The breadth of Amazon Prime Video’s film catalog can’t be overstated. It has a ton of recent theatrical releases from different studios, including Paramount’s Novocaine and Focus’ Black Bag. It also has movies from its own associated studio, Amazon MGM, like the new heist thriller Play Dirty and action comedies Heads of State and Deep Cover. Plus, it has a robust library of older movies. You’ll find all of these kinds of movies on our list of the best movies to watch on Prime Video right now.
Just to let you know how we put this list together: In order to keep the list as relevant as possible, we’re putting the most importance on new releases, Prime Video originals, and critics’ favorites. But we’re also adding our own personal spin on the list, with underrated gems we’re recommending to our friends, classic favorites, and important selections that highlight diverse voices. We’ll be updating the list regularly. (Note: This list only includes movies that are available with a Prime Video subscription or for free; shows that can be bought on Amazon for an additional fee are not included.)
Last updated on Oct. 8; the most recent additions are at the top.
Disclaimer: When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Play Dirty (2025)
For fans of: Heists
Director: Shane Black
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield
Genre: Action, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 46
In Play Dirty, Mark Wahlberg shoots a lot of people, several cars explode, and tough guys crack wise while doing illegal things. And that’s just in the trailer! Play Dirty, from director Shane Black, is the latest straight-to-streaming action film to hit Prime Video. In it, a thief (Wahlberg) teams up with a crook (Rosa Salazar) for a major heist that requires him to go against the mob, a South American dictator, and the world’s wealthiest man. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Novocaine (2025)
For fans of: High concept action movies
Director: Dan Berk and Robert Olsen
Stars: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh
Genre: Action, Thriller, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 58
The Boys‘ Jack Quaid stars in this action comedy as Nathan Caine, a man who can’t feel pain. He’s a regular guy who works in a bank, but when his coworker and budding love interest Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped by thieves, he uses his condition to help get her back. He may not be great at fighting, but he can take a beating and keep going. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Black Bag (2025)
For fans of: Sophisticated thrillers for grown-ups
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page
Genre: Spy Thriller, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 85
Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett star in this sexy and cerebral spy thriller from director Steven Soderbergh. Fassie plays George, an MI6 agent tasked with rooting out a leaker in the agency’s midst. One of the suspects is his wife, Kathryn (Blanchett), who’s also a spy. So he invites the other suspects over for a dinner party, and the psychological spy games get crackling. The cast also includes Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, and Regé-Jean Page. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Last Breath (2025)
For fans of: Claustrophobia, the ocean floor
Director: Alex Parkinson
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Finn Cole, Simu Liu, Cliff Curtis
Genre: Thriller
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 65
If you’re looking for a competent thriller with an admirably tight 90-minute runtime, click play on Last Breath. Woody Harrelson stars as the leader of a three-man dive team sent to fix an oil pipe in the ice-cold, pitch-black waters of the North Sea. The repair mission turns into a rescue mission when a member of the crew (Finn Cole) gets cut off from the rest of the team with no comms and a limited supply of oxygen. It’s based on a true story, and Woody is having a great time. –Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
For fans of: Ape action
Director: Wes Ball
Stars: Freya Allan, William H. Macy, Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, and Dichen Lachman
Genre: Action
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 66
One of 2024’s biggest movies, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the fourth film in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, and because the film industry works in threes, it’s technically the first movie in a planned second trilogy. Set 300 years after 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom stars The Witcher‘s Freya Allan and The Stand‘s Owen Teague as a human and a young chimpanzee, respectively, who go on a journey to determine the future of their species. Those expecting a special effects feast will be sated, but they may also be surprised at the insightful story. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Miami Vice (2006)
For fans of: Moody dudes, cities at night
Director: Michael Mann
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell
Genre: Crime
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 66
