Content reigns supreme in the battlefields of streaming video. Netflix may have the most buzz and the biggest viewership among the main three services, Disney+ may have the most recognisable properties, but Prime Video has the largest library of films. Currently, Netflix has just over 3,800 films available, which is less than half of Prime Video’s library (depending on the country). Prime Video has over 9,000 films available. But instead of just depending on other studios for films, Prime Video is now expanding its selection of original films.
Following its 2006 launch, Prime Video expanded its selection by signing streaming agreements with companies including Universal and Lionsgate. When Amazon bought MGM in 2021, they were able to add certain iconic films to their catalogue, including the James Bond series. But in 2015, Spike Lee’s comedy drama Chi-Raq, the first original movie from the newly established Amazon Studios, debuted on Prime Video. With original films from a range of directors, Amazon Original Films now adds additional quality to Prime Video’s quantity.
With different degrees of success, Amazon Studios has equaled Netflix in terms of producing high-profile films with a sizable budget and teaming up with A-list actors. The 2017 Woody Allen film Wonder Wheel was a critical disaster, while the Coming to America and Borat sequels were both huge flops. But films like Good Night Oppy, The Lost City of Z (starring Charlie Hunnam), and The Tomorrow War (starring Chris Pratt) all earned positive reviews. However, some other films stood out significantly and received multiple nominations and Academy Awards. The top Prime Video Original Movies, which are exclusive to the streaming service, are listed below and rated for your approval.
Air (2023)
Air, a movie made by Amazon Studios that can only be viewed on Prime Video after its limited theatrical run, is based on the actual tale of Nike’s attempts to sign Michael Jordan as a spokesperson in 1984. Here, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon team up to deliver yet another successful movie. While Damon portrays Sonny Vaccarro, the Nike basketball scout who believes Jordan will alter the NBA and has to be a Nike spokesperson, Affleck directs Air and also stars as Nike CEO Phil Knight. More fascinating than any corporate drama should be, this film is.
Argentina, 1985 (2022)
Director Santiago Mitre of Argentina’s Argentina, 1985, which is based on a true story, follows the prosecutors who risked everything to punish the military commanders of the nation’s former dictatorship. It is a chilling account of the torture and murder carried out by Argentina’s former leaders in the name of human rights. As the chief prosecutor who faced death threats in order to bring the nation’s past leaders to justice, Ricardo Darn does a superb job. It’s a compelling movie about a little-known American story.
Honey Boy (2019)
Your perspective of Shia LaBeouf will probably change after watching Honey Boy because it is based on his actual experiences as a kid actor. It’s a close-up look at the bond between a father who has personal problems and his young kid, who is having a hard time figuring himself out. Shia is excellent in the character of an overbearing father who takes advantage of his son, Noah Jupe, an aspiring actor. LaBeouf did acknowledge that some instances of parental abuse depicted in the movie didn’t actually happen to him, but since the movie isn’t strictly autobiographical, it has little bearing on the emotional effect of this heartfelt drama from filmmaker Alma Har’el.
Lucy and Desi (2022)
Lucy and Desi, a wonderful documentary that offers a new, perceptive viewpoint on the private and professional life of TV icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was directed by Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation). This two-time Emmy winner features tonnes of archival material that has been expertly mixed with recently released voice recordings. Even if all you liked was Lucy, you’ll adore this touching homage.
We could add at least six more Prime Video documentaries to this list, but Lucy and Desi stands out among them all. The documentary outperforms Aaron Sorkin’s lacklustre dramatisation of Lucy and Desi’s lives from Amazon Studios’ 2021, Being the Ricardos, which is also available to stream on Prime Video.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
There is just one Manchester by the Sea (2016) Best Picture nominee. The movie Manchester by the Sea is challenging to watch. Almost all of the characters in the movie have flaws and personal problems, and the story is framed by an unimaginable catastrophe. For his portrayal of a devastated father who must care for his nephew when his brother passes away, Casey Affleck earned the Best Actor Oscar. Affleck’s personal problems overshadowed the award, but the movie stands out as a powerful examination of bereavement.
The movie received six nominations overall, and writer/director Kenneth Lonergan won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The first movie produced by a streaming service to receive a Best Picture nomination was Manchester by the Sea.
Nanny (2022)
The unsettling psychological thriller Nanny took home Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. In the major part as an immigrant serving as a nanny for a rich New York City couple, Anna Diop excels. Aisha of Diop is plagued by startling visions that appear to be alerting her to imminent disaster. The film is Nikyatu Jusu’s outstanding feature film directorial debut, fusing themes of class conflict with paranormal hauntings. This isn’t your typical horror movie; instead, it’s a slow-burning, frightening visual journey.
One Night in Miami (2021)
Regina King made her feature film directorial debut with the magnificent One Night in Miami, a fictionalised version of a real-life meeting between four African American legends. Regina King’s performance has received numerous Emmy nominations (Watchmen, Seven Seconds), an Oscar (If Beale Street Could Talk), and other honours. On the night Ali defeated Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight title, Malcolm X (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.) sat down and talk about the civil rights movement and their roles in it. Odom for Best Supporting Actor and Kemp Powers for Best Adapted Screenplay (based on his stage play) were among the film’s three Academy Award nominations.
Sound of Metal (2019)
Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a drummer in a metal band who unexpectedly starts losing his hearing at an alarming rate and must reevaluate his life, in director Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, which received a well-deserved Best Picture Oscar nomination. The Walking Dead actress Lauren Ridloff, as well as other real members of the deaf community, give outstanding performances throughout the entire movie.
Paul Raci, who costarred with Ahmed, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and the movie won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Film Editing. Ahmed received a nomination for Best Actor. The opening scene, which is expertly directed by Marder, grips you and won’t let go. There isn’t a single fake scene during the entire movie, which makes for a fantastic viewing experience.
The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick, a 2017 film based on their real-life experiences, received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay from spouses Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon. As a stand-up comedian who falls in love with a girl, Nanjiani contrasts her Midwestern culture with his Pakistani Muslim one. Their bond is put to the test when she develops a serious illness. Although the plot takes a dark turn, the movie is consistently funny, making it one of the most unexpectedly delightful comedies in recent memory.
The Vast of Night (2019)
This bizarre sci-fi thriller is more than just a great parody of The Twilight Zone; it accurately mirrors it. The Vast of Night, which is narrated by a Rod Serling soundalike and is presented as an episode of “Paradox Theatre,” takes place in a small New Mexico community in the late 1950s. Inquisitive adolescent Sierra McCormick and radio host Jake Horowitz start looking into odd happenings, which leads them to think a UFO might be hovering over the town in the night sky. This is cerebral sci-fi, something the genre sorely lacks these days, and it is accented by lengthy takes and quick dialogue.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
It was somewhat of a coup for Prime Video to obtain the Ron Howard-directed movie Thirteen Lives (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), which is based on the actual summer 2018 rescue of a boys football team from a flooded cave in Thailand. Although the first part of the movie drags, the second half is fantastic. Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton play the divers who oversaw the rescue efforts. There is so much more covered here that this movie is watchable even if you were following the story at the time it occurred. For stories where you already know the ending, Howard seems to be a master at creating tension.
