For a long time, Amazon Prime was Netflix’s ugly stepsister when it came to original content. But with that Bezos money, that stepsister turned a tad into Bezos Cinderella (better than Amazon’s Cinderella movie, sorry Camilla Cabello), equipped with a solid amount of original movie content, especially for you international fans.
Below you’ll find the top 10 Prime made movies on the streaming service, consistently updated for new watches/releases.
Plus, Amazon’s growing resume means a growing list of Honorable Mentions:
Now onto the 10 gifts the fairy godmother bestowed onto the streaming service Cinderella:
| 10 | Les Miserables (2019) |
| There’s no singing in this French movie. Instead, we get something deeper and richer, taking the story to Victor Hugo’s French roots. In a day, we see the lives of the poor and disenfranchised, as well as the police “protecting and serving” them. It’s a morally complicated, rewarding story that has parallels all over the planet, amplifying Lady Ly’s message. |
| 9 | Argentina, 1985 |
| Santiago Mitre’s story about Argentina’s Trial of the Juntas is many things. It’s a sneaky funny biopic about the eclectic group of kids and random bureaucrats in charge of prosecuting the previous military government for war crimes. It’s also a rousing courtroom drama, giving catharsis to a nation desperate to rise up and claim their democracy in this new Argentina. |
| 8 | Love & Friendship |
| British period pieces carry a layer of horrifying elitism and condescension that filmmakers usually try to suppress or awaken their characters from. Whit Stillman has no such intention. Using the full acid pen of Jane Austen, Stillman concocts a British satire of manners where all of these people say the cruel thoughts in their head. But because it’s in a polite way, you’re horrified, amused, then more horrified with each new attack on the downtrodden or good natured folk in the name of manners. |
| 7 | Good Night Oppy |
| This doc is a love letter to science. Tracking the Spirit and Opportunity robotic missions to Mars, the movie showcases what happens when the best and brightest, and a little luck, can lead to spectacular things. And most importantly, it can inspire generations to want to learn about how the world works and how to make it better for everyone. |
| 6 | A Hero |
| What is a hero? Ashgar Farhadi’s near masterpiece explores the meaning of that word through a modern parable. The story is a cautionary reminder of how celebrity culture, fame, and power can depart as quickly as they arrive, and like all Farhadi stories, all actions have long, layered consequences on yourself and the people you love. |
| 5 | My Old Ass |
| There are eons of coming of age stories before this one. 3 things make My Old Ass so special. 1) The time frame I’ve never seen before, but gives the movie this incredible urgency and poignancy most stories like it lack. 2) The setting, Muskoka Canada, one of the most beautiful cozy places I have ever seen, and 3) The dynamic duo Megan Park and Maisy Stella; Stella’s a star in the making, and what should be the crush of every high schooler about to set of to college: she’s everything you want her to be, and even better because of Megan Park’s incredible script. |
| 4 | Challengers |
| Only Luca Guadagnino could figure out how tennis equals sex. Zendaya movie graduates to a complicated messy adult character, drawn into a love triangle with rivals Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, completely enamored with her. Trent Rezor and Atticus Ross’s incredible score pulsates and turns of the heat for the audience as Luca travels back and forth in time getting us all hot and bothered and excited along the way. |
| 3 | The Handmaiden |
| Though Bong Joon Ho has taken all of the praise from Korea recently, Park Chan Wook is no slouch himself. Consider this tale, which Bong probably wishes he got his hand on first. Using a British story to tell a tale about Japanese occupation of Korea, Park Chan Wook weaves a sexy, scary, sometimes funny thriller out of its timid past into the shocking present, with each sexy onion layer by sexy onion layer at a time. |
| 2 | Cold War |
| There’s no way describe Pawel Pawlikowski’s film other than it’s pure art. The story is about a couple who meet and fall in love in Poland, but at the worst possible time: during post WWII Iron Curtain time, forcing one of the pair to flee. Pawlikowski’s film breathes in music, sees in luscious black and white, and hears the cries of those long forgotten who got through terrifying times with the power of love, sometimes waiting years to reconnect. |
| 1 | The Small Axe Anthology |
| Akin to the Three Colors Trilogy or Dekalog, Steve McQueen gives us a view of the life of the West Indian African community in London from the 1960s to 1980s. My personal ranking of the five films is 1. Red, White and Blue 2. Mangrove 3. Education 4. Lovers Rock 5. Alex Wheatle But even Alex Wheatle would be in the upper echelon of films in any movie year. That’s all thanks to McQueen, who’s continuing to prove that he’s one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation, using amazing camerawork, storytelling, casting, and important themes to paint a picture of a community in a way rarely seen in movies today. |