Amazon Prime recently released the highly anticipated film My Policeman, starring Harry Styles, adding to its already impressive slate of original movies. These projects typically go straight to the streaming service and some have had massive budgets, while others have been critically acclaimed.
There’s also a handful of fantastic releases from Amazon Studios, with a few of those movies even garnering Oscar buzz come awards season. With such a vast catalog available on the streaming platform, it can be tough to figure out which are considered the best. The ratings from users at Letterboxd can help you figure that out.
The Big Sick (2017) – 3.76
It seems like everywhere you look these days, Kumail Nanjiani is popping up. The talented star has recently added appearances in the MCU and Star Wars to his impressive resume yet his best project came back in 2017 on a film that he also co-wrote alongside his wife Emily V. Gordon.
It’s fitting that they wrote it together since The Big Sick tells a story based on their actual relationship as a couple deals with cultural differences while the woman (Zoe Kazan) becomes ill. The film secured an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and saw Gordon and Nanjiani win Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards.
A Hero (2021) – 3.78
International movies often get overlooked by American audiences so a lot of people don’t realize that there are so many Amazon originals from other countries. Among them is A Hero, a Persian language film that was the Iranian entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.
A Hero follows a man in prison for a debt he owes as he attempts to get the creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment, only for everything to go awry. It was met with widespread acclaim and won a slew of awards, including several at the Cannes Film Festival.
Beautiful Boy (2018) – 3.82
Considering Timothée Chalamet’s status as one of the best young actors currently in Hollywood, it is likely a surprise to find that Beautiful Boy is a movie not many people talk about. Despite not being as popular as some of his other major roles, it’s in the conversation for his best performance.
Chalamet plays Nicholas Sheff, a teen struggling with drug addiction, and the film focuses on the strain it causes on his relationship with his father (Steve Carell). The heavy emotional weight of the plot helped land Chalamet a Golden Globe nomination.
Honey Boy (2019) – 3.83
Sometimes, a film based on a true story can be difficult to get through, especially if the story is about someone who has been in the public eye for so long. That’s the case with Honey Boy, which is based on the childhood of actor Shia LaBeouf.
Making it all the more realistic is that LaBeouf also stars in the film, which mostly focuses on the relationship between himself and his father. Critics raved about the therapeutic experience that the film can be and also the writing and acting.
Paterson (2016) – 3.86
Director Jim Jarmusch is an impressive filmmaker with a distinct style and that is a big part of why Paterson works so well. There isn’t an overly gripping premise or an exciting concept behind it but that’s where Jarmusch shines.
The film has a simple setup of following the titular bus driver Paterson’s life for a few days. With sharp writing, some surprising emotional moments, and a strong lead performance from Adam Driver. It’s one of the many indie films that helped cement Driver as a top actor in Hollywood.
Cold War (2018) – 3.96
The legendary Paweł Pawlikowski is one of the more acclaimed filmmakers from around the world over the past few decades. One of his films that has kind of flown under the radar for some was Cold War, which is actually a more romantic movie than it seems.
Cold War focuses on a man and woman who meet in the ruins of post-war Poland and they are drawn to each other despite major differences in their backgrounds. While this wasn’t a big hit, it did get nominated for three Oscars and four BAFTAs among its many accolades.
Manchester By The Sea (2016) – 4.00
Every streaming service seems to release a movie that becomes an award contender. Netflix had Roma, Apple TV+ has CODA, and the first one from Amazon Studios to really break out in that way was Manchester by the Sea.
This movie was a hit everywhere, including winning both Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Manchester by the Sea tells the story of a grief-stricken man, who is accidentally responsible for the death of his children, as he must now take care of his nephew following his brother’s death.
Invisible Life (2019) – 4.12
Originally titled A Vida Invisível or even The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão, 2019’s Invisible Life proved to be another success for Amazon. Though it didn’t get an Oscar nod, it was selected as the Brazilian entry for Best International Feature Film.
Set in Rio de Janeiro during the 1950s, the film centers on two sisters who struggle with the repression issues of the time, yet always have each other to rely on. Invisible Life was as soon as it debuted, mostly for the powerful acting by the two lead stars.
Sound Of Metal (2019) – 4.13
Thanks to CODA and Sound of Metal, the deaf community are finally getting major representation in cinema. The former made bigger waves as a Best Picture winner but the latter was also a big Oscar contender, including landing a Best Picture nomination.
Sound of Metal follows a drummer who must give up his dream of playing music when he begins to lose his hearing. Riz Ahmed delivers a powerful performance in the lead role, while Paul Raci joined him with an Oscar nod. Reviews were sparkling from critics, moviegoers, and Letterboxd users.
The Handmaiden (2016) – 4.37
2016’s The Handmaiden isn’t just the highest-rated Amazon Prime original film on Letterboxd, it’s also one of the highest from the 2010s in general. This South Korean movie is a psychological thriller with more twists and turns than almost any other release in recent memory.
The premise sees a woman hired to be the handmaiden of a wealthy heiress while also being involved in a plot to defraud her but along the way, things turn surprisingly romantic. The Handmaiden is an important LGBTQ+ film and remains a critical darling.
