Amazon Prime Video offers free-to-stream movies for Prime subscribers, and there’s a huge selection of great films on there right now, many hidden away in its depths. So here’s our pick of the best films you can watch or download right now from Prime Video.
An Amazon Prime subscription gives you access to an enormous amount of stuff, beyond the fantastic one-day delivery service. You can enjoy free books with Amazon Prime Reading, music streaming and downloads via Amazon’s answer to Spotify, and of course get stuck into a whopping great catalogue of TV shows and movies on Prime Video.
How do I watch Amazon Prime Video?
First of all you will need to sign up for an Amazon Prime Video subscription, which currently costs £79 per year. Not too bad considering all the stuff you get in return. You can then begin streaming video via Amazon’s website or else using the Prime Video app.
How can I watch Amazon Prime Video on my computer?
Prime Video’s desktop player works on the majority of browsers. If you’re using an older browser or system, you may need to install Microsoft Silverlight – see Amazon’s help page for more details. We’ve compiled a guide on how to get Amazon Prime Video on your TV and review both the Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Box, both of which give you streamlined access to Amazon’s services.
How can I watch Amazon Prime Video on my TV?
Many smart TVs come with Amazon’s Prime Video app pre-installed, or at the very least you should be able to find this app on your telly’s online app store.
Alternatively, you can always hook up a smart streamer such as the Amazon Fire TV, or Nvidia’s Shield TV. Check out our complete guide on watching Prime Video on your telly for full instructions.
How can I watch Amazon Prime Video on my Android phone or tablet, iPhone or iPad?
If you have an iPhone, you can stream movies and even download them to your device using Amazon’s Prime Video app. Just head to the App Store and download the app and sign in with your Amazon credentials. You will then have full access to the Prime film catalogue.
Android owners will unfortunately have to download another Amazon app first, as the Prime Video offering can’t be found on Google Play. Check out our full instructions to get it up and running on your device.
What are the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video right now?
You’ll find a massive selection of movies covering every genre, from comedy to action to horror, available to stream or download on Prime Video. There’s a fair few indie gems stuck away in there too, which you might have missed until now. Here’s our favourite films included with Amazon Prime.
If you’re craving a boxset, check out our pick of the best Amazon Prime Video TV shows and the company’s own ‘Amazon Original’ shows, to keep you glued to the telly all weekend long.
Best action movies on Amazon Prime Video
To get your pulse racing and your pores leaking, check out the following intense action picks – all available to stream for Prime members for free.
John Wick
Keanu Reeves was absolutely the perfect choice to play retired assassin John Wick, who finds himself clashing with a local gangster after a run-in with the mobster’s witless son. They killed his dog, so now he’s going to shoot every last one of them in the face at close range, in a series of heart-racing action scenes. With its tongue stuck at least partly in its cheek and some great supporting work from the likes of Willem Dafoe, John Wick is one of the most stylish shoot ‘em ups to hit the big screen in ages. You can watch it now on Prime Video, and then go rent the sequel.
Free Fire
Ben Wheatley’s latest movie is basically an extended gunfight, the kind of thing that would take up just a single scene in most other films. However, thanks to the razor sharp script, excellent cast and Wheatley’s expert eye, Free Fire provides some of the most tense, engaging and surprisingly hilarious moments of recent cinema history. At a taut 90 minutes and with little space to breathe, the time will fly by.
Demolition Man
Sure, Sly Stallone and Wesley Snipes’ sci-fi action flick is showing its age these days, but watching these two heavyweights face off is still a thrill. Snipes plays a psychopath called Simon who is frozen for his crimes, and then thawed out in a future that’s almost entirely crime free. The only one who can stop him is Stallone as the titular character, so named because things tend to get a little bit blown up when he’s around.
Best comedy movies on Amazon Prime Video
Up for a giggle? Here’s the funniest films on Amazon Prime right now.
Weird Science
If you first saw this as an awkward male teenager, then so much of the painfully awkward antics will resonate. And if not, you can still enjoy big belly laughs as Gary and Wyatt manage to manufacture the perfect woman in their bedroom. Includes a cameo from a very young Robert Downey Jr, wearing a bra on his head.
