The 21 best Amazon original movies streaming on Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video has produced everything from arthouse flicks to A-lister crowd pleasers.

Since 2010, Amazon MGM Studios (formerly Amazon Studios) has crafted a wide range of original movies for the Prime Video streaming platform. From the artsy, poetic Paterson to Amy Poehler’s award-winning documentary Lucy and Desi, the streamer has a vast selection of original movies that will suit everyone's tastes. Among them are multiple Oscar-winning films produced by Amazon, such as American Fiction, Manchester by the Sea, and Sound of Metal.

Looking for the next addition to your watch list? Here are Entertainment Weekly’s picks for the 21 best Amazon original movies to watch on Prime Video today.

Air (2023)

Ben Affleck’s Air is the kind of quality mid-budget drama for adults that rarely gets made anymore. Centering on the dealmaking process between Nike and Michael Jordan for what would become their mega-popular Air Jordan shoe line, the film follows the various players involved, from talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) to Nike CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) to Jordan’s protective mother Deloris (Viola Davis). The result is a fleet-footed flick full of entertaining performances; even though you already know the ending, the journey makes for a breezy ride. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Air: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Ben Affleck

Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis

Related: Ben Affleck and his all-star Air cast give a play-by-play of making their Michael Jordan movie

American Fiction (2023)

What happens when something you wrote inauthentically is mistaken for authentic? Frustrated with the state of the kinds of Black novels rooted in stereotypes that find success in the book world, Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) pens a satirical novel titled My Pafology that unexpectedly draws praise, which Monk looks upon cynically.

Cord Jefferson's feature directorial debut — adapted from Percival Everett's novel Erasure — is an incisive commentary on the publishing industry with a deeply felt performance from Wright that balances comedic and dramatic tones as Monk juggles professional and personal responsibilities. American Fiction was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, with Jefferson winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch American Fiction: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Cord Jefferson

Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown

Related: Work of fiction: How Jeffrey Wright & Co. are re-writing the book on Black stereotypes in American Fiction

The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick is a modern must-watch for fans of the golden age of rom-coms. Written by real-life couple Emily V. Gordon (played by Zoe Kazan) and Kumail Nanjiani (playing himself), the movie follows the early stages of their relationship amid a health crisis.

Both funny and deeply powerful, The Big Sick shows the reality of romance with a heartfelt love story that rings true. "The biggest challenge was just having to go back and think about a pretty traumatic point in our lives, and then try to make a comedy out of it," Nanjiani told EW in 2017. "We knew that we could make this funny, but we didn’t want to kill the reality of it.” —Meg Walters

Where to watch The Big Sick: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher

Related: The Big Sick writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani remembered their first date differently

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Released in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic — on top of a turbulent presidential election — this sequel to 2006’s breakout hit Borat offered comic relief during hard times. Sacha Baron Cohen reprises his role as Borat Sagdiyev, a journalist from Kazakhstan tasked with delivering a monkey as a peace offering to Vice President Mike Pence. His plans are soon thwarted when he discovers his 15-year-old daughter (whom he just found out about), Tutar (Maria Bakalova), has stowed away with him on his journey, resolving to offer her up in the monkey’s place.

Using the same mockumentary format as the first film, Borat puts himself in increasingly precarious real-life situations, though Tutar proves no slouch, particularly in a revealing interview with Rudy Giuliani. Borat remains an acquired taste for some, but this sequel recaptures some of its predecessor's magic, with Bakalova’s daring performance even earning her an Oscar nomination. —K.J.

Where to watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Woliner

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova

Related: Rudy Giuliani called the cops on Borat crew, claiming extortion, producer says

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Jillian Bell leads this charming comedy about a woman who is motivated to run in the New York City marathon after her doctor deems her overweight and unhealthy. Faced with way-too-high gym rates and struggling to pay rent, Brittany presses onward in her training and hopes to get by with a little help from friends. What may sound like a generic inspirational tale is, in execution, an honest journey to self-acceptance with Bell delivering a refreshingly honest performance as a character worth rooting for.

As EW’s critic writes, “She brings a real, messy humanity to Brittany that comedies hardly ever allow a lead character — let alone a non-impossibly-bodied female — to have.” —K.J.

