Prime Video.

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

Staying Alive (1983)

• Rating: 7+
• Runtime: 93 minutes
• Director: Sylvester Stallone
• Main cast: John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, Charles Ward, Steve Bickford
• Genre: Drama, Music
• IMDB score: 4.7

A sequel to 1977’s Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive sees Tony working as a dance instructor in New York as he hustles to catch his big break on Broadway in this classic (and quite universally panned) sequel directed by action star and Rocky director Sylvester Stallone.

Staying Alive is a far lesser-known film than its predecessor, and it may seem a puzzling inclusion on this list as a classic, but it’s just bizarre enough to merit a closer look. Stallone in the director’s seat and the return of John Travolta as disco king Tony Manero alone make it a fascinating Hollywood oddity.

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

Barefoot in the Park (1967)

• Rating: 4+
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Director: Gene Saks
• Main cast: Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Charles Boyer, Mildred Natwick, Herb Edelman, Mabel Albertson, Fritz Feld
• Genre: Comedy, Romance
• IMDB score: 7

Based on the hit Broadway play, Barefoot in the Park follows a young couple of newlyweds as they navigate marriage despite their differences. After a double date with one of their mothers goes awry, the couple considers divorce.

One of many collaborations between Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy classic for the ages. Fans of The Apartment, The Seven Year Itch, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s won’t want to miss it.

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

Alligator (1980)

• Rating: 15+
• Runtime: 91 minutes
• Director: Lewis Teague
• Main cast: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Dean Jagger, Sydney Lassick, Jack Carter, Perry Lang
• Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
• IMDB score: 6.1

A Chicago cop and reptile expert work together to stop a giant alligator on the rampage. After years in the sewer feeding on discarded animal carcasses full of an experimental growth formula, the gator is massive and nearly unstoppable.

This 1980s B-movie creature feature manages to truly shine thanks to a tight screenplay by indie master John Sayles and a starring role from the late, great Robert Forster. It has garnered a well-earned cult following that helps make it one of the best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video, available via the free Freevee service. If you like movies like Jaws, Lake Placid, and Godzilla, this one will be a treat.

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

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

• Rating: 17+
• Runtime: 83 minutes
• Director: Tobe Hooper
• Main cast: Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, William Vail, Teri McMinn, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow
• Genre: Horror
• IMDB score: 7.4

A group of youths letting off some steam on a weekend getaway suddenly find themselves falling prey to a family of cannibals in a disturbing and brilliant critique of capitalism and the nuclear family in post-war America.

One of the best horror films of all time, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has spawned numerous sequels, remakes, and reboots. It has also inspired films like Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and Ti West’s 2022 smash hit X. It is available to stream for free on Prime Video’s Freevee service.

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

It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)

• Rating: 5+
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Director: Frank Capra
• Main cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen
• Genre: Drama, Family, Fantasy
• IMDB score: 8.6

George Bailey plans to end his life on Christmas, but his guardian angel instead shows him what a world without his good deeds might look like, revealing that even small acts can have great outcomes in this riff on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

Due to a clerical error, the film’s copyright was not renewed in 1974, paving the way for its perennial syndication during the holiday season when TV stations were looking for content to fill airtime. A beloved classic in its own right, this peculiar detail still helped cement it as a holiday classic in the public imagination.

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

Forrest Gump (1994)

• Rating: 10+
• Runtime: 142 minutes
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Main cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson, Michael Conner Humphreys, Hanna Hall
• Genre: Drama, Romance
• IMDB score: 8.8

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Filled with child-like optimism, slow-witted Forrest Gump lives his life his way, excelling at everything he puts his mind to, from football to military service to running a major shrimping company.

This deceptively simple story is a heartwarming and beloved classic, establishing Tom Hanks as a household name.

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

Trees Lounge (1996)

• Rating: 15+
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Director: Steve Buscemi
• Main cast: Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny, Carol Kane, Mark Boone Junior, Bronson Dudley, Anthony LaPaglia, Michael Buscemi
• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• IMDB score: 7.1

Tommy is a loser who just got himself fired for stealing from the boss, who just so happens to be dating Tommy’s ex. Down on his luck, Tommy looks for a new job while hanging out at the local dive bar and starting an ill-advised romance with his ex’s underage niece.

While not as well known as many of the films on this list, Trees Lounge is a terrific, dark American indie with a well-earned cult following. It’s also the directorial debut of beloved character actor Steve Buscemi. Fans of High Fidelity, Ghost World, and the films of Noah Baumbach should be sure to check out this classic movie on Prime Video.

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

Those are our picks of some of the best classic movies on Amazon Prime Video. What are your favorites?