250 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now (March 2020)
(Photo by © Paramount Pictures)
Last updated March 20, 2020
You could spend a lifetime watching every Amazon Prime movie and still only end stuck somewhere in the birdsong video section, so Rotten Tomatoes is using our Tomatometer to find the very best movies on Prime! With such a vast library, it took some extensive work to narrow it down to only best movies streaming on Amazon Prime right now. Ultimately, we’ve selected 250 movies with only the highest Tomatometer scores, from at least 20 reviews, the ones an overwhelming majority critics would recommend.
The movies range from cinematic masterpieces (Battleship Potemkin, His Girl Friday, The African Queen) to contemporary classics (Leave No Trace, Mud, The Farewell). There’s beloved rom-coms (Roman Holiday, HIs Girl Friday, Moonstruck), alongside movies to make you laugh (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles), and movies to make you scream (A Quiet Place). There are thrills (Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Bumblebee, The Avengers), chills (Hereditary), and drum fills (The Decline of Western Civilization). And, of course, Amazon has been putting in the effort to build their library of originals, like Honey Boy and Blow the Man Down.
The best of the new movie highlights include:
- The Descent (2006) , the claustrophobic horror film with one of best jump scares ever.
- Kung Fu Panda (2008) , the first entry in the charming DreamWorks Animation series.
- Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) , a documentary about the studio musicians with more hits than The Beatles and Rolling Stones combined.
Because new Amazon Prime movies are always being added, we recommend you bookmark this guide, which we’ll be updating every two weeks.
Ready for not just good Amazon Prime movies, but the best movies on Amazon Prime’s streaming service? Then continue on for the 250 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now!
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#250
Adjusted Score: 85.326%
Critics Consensus: Invigorated by its talented cast and Francis Ford Coppola’s strong direction, The Rainmaker is a satisfying legal drama — and arguably the best of Hollywood’s many John Grisham adaptations.
Synopsis: A broke, inexperienced law-school grad takes on a huge Insurance company to fight for a woman whose son has terminal… [More]
#249
Adjusted Score: 84.986%
Critics Consensus: Every bit as good-natured as longtime fans might hope, I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story offers heartwarming behind-the-scenes perspective on a cultural icon.
Synopsis: For 45 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird… [More]
#248
Adjusted Score: 83.162%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Post apocalypse Europe, two years after zombies have overrun Earth, only two citadels of civilization remain in the East German… [More]
#247
Adjusted Score: 87.039%
Critics Consensus: A bird may love a fish — and musical fans will love this adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, even if it isn’t quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version.
Synopsis: Norman Jewison’s adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in the Ukranian ghetto village of Anatevka (the film was… [More]
#246
Adjusted Score: 89.563%
Critics Consensus: Juliet, Naked’s somewhat familiar narrative arc is elevated by standout work from a charming cast led by a well-matched Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke.
Synopsis: Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) — an obsessive fan of obscure rocker… [More]
#245
Adjusted Score: 87.032%
Critics Consensus: With arresting visuals and an engrossingly lurid mystery, Dressed to Kill stylishly encapsulates writer-director Brian De Palma’s signature strengths.
Synopsis: In this stylish, violent thriller,an unhappy wife, Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), meets a handsome man in a museum and goes… [More]
#244
Adjusted Score: 84.438%
Critics Consensus: An absorbing showcase for Philip Baker Hall, Paul Thomason Anderson’s feature debut is a gamble that pays off handsomely.
Synopsis: In this film, luckless destitute gambler John meets suave and seemingly kind-hearted Sydney, a successful professional gambler. Sydney offers to… [More]
#243
Adjusted Score: 85.308%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach wrote this memorable black comedy about an uptight recluse and his nymphomaniacal young wife, whose… [More]
#242
Adjusted Score: 96.669%
Critics Consensus: Creed II’s adherence to franchise formula adds up to a sequel with few true surprises, but its time-tested generational themes still pack a solid punch.
