If you’ve already burned through all the best movies on Netflix Australia (or another video streaming service), it’s a good idea to hop on over to Amazon Prime Video to see what films the increasingly stacked streaming service offers. Some of the options will be the same, some incredibly shit, but most a healthy mix of classics, underrated gems, festival favourites, and new movies well worth a movie night. Dig out the best movies on Amazon Prime and cut out the bullshit (like Da Hip Hop Witch starring Eminem, or Clownado – a satirical horror film that’s barely worth mentioning) with our curated round-up of great Amazon Prime movies below.
What defines Amazon Prime’s film selection and distinguishes it from Netflix Australia? There’s not much to it really. Netflix may have the better established original movies and a more even sense of balance, but Amazon plays the nostalgia game incredibly well. Plus, with Netflix taking a big hit lately, it looks like now is as good a time as any to start looking at what to watch on Amazon Prime Video Australia and how you can make the most of that Amazon Prime subscription.
As such, below you’ll find mostly the classics, and it’s clear whoever is in charge of the programming over at Amazon Prime has a great, varied taste across all genres. These are the best films included in your Prime Video subscription price, from the quintessential World War II epic that none of the major streaming services can do without to that artful Golden Globe winner with a phenomenal soundtrack and that motion picture buoyed by fantastic performances and an acclaimed director.
Do note that some of the below movies are no longer streaming as part of your Prime subscription. But given the concept of the streaming service, you’re still able to rent or purchase the movie through Amazon. We’ve included a note when this is the case, but if it isn’t mentioned then it’s free to stream on Amazon Prime.
That does beg the question then, why are we including these films at all? Well, as this list of the best movies to watch on Amazon is updated regularly, some films move from free-to-stream to rent-or-buy, we keep them on the list because they make the switch back just as often. That being said, pretty much every movie you can think of can be found on Amazon Prime split across both categories.
Got it? Good, read on to find the next captivating film to stream, whether it’s a hungry directorial debut with a unique style or a singular motion picture that’s stood the test of time.
Our Favourite Films On Amazon Prime Video Australia
Best New Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Deep Water (2022)
IMDb Rating: 5.4
Director: Adrian Lyne
Starring: Ben Affleck, Ana De Armas, Tracey Letts, Jacob Elordi
Genre: Erotic thriller
As one of the only 2022 movies worth watching on Amazon Prime Australia, Deep Water fills that void for an erotic thriller that hasn’t really been touched for a good few years. As such, this wild ride doesn’t hold much back when it comes to intensity, throwing Ben Affleck and his real-life ex Ana de Armas into two very complicated (yet kind of predictable) roles in an antagonistic, brutally possessive and unhealthy relationship.
This isn’t a friendly coming of age story, yet an exploration of Affleck’s Victor Van Allen and his incredibly abusive and oppressive behaviour towards his wife Melinda Van Allen (de Armas) and any other man in her life. It may not have wow’d the critics, but it’s still involving enough for movie night.
The Mauritanian (2021)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Starring: Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch
Genre: Legal drama
As one of the newer films on Amazon Prime Video Australia, The Mauritanian is a compelling legal drama adapting the real life story of a Mauritanian man who was held for 14 years, without charge, in Guantanamo Bay. Kevin Macdonald serves as director here, leading a cast starring Tahar Rahim, Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The fine acting is what really sets this apart from some of the other new movies on Amazon Prime, not only giving Jodie Foster one of her best roles in recent memory, but serving as somewhat of a breakthrough for Tahar Rahim, who owns the screen as the film’s subject.
