Though Netflix may be the most prominent name in original streaming movies in the modern pop culture landscape, Amazon Studios has also managed to leave an impressive footprint when it comes to its contributions to cinema. While recent years have seen Amazon Studios expand its output to include more mainstream-friendly fare like The Tomorrow War, most Amazon films have been challenging arthouse fare hailing from artists ranging from Todd Haynes to Richard Linklater to Asghar Farhadi.
Going this route means that Amazon has not always delivered widely viewed movies like a certain Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, but it has already resulted in an impressive library of features that push the boundaries of cinematic storytelling just as often as they challenge the people who watch them. The eleven best Amazon Studios releases, ranked from “worst” to best below, exemplify the unique creative energy of this streamer’s output that makes them unlike any other major platform in the ongoing streaming wars. This was apparent from the start, as seen by Amazon’s inaugural original film and the first title on this list…
For more recommendations, check out the best movies and shows on Prime Video.
Editor’s note: This list was updated April 2023 to include Air.
13. Chi-Raq (2015)
Run Time: 2 hr 7 min | Genre: Musical Crime Comedy | Director: Spike Lee
Cast: Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson
Is Spike Lee’s2015 movie Chi-Raq (the first Amazon Studios release ever) messy? For sure. But it’s also a deeply committed work packed with ambition, starting from the fact that all the dialogue is told in a rhyme scheme. It’s a bold choice, emblematic of the massive swings Lee takes in this project, which radiates with frustration at the ongoing woes of society that adversely affect America’s Black population. The ancient story of Lysistrata turns out to be a great basis to fixate a decidedly modern Spike Lee movie around. The production gets further enhanced by a star-making lead turn from Teyonah Parris, who fills up the screen with consistently engaging charisma. Warts, like a strange supporting turn from John Cusack, and all, Chi-Raq embodies the gusto spirit that makes Spike Lee such a fascinating filmmaker.
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12. Uncle Frank (2020)
Run Time: 1 hr 35 min | Genre: Comedy-Drama | Director: Alan Ball
Cast: Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi, Judy Greer
Uncle Frank is a beautiful – and often hilarious – coming-of-age story about a closeted gay man (Paul Bettany) who takes a road trip with his 18-year-old niece Beth (Sophia Lillis) from New York to South Carolina for a family funeral. When his partner Wally (Peter Macdissi), who he has secretly been living with for a decade, unexpectedly joins them on the road, secrets are revealed, and complications arise. Taking place in the ‘70s, Uncle Frank is a story about acceptance, forgiveness, and growing up. Like much of Alan Ball’s work, the family dynamics are pitch-perfect and relatable, making for an affecting and entertaining watch. – Taylor Gates
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11. One Child Nation (2019)
Run Time: 1 hr 29 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang
For the documentary One Child Nation, Nanfu Wang (who directs the project alongside Jialing Zhang) tackles China’s former policy of restricting families to just one child. This entails returning to her home country of China, where Wang, who is now a mother herself, confronts and chronicles people who were directly impacted by the one-child policy. These individuals range from people who lost kids to folks haunted by how they were tasked with (and executed) removing and abandoning kids. There’s a deeply vulnerable and personal quality to Wang’s presence in One Child Nation, which extends to how she recalls that she used to blindly support this policy and the leaders who enacted it. The propaganda that once molded Wang’s perception of her homeland is now, in the modern world, sweeping the haunting aftereffects of this one-child policy under the rug. The excellently made feature One Child Nation shines a light on those lives and hardships, as well as drawing a fascinating parallel between China’s one-child policy and America’s restrictions on abortion warning Western viewers that limitations on women’s autonomy are not just contained to China.