Where to watch Brittany Runs a Marathon: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Paul Downs Colaizzo

Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock

Related: With Brittany Runs a Marathon, Jillian Bell is racing into her first major role

Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

Between their high-profile stints on HBO series like Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey starred in this bright historical comedy, adapted from the beloved 1994 YA novel Catherine, Called Birdy. Ramsey plays Lady Catherine, or, as she prefers “Birdy,” a scrappy 14-year-old who must deal with unwanted suitors while striving to maintain her independence. Rejecting the traditional path of a noble young woman, Birdy is ahead of her time, plucky, rambunctious, and bursting with ideas.

EW’s critic calls Catherine Called Birdy “a sly fairytale about a medieval tween that manages to be both cheeky and modern without losing its heart.” —K.J.

Where to watch Catherine Called Birdy: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Lena Dunham

Cast: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott

Related: Lena Dunham reveals how Clueless, Slums of Beverly Hills inspired Catherine Called Birdy

Late Night (2019)

In Late Night, Mindy Kaling plays a young writer who joins the ranks of legendary late-night host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson) as a token diversity hire who’s out to prove she belongs there by merit rather than to fill a quota. Sharp, witty, and women-led, this comedy has a refreshingly non-romantic take on the rom-com.

Of course, you can expect a little bit of love, but, for Kaling, bending the genre to focus on the two central women was always the goal. "The romance of the movie…is not the major part of the movie," she told EW in 2019. "It’s not like I’ve done before in my other things because I obviously love romance so much, but it is an element of it." —M.W.

Where to watch Late Night: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Max Casella, Hugh Dancy, John Lithgow, Denis O'Hare, Reid Scott, Amy Ryan

Related: How Mindy Kaling mined being a diversity hire on The Office to write Late Night

Lucy and Desi (2022)

Amy Poehler’s documentary explores the famous Hollywood comedy duo Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This fascinating film features interviews and previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of the two I Love Lucy stars, tracing the arc of their love story and coinciding careers. For Poehler, Ball is a personal inspiration. "Lucy and Desi are two outsiders who changed an entire industry," she told EW in 2022. "Their story represents the success that hard work and big swings can bring. But icons are people, and hopefully this film reminds us of that." —M.W.

Where to watch Lucy and Desi: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Amy Poehler

Cast: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz

Related: Why Lucy and Ricky are still the gold standard for television couples

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

This devastating family drama follows a grief-stricken man’s journey to move on with his life. Casey Affleck stars as Lee Chandler, a handyman going through the motions of living until the death of his brother. He is surprised to learn that he’s now the legal guardian of Patrick (Lucas Hedges), his teenage nephew who has no desire to move away from home to stay with his uncle. As Lee helps Patrick through the grief process of losing his father, we come to understand how a traumatic event in Lee’s past led him to shut down emotionally.

Moving and shockingly funny, Manchester by the Sea rightfully won Oscars for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay and Affleck’s subtle masterclass performance. —K.J.

Where to watch Manchester by the Sea: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges

Related: Casey Affleck asked about backlash to Oscars win

Master (2022)

Mariama Diallo’s Master sets the scene at the elitist Ancaster College, where Jasmine (Zoe Renee) navigates life as a young Black student in a predominantly white environment. What begins as microaggressions and underhand racism soon becomes much more sinister as things take a thrilling twist. “Master's ear and eye for real-world snubs grounds it in a viciousness that feels keenly lived,” EW’s critic praises. “And when the scares do come, Diallo pulls them off with a panache that reveals her taste for the smart stuff.” —M.W.

Where to watch Master: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Mariama Diallo

Cast: Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Amber Gray, Molly Bernard, Nike Kadri

Related: Regina Hall on fame, endurance, and coming into her own in the acclaimed new thriller Master

One Night in Miami (2020)

This Oscar-nominated drama, directed by Regina King, recreates a motel-room meeting that took place in Miami on Feb. 25, 1964, between four of the most influential Black public figures of the midcentury: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.). While the conversations in the film are fictionalized, screenwriter Kemp Powers (who adapted the script from his play of the same name) imagines the topics they would have discussed, particularly their respective roles as Black men navigating racial conflicts in 1960s America.