Synopsis: Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he… [More]
#241
Adjusted Score: 88.999%
Critics Consensus: It doesn’t offer any twists on the predictable courtroom thriller formula, but with a charming Matthew McConaughey leading its solid cast, The Lincoln Lawyer offers briskly enjoyable entertainment.
Synopsis: Matthew McConaughey stars in this legal thriller as a low-rent defense attorney named Mickey Haller. Most of the time, Mickey… [More]
#240
Adjusted Score: 87.163%
Critics Consensus: The Hole in the Ground artfully exploits parental fears with a well-made horror outing that makes up in sheer effectiveness what it lacks in originality.
Synopsis: Sarah and her young son Chris move to a new home in the Irish countryside, next to a forest that… [More]
#239
Adjusted Score: 88.668%
Critics Consensus: Hal Ashby’s comedy is too dark and twisted for some, and occasionally oversteps its bounds, but there’s no denying the film’s warm humor and big heart.
Synopsis: Harold, the 20-year-old son of a wealthy, neglectful woman, tries to gain attention for himself with various hilariously staged «suicides.»… [More]
#238
Adjusted Score: 84.383%
Critics Consensus: Exhibition flouts convention with its untrained stars and impressionistic narrative; thankfully, writer-director Joanna Hogg ties it all together into an intimate, beautifully shot drama.
Synopsis: EXHIBITION depicts a married, middle-aged couple (D and H, respectively played by Viv Albertine and Liam Gillick), both artists, who… [More]
#237
Adjusted Score: 84.08%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Eliza Hittman’s powerful debut feature tells the story of Lila (Gina Piersanti, in a stunning debut), a fourteen year old… [More]
#236
Adjusted Score: 90.11%
Critics Consensus: Les Misérables transcends its unwieldy story with compelling ideas and an infectious energy that boils over during a thrilling final act.
Synopsis: Stéphane (Damien Bonnard, Staying Vertical), has recently joined the Anti-Crime squad in Montfermeil, a sensitive district of the Paris projects…. [More]
#235
Adjusted Score: 90.808%
Critics Consensus: Deft direction and strong performances from its all-female cast guide The Descent, a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.
Synopsis: A group of close female friends on a yearly adventure vacation find themselves trapped and hunted in a series of… [More]
#234
Adjusted Score: 95.18%
Critics Consensus: Twisty, twisted, and above all simply fun, A Simple Favor casts a stylish mommy noir spell strengthened by potent performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.
Synopsis: A SIMPLE FAVOR, a stylish post-modern film noir directed by Paul Feig, centers around Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a mommy blogger… [More]
#233
Adjusted Score: 86.824%
Critics Consensus: Finding the right balance between subtle and sentimental, Sweet Land moves beyond other similarly-themed dramas with evocative cinematography that plays an equal role to the talented cast.
Synopsis: A European exile finds herself a stranger in a strange land when she comes to the United States in this… [More]
#232
Adjusted Score: 88.479%
Critics Consensus: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is perhaps the lightest and most purely enjoyable entry of the long-running series, emphasizing the eccentricities of the Enterprise’s crew.
Synopsis: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) concludes the story arc begun with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan… [More]
#231
Adjusted Score: 91.772%
Critics Consensus: Ricky Gervais’ consistently sharp performance and beautifully dry execution transform this otherwise mainstream comedy into an endearing, funny, and altogether snappy romantic comedy. With ghosts.
Synopsis: Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously… [More]
#230
Adjusted Score: 88.839%
Critics Consensus: As thought-provoking as it is uncompromising, Listen Up Philip finds writer-director Alex Ross Perry taking a creative step forward while hearkening back to classic neurotic comedies of ’70s cinema.
Synopsis: A complex, intimate, and highly idiosyncratic comedy, Listen Up Philip is a literary look at the triumph of reality over… [More]
#229
Adjusted Score: 91.688%
Critics Consensus: Michelle Williams gives a heartbreaking performance in Wendy and Lucy, a timely portrait of loneliness and struggle.
