If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through Amazon Prime Video in search of something good to watch, then you’ve likely experienced the sensation of decision paralysis that goes along with that scrolling and wondered whether you’ll ever find that perfect movie.
If you’d like to avoid wasting all that time, then we’ve got you covered. We’ve pulled together three of the best movies currently streaming on Prime Video, each representing a different genre.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, and the best shows on Disney+.
Crimson Tide
Gene Hackman was one of our great movie stars for a reason. Crimson Tide, which stars Hackman and Denzel Washington as two officers on a nuclear submarine who have a fundamental disagreement about whether to fire their arsenal, is riveting and remarkably small scale.
Almost all of the movie’s action takes place on the sub, and many of its biggest scenes are verbal sparring wars between its two central characters, who have a fundamental disagreement about what it means to follow orders. Washington is the movie’s hero, and he’s one of the few actors who can hold his own with Hackman for more than 90 minutes. The result is a tense action movie with fewer set pieces than you might imagine.
You can watch Crimson Tide on Amazon Prime Video.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1967)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is widely regarded as one of the best Western movies ever made, but its reputation is so massive that it can feel almost intimidating.
The good news is that this movie is actually very easy to watch. Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name is an icon, and the film’s final shootout is widely regarded as one of the best in the history of movies. What’s just as important, though, are the three hours that lead us to it, where we come to appreciate why each of these men has arrived at this point.
You can watch The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on Amazon Prime Video.
Challengers (2024)
Tennis has been played in some great movies, but perhaps no movie is quite as good as Challengers. The film, which follows a trio of young tennis stars who are also in a love triangle as they age, is about love, competition, and what drives a person. It’s also, and this is really important, a great movie about tennis. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and especially Josh O’Connor are all excellent.
Director Luca Guadagnino totally commits to the kinetic aesthetic of the game. Challengers is a fun romantic dramedy, and it’s exactly the kind of movie we should get at least four of every year.
You can watch Challengers on Amazon Prime Video.