Best films to watch on Amazon Prime right now

Comedy movies

1. The Birdcage

The late, great Robin Williams is on fine form in this 1996 classic.

It sees engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) their future in-laws, but with disastrous and hilarious results.

The couple are scared to tell Barbara's Republican Senator Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman) that Val's father Armand (Robin) is gay and owns a drag club on Miami Beach.

Armand pretends to be straight, but things are complicated further by Armand's life partner, Albert (Nathan Lane) who decides to pretend to be a woman so he can be part of proceedings.

Suffice to say, things don't go to plan, with hilarious consequences.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%

2. Legally Blonde

Watch Reese Witherspoon star as sorority girl Elle who is on a mission to win back her ex-boyfriend - by joining Harvard law school.

The light-hearted comedy brings the laughs as Elle battles stereotypes against blondes to succeed in the iconic educational establishment.

Legally Blonde also stars Luke Wilson and Selma Blair.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 70%

3. The Lost City

Sandra Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a reclusive author who writes popular adventure novels set in exotic places, all with a handsome cover model called Alan.

Loretta and Alan (Channing Tatum) head off on tour to promote her latest novel, but the author is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who is convinced she can lead him to an ancient city and it's lost treasure after she wrote about it in the book.

Determined to prove he can be a hero in real life, Alan sets off to rescue her.

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Rating: 83%

4. Van Wilder

Ryan Reynolds has always been a funny guy, and he's firing on all cylinders in one of his earlier roles from 2002.

The star plays a college student who has been there for seven years and counting.

Men want to be him and women want to be with him, but something's got to give.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%

5. Clueless

A 90s coming-of-age classic starring Alicia Sliverstone as the popularity-obsessed teen Cher Horowitz.

Loosely based on the 1815 Jane Austen novel Emma, Cher tries to use her popularity to turn the fortunes of others attending her Beverly Hills high school, namely a new student named Tai Frasier, who Cher believes is in desperate need of a makeover.

Romance, friendship, heartbreak and sexuality are just a few of the themes touched upon.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%

Drama

6. The Burial 

This film is loosely based on the true story of Willie E.Gary - an unconventional lawyer - and his client Jeremiah Joseph.

Willie helps Jeremiah, a funeral home owner in financial troubles, save his family business from a corporate giant.

If you enjoy a solid courtroom drama with strong performances all round, this is the film for you.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%

7. Children of Men

Infertility threatens mankind with extinction in this 2006 sci-fi drama starring Clive Owen.

He plays a disillusioned bureaucrat who becomes the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of Earth's population.

He must protect the planet's last remaining hope from danger, while also facing his own demons.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%

8. Parasite

This South Korean satirical horror by Bong Joon Ho triumphed at the Oscars, and was the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The story follows two families, one rich, one poor, and follows what happens when the poor folk gradually invade the sprawling home of their richer counterparts.

While that doesn't give a lot away, it's best to leave it that way, so the film can pack a full punch when you watch it for the first time.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90%

9. The Covenant

You know when Guy Ritchie is involved, it's going to be a good film (Swept Away aside) and his latest offering is a gripping watch.

Set during the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of gruelling terrain.

It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the injured soldier, and Dar Salim as Ahmed, the interpreter.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 98%

10. Creed III

Fans of Michael B Jordan as Adonis Creed were not disappointed when this third instalment arrived in 2023.

Adonis is still at the top of his game, and thriving in his personal life too.

But when childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damian resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove he also deserves his spot in the ring.

The former friends end up facing off, but it's about much more than friendship, and Adonis is forced to put his future on the line to settle the score.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%

Sci Fi & Fantasy

11. Justice League

DC bring their version of The Avengers to life, with this dark epic that brings the world's finest superheroes together.

Wonderwoman, Batman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg all fight to save the world from a catastrophic end.

Bruce Wayne, played by Ben Affleck, brings together the superheroes after Superman's selfless act that restored faith in humanity.

Expect blockbuster action and jaw-dropping CGI aplenty.

