Amazon Prime Movies You Are Sleeping on (but Shouldn’t)

There is a deep bench of films sitting on Prime that people scroll past without realizing what they offer. Many are originals from Amazon Studios, others are acclaimed festival favorites that landed quietly on the service and now wait for curious viewers to find them.

This list gathers a wide mix of dramas, thrillers, comedies, romances, music stories, and international standouts. Each entry includes practical details like who made it, who stars in it, where it is set, and what makes the subject matter worth your time.

‘The Vast of Night’ (2019)

Set in a small New Mexico town during a high school basketball night, this indie sci fi mystery follows a switchboard operator and a radio DJ who chase a strange audio signal. Director Andrew Patterson builds the story through long takes, quick dialogue, and period details that recreate late 1950s technology and community routines.

The film uses analog devices like patch cords, reel recordings, and a broadcast booth to show how information traveled in that era. The plot moves through phone calls, eyewitness accounts, and a taped interview that point toward an unexplained aerial event.

‘Blow the Man Down’ (2019)

This coastal noir is set in a Maine fishing village where two sisters cover up a crime after a bar confrontation. Directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy use working docks, ice houses, and local businesses to map a tight community that runs on routine and favors.

The cast includes Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale, and June Squibb, with characters tied to a boarding house that hides a long town history. The story threads maritime folk songs through scenes to underline tradition, labor, and the quiet power structure that shapes life on the harbor.

‘One Night in Miami…’ (2020)

Regina King directs a fictionalized meeting between Cassius Clay, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown on the night Clay wins the heavyweight title. The film adapts Kemp Powers’ stage play, keeping focus on a hotel room where the four men debate art, activism, and responsibility.

Production design recreates the Miami setting with period signage, wardrobe, and music cues tied to Cooke’s career. The dialogue references real events from the early civil rights era, placing the characters at a turning point in both sports and music.

‘The Report’ (2019)

This political drama follows Senate staffer Daniel Jones as he leads an investigation into the post 9/11 detention and interrogation program. Writer director Scott Z Burns presents the process through document review, chain of custody issues, and redacted material.

The film shows how the final report moves through legal checks, executive branch pushback, and public disclosure steps. Cast members include Adam Driver, Annette Bening, and Jon Hamm, with scenes set in secure facilities, committee rooms, and data centers.

‘Honey Boy’ (2019)

Written by Shia LaBeouf and directed by Alma Har’el, this autobiographical drama tracks a child actor and his father across movie sets, motels, and therapy sessions. The story alternates between a young performer’s early years and his later court ordered treatment.

Cinematography uses warm motel lighting and handheld framing to place the viewer inside off hours life around auditions and rehearsals. The production features Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges in the two timelines, while LaBeouf plays a version of his own father.

‘Sound of Metal’ (2019)

A touring metal drummer experiences rapid hearing loss and enters a rural community center that supports people adapting to deafness. The film uses innovative sound design to shift between external noise, interior perception, and the sensation created by assistive devices.

Riz Ahmed leads the cast with Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci, and scenes detail routines like learning sign language, group meals, and supervised work. The story covers medical consultations, implant evaluations, and the financial and emotional logistics around treatment.

‘The Big Sick’ (2017)

Based on the real courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V Gordon, this romantic dramedy follows a stand up comic, a sudden illness, and a cross cultural family dynamic. Chicago settings include comedy clubs, hospitals, and family gatherings that show how the couple navigates expectations.

Holly Hunter and Ray Romano play the woman’s parents who arrive during the health crisis and form an unexpected bond with the man. The script uses hospital procedures, immigration concerns, and comedy work schedules to ground the story in everyday detail.

‘You Were Never Really Here’ (2017)

Lynne Ramsay adapts a hard boiled novella about a traumatized veteran who tracks missing girls for hire. The film moves through New York safe houses, surveillance feeds, and transit routes as the protagonist uncovers a political cover up.

Joaquin Phoenix leads with a performance built on minimal dialogue and physical routine. Tool choices, entry tactics, and aftermath cleanup are presented with procedural clarity, while the score by Jonny Greenwood layers synth textures over urban ambient noise.

‘Paterson’ (2016)

Jim Jarmusch centers the week in the life of a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey who writes poetry during breaks. Daily routes, depot stops, and neighborhood bars create a repeating structure that highlights the craft of noticing small details.

Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani anchor scenes that show notebooks, household rituals, and conversations with passengers. The film references William Carlos Williams and local history, placing art within ordinary work schedules and relationships.

‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016)

After a family death, a Boston janitor returns to his coastal hometown to handle guardianship and unresolved past events. Locations include working marinas, icy streets, and multigenerational homes that emphasize seasonal labor and community memory.

Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges portray relatives negotiating estate issues, school commitments, and funeral arrangements. The script tracks legal steps, housing needs, and the logistics of caregiving during winter in a fishing town.

‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ (2020)

This mockumentary sends a journalist from Kazakhstan back to the United States with a mission that involves his daughter and American culture. The film uses hidden cameras, public events, and staged interviews to capture reactions in real environments.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova build complex set pieces that require permits, disguises, and coordination with unsuspecting participants. The narrative follows travel itineraries, quarantine protocols, and social media moments that shape the daughter’s arc.

‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)

Park Chan wook adapts a Victorian crime novel to colonial era Korea and Japan, telling a con game from multiple viewpoints. The film divides into parts that replay events with new information, using letters, ledgers, and library archives to reveal schemes.