The Tender Bar (2021)
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Director: George Clooney
Starring: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd
Genre: Comedy drama
George Clooney sits in the director’s chair for The Tender Bar, a genuinely warm and comforting coming of age drama adapter from the 2005 memoir of J.R Moehringer. Driven by a wonderful performance from lead Ben Affleck, as well as an equally great turn by Tye Sheridan, the film follows 9-year-old J.R. as he moves into his grandfather’s crumbling house in Long Island in search of a stable father figure. It’s the kind of film that could make even the hardiest of grown men shed a tear.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
IMDb Rating: 6.5
Director: Chris McKay
Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K Simmons, Jasmine Matthews
Genre: Sci-fi
For all its muscle, The Tomorrow War is largely a flop. That isn’t to say this Amazon Prime Video Original isn’t entertaining, by any means.
Chris Pratt is involved in a time-travelling war film that deftly blends sci-fi with something with a bit more heart. Yeah, it blew the supersized budget on cliché special effects and standard action scenes, but what director Chris McKay has turned in does at least have a strong entertainment factor, and could be the perfect option if you’re looking to stream a mindless popcorn flick on a lazy Sunday.
Candyman (2021)
IMDb Rating: 5.9
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tony Todd, Teyonah Parris, Vanessa Estelle
Genre: Horror
Some younger horror fans have been waiting their entire life to see the original Candyman turned into a modern day horror story. They must have manifested it to a mirror because one of the most chilling horror movies ever made has finally been refreshed by director Nia DaCosta and writer Jordan Peele.
The supernatural slasher is about a ghostly and vengeful black male with a hook for a hand, revived decades after his death the stalk, haunt and murder his way through a visual artist’s search for the truth. As expected, Peele dials up the social and racial commentary of the original, using Chicago’s now non-existent (and notoriously dangerous) Cabrini-Green projects as a wider setting to explore race relations in America.
Drama Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Platoon (1986)
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: William Dafoe, Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger
Genre: War
Netflix might have Saving Private Ryan as their big war-cry for action aficionados, but Amazon Prime does just fine with Platoon. The 1986 classic is as authentic as you’ll find, written and directed by Vietnam vet Oliver Stone with a banger cast starring William Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Forest Whitaker, Tom Berenger, and a very young Johnny Depp.
Morality sits at the centre here, tackling deep-seated issues defining war and conflict, painted with a real, chilling sense of brutal honesty. With Stone himself having served as an infantryman in Vietnam, he wrote a script so unflinching in its depiction of callousness and depravity that no other war film has since come close.
Platoon is available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime but you can also watch it for free if you sign up for a free 7-day MGM trial.
Sound of Metal (2020)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Director: Daris Marder
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci
Genre: Drama
Of all the relatively new movies on Amazon Prime, Sound of Metal is easily amongst the best. Riz Ahmed has long been proving himself as one of the best fresh faces in Hollywood, ever since he was Jake Gyllenhaal’s hapless sidekick in Nightcrawler and a zero-to-badass jail-bait in HBO’s The Night Of.
Sound of Metal, directed by Darius Marder is the best move Riz Ahmed could have made this early on in his career. He plays a heavy metal drummer dealing with extreme hearing loss and the profound grief of losing something that’s so vital to your core being, turning in a deeply affecting and stirring performance that’s a nice, real-life break from the abundance of cliché romantic comedy genre films that you’ll no doubt have to scroll through to find it.
Also starring Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci, it’s a world-building masterclass of the quiet storm variety – the kind that scoops up awards with ease – it picked up Oscars for Best Sound and Best Editing in 2020.
The Truman Show (1998)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Director: Peter Weir
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich
Genre: Comedy drama
Giving Jim Carrey one of his greatest roles to date, director Peter Weir tells the fascinating and prescient story of a man who grew up the subject of a live reality TV show, from birth to adulthood. The seething commentary on a society obsessed with surveillance is restrained by a genuinely heartwarming performance from Carrey, whose comedic chops allow him to ground Truman Burbank in something real and relatable.