Also starring Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams and Ezra Miller.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%

12. The Hunger Games

This 2012 film starring Jennifer Lawrence is where the successful film series began.
But don't get distracted with the thought of sequels just yet, focus solely on the gripping story of a dystopian world where two 'tributes' from each of the 12 districts of Panem fight to the death each year at The Hunger Games.
Despite the odds literally being stacked against them, some of the tributes find hope in the darkest of places, which delivers a powerful message in these trying times.
It also includes plenty of action, suspense and tension with a strong performance by Oscar-winner Jennifer as protagonist Katniss Everdeen.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%

Romance

13. I Want You Back

I Want You Back, directed by Jason Orley, premiered earlier this year.

It is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger.

The Amazon original film follows a group of teens who have just been broken up with and they try to ruin their former partner's new relationships.

It stars Charlie Day and Jenny Slate.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 87%

14. Dating Amber

Dating Amber focuses on the highs and lows of teenage life where the only way to fit in is to not be yourself.

The movie is set in Ireland during the mid-90's and focuses on two closeted teenagers called Eddie and Amber.

They decide to stage a relationship in order to stop everyone speculating about their sexuality.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

15. The Big Sick

Real-life couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani penned this 2017 film about Pakistani-American culture-shock romance.
Kumail also stars in the film as a version of himself, while Zoe Kazan plays Emily, with the pair meeting just before Emily falls into a coma.
Kumail suddenly finds himself dealing with parents as well as his heartache between hospital visits in a movie that manages to avoid any cringe-worthy cliches.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%

Action

16.Top Gun: Maverick

It may have taken decades for this sequel to arrive, but it was sure worth the wait.

If you missed it on the big screen, it's still worth checking out Tom Cruise reprising his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell.

Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a test pilot, and doing everything he can to avoid the advancement in rank that would keep his two feet firmly on the ground.

But when he is tasked with training graduates for a special operation, Maverick has to face his deepest fears - and ghosts from his past.

It's an exhilarating couple of hours, so strap yourself in.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%

17. 21 Bridges 

Black Panther's late star Chadwick Boseman plays an NYPD detective who is thrown into a citywide manhunt for a pair of cop killers.

After uncovering a massive conspiracy the night unfolds and the line becomes blurred on who he is supposed to be pursuing. 

The title is shown when all 21 Bridges in Manhattan are to be closed in order to prevent the entry or exit of anyone on the island. 

Rotten Tomatoes  Rating: 91%

18. The Great Escape

An absolute classic film starring Steve McQueen,  The Great Escape is based on a non-fiction book by Paul Brickhill, which itself is loosely based on real events during World War II.

Allied prisoners plot to escape from a German war camp en mass, which includes an escape tunnel and a whole host of planes, trains and boats.

The star-studded cast also features Richard Attenborough and James Garner.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%

19. No Time To Die

In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help.

The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

The film serves as an exhilarating swansong to Daniel Craig's tenure as the iconic double-0 agent, complete with several stunning action set-pieces and a truly jaw-dropping conclusion that proved this franchise can still spring a shock.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83%

20. Suicide Squad

Following the death of Superman, intelligence officer Amanda Waller convinces Washington DC officials to let her assemble Task Force X, a team of lethal criminals. Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc are among those strong-armed into a deadly mission involving an archaeologist possessed by a demonic witch.

Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave...and Amanda Waller's government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they're dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself).

Fantasy adventure based on the DC Comics, starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90%

Horror/Thriller

21. The Silence of the Lambs

This 1991 is one of the few films to win the 'Big Five' at the Oscars; Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.
Jodie Foster plays an FBI trainee who is tasked with interviewing Sir Anthony Hopkins' serial killer, Hannibal Lecter.
The cat and mouse game that follows is nothing short of chilling and will definitely send a shiver down your spine.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%

22. Shaun of the Dead

Simon Pegg stars in this comedy horror which he also wrote alongside director Edgar Wright.

It follows Shaun and his friend Ed, played by Nick Frost, as they are initially unaware of a zombie outbreak.

Once realisation dawns on them, they attempt to seek refuge in their local pub with their loved ones, with varying degrees of success.