Looking for something new to watch on Prime Video? The service’s ever-changing top 10 most-watched movies is a great starting point. However, a movie scoring a strong ranking on the list isn't a reliable guarantee of quality. I’ve seen plenty of highly skippable flicks score a spot in the past.
That’s why I’m combing through the current Prime Video top 10 movies to pick out the films most worthy of your time. Though fair warning, Amazon Prime Video is dominated by Tom Cruise at the moment with "Top Gun" and "Mission: Impossible" delighting subscribers. So, if you’re not a fan of the A-lister's particular brand of blockbuster action spectacle, you might need to look elsewhere (but don’t worry, I’ve included a couple of non-Cruise options below too).
This article is based on the Prime Video top 10 movies list as of 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 31, and with all that housekeeping out of the way, let’s dive into my top three selections…
Best movies in the Prime Video top 10
“Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning” (2023)
The “Mission: Impossible” series is a rare enigma in Hollywood. It’s a franchise that is only getting better with age. Rather than trot out tired sequels that merely rehash what came before, “Mission: Impossible” keeps raising the stakes and the fruitful partnership of director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise shines ever bright in “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning”, the latest installment in the almost 30-year-old series that is still going strong.
Initially, billed as “Dead Reckoning Part One", the studio has since shaved off that last bit in recent promotional material. This isn’t an unsatisfying spy romp that feels like merely a longwinded setup for the second part due in 2025. Instead, "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning” feels like a complete movie while teasing intriguing breadcrumbs for the sequel to come next year. The thrilling popcorn action movie sees superspy Ethan Hunt (Cruise) return alongside his ever-dependable IMF team to square off against their most dangerous foe, a rogue AI called the Entity.
Watch "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning" on Prime Video now
“Bob Marley: One Love” (2024)
I’m far from a scholar of Bob Marley’s music, but despite this, I still have a deep appreciation and respect for the imprint he left on not just the reggae scene, but the entire music landscape. His towering legacy still casts an inspirational shadow to this day, and “Bob Marley: One Love” celebrates the Jamaican singer-songwriter by showcasing his resilience in the face of adversity, and the challenges he faced while leading a musical revolution.
Kingsley Ben-Adir is tasked with the job of bringing this larger-than-life character to the screen, and the British actor does a phenomenal job (even his accent is spot on). While the narrative structure is fairly standard for the biographical genre, the listenability of Marley’s music gives the movie a captivating energy, and it’s hard to get bored when your toe is tapping throughout. “Bob Marley: One Love” will delight already committed fans, and probably convert plenty of newcomers, too.
Watch "Bob Marley: One Love" on Prime Video now
“Lisa Frankenstein” (2024)
The horror-comedy genre tends to be fairly divisive, and “Lisa Frankenstein” is no exception. The directional debut of Zelda Williams (daughter of the late great Robin Williams), this corpse-centered caper scored a lukewarm 52% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but viewers were much more enthusiastic about the zany love story between a rebellious teenager and a Victorian-era corpse scoring it a solid 81%.
As you may have guessed from this title, “Lisa Frankenstein” is a modern twist on the classic Mary Shelley tale, and sees an angsty teen named Lisa Swallows (Kathyrn Newton) embark on a farcical adventure full of murder, love and body parts with a being known as The Creature (Cole Sprouse). It’s about as ridiculous as it sounds, and certainly won’t be everybody's cup of tea. It’s also set in the same universe as writer Diablo Cody’s “Jennifer Body”, a fun fact that has little bearing on the movie itself but hints at a future crossover.
Watch "Lisa Frankenstein" on Prime Video now
Prime Video top 10 movies right now
- "My Spy: The Eternal City" (2024)
- "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning" (2023)
- "The Beekeeper" (2024)
- "Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black" (2024)
- "Lisa Frankenstein" (2024)
- "Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
- "Fast X" (2023)
- "My Spy" (2020)
- "The Magnificent Seven" (2016)
- "Bob Marley: One Love" (2024)
