If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, a nice perk is included along with free overnight package delivery: access to countless streaming films and original series. (On Amazon and elsewhere, here are now-streaming classic TV shows that will keep you on the edge of your seat.)
But if you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through the streamer’s selection of films on the hunt for the perfect movie, you know how daunting a task it can be. With an astounding 24,000 movies in its catalog, it’s conceivable that you could spend more time sorting through the library, looking for the right movie to watch, than watching the actual movie itself. And even after you make your selection, there’s no guarantee that you’re actually going to enjoy your chosen film. (One safe bet might be to stick to the Best Picture nominees and winners you can stream right now.)
To determine the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this May, 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. Documentaries were not considered. Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood.
Click here to see the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this month
From classic horror films (“Carrie”) to classic westerns (“Unforgiven”), from “Bull Durham” to “Braveheart,” these are the best movies streaming on Amazon Prime this month.
50. 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
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49. 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 & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
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48. 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
47. 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 & Ethan Coen
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46. Road to Perdition (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (257,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (188,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (214 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
45. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (56,317 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (35,471 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: Philip Kaufman
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44. Tombstone (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (136,036 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (195,590 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (46 reviews)
> Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
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43. 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
42. 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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41. Field of Dreams (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (114,391 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (193,036 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (63 reviews)
> Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
40. Bull Durham (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (51,426 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (51,174 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Shelton
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39. 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
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38. Ghost World (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (117,647 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (73,554 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (162 reviews)
> Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
37. 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
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36. Office Space (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (251,954 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (325,914 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Judge
35. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (472,231 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (313,001 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (293 reviews)
> Directed by: J.J. Abrams
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34. Love and Monsters (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (107,648 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (54 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (107 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Matthews
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33. Sideways (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (185,184 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (197,759 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (233 reviews)
> Directed by: Alexander Payne
32. The Warriors (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (97,861 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (76,187 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Walter Hill
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31. 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
30. 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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29. 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
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28. To Catch a Thief (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (69,121 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (52,106 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
27. Skyfall (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (648,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (374,338 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (381 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
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26. Arrival (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (633,887 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (83,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (434 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
25. Harold and Maude (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (74,795 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (56,538 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Hal Ashby
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24. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (127,249 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (65,419 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (27 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
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23. Shrek (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (638,681 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1,378,744 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (208 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson
22. 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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21. 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
20. 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
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19. The Fighter (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (351,452 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (121,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (254 reviews)
> Directed by: David O. Russell
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18. Days of Heaven (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (55,552 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (16,348 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Terrence Malick
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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16. 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
15. 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
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14. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (121,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: George A. Romero
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13. The Conversation (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (105,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (35,231 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
12. 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
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11. 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
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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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
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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
7. Raging Bull (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (335,751 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (131,523 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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6. 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
5. 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
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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
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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
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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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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