When it comes to popular movies and blockbusters, Amazon Prime is one of the top streaming services. Amazon’s acquisition of the famed MGM studio in 2022 added 4,000 films to their catalog, which already boasted thousands of hit movies – many of them R-rated. (Prime also offers original content. Here are the best Amazon Prime original movies.)
To determine the best R-rated 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 early May 2023, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. Data on streaming availability, also current as of early May, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
Click for a list of the best movies on Amazon Prime this month
Prime’s streaming catalog includes many infinitely re-watchable ‘90s cult classics like “Pulp Fiction,” “The Big Lebowski,” and “Dazed and Confused.” It also boasts a wide array of indie films, including “Captain Fantastic,” which follows an idealistic father who chooses to raise his children in isolation from society until his wife commits suicide and he risks losing custody of the only family he has left.
Romantic comedies, war films, dramas, and psychological thrillers are all available in quantity. Also offered are Best Picture nominees including Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” Gus Van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting,” and Martin Scorsese’s wild tale of excess, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” (See where it places on this list of Martin Scorsese’s movies ranked worst to best.)
50. Fatal Attraction (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (81,035 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (53,074 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Adrian Lyne
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49. Last Flag Flying (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (24,361 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (4,241 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (218 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Linklater
48. Breakdown (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (52,308 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (36,068 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
47. To End All Wars (2001)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (11,158 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (8,135 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (13 reviews)
> Directed by: David L. Cunningham
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46. Beautiful Boy (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (80,601 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (2,564 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (262 reviews)
> Directed by: Felix van Groeningen
45. We Were Soldiers (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (144,099 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (203,283 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (147 reviews)
> Directed by: Randall Wallace
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44. Panic (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (8,272 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (4,350 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry Bromell
43. Late Night (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (34,088 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (2,801 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (296 reviews)
> Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
42. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (75,813 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (179,404 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: John Badham
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41. Babel (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (295,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (377,370 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (204 reviews)
> Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
40. Ronin (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (177,629 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (120,970 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
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39. Juliet, Naked (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (21,388 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,303 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (167 reviews)
> Directed by: Jesse Peretz
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38. World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (38,145 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (51,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (119 reviews)
> Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait
37. Igby Goes Down (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (32,741 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (44,342 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (134 reviews)
> Directed by: Burr Steers
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36. A Simple Favor (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (139,064 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (6,926 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (256 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Feig
35. The Sisters Brothers (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (59,919 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (2,624 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (208 reviews)
> Directed by: Jacques Audiard
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34. Apocalypto (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (299,740 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (442,729 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
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33. The Longest Yard (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (18,055 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (81,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (34 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Aldrich
32. Carnal Knowledge (1971)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (12,235 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (5,553 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Nichols
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31. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (99,940 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (170,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Amy Heckerling
30. Shutter Island (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (1,196,306 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (2,374,639 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (260 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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29. Haunt (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (24,396 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 100% (50 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 69% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods
28. Amistad (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (78,520 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (51,188 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
27. Game Night (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (219,524 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (9,852 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (257 reviews)
> Directed by: John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
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26. The Way Back (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (39,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (2,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (214 reviews)
> Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
25. Uncle Frank (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (17,767 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (119 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan Ball
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24. The Report (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (44,830 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (1,058 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (240 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Z. Burns
23. The Woodsman (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (32,982 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (20,968 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (133 reviews)
> Directed by: Nicole Kassell
22. Hamburger Hill (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (26,291 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (33,083 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (12 reviews)
> Directed by: John Irvin
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21. The Dead Zone (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (66,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (36,485 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: David Cronenberg
20. Birdy (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (22,438 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (8,291 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (29 reviews)
> Directed by: Alan Parker
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19. Speed (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (344,662 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (669,034 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Jan de Bont
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18. Paterson (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (75,911 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (16,194 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (262 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
17. Mean Creek (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (31,291 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (32,827 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (124 reviews)
> Directed by: Jacob Estes
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16. Bound (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (52,954 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (33,442 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Lana & Lilly Wachowski
15. Three Days of the Condor (1975)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (52,010 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (11,762 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (47 reviews)
> Directed by: Sydney Pollack
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14. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (1,418,467 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (181,234 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (286 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
13. Witness (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (90,557 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (46,853 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Weir
12. 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
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11. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (119,047 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (56,598 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Figgis
10. 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
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9. 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
8. Dazed and Confused (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (174,013 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (236,467 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Linklater
7. Honey Boy (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (32,827 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (560 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (231 reviews)
> Directed by: Alma Har’el
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6. The Big Lebowski (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (766,228 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (356,600 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (109 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
5. The Big Sick (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (137,232 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (32,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (303 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Showalter
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4. Whiplash (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (763,755 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (70,602 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (297 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Chazelle
3. Good Will Hunting (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (900,884 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,042 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Gus Van Sant
2. The Pianist (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (836,046 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (253,429 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (184 reviews)
> Directed by: Roman Polanski
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1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,909,111 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,128,444 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (108 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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