What may sound like a verbose exercise is made vibrant by King’s deft direction. As EW’s critic writes, “In extrapolating the mysteries of a night we'll never fully know, she finds something that may not be strictly true to lived history, but possibly even richer: a quintessentially American tale; profane, profound, and beautiful.” —K.J.

Where to watch One Night in Miami: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Regina King

Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

Related: Hear Leslie Odom Jr. invoke the spirit of Sam Cooke in 'Speak Now' from One Night in Miami

Paterson (2016)

This quietly poetic slice-of-life film follows a week in the life of Paterson (Adam Driver), a bus driver who happens to work in the New Jersey city of the same name. After hearing the buzz of passengers and their daily observations, Paterson writes poems in a notebook, which his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), wants him to share with the world.

Driver delivers one of his most underrated performances as the curious, mild-mannered poet, proving to be a strong match for writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s minimalist style. As EW’s critic writes, “There’s a hushed beauty to Paterson and Paterson that celebrates the way in which even the most ordinary, prosaic lives can be full of poetry.” —K.J.

Where to watch Paterson: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jim Jarmusch

Cast: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Cliff Smith, Chasten Harmon, William Jackson Harper, Masatoshi Nagase

Related: NYFF 2016: Adam Driver says that parallel parking a bus is easier than writing poetry

Saltburn (2023)

Emerald Fennell followed up her provocative feature directorial debut, 2020’s Promising Young Woman (for which she won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay), with this divisive psychological thriller. Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver, a misfit student studying at Oxford University who develops a fast obsession with his preppy classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). The two become friends and Felix invites Oliver to his family’s mega-estate, Saltburn, for the summer.

We won’t spoil just how Oliver’s relationship with Felix and his family devolves from there — and we also can’t guarantee you’ll love it — but, as EW’s critic writes, “Its endless visual and literary layers will bring its ardent admirers back to it again and again, because it is a triumph of the cinema of excess, in all its orgiastic, unapologetic glory.” —K.J.

Where to watch Saltburn: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Emerald Fennell

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe

Related: Best of 2023: Breaking down Saltburn's most shocking moments from tub slurping to vampiric lovemaking

Small Axe (2020)

Steve McQueen’s remarkable Small Axe isn't just one film, it's five. The anthology series looks at the history of life in Britain for the Black and West Indian communities, from protests to parties. Across the collection, you'll see actors like Letitia Wright, John Boyega, Micheal Ward, Kenyah Sandy, and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn enliven “stories have shaped the environment that we live in now,” McQueen told EW. Beautifully shot and uniquely moving, these heartfelt films are as ambitious as they are rousing. —M.W.

Where to watch Small Axe: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Steve McQueen

Cast: John Boyega, Letitia Wright, Shaun Parkes, Micheal Ward, Kenyah Sandy, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn

Related: Steve McQueen on making five 'necessary, important, and urgent' films

Sound of Metal (2020)

Sound of Metal tells the heart-wrenching story of Ruben, a drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. “As Ruben's fear and rage begins to open itself to the unknown,” writes EW’s critic, “the movie reaches toward something profound — finding real, furious power in the spaces between the sound.” Thanks to the powerful Oscar-nominated performance of Riz Ahmed, this intimate journey to self-acceptance is both hard to watch and impossible to look away from. —M.W.

Where to watch Sound of Metal: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Darius Marder

Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric

Related: Riz Ahmed on his ASL-learning, punk-drumming performance in Sound of Metal

Suspiria (2018)

For a delightfully whacky and wild pick, try Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, a loose remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 Italian horror film of the same name. Dakota Johnson plays a young dancer who finds herself in a German company run by witches, including Tilda Swinton as the austere Madame Blanc. This movie isn't for the faint of heart, especially during the h artistic and trippy dance sequences that verge on body horror.

There’s even one scene in which a young dancer is "violently whipped around like a rag doll, her joints contorting like a possessed Swiss Army knife," EW’s critic says. "In moments like that one, the film jolts to life, rivaling Argento’s baroque Grand Guignol style." If you're up for a challenging, beautifully grotesque movie, look no further. —M.W.

