Special Report
Best Movies to Stream on Amazon Prime Right Now, According to Data
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Whether they are considered classic or contemporary or anything in between, Amazon Prime has dipped into its film library in August to offer a wealth of great motion pictures from every decade starting with silent films from the 1920s.
To determine the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this August, 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 August 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 August, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
Seven of these motion pictures were awarded a perfect 100% Freshness rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics. Among those seven films are three Westerns: “Stagecoach” (1939), “The Big Country” (1958), and “El Dorado” (1966), two of three starring John Wayne. In addition, you’ll find plenty of Academy Award winners here. (These are the Best Picture nominees and winners you can stream right now.)
There are three films on the Amazon Prime schedule from the 1920s, and all of them have cultural importance. “The Thief of Bagdad” (1924) starred Douglas Fairbanks and featured Anna May Wong in one of the first significant roles for a non-white actress. The animated film “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1924) introduced audiences to Mickey Mouse, and “The Gold Rush” (1928), written, directed, and starring Charlie Chaplin appears on virtually every roster of the best films of all time. (These are Charlie Chaplin’s best and worst movies.)
Click here to read about the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime right now, according to data
Each decade is represented by at least one film that left a cultural imprint. “His Girl Friday” (1940) defined the era’s screwball comedy format. “Rebel Without a Cause” (1956) introduced a new kind of star in James Dean. George A. Romero’s zombie film “NIght of the Living Dead” (1968) launched a genre. Roman Polanski breathed new life into film noir with “Chinatown” (1974). “Scarface” (1983), starring Al Pacino, took the gangster film to a disturbingly violent level.
There are plenty of offerings from the 21st century on Amazon Prime, as well. The Creed prize-fighter franchise is represented by two movies. Films based on historical events and the people behind them include “Selma” (2014), “Frost/Nixon” (2008), “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016), and “The King’s Speech” (2010).
To determine the best movies to stream on Amazon Prime this August, 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 August 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 August, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
50. A Shot in the Dark (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (27,178 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (17,976 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Blake Edwards
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49. Philomena (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (101,025 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (52,457 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Frears
48. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (205,660 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (396,152 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Reiner
47. 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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46. The Day of the Jackal (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (41,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
45. Gaslight (1944)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (26,514 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (8,558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: George Cukor
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44. Creed III (2023)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (10,088 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (237 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael B. Jordan
43. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (86,895 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (58,628 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: Nicholas Ray
42. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (530,864 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (55,854 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (280 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
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41. Frost/Nixon (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (109,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (109,887 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (259 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Howard
40. Hot Fuzz (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (501,350 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (250,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (201 reviews)
> Directed by: Edgar Wright
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39. The Fighter (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (371,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (121,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (254 reviews)
> Directed by: David O. Russell
38. Little Big Man (1970)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (34,080 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (17,453 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Arthur Penn
37. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (79,521 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (34,285 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (57 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Wise
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36. Scarface (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (778,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (488,892 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
35. Selma (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (92,432 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (61,564 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (313 reviews)
> Directed by: Ava DuVernay
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34. Creed (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (258,408 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (76,266 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (311 reviews)
> Directed by: Ryan Coogler
33. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (10,492 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (6,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Wood
32. The Train (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (17,051 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (4,310 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
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31. The Quiet Man (1952)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (36,647 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (30,453 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
30. 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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29. The Imitation Game (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (774,531 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (104,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Morten Tyldum
28. The Public Enemy (1931)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (20,233 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (7,548 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: William A. Wellman
27. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (1,333,240 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (776,325 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (332 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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26. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (121,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (130,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: George A. Romero
25. El Dorado (1966)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (25,687 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (12,709 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
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24. Casino Royale (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (601,654 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (703,961 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (259 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Campbell
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23. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (530,779 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (498,702 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (213 reviews)
> Directed by: Edgar Wright
22. Inherit the Wind (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (30,791 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (9,656 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (26 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kramer
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21. 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
20. Stagecoach (1939)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (46,215 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (14,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
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19. 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
18. The King’s Speech (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (683,883 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (144,700 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (298 reviews)
> Directed by: Tom Hooper
17. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (82,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (4,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (220 reviews)
> Directed by: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
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16. The Iron Giant (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (180,630 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (204,968 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (142 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird
15. 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
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14. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (72,528 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (23,742 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (48 reviews)
> Directed by: John Ford
13. 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
12. The Big Country (1958)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (16,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (5,532 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (11 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
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11. 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
10. The Killing (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (22,285 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
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9. The Apartment (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (172,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (38,259 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (72 reviews)
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
8. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (693,881 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (312,983 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (212 reviews)
> Directed by: Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders
7. Amadeus (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (403,732 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (180,242 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (100 reviews)
> Directed by: Miloš Forman
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6. Chinatown (1974)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (309,557 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (78,076 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Roman Polanski
5. Paths of Glory (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (199,155 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,412 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
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4. The Gold Rush (1925)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (106,473 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (20,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Chaplin
3. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (314,446 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (65,906 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Leone
2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (422,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,179 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
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1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10 (2,465,102 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (887,061 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Darabont
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