In 2006, legendary director Michael Mann reimagined his classic 1980s TV series Miami Vice as a film, and ended up with another classic. This one stars Jamie Foxx as Tubbs and Colin Farrell as Crockett, a pair of detectives investigating a vast drug trafficking conspiracy in their South Florida city. Like all of Mann’s movies, it’s a moody, stylish tale of obsession and masculine codes, with some of the coolest editing patterns you’ll ever see. You’ll never forget the way it just drops you into the action in the middle of JAY Z and Linkin Park’s “Numb/Encore.” It wasn’t a hit when it came out, but it’s become a cult favorite. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Wicked (2024)
For fans of: Holding space, defying gravity
Director: John M. Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum
Genre: Musical, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 73
Even musical theater skeptics end up loving Wicked, an adaptation of an equally beloved Broadway musical that tells the origin story of The Wizard of Oz‘s Wicked Witch of the West, who actually isn’t evil at all. They love Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s performances as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively; they love its immersive production design and elaborate costumes, both of which the film won Academy Awards for; and most of all, they love “Defying Gravity,” the musical’s signature song. While you hold space for part two, Wicked: For Good, before it arrives in theaters this fall, you can sing along to part one over and over again. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Heads of State (2025)
For fans of: Buddy comedy, NATO
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Stars: Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jack Quaid
Genre: Action Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 57
John Cena is the president of the United States. Idris Elba is the prime minister of the United Kingdom. They’re rivals who bicker like an old married couple. When Air Force One gets shot down, they end up alone together and have to put aside their differences as they shoot and punch their way to safety, with the help of MI6 agent Priyanka Chopra Jonas. It’s just funny! -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Nosferatu (2024)
For fans of: Gothic horror, production design
Director: Robert Eggers
Stars: Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 78
Visionary filmmaker Robert Eggers reimagines the 1922 silent film Nosferatu as a sumptuous gothic horror fantasy in this Oscar-nominated feature. Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter, a young woman who invites a malevolent presence into her life: Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård, who is unrecognizable behind layers of prosthetic makeup, a big mustache, and a booming Hungarian accent), a vampire who wants her for himself. Ellen’s husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) tries to save her, but will his love be enough to overcome the vampire’s sinisterly seductive power? This one’s for fans of production design and cinematography. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Nobody (2021)
For fans of: John Wick, Saul Goodman
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA, Christopher Lloyd
Genre: Action
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 64
It’s impossible for Bob Odenkirk to be in anything bad, because one of Hollywood’s best-known rules is, “If it has Bob Odenkirk in it, it can’t suck.” The Better Call Saul star carries this action-thriller about a seemingly regular guy (Odenkirk) whose past as an assassin for hire is unearthed as he battles a crime lord and his countless goons. You aren’t used to seeing Odenkirk destroy baddies in hyper-violent fashion, but after watching his performance in Nobody, you’ll at least believe he’s capable of it. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Deep Cover (2025)
For fans of: Unlikely cops, improv comedy
Director: Tom Kingsley
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, Sean Bean
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 67
Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed star in this high concept British crime comedy from Stath Lets Flats director Tom Kingsley. Howard plays a struggling comedian in London who teaches improv classes to make ends meet. One night, a police sergeant (Sean Bean) recruits her to work on an experimental program where the cops use improv performers as undercover agents, because their training makes them able to think on their feet and say “yes, and” to whatever’s happening. She and two of her students — an overly confident aspiring actor (Bloom) and a socially awkward IT worker (Ted Lasso‘s Mohammed) — infiltrate a criminal organization. It sounds very silly, but it got mostly positive reviews from critics who appreciate the actors’ commitment to the bit. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
The Accountant 2 (2025)
For fans of: Buddy action flicks, Rain Man
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Stars: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, J.K. Simmons
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 58