Clue
Although a movie based on a board game sounds like an utterly ridiculous idea (we’re looking at you, Battleships), Clue actually works incredibly well. The story sees six strangers invited to a sinister mansion by the mysterious Mr Black, who as it turns out is blackmailing them all. Well, one thing leads to another and the blackmailer ends up dead. Question is, who did it and with what weapon?
The reason Clue works is because some brilliant actors, including Tim Curry, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd and Michael McKean (of Better Call Saul fame in recent times), were assembled for the cast. A witty script and sharp delivery makes for a truly entertaining experience.
The Lego Movie
One of the most charming animations of recent times, The Lego Movie is a heart-warming movie that really does appeal to all ages. Not to mention fricking hilarious. You can stream it now on Amazon, but be warned; that theme song will get itself stuck in your head for the entire day.
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson definitely produces love-them-or-hate-them movies, but we challenge anyone not to be won over by this charming and consistently funny tale. A scout and his rather stern and serious girlfriend go on the run, tracked across the land by the boy’s peers, who take the term ‘manhunt’ a little too seriously. As always the supporting cast are sublime, with Bill Murray, Ed Norton and Bruce Willis breathing life into their characters.
Team America World Police
Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s hilarious satire on the American war effort never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it. The Team America World Police must thwart a terrorist attack, spearheaded by an evil league of Hollywood stars. Yes, including Maaaatt Daaaamooooon.
Best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video
Gore hounds and thrill seekers will love the following horror flicks, available for free streaming for Prime members right now.
Oculus
As far as recent horror movies go, not many have been interesting enough to stick out in mind. However, Oculus is definitely one of the more imaginative and intriguing ones, introducing us to an evil mirror that can corrupt people and bring nasty things into our world. Two siblings have to work together to destroy the thing once and for all, while dealing with their own personal demons. Definitely worth a watch, as it’s now freely available on Prime Video.
Delicatessen
One for watching in between bouts of Fallout 4, Delicatessen is a black comedy that chronicles the survival efforts of a group of apartment tenants eking out a living in post-apocalyptic France. Not one for the squeamish this – the film’s title swiftly becomes apparent.
Best crime movies on Amazon Prime Video
Dirty dealings, risky robberies and gangster hi-jinks are the subjects of the following flicks.
Goodfellas
We don’t think there’s any real need to introduce Scorsese’s stunning gangster movie, one of the greatest crime films ever conceived. All that needs to be said is you can stream it right now as part of your Amazon Prime subscription.
Hell or High Water
Anyone with a healthy dislike of banks (so that’d be everyone, then) will get a kick out of this off-kilter drama about a pair of brothers, who make it their mission to rob a whole bunch of them in order to save their family home. A tight script filled with laughs as well as shocks elevates this movie above its peers, despite the rather simple plot. The excellent casting also helps, with Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges on top form. Even Chris Pine is pretty good in it.
Best drama movies on Amazon Prime Video
For a casual bit of afternoon viewing, the following drama flicks come highly recommended.
E.T.
This classic Spielberg 80s masterpiece about a lost alien and his new family must have dragged a tear or two out of every cinephile by now. Chances are you haven’t watched it in a while though, so here’s your chance to relive your youth and blub all over again.
I, Daniel Blake
If you’ve seen a Ken Loach film before, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. Daniel finds himself unable to work because of an unexpected disability, which thrusts him into the nonsensical and thoroughly frustrating bureaucracy of the UK benefits system.
You’ll laugh out loud as much as you’ll seethe at the rage-inducing idiocy of the play-by-the-rules robots that our hero clashes with. Of course, this is a very unsympathetic portrayal of government workers, but still has the ability to grab you and make you really care about the characters.
Our other picks for best Amazon Prime Video movies
Some of the following flicks are difficult to slot into a single genre, but we still absolutely love them. If you have a Prime membership, you need to get involved pronto.
My Life As A Courgette
This charming animation is tragic, emotional and hilarious in equal measure, which makes it one of the standout Amazon Prime Video titles right now. A young boy, Courgette, finds himself stuck away in an orphanage full of colourful characters after his mother’s sudden demise. Shenanigans and indeed antics follow. Just watch it already.
Persepolis
A slick animation based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name, Persepolis – the ancient Greek name for the old Persian capital – offers Western audiences a view of life growing up against the background of the 1979 Revolution in Iran. In the context of recent developments, this makes for mandatory watching.
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