Equal measures joyous and tragic, The Truman Show feels like it could be a true story because of how visionary it seems today. Although it was made at a time when reality TV was still a nascent idea, you can consider it a pre-mature evaluation of how worryingly obsessed with other lives society has become.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, James Ivory, Michael Stuhlbarg
Genre: Romance drama
A coming of age love story from director Luca Guadagnino. Call Me By Your Name is far from the saccharine affair of its genre brethren, instead presenting a mature, masterful tale of romance, escapism, and desire.
Timothée Chalamet is a powerhouse as the film’s lead, alongside the now beleaguered Armie Hammer who is equally charming in the role of love interest Oliver. Those uniform five star ratings don’t lie – Call Me By Your Name is absolutely one of the best movies on Amazon.
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Christopher McDonald, Ellen Burstyn
Genre: Drama
If something darker and more drug-fuelled is your bag, you’d be happy to know that you can revisit Requiem For A Dream anytime you’d like on Amazon Prime. The psychological drama is still a hard watch, given the sheer brutality and bluntness of Darren Aronofsky’s drug addicted direction.
Starring Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, and Ellen Burstyn, it’s an unflinching and cold (like European cinema cold) depiction of spiralling into the recesses of drug addiction and not making it out.
Requiem For A Dream is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Australia. You can also watch it for free with a 7-day STARZPLAY trial.
One Night In Miami (2020)
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Director: Regina King
Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr, Aldis Hodge, Eli Goree
Genre: Drama
Given the plethora of successful original movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video obviously has a lot to play catch up with when it comes to the ongoing streaming wars. One Night In Miami puts a nice spring in Prime’s step, featuring the great Regina King as director as she helps reimagine a fictionalised meeting of icons Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke.
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. in the lead roles, One Night In Miami is a powerful, beautifully directed ode to some of the most influential figures in black culture, and a tender study of the challenges of expressing power as a minority.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Genre: Neo-western crime thriller
Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country For Old Men is slow-burning paranoia, capturing the disconnect and malaise of a neo-Western crime thriller and kneading it with a seriously badass performance by Javier Bardem’s villainous turn.
Much of Fargo’s dealings with fate, consciousness, and circumstance are threaded throughout this instant classic, which ramps up the acting chops with great, grounded performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin.
The Lighthouse (2019)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Robert Pattinson, William Dafoe, Kyla Nicolle
Genre: Horror drama
Robert Pattinson has a lot to prove if he wants to leave the pale-faced pigeon-hole of his Twilight years behind. Arguably, the guy has already demonstrated enough serious acting chops to make us all completely forget he was ever a lame sullen teen vampire in a lame obnoxious teen vampire movie. In case anyone hasn’t caught up with his talents yet, The Lighthouse should be a revelation.
Pattinson can act. In fact, he can act so hard that he even manages to out-weird William Dafoe in The Lighthouse, a black-and-white psychological horror movie about isolation and depravity directed with a steady hand from Robert Eggers. The surprising folkish tale should be right up your alley if you’re into more festival baiting arthouse cinema – representing Amazon Prime’s sense of balance quite nicely.
The Lighthouse is no longer streaming free on Prime but can be rented or purchased through the streaming service.
The Social Network (2010)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer
Genre: Drama
Is there anything that has been as influential this decade as Facebook? Honestly. The Social Network is a deep, sensitive exploration of how Mark Zuckerberg came up with the simply brilliant idea of the social media platform and the behind-the-scenes legal dramas that ensued. David Fincher directed the hell of this one, drawing out the tension Jesse Eisenberg bought in his career-best role as the Zuck himself.
If you haven’t given The Social Network a watch in a while, now is as good a time as any.
The Social Network is available to buy or rent through Amazon Prime Video Australia.
The Big Short (2015)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carrell
Genre: Drama
Starring Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt, The Big Short does more than just maximise the cast and the supersized star power that comes with it. Directed by Adam McKay, this classic real life story of Wall Street genius Michael Burry burrows the economic collapse of America with impressive detail, highlighting the greed and opportunism that came with Burry’s big bet against the housing market.