The first Accountant movie came out back in 2016 and seemed like it was going to establish a new action franchise with Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, a man with autism who is an absolute genius with numbers — and pretty handy with a gun, too. He works as an accountant for criminal organizations while secretly passing information to the feds. It took awhile, but now The Accountant 2 is here, with Affleck joined by Jon Bernthal as Braxton, Wolff’s mercenary brother, who had a small role in the first one but is the Tom Cruise to Affleck’s Dustin Hoffman here. The Accountant 2 is funnier than the original, which was a smart choice. I would have called it The Accoun2nt, but they didn’t ask me. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Another Simple Favor (2025)
For fans of: Frenemies, Italian vacations
Director: Paul Feig
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Allison Janney
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 55
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively return for the sequel to Paul Feig’s fun 2018 thriller A Simple Favor, which has developed into a low-key cult favorite in the years since it came out. In Another Simple Favor, Emily (Lively) is out of prison and getting married in Italy. She invites Stephanie (Kendrick), who has become a successful author and true crime vlogger, profiting off her relationship with Emily the criminal, to the wedding. Stephanie goes, because she has to know what Emily is up to. The first movie wasn’t a huge theatrical hit, and the sequel is skipping theaters entirely in favor of a straight-to-streaming release. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Conclave (2024)
For fans of: Papal drama, great actors
Director: Edward Berger
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 79
Ralph Fiennes stars in this elevated potboiler that turns a papal conclave into a palace intrigue thriller. Fiennes plays a cardinal overseeing the process to select the next Pope after the sitting Pope dies. While carrying out his duties, he uncovers a secret that could tear the Church apart. Conclave is an engaging, grown-up drama from Academy Award-winning director Edward Berger (Best International Film, All Quiet on the Western Front). -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Didi (2024)
For fans of: Coming-of-age stories, the late 2000s, the incomparable Joan Chen
Director: Sean Wang
Stars: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chn
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 78
This coming-of-age dramedy from first-time director Sean Wang captures what it was like to be a teenager in the 2000s with uncanny accuracy. Izaac Wang stars as 13-year-old Chris, who lives in a Bay Area suburb with his mother, Taiwanese immigrant Chungsing (Joan Chen, in her best American role in years). He skateboards, makes goofy YouTube videos with his friends, fights with his sister, makes fumbling attempts to flirt with girls, and struggles with the weight of family expectations. It’s a sweet slice-of-life movie like Sundance used to make (and this did, in fact, premiere at the Sundance Film Festival). -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Speak No Evil (2024)
For fans of: Being stressed out
Director: Christian Tafdrup
Stars: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi
Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 66
A scarily jacked James McAvoy stars in this terrifying Blumhouse horror-thriller that’s a great entry in the “people getting caught in an increasingly dangerous situation because they don’t want to seem rude” genre (Get Out, The Invitation, The Gift, etc.). Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy are a married couple on the rocks who go to visit some new friends (McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi) at their isolated home on the west coast of England, and their hosts turn out to be weird. Like, really weird. Like, won’t let them leave weird. Speak No Evil comes from Blumhouse, the studio that’s the absolute best at this kind of thing, and is a remake of a Danish-Dutch film of the same name. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Twisters (2024)
For fans of: Feeling it, chasing it
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Katy O’Brian, David Corenswet
Genre: Action
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 65
This semi-sequel to the 1995 blockbuster Twister has twice the action, twice the danger, and twice the Twisters. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell star as storm chasers in Oklahoma trying to get as close to the tornados as possible, because “if you feel it, chase it!” It’s probably the best movie catchphrase of 2024. The cast of rising stars also includes Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Katy O’Brian, and David Corenswet. If you’re looking for a fun movie, give it a whirl. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
You’re Cordially Invited (2025)
For fans of: R-rated comedy, Reese Witherspoon swearing
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Visnawathan, Meredith Hagner
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 51
Reese and Will team up for a raucous comedy that’s a throwback to the heyday of Judd Apatow movies (though Apatow himself is not involved, this one comes from Apatow acolyte Nicholas Stoller [Forgetting Sarah Marshall]). The comedy superstars play the father and sister, respectively, of brides who have double-booked a wedding venue. Chaos, heartfelt moments, and celebrity cameos ensue. It’s not as good as other films of this type, but films of this type are always fun. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Blink Twice (2024)
For fans of: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Channing Tatum being weird
