My 7 favorite movies new to Prime Video this month
Prime Video is one of the best streaming services out there, in no small part because it comes included with your Amazon Prime membership. But it’s not just good value — it also comes with a massive content library filled with great movies.
Even better? Amazon adds new movies every month so you’re not stuck repeating the same classics. These movies hit a wide range of genres too, from Academy Award winners to comedies, dramas, action thrillers and more. It may not have every movie, but there’s so much available that you won’t be hurting for choice.
Of course, you then have to actually pick which movies you want to watch, and with so many to choose from, that can be daunting. Luckily for you, I have you covered. Here are my seven favorite movies new to Prime Video this month.
10 Things I Hate About You
When it comes to teen comedies of the 1990s, few are as beloved as 10 Things I Hate About You. Starring Julia Styles as Katarina “Kat” Stratford and Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, this movie is widely considered the breakout performance for both and their costar Joseph Gord-Levitt, who plays Cameron James, a new student in love with Kat’s sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik).
10 Things I Hate About You may not be a cinematic masterpiece — but for a teen romantic comedy, it’s witty and brilliantly written. It may help that it’s pulling from excellent source material, as the movie is really a retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, which allowed English teachers everywhere an excuse to show it in school. The soundtrack is also excellent, including live performances in the movie by Letters to Cleo and Save Ferris. If you want a fun movie to unwind with, or even a date night movie, this is the best choice from Prime Video this month.
Watch on Prime Video
2001: A Space Odyssey
It may be tough to make the transition from a fun witty '90s romp to Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction epic, but trust me it’s well worth it. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece, and is considered by many (including this writer) to be one of the greatest movies ever made. It also features one of the most iconic opening themes in movie history with its use of the Richard Strauss composition "Also Sprach Zarathustra" in the opening scene. If you saw Barbie this summer, director Greta Gerwig plays homage to Kubrick with her use of elements of this scene, including the soundtrack, in the opening scene of her film.
But as iconic as the opening score is, the rest of the movie is what makes 2001: A Space Odyssey a classic. While the movie lacks dialogue, and at times is intimidating in its presentation, its exploration of human evolution, alien life and technology make it a quintessential science fiction film. It also gives us an early look at the dangers of AI thanks to the computer HAL 9000 (voiced by Douglas Rain). You’ll want to clear out some time to watch it, but it’ll be well worth the investment.
Watch on Prime Video
Face/Off
Think what you will of Nicolas Cage the man, but the range of Nicolas Cage the actor is impressive. And in Face/Off, he takes on one of his most iconic and difficult roles, as he has to embody two men over the course of the movie's action-packed 133 minutes.
I don’t want to give away too much, but let’s just leave it at Cage as criminal Castor Troy isn’t the only one pulling double duty in Face/Off. John Travolta stars alongside Cage as FBI special agent Sean Archer, and he too must embody another to see his vengeance on Troy through to the end. In fact, these men must fully immerse themselves in each other to gain victory over the other, and the depths they’ll go to are truly shocking. This John Woo action thriller is one of the most unique action movies ever made and is a must-watch for any action movie fan. I promise you, there’s nothing else out there quite like it.
Watch on Prime Video
Four Weddings and a Funeral
I knew of Four Weddings and a Funeral long before I ever saw it in a hotel in Tenerife because it was one of the only things on in English. This romantic comedy launched Hugh Grant from movie actor to movie star and it’s easy to see why. Grant's Charles is effortlessly charming throughout the movie and his romance with Carrie (Andie McDowell) is one of the most enjoyable on-screen romances to watch in any romantic comedy — or movie for that matter.
Grant and McDowell aren’t the only ones who make Four Weddings and a Funeral a delight to watch, and equally hilarious. The film also features Charles’ entourage of Tom (James Fleet), Gareth (Simon Callow), Matthew (John Hannah), Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), David (David Bower) and Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman), who join Charles as they go through wedding season (and one funeral). You also get a comedic heat-check performance from Rowan Atkinson as Father Gerald, who never misses the entire movie. If you want a romantic comedy a little more mature than 10 Things I Hate About You, Four Weddings and a Funeral is an excellent alternative.
Watch on Prime Video
Rocky
I’ve recently produced lists of the best football movies and best baseball movies you can stream right now, and they’re all worth watching. But with Rocky, Prime Video just added the best sports movie of all time to its catalog. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the titular Rocky Balboa, Rocky would go on to win multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It would also earn Stallone two nominations for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay, which is arguably even more remarkable than the Oscar wins the movie received.
Some people may complain about the movie’s ending — and if for some reason you’re left feeling unsatisfied, you can watch Rocky II on Prime Video as well once you’re done with the original. But once you’ve seen Rocky, I think you’ll agree that it couldn’t end any other way. Either way, you certainly won’t regret watching what may be the best movie on this entire list.
Watch on Prime Video
The Bourne Identity
Before there was John Wick, and before there was Taken, Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in the Bourne Identity was the ultimate example of a movie star turned action movie god. In it, Damon plays an amnesiac who turns out to be a CIA asset on the run or gone rogue, depending on your point of view. What follows is just under two hours of interwoven conspiracies and incredible action set pieces.
Aside from Damon, the cast is actually quite loaded. Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) plays Marie Kreutz, who teams up with Bourne for part of the movie. There’s also Chris Cooper as the head of Treadstone, the CIA program hunting Bourne, Clive Owen as The Professor, A CIA asset tasked with killing Bourne and Brian Cox as CIA deputy director Ward Abbott.
Once you’re done with The Bourne Identity, make it an action movie marathon and watch its sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. While Identity may be the better standalone action movie, Supremacy is excellent, and features one of the best car chases in action movie history.
Watch on Prime Video
The Motorcycle Diaries
If you’re someone who doesn’t typically go for foreign-language movies, I get it. But I promise that it is worth making an exception for The Motorcycle Diaries. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal as Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the movie is based on his real-life journey through South America prior to becoming the Marxist revolutionary most know him as today.
In fact, it’s this journey that begins Guevara’s turn toward communist revolutionary — he starts it as a 23-year-old medical student about to graduate. But as he and his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) make their way through the mountains, deserts and rainforests of South America, he discovers the horrors befalling the working-class communities they travel through. While the movie will require subtitles for those who don’t speak Spanish, you’ll quickly find yourself not caring. It’s one of the best foreign language films I’ve ever seen and still sticks with me to this day.
Watch on Prime Video