Since the movie debuted in 2015, it has become hailed as a modern day classic for investors, providing a fascinating and clearly well researched study into one of the biggest shorts in history. No bloke worth his salt should go through life without dipping into this story at least once, and fortunately, you can do that as many times as you damn well please (if you’ve made the wise choice to go beyond that Amazon free trial, of course).
Gladiator (2000)
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
Genre: Drama
Also on Netflix, like some of the other movies on this list, Gladiator stands as one of the greatest epics to come at the turn of the century. Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix take the lead in this Ridley Scott movie, tracking the story of Maximum as he rises from slavery to become a vengeful gladiator. Even the score is perfect here, featuring some of Hans Zimmer’s best work to date. Gladiator is easily one of the best movies on Amazon.
Whiplash (2014)
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Director: Damien Chazelle
Starring: J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell
Genre: Drama
Usually you’d find that the most intense mentor-student relationships come from sports movies. Whiplash flips that idea on its head completely, featuring one of the best performances of J.K Simmons’ career as he plays a ferocious, whip-cracking music teacher demanding the most from his new student, Andrew (played with great sensitivity by Miles Teller). Directed by Damien Chazelle, the universally acclaimed drama completely justifies the film title, with Simmons in beast mode throughout the entirety.
The best movies are the ones that completely stop you in your tracks and catch you off guard. This is one of those, and perhaps the finest example of a subversive project on Amazon Prime Video Australia.
Fight Club (1999)
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Jared Leto
Genre: Drama
No doubt you’ve seen Fight Club 50 times before, but if you haven’t taken a trip back to the David Fincher directed masterpiece in a while, just know that it’s sitting there waiting for you on Amazon Prime Video Australia. Starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, Fight Club is an exceptionally stylish study on white collar disillusionment that manages to peel past its relentlessly entertaining script to truly explore the dangers of discontent and displacement.
Manchester By The Sea (2016)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: Kenneth Lonegran
Starring: Cassey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kara Hayward, Kyle Chandler
Genre: Drama
There are a lot of complicated feelings bubblings under the surface of Manchester by the Sea, centred around an unspeakable tragedy while a depressed janitor attempts to put his life back together while adopting his recently deceased brother’s son. The New England setting certainly adds a bleak, almost serenely chaotic layer to the whole film which is steered so brilliantly by superlative performances from Cassey Affleck, as said janitor, and Michelle Williams, as his ex-wife Randi.
It’s the kind of grown-up tear-jerker that could easily be dismissed as Oscar bait but ends up incredibly likeable because of Kenneth Lonergan’s tender and sympathetic screenplay and the actors that bring it to life.
Mud (2012)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Director: Jeff Nichols
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland
Genre: Drama
Matthew McConaughey stars as the film’s titular character Mud, a fugitive on a small island who is helped by two teenagers in desperate need of a stable father figure. The complex emotions lying under such a brooding, atmospheric movie make for a compelling watch that’d easily appeal to all kinds of tastes. Not to mention this is also one of McConaughey’s finest roles in recent memory, giving him an easy task that he elevates with a vigorous performance that rivals some of his best work.
Crime Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Training Day (2001)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawk, Eva Mendes, Dr Dre
Genre: Crime thriller
Training Day will never get old, no matter how many times you stroll through the neighbourhood with Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris and his magnetic ego. With Ethan Hawke playing rookie Jake Hoyt, Washington is given a whirlwind role as an explosive neighbourhood narc bringing a neighbourhood to its knees and struggling to maintain control over his confected kingdom of drug pushers and crooked cops.
Washington’s singular mad dog performance is what drives the entire film, making Training Day a career-best performance from one of the most consistent Hollywood actors of all time. That alone is worth to re-visit, and if you haven’t seen this before, don’t wait another second.
Note that while Training Day was streaming for free on Amazon Prime Video Australia for a long time, it’s no longer included as part of the Prime Video subscription. Instead, it can be rented or purchased through the Australian streaming service with prices from $5.