Director: Zoe Kravitz
Stars: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 66
Zoe Kravitz makes her direc torial debut with this psychological thriller that will have you questioning reality. Naomi Ackie (Master of None
Challengers (2024)
For fans of: Love triangles, delicious drama, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross scores
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Stars: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 82
This electrifying relationship drama makes tennis into the sexiest thing in the world. It follows the psychosexual games played by Tashi (Zendaya), a highly competitive phenom who suffered a career-ending injury, her submissive husband Art (Mike Faist), whom she coached into becoming a champion, and volatile Patrick (Josh O’Connor), her low-ranked pro ex-boyfriend and Art’s former best friend, who comes back into their lives. It’s a (homo)erotically charged psychological drama that should have earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay (Justin Kuritzkes), Best Editing (Marco Costa), Best Original Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), and Best Supporting Actor (O’Connor). -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
For fans of: Alien invasions, silence, cats
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Stars: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 68
Spinoff prequels fail more often than they succeed, but this expansion of the Quiet Place franchise does it right. Lupita Nyong’o stars as Sam, a terminally ill cancer patient in New York City. When the big-eared aliens come, she decides she’s not going out like that and fights to survive, with the help of her new friend Eric (Joseph Quinn) and her cat Frodo. It succeeds thanks to its bigger scale than the first two Quiet Place movies, strong emotions, and wonderful cat performances from Nico and Schnitzel as Frodo. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Hundreds of Beavers (2022)
For fans of: Surrealism, slapstick, beavers
Director: Mike Cheslik
Stars: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Olivia Graves, Wes Tank, Doug Mancheski, Luis Rico
Genre: Comedy
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 82
If you like genuinely original and audacious indie comedy, you need to check out this film festival hit from writer-director Mike Cheslik and writer-actor Ryland Brickson Cole Tews. Tews plays a 19th century applejack manufacturer who goes to war with hundreds of beavers that are destroying his orchard. It’s a tribute to slapstick animation of the 1920s and 1930s that somehow feels like it was trapped in a vault with Steamboat Willy for a hundred years and was just released. It cost $150,000 to make, but its style looks like a million bucks (and hundreds of beavers). -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
My Old Ass (2024)
For fans of: Thinking about the advice you’d give your younger self, Aubrey Plaza’s specific thing
Director: Megan Park
Stars: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 74
This coming-of-age dramedy is just silly enough to make its profundity sneak up on you, so when it hits, it hits hard. Maisy Stella stars as Elliott, an 18-year-old in the summer between high school and college who, during a mushroom trip, is visited by her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza), who advises her to spend time with her family and to not fall in love with anyone named Chad. But when young Elliott meets Chad (Percy Hynes White), she can’t resist, and her life is changed as a result. It’s a bittersweet and funny movie about love, loss, and the way time speeds up the older you get. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
American Fiction (2023)
For fans of: Stories that break the fourth wall, quirky comedies with something to say, things that are good
Director: Cord Jefferson
Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Sterling K. Brown, Issa Rae
Genre: Comedy, drama, satire
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 81
American Fiction isn’t the easiest movie to try to sum up in a blurb, but we’ll do our best. Jeffrey Wright stars as a well-to-do Black author who attempts to satirize what he sees as stereotypcally acceptable “Black” literature, only for everybody to treat the result as a serious and sincere work that earns tons of acclaim — and from there, it gets weird. American Fiction plays like if Spike Lee’s Bamboozled was given a Charlie Kaufman-esque, fourth-wall-breaking makeover, and it’s impossible not to be enthralled by this Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay-winning flick. –Phil Owen [Trailer]
The Idea of You (2024)
For fans of: Swoony rom-coms with heart, Anne Hathaway mothering
Director: Michael Showalter
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine
Genre: Romantic comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 68
