Amazon Prime Day is nearly here, which means it’s the perfect time to either make the most of your Prime membership or sign up for one if you haven’t already – and not just for the great deals. Alongside super speedy shipping and sales, a Prime subscription is your key to unlocking access to Prime Video, one of the best streaming services that’s packed with critically-acclaimed content.
But with so many best Prime Video movies and best Prime Video shows to choose from, it can be tricky to work out where to start. That’s why we’re here. We’ve hand-picked five standout titles – all with Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90% – that you should add to your watchlist right away. From award-winning dramas to sharp, unforgettable series, these are some of the best things you can stream on Prime Video right now.
1. The Expanse (TV show)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Age rating: TV-14
Creator: Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby
Main cast: Steven Strait, Cas Anvar, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham
If you like science-fiction that’s smart, political and feels as ‘real’ as sci-fi can, then The Expanse is easily one of the best Prime Video shows to binge watch. Based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey, The Expanse is set hundreds of years in the future and humanity has been busy colonizing the solar system. Now, tensions are rising between Earth and colonies on Mars and in the Belt.
The Expanse begins as a detective mystery but ends up unraveling into something so much more. It’s a sprawling, interplanetary epic that seemingly knows no bounds. Critics and fans have long-praised The Expanse for its epic world-building, grounded characters and the way it tackles themes like inequality and power struggles. With a whopping 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s guaranteed to be well worth your time.
2. Fleabag (TV show)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Age rating: TV-MA
Creator: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Main cast: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Bill Paterson, Olivia Coleman
Written by and starring the phenomenal Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag is a razor-sharp comedy-meets-drama that continually broke the fourth wall, received high praise and won many awards when it first hit screens in 2016.
It follows the story of a chaotic, darkly funny and often devastating Londoner (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as she navigates grief, guilt and a whole load of questionable life choices. With two incredibly tightly written seasons and a near-perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Fleabag is considered an almost unrivalled masterclass in character-driven storytelling that’s darkly funny, brutally honest and heartbreakingly relatable.
3. American Fiction (movie)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Age rating: R
Length: 117 minutes
Director: Cord Jefferson
Main cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander
American Fiction is best-described as a satirical dramedy, which perfectly takes aim at the publishing industry in the US and the way Black stories are used and exploited.
It follows the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (played by Jeffrey Wright), a frustrated writer who pens an outlandishly stereotypical book (mostly out of spite), for it to then become a huge hit. American Fiction is a smart, witty take on race, representation and authenticity. The writing here is clever and there are some standout performances too, making it one of the smartest and most entertaining movies in Prime Video’s movie catalogue right now.
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Age rating: R
Length: 120 minutes
Director: Darius Marder
Main cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Mathieu Amalric, Michael Tow
Prepare to be blown away by Riz Ahmed’s stunning, Oscar-nominated performance in Sound of Metal. This is an incredibly moving drama about a heavy metal drummer called Ruben (played by Ahmed) who begins to lose his hearing. As he enters a community for the deaf and grapples with what his new life might look like, the film becomes a meditative and immersive experience.
With incredible sound design and a thoughtful approach to disability and identity, Sound of Metal holds a very well-earned 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing, and was one of the most acclaimed films of the year when it came out in 2019.
5. Manchester by the Sea (movie)
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Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Age rating: R
Length: 137 minutes
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Main cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, C. J. Wilson
Manchester by the Sea is an emotional powerhouse of a movie that ended up winning Casey Affleck a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actor back in 2017.
It’s a slow-burning drama that tells the story of Lee Chandler (played by Affleck), a janitor who returns to his hometown after the sudden death of his brother to find out he’s been named the legal guardian of his teenage nephew. It’s a quiet film, but a devastating one too about grief and the limits of healing. Manchester by the Sea is beautifully shot, sensitively written, and deeply affecting long after the credits roll.
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