The Prime Video Top 10 Movies list is a useful tool for quickly getting an overview of the films that are garnering the most attention among the streaming service’s subscribers, but it’s still not a foolproof method for finding quality content to watch.
A typical example of this is the horror film “Night Swim”, which just shot to number 3 and is one of the worst films of 2024 to date. It has a terrible 20% Rotten tomatoes Score accordingly. While there are some questionable options on the list, there are also some must-see movies, and that’s why I’m picking out the gems you should stream right now.
Before we dive into my picks, please note that this list is based on Amazon Prime Video’s top 10 as of 8:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 14. So here are my top picks…
Best movies in the Prime Video Top 10
“Mission: Impossible – The Last Chance” (2023)
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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was added to Prime Video in the US on July 25 and has held the number one spot ever since. And it’s not hard to see why. This action franchise has everything a good blockbuster needs: a charismatic leading man in Tom Cruise, a talented director in Christopher McQuarrie, and enough popcorn thrills to keep your adrenaline pumping throughout. It’s not quite the best Mission: Impossible to date (that honor goes to 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout), but it’s still epic.
Originally released as Dead Reckoning – Part One, Paramount has since omitted the final part to make it clear that while this film is setting up a sequel set to hit theaters in 2025, it still tells a complete and satisfying story on its own. In this seventh Mission: Impossible adventure, super spy Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team face off against their most elusive enemy, a rogue AI known only as The Entity. The reappearance of Hunt’s former adversary Gabriel (Esai Morales), who harbors a grudge, brings further personal risk to the mission.
Regard “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” on Prime Video Now
“Passengers” (2016)
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Passengers is a snappy romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in a slick sci-fi setting. Although it has been criticized for some story flaws and muddled characterization, it’s an entertaining film with two extremely likable actors at its center. Chris Pratt plays Jim, a passenger who is prematurely awakened after an asteroid strike, and plays him on an interstellar sleeper ship transporting 5,000 colonists to humanity’s new home.
Still light years from the ship’s final destination, Jim faces the grim prospect of living alone on this luxury vessel, with only an android bartender (Michael Sheen) for company. After a year, he can’t stand the isolation anymore and decides to intentionally wake up another passenger, Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence). The two quickly grow close, but the guilt over Jim’s decision weighs heavily on him, and the two must also face a threat that puts the entire ship in danger. Passengers is a predictable and unambitious romantic comedy (despite its somewhat unusual setting), but the leads are super charming and the production design is really clever.
Regard “Passengers” on Prime Video Now
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)
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The Hobbit films faced the unenviable task of competing with the greatest fantasy trilogy of all time, The Lord of the Rings, and understandably they couldn’t clear that hurdle. While the last Hobbit was particularly tough, with its overstuffed plot and cheesy script, the first two have their merits, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is an entertaining opening chapter. It helps that the cast is so good, with Martin Freeman as the perfect Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as the wonderful Thorin, and the returning Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, who is as excellent as ever.
The trilogy opens in the quiet Shire, where cowardly hobbit Bilbo Baggins is persuaded by the wise old wizard Gandalf to accompany a group of dwarves led by Thorin on a mission to reclaim their home of Erebor from a fire-breathing dragon named Smaug. Not exactly the adventurous type, Bilbo quickly finds himself out of his comfort zone as the group encounters all manner of dangers on their journey, including bloodthirsty orcs, cave-dwelling goblins, man-eating trolls, and a strange little creature named Gollum (Andy Serkis).
Regard “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” on Prime Video Now
The 10 best films on Prime Video right now
- “Mission: Impossible – The Last Chance” (2023)
- “Passengers” (2016)
- “Night Swimming” (2024)
- “One Quick Move” (2024)
- “The Beekeeper” (2024)
- “My Spy: The Eternal City” (2024)
- “French Girl” (2024)
- “Minions: The Hunt for the Mini Boss” (2022)
- “Good Boys” (2019)
- “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012)
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