Synopsis: Old Joy director Kelly Reichardt crafts this intimate tale of Wendy, an alienated Indiana woman who packs up her car… [More]
#228
Adjusted Score: 87.716%
Critics Consensus: Those unfamiliar with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s style may find it overwhelming, but Santa Sangre is a provocative psychedelic journey featuring the director’s signature touches of violence, vulgarity, and an oddly personal moral center.
Synopsis: Santa Sangre is the surreal horror story about a young man, Fenix (Axel Jodorowsky) who has grown up in a… [More]
#227
Adjusted Score: 88.412%
Critics Consensus: With a story inspired by Antonioni’s Blow Up and a style informed by the high-gloss suspense of Hitchcock, DePalma’s Blow Out is raw, politically informed, and littered with film references.
Synopsis: Brian De Palma’s homage to Michelangelo Antonioni’s classic art movie Blow-Up (1966) blends suspense and political paranoia when a Philadelphia… [More]
#226
Adjusted Score: 95.882%
Critics Consensus: The Lost City of Z’s stately pace and visual grandeur hearken back to classic exploration epics, and Charlie Hunnam turns in a masterful performance as its complex protagonist.
Synopsis: Based on author David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, «The Lost City of Z» tells the incredible true story of British explorer… [More]
#225
Adjusted Score: 89.464%
Critics Consensus: Moving at a contemplative speed unseen in most westerns, Meek’s Cutoff is an effective, intense journey of terror and survival in the untamed frontier.
Synopsis: The year is 1845, the earliest days of the Oregon Trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired… [More]
#224
Adjusted Score: 86.065%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two wanted women decide to rob their wealthy yet mentally unstable friend who lives in a fantasy world they all… [More]
#223
Adjusted Score: 86.532%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jamie Chung stars in a searing contemporary drama, based on the true story of a Korean-American teenager who is kidnapped… [More]
#222
Adjusted Score: 87.741%
Critics Consensus: A chilling visual treat, Pit and the Pendulum unites genre masters Roger Corman and Vincent Price with delightfully dark results.
Synopsis: American-International’s standing «haunted castle» set is exhibited to peak advantage in Roger Corman’s Pit & the Pendulum. Save for the… [More]
#221
Adjusted Score: 91.438%
Critics Consensus: A uniquely character-driven thriller with a finely composed cast and some outstanding direction from Kelly Reichardt, Night Moves bolsters its thought-provoking themes with compelling drama.
Synopsis: NIGHT MOVES, the fifth feature film from acclaimed filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, is the story of three radical environmentalists coming together… [More]
#220
Adjusted Score: 90.93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This filmed version of the 1927 George Gershwin Broadway musical Funny Face utilizes the play’s original star, Fred Astaire, and… [More]
#219
Adjusted Score: 89.77%
Critics Consensus: Brutal, unflinching, and violent, but thought-provoking and with excellent performances, this Australian western is the one of the best examples of the genre to come along in recent times.
Synopsis: An outlaw is goaded into taking on justice at its most brutal in this hard-edged Western set in rural Australia… [More]
#218
Adjusted Score: 88.83%
Critics Consensus: A compelling story cleverly told, We Are What We Are quenches horror buffs’ thirst for gore while serving up serious-minded filmmaking and solid acting.
Synopsis: The Parkers have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank rules his family with… [More]
#217
Adjusted Score: 87.678%
Critics Consensus: Nancy is an uncomfortable watch, but worth the effort thanks to Andrea Riseborough’s central performance — and writer-director Christina Choe’s powerful empathy for her character’s dangerously misguided choices.
Synopsis: NANCY is a provocative psychological thriller about love, intimacy, and trust – and what happens when lies become truth. Craving… [More]
#216
Adjusted Score: 88.202%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When Otto Preminger was willing to release his drug-addiction drama Man With the Golden Arm without the sanction of a… [More]
#215
Adjusted Score: 90.261%
Critics Consensus: The Insult uses its familiar courtroom drama framework to deliver a hard-hitting statement on modern Middle Eastern politics that’s as gripping as it is thought-provoking.