You may have first heard of The Idea of You because of its male lead Hayes Campbell’s (Nicholas Galitzine) uncanny resemblance to Harry Styles. Hayes sings in a wildly popular boy band, just like Styles did, and he too has a penchant for dating older women. But the film, based on Robinne Lee’s book of the same name, deserves to be recognized apart from that comparison. To start, the chemistry between Galitzine’s Hayes and Anne Hathaway’s Solène Marchand is undeniable. Solène is a 40-year-old single mom who never imagined attending Coachella but finds herself in the VIP lounge for a meet-and-greet with August Moon — Hayes’ group —thanks to her teenage daughter. And after she serendipitously walks into the 24-year-old lead singer’s trailer, the two begin a whirlwind romance. The Idea of You is a weightier film than some others in the genre because of how it dives into issues like the age-gap double standard and the obstacles to women in their 30s and 40s finding happiness. But for the most part, it feels like a light, breezy walk on the beach. –Kat Moon [Trailer]
Road House (2024)
For fans of: Fist fights, Jake Gyllenhaal, highly kinetic action sequences
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnusson, Joaquim de Almeida, Post Malone, Conor McGregor
Genre: Action
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 57
The original Road House (starring Patrick Swayze and also included with Prime Video) became a cult classic after circulating on cable for years — it did OK at the box office and not so OK with critics when it was released in theaters in 1989. So it’s not really that big of a concern that the new Road House, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, only got mixed reviews. Like that original film leaned on Swayze’s charm to function, the new Road House is a delightful little action flick that leans heavily on Gyllenhaal’s immense charisma, and ole Jakey G. is just as much fun as he always is. And while Conor McGregor isn’t quite on Gyllenhaal’s level in terms of his acting chops, he’s got the exact right amount of screen presence and general menace to pretty much rule as a bad guy enforcer. This movie just works, even if we might wish they’d cooled it on the CGI a little bit. -Phil Owen [Trailer]
Bottoms (2023)
For fans of: Fight clubs, high schools
Director: Emma Seligman
Stars: Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Nicholas Galitzine
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 74
The premise of Bottoms — a high school sex comedy mixed with… Fight Club!?!? — is truly deranged, but it somehow works as two teenage lesbians start a brutal women’s self-defense club to give them the tools to beat up the football team. It satirizes as it pulverizes, challenging stereotypes while saying something meaningful between delivering haymakers. Bodies Bodies Bodies‘ Rachel Sennott and The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri star. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Saltburn (2023)
For fans of: Lifestyles of the rich and eccentric
Director: Emerald Fennell
Stars: Barry Keoghan, Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, Richard E. Grant
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Thriller
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 61
If you saw Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell’s polarizing (and, nevertheless, Oscar-winning) 2020 directorial debut, you already know that she’s the kind of director who really likes making people talk. She’s done it again, and to an even greater degree, with Saltburn, her Talented Mr. Ripley-esque salute to the aughts. Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver Quick, a poor Oxford student who gets drawn into the alluring world of the wealthy when he buddies up to Felix (Jacob Elordi), a classmate from an aristocratic family who takes pity on his less fortunate friend by inviting Oliver to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s estate. Or is Oliver less fortunate? Come to find out the answer to that question, stay for a deliciously clueless performance from Rosamund Pike. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Air (2023)
For fans of: Sneakers, business deals, Michael Jordan’s mom
Director: Ben Affleck
Stars: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 73
Ben Affleck’s film about Nike’s seismic business decision to build a basketball shoe brand around some guy named Michael Jordan is a sharp look at the start of sports marketing and risky business endeavors that paid off. It’s also kind of a Nike ad. But with a solid screenplay, some great acting by a tremendous cast, and Affleck’s ability to blend comedy into corporate affairs, it’s a… slam dunk. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Judy Blume Forever (2023)
For fans of: Superfudge, free speech
Director: Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok
Stars: Judy Blume
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Metacritic score: 79
Beloved author Judy Blume is the star and focus of this documentary about her life as one of the most popular young adult fiction writers ever. Speaking with fans like Molly Ringwald, Samantha Bee, and Lena Dunham, Judy Blume Forever explores the impact she had on young women’s lives and the closed-minded controversy surrounding her openness in writing about teenage sexuality. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Shotgun Wedding (2023)
For fans of: J-Lo, J-Du, J-Cool
Director: Jason Moore
Stars: Jennifer Jopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 42
