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The 15 best movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video

Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe in Blow the Man Down.
Amazon Studios
While clicking through Amazon Prime Video, you’ve probably come across a handful of Amazon original movies. They can be hit and miss, but some of them are surprising gems.Amazon snaps up movies like Manchester by the Sea to show in the US, but it also nabs worldwide rights to originals perfect for a night in with a smaller screen.

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Hopefully you’ll find something to your taste (and available in your country) below.The Big SickKumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan in The Big Sick.
Amazon Studios
The Big Sick introduced the world to Kumail Nanjiani, who co-wrote the movie based on his real-life romance with partner Emily V. Gordon. After the pair go on a few promising dates, Emily inexplicably falls ill and must be placed in an induced coma. While Kumail gets to know her worried parents at the hospital, his own Pakistani family keep arranging dates for him with other women. Not only ripe for cultural comedy setups, The Big Sick is a down-to-earth and heartfelt story of an interracial couple.

You Were Never Really HereJoaquin Phoenix in You Were Never Really Here.
Amazon Studios
A psychological thriller starring a pre-Joker Joaquin Phoenix? Yeah, more people need to watch You Were Never Really Here. Lynne Ramsay’s masterful take on a story about a hitman who’s hired to rescue a politician’s daughter from a human trafficking network, is stark, brutal and mercifully straight to the point, running at a taut 90 minutes. With Phoenix doing his brilliant committed actor thing, You Were Never Really Here isn’t your average thriller.Brittany Runs a MarathonJillian Bell in Brittany Runs a Marathon.
Amazon Studios
Not only an enjoyable comedy, Brittany Runs a Marathon hits close to home, focused on the things we’re all obsessed with: food, body image and exercise. Brittany, played by the effortlessly relatable Jillian Bell, receives strong advice from her doctor to lose weight and cut the hard-partying lifestyle. She starts running, taking all the tough steps toward the life-changing finish line. Watch it from your couch, then be inspired to head outside for a jog.SuspiriaDakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton in Suspiria.
Amazon Studios
Luca Guadagnino’s horror framed in a bleak, arthouse window won’t be for everyone, but for those who go down the rabbit hole of its prestigious Berlin dance school, you’re in for a twisted treat. Tilda Swinton is the majestic lead teacher, who mentors young ingenue Dakota Johnson. Be warned: The flexible dancers bring new contortions to body horror. It’s a long movie at over 2 and a half hours, but if you’re into disturbing visuals and a touch of witchcraft, there are a couple of jaw-dropping scenes you’ll want to stick around for.The Lost City of ZCharlie Hunnam in The Lost City of Z.
Amazon Studios
Based on the life of British adventurer Percy Fawcett, The Lost City of Z drops you into the Amazon Rainforest on the search for an ancient lost city. If that setup for adventure isn’t enticing enough, the movie stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson and Tom Holland … with a moustache. A beautiful, grandiose film put together with great care, The Lost City of Z might move slower than you think, but that only enhances its fascinating psychological layers.Manchester by the SeaMichelle Williams and Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea.
Amazon Studios
Prepare for Amazon’s first big, prestigious movie to wallop you in the chest. A broken man who’s experienced terrible losses becomes the guardian of his teenage nephew. Lee Chandler’s story will hit you with punch after emotional punch, as will the immense performances from the likes of Michelle Williams. Another accomplishment from Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea is full-bodied, unforgettable storytelling.The HandmaidenKim Tae-ri and Kim Min-hee in The Handmaiden.
Amazon Studios
Even if you’ve heard good things about The Handmaiden, nothing can prepare you for the insane twists this exquisite South Korean movie takes. Classed as an erotic psychological thriller, The Handmaiden contains explicit scenes you should probably avoid watching with parents around. It all kicks off with a con man wooing a Japanese heiress with the intention of committing her to an asylum once they’re married. But his pickpocket partner who poses as her maid strays from the plan. If you’ve been getting into South Korean films thanks to Parasite, this is a must watch.PatersonAdam Driver in Paterson.
Amazon Studios
In trademark Jim Jarmusch style, this low-key indie narrows in on the finer details of regular life with a distinct sense of humor. Spanning one week, Paterson follows a bus driver and poet named Paterson who listens to passengers talking, takes his dog for walks and stops for beers at his local bar. Adam Driver alone makes all that endlessly watchable. Dotted with the idiosyncratic characters living in a New Jersey town, Paterson offers a wise take on life, delving into personal setbacks and the new paths weaved around them.Late NightEmma Thompson in Late Night.
Amazon Studios
Written by and starring Mindy Kaling, Late Night follows an acclaimed news show host whose ratings are on the decline. She hires a female, Indian-American writer to shake up her white male writer’s room. Never preachy, while making an argument for transforming Emma Thompson into a real-life talk show host, Late Night is lively comedy with hints of The Devil Wears Prada. That alone should be a solid reason to watch it.Cold WarJoanna Kulig in Cold War.
Amazon Studios
Following lovers from different backgrounds and temperaments, Pawel Pawlikowski’s historical drama is set in a ravaged, post-World War II Poland. Zula is an ambitious young singer faking a peasant identity, while Wiktor is a jazz musician holding auditions for a state-sponsored folk music ensemble. The politics are handled elegantly and the black-and-white visuals are precise and beautiful. For an 88-minute treat of sumptuous, passionate, almost impossible love story, look no further than Cold War.The Vast of NightSierra McCormick in The Vast of Night.
Amazon Studios
The Vast of Night is a curious indie sci-fi from debut director Andrew Patterson that plays with narrative in clever ways. Long, sweeping shots carry us after two young radio workers who investigate an audio frequency they think could be traced to aliens. The distinct 1950s New Mexico setting, and characters delivering monologues with the smooth intonations of those on radio, all build an eerie atmosphere with satisfying payoff.Honey BoyShia LaBeouf in Honey Boy.
Amazon Studios
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this autobiographical movie about a child actor and his relationship with his father. We follow Otis, who’s traumatized after days on set accompanied with his father, a former rodeo clown. LaBeouf actually plays the character inspired by his father, giving Honey Boy even more psychological layers. This is fascinating, cinematic therapy from a singular perspective.I Am Not Your NegroJames Baldwin in I Am Not Your Negro.
Amazon Studios
I Am Not Your Negro is a documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and inspired by a collection of notes and letters written by American writer and activist James Baldwin in the mid-’70s. The subject of these memoirs? His close friends and revolutionary civil rights leaders Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. Exploring the history of racism in the US, I Am Not Your Negro spotlights the painful struggle for civil rights through Baldwin’s observations.One Child NationDocumentary One Child Nation.
Amazon Studios
One Child Nation gives you an illuminating look at China’s one-child policy that lasted from 1979 to 2015. Its directors, Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, were born during this period and explore the aftereffects of what had become a normal aspect of life for Chinese people. Looking at the unpleasant side of the “population war” through the experiences of a wide variety of people, One Child Nation is a stark illustration of this period of Chinese history.Blow the Man DownMorgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe in Blow the Man Down.
Amazon Studios
The Coen Brothers meet Wes Anderson in this black comedy thriller steered by two brilliant young female leads. Set in a snowy fishing town in Maine, Blow the Man Down follows sisters, played by Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe, who try to hide the body of a man after he attacked one of them and she fought back. While on their crime caper, they find themselves digging up the town matriarchs’ dark secrets, spinning this into noir mystery. It’s as wonderful as it sounds.
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