When Amazon debuted Amazon Prime more than a decade ago, CEO Jeff Bezos and company simply wanted to give their loyal customers a chance to save some money on shipping costs. As the service gained a massive subscription base, the company continued adding a slew of incredible perks, such as access to Prime Pantry, same-day delivery, and Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Now, anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription has easy access to thousands of hit movies and TV shows, all with the simple click of a mouse. To help subscribers sift through Amazon’s sizable library, we’ve taken up the task of finding the best movies currently available on the service.
So pop some popcorn, find your favorite spot on the couch, and throw on an excellent film, courtesy of our list. (Note: Some titles might not be available until later in the month.)
Action and adventure
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 heist film pre-dated Pulp Fiction, but is widely considered one of the greatest indie films ever made. It also served as the directorial debut for the two-time Academy Award winner, and established many of the signature elements that would become hallmarks of his films. The movie follows a group of criminals recruited for a diamond heist that ends up going disastrously wrong, forcing them to flee and confront their own loyalties in the aftermath. The all-star cast features Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Chris Penn, among other familiar faces and Tarantino regulars.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Clint Eastwood makes his debut as The Man With No Name in this 1964 film directed by Sergio Leone. The Western drama was Eastwood’s first leading role, and it went on to spawn a trilogy of films featuring the character — a lone gunslinger in a harsh frontier filled with bandits and criminals. An unofficial remake of Akira Kurosawa’s samurai classic Yojimbo, the film has Eastwood’s character playing rival gangs against each other in the little town of San Miguel, only to find himself forced to play the hero when his machinations put innocent people in danger.
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
Although it sounds like a pulpy action movie, Brawl in Cell Block 99 takes a while to build up to its titular melee, unwinding slowly as its lead character gets deeper into trouble. The film follows Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn), who loses his job only to come home and discover that his wife, Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter), is cheating on him. After smashing her car with his bare hands, Bradley decides to work on their marriage, the first sign that this is a film that doesn’t fit into easy categorization. Bradley also turns to crime in order to pay the bills, and that decision leads him down a dark and violent path. Brawl in Cell Block 99 treads a narrow line between highbrow and low; Bradley is a fascinating character, and the movie explores his complicated mindset, but there is also violence aplenty for those who want to see some action.