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10. Master (2022)
Run Time: 1 hr 39 min | Genre: Psychological Horror Thriller | Director: Mariama Diallo
Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Amber Gray, Molly Bernard
A film that was one of the most elusive yet enthralling to come out of the most recent Sundance film festival, Master is a horror about the systematic forces of hate that persist in academic institutions. It centers on a mesmerizing Regina Hall as Gail Bishop, a professor at an elite Northeastern University who begins to observe that there are sinister forces that threaten to consume her and a new student named Jasmine (Zoe Renee). Through it all, writer-director Mariama Diallo creates a strange and shifting narrative experience that is hard to pin down. From scene to scene, you are left guessing about what is significant and what fate will befall the characters you’ve grown to care for. It is a painful, bleak film that can be quite unsettling though is masterful as it builds to a poetic final scene that captures your soul. – Chase Hutchinson
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9. Cold War (2018)
Run Time: 1 hr 28 min | Genre: Historical Drama | Director: Paweł Pawlikowski
Cast: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza
Director Pawel Pawlikowski‘sBest Director Oscar-nominated feature Cold War examines significant European events that took place in the aftermath of World War II but explores those circumstances through the lens of one couple. The scope of the story (which unfolds over 15 years) is expansive but by keeping things grounded on just the plight of two, Pawlikowski never loses sight of the intimate. The pervasively harrowing tone won’t be for all viewers, but those who can manage the bleak atmosphere of Cold War will find something special, particularly with the project’s cinematography. Filtering this story through a 1.37:1 aspect ratio creates a confined space that informs the most inspired visuals from Pawlikowski and cinematographer Lukasz Zal. There are so many images here you won’t be able to forget and the same can be said for the haunting tone of Cold War as a whole.
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8. The Big Sick (2017)
Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Romantic Comedy | Director: Michael Showalter
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
A Pakistan-born comedian, Kumail Nanjiani playing a fictionalized version of himself, and a grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) meet, fall in love and then she winds up in the hospital in a coma. Based on Nanjiani and the real Emily V. Gordon’s romance and traumatic hospital stay, this film brings a whole new perspective to romantic comedies. The Big Sick was a refreshing change in the genre with a South Asian romantic lead and a look at inter-cultural romances. It’s a hilarious film, despite the dark turn of events, and incredibly moving as the people who were once so willing to fight each other, find new ways to bond with one another. The semi-autobiographical nature of the story gives the film a great deal of authenticity, while the embellished story moments keep us hooked. This whirlwind romance is a whirlwind trip you won’t want to miss. – Monita Mohan
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Run Time: 2 hr | Genre: Drama | Director: Darius Marder
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff
As anyone who’s seen projects as varied as Four Lions and Nightcrawler can attest, Riz Ahmed has been delivering memorable film performances for basically his entire career. But it took Sound of Metal to get him some richly deserved Oscar love. This story about a drummer who begins to go deaf used both Ahmed’s gifts as a performer and masterful sound work to place the audience right into the protagonist’s headspace. Once this development is introduced, Sound of Metal goes to unexpected places narratively, particularly in depicting how Ahmed’s character’s addiction manifests in his new status quo. Sound of Metal is made all the more memorable by an outstanding supporting turn from Paul Raci, whose final scene is unspeakably heartbreaking. A story about coping with life’s inevitable sweeping changes, Sound of Metal is a fantastic feature as well as a remarkable showcase for Riz Ahmed as an actor.
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6. Time (2020)
Run Time: 1 hr 21 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Garrett Bradley
Every second matters. That’s a phrase that lingers in the mind of Sibil Fox Richardson as she works day and night to get her husband, Rob, out of a 60-year prison stint. In between seeing footage of Sibil working dutifully to accomplish this mission, director Garrett Bradley fills the screen with home video footage of Rob playing with his kids, being attentive to Sibil, and just being a normal person. The documentary Timeis a vital work restoring humanity to the human that America’s prison industrial complex reduces to just being bodies in cells. The raw emotion of the piece and the careful direction from Bradley make this a project as essential as it is richly captivating.
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5. Paterson (2016)
Run Time: 1 hr 58 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Cliff Smith
Jim Jarmusch’s relaxed style of filmmaking is in rare form here in capturing the everyday life of a bus driver in New Jersey. Patersongradually introduces a variety of entertaining people (and one adorable bulldog) to the viewer, all told through the eyes of Adam Driver’s titular lead character. Come for Jarmusch’s signature brand of laidback observational directing, stay for Driver’s thoughtful performance that suggests so much emotion through subdued line deliveries and body language. Through the work of artists like these, Paterson becomes another Jarmusch gem that urges the viewer to recognize how much value there is in mundane parts of rudimentary existence.