The Godfather (1972)
IMDb Rating: 9.2
Director: Franis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton
Genre: Crime
Nothing needs to be said about The Godfather. It is the unimpeachable classic on which cinema will forever be based. The complicated, taut and brutally efficient film is a masterpiece worth watching numerous times. And for those who haven’t seen it before, its presence as a free movie included with your Prime subscription only ups the value tenfold.
A Bronx Tale (1996)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: Robert De Niro
Starring: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra
Genre: Crime
When you’re done re-watching The Godfather, turn your attention to a lesser-appreciated but no less powerful and compelling crime film. This classic features Robert Di Niro at his very best, directing and playing the lead role along with a strong cast that pioneered the no-nonsense crime film that has become inseparable from modern cinema.
The Gentlemen (2020)
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Genre: Crime
With Guy Ritchie handing production, direction, and the screenplay, The Gentlemen is one of the more unique action comedy movies to emerge in the past few years. Starring Matthew McConaughey in the lead, alongside Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Hugh Grant, and others, the story follows an American drug lord in England on a mission to sell his business.
Standard? It would be if not for the cast and crew involved. Ritchie has worked The Gentlemen to feel like a surrealist adventure film trapped inside a drug-fuelled comedy, throwing in a bunch of absurd twists for something gloriously fun and charming. Matthew McConaughey and his dry wit is key here, making The Gentlemen one of the more memorable films you can stream on Amazon Prime Video right now.
The Gentlemen is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Crime
The Quentin Tarantino classic can be streamed at any time on Amazon Prime. No doubt you’ve already got that DVD lying around somewhere, but who the hell uses those anymore? You’ll be happy to know that Reservoir Dogs is a glaring presence on pretty much all major streaming platforms in Australia. Amazon is no exception, giving you 24/7 access to one of the greatest and most entertaining Quentin Tarantino flicks of all time.
Reservoirs Dogs is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime but you can also watch it for free with a 7-day STARZPLAY free trial.
Knives Out (2019)
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Chris Evan, Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Joseph Gordon
Genre: Mystery / comedy
Few movies have managed to completely redefine the classic whodunnit? like Knives Out has. Giving Daniel Craig a nice little break from that franchise he hates being a part of so much, the dark comedy follows a grossly privileged and petty family as they try and solve the mystery of their father’s murder.
It’s far from standard stuff here, with everything from the costumes to the sharp, flowy dialogue giving Knives Out a charmingly theatrical quality. You’d be hard-pressed to find a movie on Amazon Prime with this much zing and personality, channelled brilliantly by director Rian Johnson and enlivened by an ensemble cast rounded out by Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Michael Shannon, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer.
Knives Out is now available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime Video Australia.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle
Genre: Crime
It’s not hard to pick the best out of Steven Soderbergh’s now-iconic heist comedy. The first in this trilogy is the clear winner, with the charming ensemble cast doing their absolute best to entertain while the script revives and reinterprets the 1960 Rat Pack film.
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Julia Roberts. All in fine form here, helping Soderbergh tell the story of a group of uniquely talented individuals coming together to steal $160 million from a casino owner.
Ocean’s Eleven is now available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime.
Action Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Every James Bond Movie
IMDb Rating: 6.7 (The Man With The Golden Gun) to 8.0 (Casino Royal)
Director: Terence Young, Peter R Hunt, Martin Campbell & More
Starring: Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery & More
Genre: Action
Yeah, that’s right. Every single James Bond movie is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Australia. While over the past few years it was Stan Australia that held the streaming rights to this timeless franchise, that baton now passes over to Amazon who will obviously be running proudly with it while you get to stream classics like Goldeneye and the most recent No Time To Die whenever you so damn please.
