If you look at the movie offerings of Amazon Prime for December, you might think the streaming service is taking a few pages out of the Turner Classic Movies channel’s playbook. Among Amazon Prime’s best movies to stream in December are 19 films that were released before 1970, including two from the 1920s. (Here are the 25 best movies you’ve probably never seen.)
To determine the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this December, 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 December 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. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
The scope of films on Amazon Prime teems with star power – from Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and Paul Newman to Michael B. Jordan, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Daniel Craig, and a galaxy of screen luminaries in between.
Among Amazon’s vintage movie offerings in December are “The Thief of Bagdad (1924),” “Stella Dallas (1937),” “Wuthering Heights (1939),” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).”
Some of Hollywood’s greatest directors take a bow, with films from Alfred Hitchcock (“To Catch a Thief”), William Wyler (“Dodsworth”), Frank Capra (“Meet John Doe”), Lewis Milestone (“The Strange Love of Martha Ivers”), and Howard Hawks (“His Girl Friday”).
Click here to see the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this December
Some of the more recent releases address themes of race (“Fruitvale Station”), the collision of cultures (“The Big Sick”), and the post-monster apocalypse (“Love and Monsters”).
The latter-day pantheon of directors with films on Amazon Prime includes Jackson, Sam Mendes, Ridley Scott, and John Woo. And all three Lord of the Rings motion pictures, directed by Peter Jackson, are on the Amazon Prime schedule. One installment of the trilogy is among the movies that have won the most Oscars.
50. Thelma & Louise (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (144,492 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (170,275 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (72 reviews)
> Directed by: Ridley Scott
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49. California Split (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (6,516 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (2,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (25 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Altman
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48. No Time to Die (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (359,361 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (416 reviews)
> Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
47. 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
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46. Face/Off (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (360,443 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (450,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: John Woo
45. The Naked Kiss (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (7,465 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (3,156 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Samuel Fuller
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44. Stella Dallas (1937)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (5,176 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (2,147 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (9 reviews)
> Directed by: King Vidor
43. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (67,993 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (48,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Oz
42. In the Line of Fire (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (98,094 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (55,121 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
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41. 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
40. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (9,152 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,768 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (10 reviews)
> Directed by: Lewis Milestone
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39. The Big Combo (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (7,137 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (2,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (14 reviews)
> Directed by: Joseph H. Lewis
38. Captain Fantastic (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (205,102 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (22,458 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (229 reviews)
> Directed by: Matt Ross
37. Little Women (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (55,003 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (87,630 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (39 reviews)
> Directed by: Gillian Armstrong
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36. Thief (1981)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (28,472 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,277 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann
35. Source Code (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (499,931 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (125,685 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (263 reviews)
> Directed by: Duncan Jones
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34. Meet John Doe (1941)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (12,873 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (4,584 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
33. 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
32. The Shootist (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (23,342 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (9,640 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
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31. Superbad (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (543,101 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (634,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (209 reviews)
> Directed by: Greg Mottola
30. Lucky (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (21,622 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (4,352 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (151 reviews)
> Directed by: John Carroll Lynch
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29. 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
28. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (632,802 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (424,606 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (293 reviews)
> Directed by: Francis Lawrence
27. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (91,371 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (54,058 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: John Sturges
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26. Ordinary People (1980)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,514 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (23,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Redford
25. Dodsworth (1936)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (8,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,474 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (21 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
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24. Passion Fish (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (5,410 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (2,874 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (25 reviews)
> Directed by: John Sayles
23. Fruitvale Station (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (78,679 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (39,286 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (214 reviews)
> Directed by: Ryan Coogler
22. True Grit (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (323,355 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (158,421 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (275 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
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21. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (172,751 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (242,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Blake Edwards
20. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (5,940 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (2,302 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (28 reviews)
> Directed by: Raoul Walsh
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19. Wuthering Heights (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (16,674 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (8,793 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
18. 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
17. What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (19,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (52,290 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (58 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian Gibson
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16. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (212,416 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (152,812 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (245 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Anderson
15. 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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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
13. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (461,303 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,033,117 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Burton
12. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (44,085 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (47,635 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: George Seaton
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11. Red River (1948)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (29,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (8,571 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks & Arthur Rosson
10. 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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9. Scarlet Street (1945)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (15,674 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (3,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Fritz Lang
8. My Man Godfrey (1936)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (22,597 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (7,668 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: Gregory La Cava
7. 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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6. Paper Moon (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (44,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (11,421 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
5. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (14,002 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (30 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton
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4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,710,236 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (34,679,773 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (275 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,731,527 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,355,751 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,332,128 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,443 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Demme
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1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1,546,188 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,341,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (255 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Jackson
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