What makes a good movie anyway? Rave reviews from critics? Meaningful contributions to society? A talking dog? The Prime Video original movie Shotgun Wedding has none of that, but it does have Jennifer Lopez and the newest fan-favorite Jenny from the block, Jennifer Coolidge. And it has Jennifer Lopez fighting off pirates after they invade her wedding, leading to double crosses and comical violence. This isn’t a good movie, but it is a Jennifer Lopez movie that can’t be found anywhere else, so it’s on the list. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Wildcat (2022)
For fans of: Tough guys and cute kittens, weeping
Director: Melissa Lesh and Trevor Frost
Stars: Harry Turner, Samantha Zwicker, an ocelot
Genre: Documentary
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 71
I don’t have a bunch of tattoos, and I’ve never been to war, but I do love cats, which is enough for me to relate to this documentary about an Afghanistan War veteran whose PTSD drives him to the jungles of South America. There, he meets a nature conservationist running a wildlife refuge, where he bonds with an ocelot kitten. The young purr box helps him heal as he finds himself teaching it how to hunt, protecting it from humans threatening the environment, and finding something that doesn’t judge him. This is for anyone who’s ever had a furry friend. BRING A HANKIE! -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Good Night Oppy (2022)
For fans of: Human accomplishments, human connections, robots
Director: Ryan White
Genre: Documentary
Rating: PG
Metacritic score: 65
The closest thing we have to a real-life Wall-E is the Mars rover Opportunity, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004 for a 90-day mission but ended up operating for almost 15 years. This documentary film tells its story and the bond that the NASA operators formed with it, and will leave you wondering why you’re crying over a robot throughout its wondrous 105 minutes. It won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for best feature in 2023. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Don’t Make Me Go (2022)
For fans of: Father-daughter tearjerkers, internet boyfriend John Cho
Director: Hannah Marks
Stars: John Cho, Mia Isaac, Kaya Scodelario, Jemaine Clement
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 60
If you have a condition that doesn’t allow you to cry, this John Cho film may be the cure. Cho stars as a single dad who, after discovering he has a terminal illness (but not a terminal list), embarks on a road trip from California to New Orleans with his teenage daughter to attend his 20-year college reunion. Road trip movies are like totally metaphors, man. This one’s about getting to the end and growing up. But be warned: A controversial twist ending has many beating their heads against the wall. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Book of Love (2022)
Director: Analeine Cal y Mayor
Stars: Sam Claflin, Verónica Echegui
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Metacritic score: 44
In this silly, sweet romantic comedy, Sam Claflin plays the kind of character Hugh Grant would’ve played back in the ’90s: an uptight British romance author who learns that his latest (and not very good) novel has become a huge hit in Mexico, spurring him to travel there for a book tour. He only realizes after he arrives that the Spanish version of his book has actually been rewritten into a much spicier story that’s way more interesting than his original story, all thanks to Maria (Verónica Echegui), the woman who translated it. This is the kind of classic rom-com premise that I can’t help being utterly endeared by. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
I Want You Back (2022)
For fans of: Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, ill-advised schemes
Director: Jason Orley
Stars: Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Gina Rodriguez, Manny Jacinto, Scott Eastwood
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 62
It’s a Jenny Slate rom-com; it’s a Charlie Day rom-com; it’s a combination Jenny Slate-Charlie Day rom-com! And that means it’s actually funny. I Want You Back pairs up two of Hollywood’s most reliable chaos agents as a pair of strangers who bond over being recently dumped, then team up to win back their exes by destroying their new relationships. It’s a solid romantic comedy that actually feels fresh, and who doesn’t love a messy scheme? –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
A Hero (2021)
For fans of: International films, twisty morality tales
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Stars: Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldoost
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 82
This film from Iranian filmmaker and two-time Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi is a tense morality tale that got rave reviews from critics. It follows a man (Amir Jadidi) whose debt has landed him in jail, but a chance discovery of some gold coins while on furlough turns him into a national hero when he decides to return the bag of coins to its rightful owner. But beneath this seeming act of altruism lie questions of the man’s true intentions. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)
For fans of: Musicals, sweet coming-of-age stories
Directors: Dan Gillespie Sells, Jonathan Butterell, and Tom MacRae
Stars: Max Harwood, Lauren Patel, Sarah Lancashire, Richard E. Grant, Ralph Ineson, Sharon Horgan
Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy, Musical
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 62