Where to watch Suspiria: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, Ingrid Caven, Elena Fokina, Sylvie Testud, Renée Soutendijk, Christine LeBoutte, Fabrizia Sacchi, Ma?gosia Bela, Jessica Harper, Chlo? Grace Moretz

Related: Dakota Johnson was 'terrified' to shoot Suspiria dance sequence

Thirteen Lives (2022)

Ron Howard’s dramatization of the headline-making 2018 Thailand cave rescue flew surprisingly under the radar upon its release despite being one of his best films in years. The story sees a soccer team of 12 boys and their assistant coach enter the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system which floods after a downpour and traps them. Though various cavers attempted to save them, the high-stakes mission proved far more difficult than anyone ever expected.

While Hollywood has often been accused of sensationalizing real events, EW’s critic praises Thirteen Lives as “refreshingly stripped of the cloying or sentimental: a remarkable story torn from true life, and faithfully told.” —K.J.

Where to watch Thirteen Lives: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, Tom Bateman

Related: Thai cave hero reveals the major difference between Thirteen Lives and the real rescue

Uncle Frank (2020)

Award-winning writer Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under) helmed this character-driven road trip period piece about a gay man coming to terms with his bigoted father’s death. Set in the 1970s, the film follows Frank Bledsoe (Paul Bettany) as he drives back to his hometown for the funeral with his beloved niece (Sophia Lillis). Meanwhile, his secret boyfriend (Peter Macdissi) wants to tag along, too, despite Frank’s reservations. The film ruminates on guilt, familial strife, and trauma with Ball’s signature bittersweet touch, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie. —K.J.

Where to watch Uncle Frank: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Alan Ball

Cast: Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Peter Macdissi, Judy Greer, Steve Zahn, Lois Smith, Margo Martindale, Stephen Root, Colton Ryan

Related: Meet your maker: Uncle Frank director Alan Ball on his biggest influences

Val (2021)

Val Kilmer made his mark on cinema with movies like Top Gun (1986), The Doors (1991), Tombstone (1993), and Batman Forever (1995), but he is so much more than his filmography. This intimate documentary not only delves into the highs and lows of Kilmer’s career but also the details of his personal life, particularly his ongoing treatment for throat cancer.

Having mostly lost his voice, Kilmer’s son Jack narrates the film in his father’s words, discussing his early childhood up to the present. EW’s critic describes the sensitively assembled doc as “a lifetime of searching and self-regard distilled, somehow, into a state of grace.” —K.J.

Where to watch Val: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Directors: Leo Scott and Ting Poo

Cast: Val Kilmer

Related: Val Kilmer's son Jack gives his dad a voice in poignant clip from Val documentary

The Vast of Night (2020)

This underrated lo-fi mystery film transports us to 1950s New Mexico. In a sleepy town, a switchboard operator and a radio DJ investigate a strange audio signal that intercepts the latter’s broadcast. Their findings lead them to uncover a conspiracy, and, most intriguingly, reports of an unidentified flying object. “Just the setting and veneer of the film — it's framed as an episode of a Twilight Zone-esque anthology TV series — should be enough for you to guess more or less where it's headed,” EW’s critic writes, but that doesn’t make it any less of an enjoyable ride. —K.J.

Where to watch The Vast of Night: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Andrew Patterson

Cast: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz

Related: Best of 2020 (Behind the Scenes): How The Vast of Night pulled off its stunning tracking shot

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

The dark, hair-raising You Were Never Really Here is an art-house hitman thriller that hits home. Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the movie follows Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), an introverted loner who rescues women who find themselves in precarious positions. It's a grisly, edge-of-your-seat film that is pulse-quickening, strangely quiet, and understated. "Phoenix only seems to have a few spoken lines in the film," notes EW’s critic. "But he manages to express an entire inner world through his mannerisms and thousand-yard war-vet’s stare." —M.W.

Where to watch You Were Never Really Here: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette, Dante Pereira-Olson, Alessandro Nivola

Related: Lynne Ramsay, Joaquin Phoenix thriller raved as 'art house' version of Taken

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.