Amazon Prime Videohas a ludicrous number of old and new movies to choose from, spanning decades and every conceivable genre. The problem with Prime Video is that browsing through its massive offerings can be hit-and-miss, and who’s got time for trial and error? Well … I do.
If you’re looking for some ideas for a weekday or weekend movie night to take the edge off after a day in the trenches, I’ve put together this list of five of the best movies I’ve found on Prime Video right now. There’s action, comedy, crime, thrills, chills, and a classic dive for the ages (read on to find out).
2025
Runtime
2 hours 21 minutes
It’s like a buddy cop movie, but instead of cops, the two buddies are the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain.Heads of Stateis a Prime Video original movie that’s just … fun. With tons of explosions, hand-to-hand combat sequences, and some pretty insane stunts (on planes, trains, and automobiles), you should make some extra popcorn.
John Cena and Idris Alba reunite on-screen (their Peacemaker and Bloodsport chemistry inSuicide Squadwas too good to let go to waste, apparently) as rival world leaders who find themselves fighting for their lives in an assassination plot and larger global threat. But don’t expect all the action to come from the obvious pair. It’s actually Priyanka Chopra Jonas who steals the show as MI6 agent Noel Bisset, a Jason Bourne-level butt-kicker whose job it is to get the politicians to safety—before they get killed or kill each other.
2007
2 hour 2 minutes
Every time I flip a coin, I think of Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem’s psychopathic killer inNo Country for Old Men. “What’s the most you ever lost in a coin toss?” he asks, using the question as a way of not accepting responsibility for what he’ll do if his subject calls the wrong side.
The Oscar-winning Bardem controls the entire creeping tone of the Coen Brother’s chilling masterpiece, as the cartel hitman hunts Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who has taken a bag of cash that isn’t his. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as Tom Bell, a sheriff near retirement who’s following Chigurh’s trail of bodies in the hope that he’ll find him before he gets to the resourceful Llewelyn or his family. It’s tense, beautifully shot, and one not to miss.
2024
2 hour 19 minutes
It’s no surprise that this 2018 comedy starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams has an 85% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes. Who knew the pairing would strike comedic-chemistry gold as Max and Annie, a suburban couple who host a weekly game night with friends. But Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) shows up and tries to spice things up with an authentic murder mystery theme that spirals out of control when his black market smuggling activities drags everyone into real danger.
What makesGame Nightso funny is how the players react to the legitimate thugs, danger, guns, and blood they’re faced with, as they still think it’s all part of Brooks' game—and Max and Annie are determined to win. Bateman’s wonderfully-dry delivery is peak Bateman, and Jesse Plemmons' turn as weirdo neighbor, Gary, is off the charts.
1995
1 hour 41 minutes
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist.” Words of wisdom uttered by con artist Roger “Verbal” Kint (Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey) in one of the greatest psychological crime thrillers of all time. InThe Usual Suspects, Kint is the sole survivor of a heist gone horribly wrong. His entire notorious crew, which incudes its leader Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), the unpredictable Fenster (Benicio Del Toro), loudmouth McManus (Stephen Baldwin), and the level-headed Hockney (Kevin Pollack), are all killed, and Verbal is left explaining things in flashback to police.
Verbal tells a chilling tale of Keyser Söze, a ruthless Turkish mobster who has been playing them all like marionettes, and may or may not just be a myth. The Bryan Singer-directed film is a masterpiece with precision pacing, clever dialog, and one of the best twist endings in history that will have you shouting to the rafters, “Who is Keyser Söze?!”
1986
1 hours 36 minutes
Before there was Luke Wilson and Will Farrell inOld School, there was Rodney Dangerfield inBack to School,the original old-guy fish-out-of-water screwball comedy that created the mold for all others to follow. The legendary one-liner comic stars as Thornton Melon, the charismatic millionaire owner of a chain of big and tall fashion stores. When Thornton’s son starts having a hard time at college, Thornton enrolls to help.
“The world’s oldest living freshman” certainly makes an impression on campus, throwing his money around, hosting lavish parties to bolster his son’s social life, and hitting on his business professor, Diane (Sally Kellerman). But Thornton soon learns that it’s not all fun and games, and finds himself on the brink of expulsion. To save himself, he has to cram to pass his examsandcompete in the school’s big dive meet, where the former champion diver must pull off the mythical Triple Lindy, a climactic scene that is truly one of the funniest of all time.
Amazon Prime Video comes with your Prime subscription, so you might as well take advantage of its massive catalog. While it has shifted to an ad-based model, you can opt to pay an additional fee to go ad-free and unlock additional sound and picture quality features toget the most out of your subscription.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video has a large volume of content to watch. The other Amazon perks are a bonus as well.