This stage-to-screen musical film is destined to set your heart aflame — provided you aren’t a hateful malcontent — as it tells the story of a 16-year-old high schooler’s journey against bullying and toward realizing his dream to become a drag queen. It’s been reviewed positively with critics likening it to Billy Elliott, and is exactly the feel-good salve you’re desiring. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
The Big Sick (2017)
For fans of: Pre-Marvel Kumail Nanjiani, heartfelt rom-coms
Director: Michael Showalter
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 86
This romantic comedy is based on the actual love story between Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon. Nanjiani plays the fictionalized version of himself while Zoe Kazan plays the fictionalized version of Emily, whose sudden diagnosis with adult-onset Still’s disease — and the coma she falls into — throws a major wrench into their burgeoning relationship. While Kumail and Emily’s story is undoubtedly the thing that drives The Big Sick, Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, who play Emily’s parents, are the movie’s grounding forces. You’ll probably walk away from this mostly wishing they could adopt you. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Annette (2021)
For fans of: Adam Driver, creepy puppet babies, A Star Is Born
Director: Leos Carax
Stars: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell
Genre: Drama, Romance, Musical
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 67
If you care at all about film festivals, you’ve probably already heard of Annette, but if you haven’t, listen carefully: This is a musical where Adam Driver, speaking in an even lower register than usual, plays Henry, a stand-up comedian who falls in love with Marion Cotillard’s Ann, an opera singer. Their relationship declines after the birth of their mysteriously prodigious daughter Annette (who is played, confoundingly, by a puppet), and from there it becomes A Star Is Born by way of Marriage Story, but with a touch of surrealism. It’s a fast-paced, hallucinatory rollercoaster that is certainly not for everyone, but will definitely have you walk away reeling. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Get Duked! (2019)
For fans of: Trainspotting, psychedelics
Director: Ninian Doff
Stars: Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickie, Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, Lewis Gribben
Genre: Action, Horror, Comedy, Music
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 69
This 2019 British black comedy film will easily remind you of Danny Boyle’s bonkers classic Trainspotting, and it should: three Scottish teens with a knack for partying and doing drugs get into trouble. In Get Duked!, they’re joined by a do-gooder and wander the Highlands to win the Duke of Edinborough Award, a survival challenge that turns boys into men, but they get stuck in the middle of a hunt-or-be-hunted situation with Eddie Izzard playing a psycho with a sniper rifle. Believe it or not, it gets weirder from there. Hilarious, ridiculous, and packed with social commentary, this would be regular viewing in weed smoke-filled dorm rooms of the late-’90s. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
The Handmaiden (2016)
For fans of: Deception, but in a sexy way
Director: Park Chan-wook
Stars: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Rating: Not rated
Metacritic score: 84
The Handmaiden is one of those movies where every character is scamming another character, resulting in an exciting, dramatic thriller. It starts out as a film about a Korean con man (Ha Jung-woo) who devises a pan to seduce a Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee) out of her inheritance. He enlists the help of a pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) to act as the heiress’ maid and confidant, tasking her with encouraging marriage between the two. Things begin to get more dangerous as deeper relationships develop in the messy, intertwined trio, which is all I want to say without actually spoiling the plot’s genius twists. What you should know going in is that this movie was directed by Park Chan-wook, who gave us the brutal, bloody Oldboy, so you should expect some gruesome imagery. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
One Child Nation (2019)
For fans of: Learning about history without opening a book
Directors: Nanfu Wang, Zhang Lynn
Genre: History, Documentary
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 85
This award-winning documentary will teach you all about a painful chapter in China’s history via the one-child policy, which lasted from 1979 to 2015. Real people who lived through such a devastating period speak on their experiences, and the film delves into the damaging effects of government propaganda. Interestingly, One Child Nation is given a personal touch by co-director Nanfu Wang, who weaves stories of her own experience as a new mother in with the documentary’s overall narrative. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Small Axe (2020)
For fans of: Social justice stories, period pieces
Director: Steve McQueen
Stars: John Boyega, Letitia Wright, Michael Ward, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Sheyi Cole, Kenyah Sandy
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Metacritic scores: 90, 95, 84, 77, 87