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4. Air (2023)
Run Time: 1 hr 52 min | Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis
Reuniting Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Air is an uplifting story about the shoe salesman who pursued basketball icon Michael Jordan (Damian Young) to create the groundbreaking shoe line with Nike. With Affleck on both sides of the camera, Air is inspired by the true story of Sonny Vaccaro (Damon), the Nike employee who challenged co-founder Phil Knight (Affleck) to build an entire line around a then-unknown basketball player. With an all-star cast, including Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, and Oscar-winner Viola Davis as the athlete’s mother, Air is an unbelievable true story that embraces hope, hard work, and passion. – Yael Tygiel
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3. One Night in Miami… (2020)
Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Regina King
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
One Night in Miami… is Regina King’s directorial debut, and she brings this Kemp Powers stage and screenplay to life with a sure hand and a deep respect for these real-life personalities. The film is a fictionalized account of an actual, secret meeting among boxing champion Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) as he wrestles with his faith, icon Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), singer-songwriter and record producer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and star NFL running back Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge). Each character has their own demons to deal with and they slowly open up to each other. There’s in-fighting as they discuss how to be the role models the Black community needs instead of just being successful without giving back to the community. The impact of racism on these influential figures is felt throughout the film. This is a deeply affecting film that characterizes these larger-than-life figures as people first, and legends later. Despite being shot in a locked room style that evokes the play, One Night in Miami… doesn’t feel stifled by its origins like many other stage-to-screen adaptations do. The denouement is incredibly heart-breaking and moving. With indelible performances by the main cast and stunning direction, One Night in Miami… is an immersive, unforgettable experience. – Monita Mohan
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2. I Am Not Your Negro
Run Time: 1 hr 35 min | Genre: Documentary | Director: Raoul Peck
How fitting that one of the great American writers, James Baldwin, would get a similarly outstanding documentary made about his life.I Am Not Your Negro uses an unfinished manuscript by Baldwin as a springboard for explorations of relevant topics tied into the experiences of Black Americans. These include who gets to be defined as “heroes” in American cinema as well as societally ingrained forces that keep Black people weighed down in society.
Narrator Samuel L. Jackson reads aloud the words of Baldwin, talking about these topics not only to give the reader an appreciation for this man’s gift with the written word but to also see how his worldview is more urgently needed than ever. To make a retrospective on the life of Baldwin would’ve been enough to make for a great documentary. But director Raoul Peck goes the extra mile with I Am Not Your Negro in blending the past and the present to illustrate the eternally relevant nature of Baldwin.
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1. You Were Never Really Here (2018)
Run Time: 1 hr 30 min | Genre: Neo-Noir Crime Psychological Thriller | Director: Lynne Ramsay
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov
Lynne Ramsey has never shied away from making harrowing voyages into damaged psyches through masterworks like Ratcatcher or We Need to Talk about Kevin. For You Were Never Really Here, Ramsey takes this thematic motif to fascinating new places. In a transfixing tonal balance only a filmmaker this assured could pull off, You Were Never Really Here is simultaneously the darkest movie Ramsey’s ever made but also the only one that dares to end with a faint trace of hope.
Before that tonally intricate conclusion, though, Ramsey delivers a riveting drama that, among its other virtues, serves as a fascinating deconstruction of typical damaged male hero protagonists through the character of Joe (Joaquin Phoenix). His fractured internal psychology is illustrated through captivating cinematography and editing. No didactic dialogue is needed to convey the kinds of traumatic horrors he relives every day. Meanwhile, Ramsey’s trademark directorial flourish of leaving carnage almost entirely off-screen remains as powerful as ever. We’re treated to the aftermath of violence in You Were Never Really Here, of someone covered in blood rather than a bullet entering a man’s head. Throughout this story, Ramsey keeps conjuring up ingenious ways to emphasize visually the feature’s focus on people recovering from trauma.
A tremendous work of art from one of the best English-language filmmakers working today, You Were Never Really Here is so good that it’ll leave you wishing Joaquin Phoenix earned his first Academy Award win for this movie!
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