There’s nothing quite like a good movie. Grabbing some popcorn, pouring a drink, and sitting down with the lights turned low can make for an immersive, theatrical experience at any time of day. And guess what? It doesn’t even have to be in a movie theater!
Thanks to streaming services like Amazon Prime, there are more movies and TV shows available for streaming than ever before. On Amazon Prime alone there are over 24,000 movies to choose from – nearly anything and everything cinema. Sure, there are some stinkers, but by and large you’ll find a wide range of blockbuster masterpieces and award-winning films for your viewing pleasure. (On Amazon and elsewhere, here are Best Picture nominees and winners you can stream right now.)
In the ever-changing pandemic, streaming a movie is often a better option than going to a theater. Plus, you get to make the choice of what you want to see – anytime! (And it’s not just movies. Here are now-streaming classic TV shows that will keep you on the edge of your seat.)
To determine the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime this April, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of April 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood, and directorial credits are from IMDb.)
Click here to see the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this month
Source: Courtesy of Vitagraph Films
50. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (47,117 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (55,732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (105 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Coscarelli
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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
49. The Rock (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (323,201 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (305,314 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Bay
Source: Courtesy of Code Red
48. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (144,732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (35,418 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (210 reviews)
> Directed by: Lynne Ramsay
Source: Courtesy of Bleecker Street Media
47. Trumbo (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (79,309 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (22,880 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (208 reviews)
> Directed by: Jay Roach
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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
46. The Color of Money (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (78,707 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (46,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
45. GoldenEye (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (245,610 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (285,758 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (79 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Campbell
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Source: Courtesy of Must Käsi
44. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (82,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (39,374 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (207 reviews)
> Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Source: Courtesy of Rogue Pictures
43. Fearless (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (74,417 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (141,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (110 reviews)
> Directed by: Ronny Yu
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
42. Titanic (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (1,092,513 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (35,797,635 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (193 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
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Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
41. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (396,506 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,859,947 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (210 reviews)
> Directed by: Len Wiseman
Source: Courtesy of 101 Films
40. Coherence (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (117,703 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,939 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (89 reviews)
> Directed by: James Ward Byrkit
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Source: Courtesy of CBS Films
39. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (146,256 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (45,114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (286 reviews)
> Directed by: Ethan Coen
Source: Courtesy of Bleecker Street Media
38. Paterson (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (75,911 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (16,194 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (262 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Source: Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures
37. Lincoln (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (252,083 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (245,942 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
36. Carrie (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (175,705 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (353,181 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
35. The City of Lost Children (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (66,670 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (65,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Caro
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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
34. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (132,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (131,515 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
Source: Courtesy of Universal Studios
33. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (298,246 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (256,798 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (154 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel Coen
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
32. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (488,439 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (397,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Webb
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Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures
31. Heathers (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (95,825 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (75,561 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Lehmann
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
30. Garden State (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (211,487 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (330,130 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (192 reviews)
> Directed by: Zach Braff
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
29. Braveheart (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (988,748 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (32,708,456 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
Source: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
28. The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (53,384 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (35,818 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (144 reviews)
> Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
27. Walk the Line (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (241,495 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (545,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (210 reviews)
> Directed by: James Mangold
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Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
26. Cast Away (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (551,582 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (744,162 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
25. District 9 (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (654,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,178,687 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (314 reviews)
> Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
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Source: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
24. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (261,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (50,382 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (352 reviews)
> Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
23. The Wailing (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (59,362 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Hong-jin Na
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
22. Forrest Gump (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,905,676 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,244,237 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
21. October Sky (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (86,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (66,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Johnston
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
20. Rushmore (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (176,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (186,244 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (105 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Anderson
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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
19. The Sixth Sense (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (942,340 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,036,884 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (158 reviews)
> Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
18. Dead Poets Society (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (449,222 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (307,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (58 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Weir
Source: Courtesy of CBS Films Distribution
17. Pride (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (54,294 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (16,261 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (153 reviews)
> Directed by: Matthew Warchus
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Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
16. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (454,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (427,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (218 reviews)
> Directed by: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
15. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (69,456 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (31,111 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Woody Allen
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Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
14. The Big Sick (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (127,850 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (32,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (303 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Showalter
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
13. Charade (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (72,875 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (42,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
12. Young Frankenstein (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (149,974 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (209,397 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Brooks
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
11. The Elephant Man (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (230,550 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (64,618 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lynch
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
10. The General (1926)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (86,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (11,542 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
9. His Girl Friday (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (56,106 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
8. Fargo (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (643,417 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (234,520 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
7. The Terminator (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (820,969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
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Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
6. The Usual Suspects (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,028,997 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (435,145 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Bryan Singer
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
5. Die Hard (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (820,820 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (574,298 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (79 reviews)
> Directed by: John McTiernan
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Source: Courtesy of United Artists
4. The Apartment (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (172,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (38,259 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (72 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
3. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,855 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
2. Paths of Glory (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (187,198 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,412 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
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Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (422,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,179 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
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