Small Axe is peak prestige television in that it’s not actually television at all, but instead it’s an anthology collection of five films directed by Steve McQueen. Every installment focuses on London’s West Indian community in the years between 1969 and 1982, and each stars a great group of actors that includes John Boyega, Letitia Wright, Jack Lowden, and more. The stories don’t overlap, but they all do a beautiful job of building out the world, and deal with issues and themes that impact the community, like police brutality, education, and what it means to be part of British society as a person of West Indian descent. On one hand, yes, five films is a lot to ask of viewers, but on the other, it just so happens that McQueen is an incredible director with a strong vision and every one is worth your time. If you only want to try one, give “Lovers Rock,” a romance centered around a reggae house party, a spin. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Sound of Metal (2020)
For fans of: Heavy metal band t-shirts, being emotional
Director: Darius Marder
Stars: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Genre: Drama, Music
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 82
I am of the opinion that Riz Ahmed gave the best performance of 2020 as a heavy metal drummer losing his hearing in Sound of Metal, and he very correctly earned an Oscar nomination for it. As Ruben, he explores the emotional trauma of sudden deafness — literally, as it plays out in the film, one minute he can hear perfectly, and the next everything is muffled — and the importance of finding community as he goes to live in a rural home for deaf recovering addicts in order, run by Joe (Paul Raci, also rightfully Oscar-nominated for his work). The way the film utilizes sound design is nothing short of incredible, and most notably, director Darius Marder cast many actual Deaf actors who help bring the story to life. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Suspiria (2018)
For fans of: Witches, dancers, witchy dancers, Tilda Swinton
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Stars: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 64
Luca Guadagnino directs this remake of the 1977 Dario Argento horror classic. Dakota Johnson stars as Susie, a seemingly fresh-faced dancer who travels from Ohio to Berlin to study at an elite dance academy and is quickly named head dancer. As Suspiria unfolds, and as more students and teachers are found dead or go missing entirely, and it becomes increasingly clear that something very sinister and supernatural is going on underneath the surface. Also, Tilda Swinton plays three roles, and for one of them she gets to dress up as an old man. It’s kooky, it’s campy, and it’s also very, very scary. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Uncle Frank (2020)
For fans of: Road trips, Paul Bettany’s American accent
Director: Alan Ball
Stars: Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 58
This movie is a little bit like if someone tried to update Little Miss Sunshine and focus primarily on Steve Carell’s character, but in a good way. Beth (Sophia Lillis) moves from her small North Carolina hometown to good ol’ New York City, and immediately crashes into her favorite uncle’s life. She finds out that Frank (Paul Bettany) is gay and has been living with his boyfriend Wally (Peter Macdissi) for years, while successfully keeping it a secret from the rest of their family. And because this is a movie, the secret is of course put in jeopardy when Frank’s father dies and he, Beth, and Wally embark on a road trip to attend the funeral. Uncle Frank balances its comedic and dramatic moments well, and your heart will ache during the flashbacks to Frank’s adolescence, where he was first confronted with his family’s homophobia. Plus, an always perfect Judy Greer co-stars. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Val (2021)
For fans of: Intimate portraits of ’80s icons
Directors: Leo Scott, Ting Poo
Genre: Documentary
Rating: R
Metacritic score: 73
The late Val Kilmer got the autobiographical treatment in this intimate documentary about his life and career, released a few years before his death in 2025. Kilmer lends his own home movies he’s taken over the years to the film — which includes videos from the set of Batman Forever, and footage of younger versions of Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon just hanging out — and provides a look at his struggle with throat cancer. It’s more revealing than the standard celebrity doc. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
The Vast of Night (2019)
For fans of: That ’80s and ’90s sci-fi feel, first-time directors making a huge splash
Director: Andrew Patterson
Stars: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Metacritic score: 84
This 2019 science-fiction film from director Andrew Patterson is one of the best directorial debuts of the last decade, with Patterson’s keen eye able to bring to life a small town experiencing strange phenomena from the sky. Featuring some truly incredible continuous shots featuring hundreds of extras and one of my favorite intimate cinematic scenes featuring just one person on screen, The Vast of Night is a film school student’s dream that follows a young switchboard operator and a disc jockey in 1950s New Mexico trying to find the source of unidentified sounds, and it’s an entrancing thriller from the opening shot to the closing seconds. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