Synopsis: In today’s Beirut, a civilian dispute blown out of proportion finds Tony (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser (Kamel… [More]
#214
Adjusted Score: 89.596%
Critics Consensus: It’s undeniably difficult to watch at times, but What Maisie Knew ultimately rises on the strength of its solidly sourced script, powerful performances, and empathetic direction.
Synopsis: A contemporary reimagining of Henry James’ novel, WHAT MAISIE KNEW tells the story of a captivating little girl’s struggle for… [More]
#213
Adjusted Score: 88.18%
Critics Consensus: Featuring Patton Oswalt’s sympathetic portrayal, Big Fan humorously and effectively captures the dark and lonely world of a sports fanatic.
Synopsis: Paul Aufiero, a 35-year-old parking garage attendant from Staten Island, is the self-described «world’s biggest New York Giants fan.» He… [More]
#212
Adjusted Score: 90.514%
Critics Consensus: This post-Watergate thriller captures the paranoid tenor of the times, thanks to Syndey Pollack’s taut direction and excellent performances from Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway.
Synopsis: In this thriller, Turner is a New York-based CIA employee. Sent to pick up lunch, Turner returns to discover that… [More]
#211
Adjusted Score: 90.655%
Critics Consensus: Led by a brilliant performance from star Frank Langella, Robot & Frank works as both a quirky indie drama and as a smart, thoughtful meditation on aging.
Synopsis: Set in the near future, Frank, a retired cat burglar, has two grown kids who are concerned he can no… [More]
#210
Adjusted Score: 86.62%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Writer/director Rusty Cundieff’s satire of gangsta rappers, focusing on a hiphop trio who release a Christmas album called «Ho Ho… [More]
#209
Adjusted Score: 90.591%
Critics Consensus: My Friend Dahmer opens a window into the making of a serial killer whose conclusions are as empathetic as they are deeply troubling.
Synopsis: Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys in the Midwest United States between 1978 and 1991 before being captured and… [More]
#208
Adjusted Score: 93.043%
Critics Consensus: Led by powerful performances from Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins effectively mines laughs and tears from family drama.
Synopsis: When estranged twins Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) feel they’re at the end of their ropes, an unexpected… [More]
#207
Adjusted Score: 91.887%
Critics Consensus: Considered by many fans to be the best of the Star Trek movies, Khan features a strong plot, increased tension, and a sharp supporting performance from Ricardo Montalban.
Synopsis: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is fondly regarded as being the closest in spirit to the 1966-69 TV… [More]
#206
Adjusted Score: 89.541%
Critics Consensus: Though its underlying themes are familiar, House of the Devil effectively sheds the loud and gory cliches of contemporary horror to deliver a tense, slowly building throwback to the fright flicks of decades past.
Synopsis: Sam is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she… [More]
#205
Adjusted Score: 93.772%
Critics Consensus: Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment.
Synopsis: A clumsy panda bear becomes an unlikely kung fu hero when a treacherous enemy spreads chaos throughout the countryside in… [More]
#204
Adjusted Score: 88.91%
Critics Consensus: An atypically dark Disney adventure, Dragonslayer puts a realistic spin — and some impressive special effects — on a familiar tale.
Synopsis: When Princess Elspeth (Chloe Salaman) is scheduled to be the next sacrificial virgin to a deadly dragon, it is up… [More]
#203
Adjusted Score: 94.339%
Critics Consensus: Smart, subtle, and steadily absorbing, A Most Wanted Man proves once again that John le Carre books make for sharp, thoughtful thrillers.
Synopsis: When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community, laying claim to his father’s ill-gotten fortune,… [More]
#202
Adjusted Score: 88.889%
Critics Consensus: Boy possesses the offbeat charm associated with New Zealand film but is also fully capable of drawing the viewer in emotionally.
Synopsis: The year is 1984, and on the rural East Coast of New Zealand «Thriller» is changing kids’ lives. Inspired by… [More]
#201
Adjusted Score: 92.342%
Critics Consensus: A Private War honors its real-life subject with a sober appraisal of the sacrifices required of journalists on the front lines – and career-best work by Rosamund Pike.
Synopsis: In a world where journalism is under attack, Marie Colvin (Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike) is one of the most… [More]