The Shallows (2016)
IMDb Rating: 6.3
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Blake Lively, a GCI shark
Genre: Action / survival horror
The Shallows is full of surprises. First of all, it’s a shark movie that isn’t Jaws, so for anyone who hasn’t seen it, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that it will be shit. The only saving grace that could have coaxed you into approaching this film with some enthusiasm was a comparison to Deep Blue Sea. There was no such comparison to Deep Blue Sea.
Instead, what we got was Blake Lively completely isolated off a far flung beach, trying to survive an encounter with a particularly vicious great white shark. Sounds boring, but it isn’t. Although the body count is low for blood-lusting horror fans who like to see supersized sharks chomp through flesh, the action is non-stop and Blake Lively sells it incredibly, while confidently directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
John Wick (2014)
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Director: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo
Genre: Action
Much like Fight Club above, you’ve seen John Wick. You’ve seen it so many god damn times that you could probably recite every single bit of Keanu Reeves’ intentionally cheesy, brooding dialogue as he dispatches no-name Russians in the name of revenge.
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick has gone on to become one of the more influential films of the past decade, inspiring plenty of one-man-wrecking-crew clones, but always staying a step ahead. The fact that Keanu is just so damn watchable in everything he does is probably why John Wick still enjoys the status it does. It’s easily one of the best movies on Amazon right now, even if you’ve done it death.
The two follow-up films are equally entertaining, but the original cannot be touched.
John Wick is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime.
Man On Fire (2004)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Director: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, Radha Mitchell
Genre: Action
Again, Denzel Washington can do no wrong. It’s then no surprise to see Man on Fire make this list of the best movies on Amazon Prime. Also starring Christopher Walken and Dakota Fanning, the Tony Scott directed action thriller is Washington in one of his most vicious roles since Training Day.
With any other cast, Man on Fire, about an ex-CIA agent turned bodyguard, could have easily fallen apart, but an otherwise standard story is turned into pure on-screen dynamite.
Dante’s Peak (1997)
IMDb Rating: 6.0
Director: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Renee Smith
Genre: Disaster action
We’re throwing this one in there for the cheesy entertainment factor alone. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton do their best to atone for the atrocious special effects used to tell the disaster of Dante’s Peak, and for the most part they succeed – alongside some great direction from Roger Donaldson.
The dialogue may be B-grade, at best, but you try not finding a heap of entertainment value in a film where an impending volcano eruption levels a small town stuck, with townsfolk stuck in denial until the very last minute. Bronsan gets to play a charming I-told-you-so scientist alongside Hamilton, and it’s one of his most likeable non-Bond roles of that era.
Dante’s Peak is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Jurassic Park (1993)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L Jackson, BD Wong
Genre: Adventure
The original and the best. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park changed the game when it came to blockbuster cinema, in a way that hadn’t been seen since his other beastly classic, Jaws. The 1993 classic bought in over $1 billion against a $63 million budget, proving that the potent blend of dinosaur nostalgia (and fascination) mixed with action that was actually exciting, and some memorable death scenes (R.I.P. Newman), was too hard to resist for cinemagoers.
If you’ve got a big screen and you’ve invested in one of the best soundbars you can find, there are few blockbusters on Amazon Prime Video Australia that could match up to this T-Rex sized success.
Jurassic Park is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video Australia, along with all the like Jurassic Park: The Lost World and Jurassic World.
Comedy Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
The Lobster (2015)
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, John C Reilly
Genre: Romantic surrealist comedy
It’s hard to write about, it really is. Set in a fictitious world, the film sets up an incredibly warped logic by which single people are set upon a hotel and have a specified time limit to find a partner lest be turned into the animal of their choice.
If you thought the plot sounded strange, wait until you actually watch the absurdist comedy, which has that now quintessential Yorgos Lanthimos tone – a singular, bizarre touch that is responsible for some of the most unique moments in cinema over the past few years.
If you like Colin Farrell in In Bruges, then it’s highly likely you’re going to enjoy picking apart The Lobster from the confusing opening act to the intensely hilarious, dark and downright unforgettable third act.