Sets include a hybrid mansion that blends Japanese and Western architecture, with hidden rooms and specialized craftsmanship. The production details calligraphy, bookbinding, and household codes that govern relationships between heiresses, servants, and swindlers.

‘Cold War’ (2018)

Pawel Pawlikowski follows two musicians who meet in postwar Poland and cross borders during changing political tides. The story tracks state sponsored folk ensembles, passport controls, and club scenes in Paris that shift with the decade.

Shot in black and white with a square frame, the film features rehearsals, recording sessions, and smoky performances. Music arrangements move from rural songs to jazz influenced interpretations, marking the characters’ personal and professional migrations.

‘Burning’ (2018)

Lee Chang dong adapts a Haruki Murakami short story into a slow burn mystery set in Seoul and rural outskirts. A delivery worker reconnects with a childhood acquaintance, then meets a new friend whose wealth and hobbies raise questions.

The film uses quiet observation of apartments, greenhouses, and city edges to build tension. Phone logs, missing person reports, and casual remarks form a trail of small clues that leave room for multiple interpretations.

‘Catherine Called Birdy’ (2022)

Lena Dunham adapts a middle grade novel about a spirited teenager in medieval England whose family seeks to arrange a marriage. The film shows manorial life with details like household accounts, textiles, and parish festivals that fill the calendar.

Production design includes timber buildings, market stalls, and everyday tools that illustrate domestic work and local trade. The cast features Bella Ramsey, Andrew Scott, and Billie Piper, with language and costumes tailored to a youthful audience while staying rooted in period practices.

‘Emergency’ (2022)

Three college friends face a crisis after finding an unconscious woman in their house, and they must decide how to get help without making things worse. The story unfolds over one night with campus maps, rideshare routes, and party locations creating a ticking path.

Director Carey Williams shows how the students weigh police contact, bystander responsibilities, and their own safety. The film highlights practical issues like phone battery life, access to transportation, and mistakes that escalate a simple plan.

‘Master’ (2022)

Set at a selective New England college, this psychological drama follows a newly appointed house master, a freshman, and a professor as they confront campus legends and subtle hostility. The film examines historical naming, portrait collections, and academic hierarchies that shape daily life.

Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray anchor linked storylines across dorms, lecture halls, and faculty meetings. The narrative brings in emails, disciplinary boards, and student evaluations to show how perception and reputation travel within institutions.

‘Air’ (2023)

Ben Affleck directs the story of how a sports division at a shoe company pursued a rookie basketball player and reshaped athlete branding. Office scenes detail product development, pitch meetings, and contract negotiations that changed endorsement strategies.

Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, and Chris Tucker portray executives and family members who influence each decision. The film recreates advertising campaigns, market research, and legal language that defined rights and revenue for future deals.

‘Saltburn’ (2023)

Emerald Fennell sets a social thriller across Oxford and an aristocratic country estate where a scholarship student enters an intoxicating new world. The production showcases sprawling grounds, summer rituals, and parties that test boundaries between guests and family.

The cast includes Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike, with design choices that emphasize wealth, lineage, and etiquette. The plot uses invitations, house rules, and inheritance concerns to drive a series of increasingly risky choices.

‘Argentina 1985’ (2022)

This historical drama depicts the legal team that prosecuted the country’s military juntas after the return to democracy. Courtroom procedures, archival research, and witness protection shape the team’s work as they prepare a landmark case.

Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzani lead a cast that moves between government offices, family homes, and packed courtrooms. The film includes period news coverage and legal filings that document how evidence was organized and presented.

‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ (2021)

Adapted from a stage musical, this coming of age story follows a teenager who wants to become a drag performer while finishing school. The film includes classroom dynamics, supportive mentorship, and costume design that builds a first public show.

Locations in Sheffield include homes, shops, and a club that hosts the debut. Original songs carry plot points forward, and production numbers expand across streets and corridors to blend daily life with performance.

‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ (2021)

This biographical drama follows an English illustrator known for whimsical cat pictures that influenced popular culture. The film covers magazine work, household responsibilities, and patent ideas that occupied the artist alongside his drawings.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy lead a cast that moves through Victorian and Edwardian settings. Props include sketchbooks, inks, and early electrical experiments that reflect the period’s fascination with science and invention.

‘Selah and the Spades’ (2019)

Set at a Pennsylvania boarding school, this drama tracks a student who leads a faction that controls parties and influence. The film maps the campus power grid through supply lines, photography, and coded messages that maintain status.

Writer director Tayarisha Poe uses yearbook pages, theater rehearsals, and senior traditions to show how reputations are built. The plot introduces a younger student who learns documentation, delegation, and the costs of leadership.

‘All the Old Knives’ (2022)

Two former lovers who worked as CIA officers meet in a Northern California restaurant to revisit a hijacking that went wrong. The story unfolds through interviews, debrief notes, and flashbacks that test each person’s account.

Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton lead a cast that includes agency handlers and foreign contacts. The film focuses on asset handling, secure communications, and the ethics of tradecraft during crisis decisions.

‘Bliss’ (2021)

This sci fi romance follows a recently divorced man who meets a woman who claims their world is a computer simulation. The plot alternates between two realities with different economic and social conditions, raising questions about perception and choice.

Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek star in a story that features brain computer interfaces, synthetic drug effects, and retreat facilities used for controlled experiments. Production design contrasts sleek labs with urban streets to visualize shifting states of mind.

If you have a favorite Prime gem that more people should find, share your pick in the comments so readers can build the queue together.