Birdman (2014)
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts
Genre: Comedy drama
You wouldn’t think Beetlejuice could get any better this far into his career, but what Michael Keaton did in 2014’s Best Picture winning Birdman is simply jaw-dropping as far as the art of acting goes. The famously mostly single-shot movie, directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, follows a fledgling Hollywood actor attempting to own the stage on Broadway. And it nails the brief for what a black comedy should be.
No, it’s not the real live adaptation of BoJack Horseman. Birdman is something entirely different, referencing Keaton’s own career (Batman, obviously) as a man once known for playing a superhero, falling from grace, and hilariously going through the motions of the very un-glitz and un-glamour side of Hollywood fame.
With the movie also starring Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, and Andrea Riseborough, the supporting cast is just as strong as the lead here. No matter what genre you’re into, it’s hard to deny that Birdman is easily one of the best movies on Amazon Prime that you can stream right now.
Brittany Runs A Marathon (2019)
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Director: Paul Downs Colaizzo
Starring: Jillian Bell, Micah Stock, Alice Lee
Genre: Comedy drama
You might want to slow down a bit and watch something a bit less demanding of your attention. There are plenty of average movies on Amazon Prime Australia, but few are worth the effort it takes to even have it playing in the background. Brittany Runs a Marathon is at least a decent one, driven by a reasonably good performance from Jillian Bell about a woman who sets out the lose weight by running the New York City marathon. It’s not very exciting, but the motivation that’s caked into the plot is actually quite inspiring if you give it a chance.
I Care A Lot (2020)
IMDb Rating: 6.3
Director: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza Gonzalez
Genre: Black comedy
Rosamund Pike leads a brilliant cast in I Care A Lot, a rather unnerving black comedy from director J Blakeson that’s exclusive to stream on Amazon Prime. Although mostly entertaining, the flick veers more into thriller territory as it follows the story of Rosamund Pike’s Marla Grayson, who scams the elderly as a ridiculously immoral court appointed guardian. Peter Dinklage gets in on the scheme as crime lord Roman Lunyov.
Although the title may misrepresent the movie and make it sound like a past-prime Hugh Grant piece, the effectively grim story is a nice break from the classics that populate Amazon Prime. Besides, it’s not often a script can so deftly blend thriller with comedy and sell the balance unbelievably well.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore
Genre: Stoner comedy crime
You won’t find Fargo on Amazon Prime, at least not currently, but that’s fine. Joel and Ethan Coen’s other classic surrealist crime comedy does just fine. The Big Lebowski is a stark reminder of just how much of a powerhouse Jeff Bridges can be when he’s given a role like Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, the titular character who suffers from a case of mistaken identity and is thrown into a convoluted ransom plot as a result.
You’ve seen it. Everyone’s seen it. The cast of Sam Elliot, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman and, of course, John Goodman, is hard to forget. But watch it again. It’ll never get old.
The Big Lebowski is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video Australia.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Director: Jason Woliner
Starring: Maria Bakalova, Sacha Baron Cohen, Rudy Giuliani
Genre: Very Nais Comedy
While the original Borat is always going to be vastly superior (hint: you can rent it for $5 on Amazon Prime Video Australia) to the slightly disappointing sequel, there’s still more than enough about Borat Subsequent Moviefilm to entertain. Making up for the gimmick of diminishing returns is just how damn clever Sacha Baron Cohen is when it comes to milking out the worst of the Americans he interacts with.
It’s aggressive satire masked as vulnerable trolling, drawing out the worst in America to make Borat 2 as much an exercise in taking learnings who Cohen’s political satire show Who Is America? as a continuation of the eternally loved Borat character. It’s a fascinating watch, just don’t expect the side-splitting, hilarious scenes of the first.
As for the original Borat. While it’s not free to stream, you can still rent or buy it on Amazon Prime.
Horror Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Jaws (1975)
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gray
Genre: Adventure horror
Few movies are ever going to surpass this Steven Spielberg classic, which has gone on to influence cinema forever. You’ve already heard all the accolades and the fact that this is “the” summer blockbuster that defined an entire generation (and industry).
The Jaws hype is real, so if you’ve never actually seen this gripping horror movie before, you should give those TV shows a rest and escape into this world for a few hours.
Those odd sequels are also on Amazon Prime, but really Jaws 2 is the only one even slightly worth watching. The shark roars like a lion in Jaws 4, so that should tell you all you need to know about how devastating Hollywood’s incessant need to capitalise on the original’s success was.
Train To Busan (2016)
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Director: Yeon Sang-Ho
Starring: Gong Yoo, Don Lee, Yeon Sang-ho
Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
Long before Parasite and Squid Games made the Korean film and TV industry trendy, Yeon Sang-Ho quietly put out one of the ballsiest takes on zombie horror to date. Train to Busan is a relentless and effectively nail-biting Korean horror movie filled with tension and social commentary, amounting to somewhat of The Walking Dead meets Snowpiercer splice with an exceedingly heavy ending.
Suspiria (2018)
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth, Chloe Grace Moretz
Genre: Horror
Bleak, artful, and incredibly subtle. Suspiria is a 2018 revival of a classic 1977 Italian horror movie, starring Dakota Johnson and directed by Luca Guadagnino. If you’re more a fan of arthouse horror films like The Witch and Hereditary (in other words, A24 bait), then Suspiria is right up your alley as it tells the story of an American woman who joins a German dance academy run by a coven.
The poetic way in which Guadagnino and his talented cast have reinterpreted the original is like chumming the water for cinephiles, so if you’re after something a bit more intelligent and technical in the horror genre, start here.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Donnie Wahlberg
Genre: Supernatural horror
The movie that made M. Night Shyamalan think he was unstoppable. The Sixth Sense is one of the most successful supernatural horror movies of all time – slow, steady and genuinely frightening as it tells the story of a young boy who can literally see dead people. So synonymous with horror it has become, that it turned Shyamalan into a household name and established himself, at least temporarily, as a master of suspense and an artisan of hard-won plot twists.
Sci-Fi Movies On Amazon Prime Australia
Back To The Future (1985)
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
Genre: Sci-fi comedy
Despite the ridiculous amount of science fiction cinema that has been crammed out of Hollywood ever since there are few time travel epics that can manage to match up to what director Robert Zemeckis achieved with Back to the Future. The 1985 flick, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, follows the now legendary story of teenager Marty McFly as he is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean.
The sci-fi comedy is still genuinely funny, with a young J. Fox doing god’s work as McFly’s life is flipped upside down by the eccentric Doc Brown and his strange way of warping time. If anything, the film is a stark reminder that time travel movies should always have fun at the centre, seeing as the very concept is always a nice pop of wish fulfilment that plays heavily on family-friendly escapism. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth re-visiting the super successful genre film.
You can also stream Back to the Future II and Back to the Future III free on Amazon right now.
Life (2017)
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson
Genre: Sci-fi horror
Life is an interesting push into Ridley Scott’s territory, with Director Daniel Espinosa creating his own Alien but still capturing the same claustrophobic sense of fear and deflation in the face of a new extraterrestrial life form. If you’re a fan of the Alien series, Life is definitely going to satisfy – it doesn’t at all feel like a rip-off, instead making its own mark with some ridiculously bloody, memorable scenes that are best left as a surprise.
Edging more towards Netflix? Check out the Best Movies On Netflix Australia and the Best Shows On Netflix Australia.
But wait. There’s more where that came from. Find out what we’ve ranked as the best Al Pacino movies of all time, the best Christopher Nolan movies of all time, the best Denzel Washington movies of all time, the best Ryan Gosling movies of all time, plus the 101 best action movies of all time.
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