Best movies on Amazon Prime Video to watch now

Ever since the first one debuted, the John Wick films have been a masterclass in how to make an action film work. The plot machinations have been light and breezy, and the action itself has been exhilaratingly choreographed. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have the excellent Keanu Reeves in the central role.

However, this might just be the best yet in the franchise - a breathless, three hour epic in which we watch John on the run, attempting to beat the high table once and for all, and escape the hit they put out on him. Reeves is brilliant as ever, while Donnie Yen brings an intriguing new character, Caine, to life. The action is absolutely top notch and you'll find yourself mouth agape at the audacity of some of the sequences. - James Hibbs

Social niceties are put in the spotlight in this lovable comedy drama that reunites writer/director Nicole Holofcener with her Enough Said star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Beth (Louis-Dreyfus) is a writer who is nervous about following up an under-performing memoir with her first novel. But after inadvertently eavesdropping on his conversation with a friend, Beth finds out that her therapist husband Don (Tobias Menzies) is only pretending to like her new book, a discovery that throws their perfect marriage into jeopardy.

It’s a thought-provoking, sometimes hilarious reflection on just how difficult it can be to do the right thing. – Emma Simmonds

Director Darren Aronofsky’s heartfelt, often wildly funny adaptation of Samuel D Hunter’s semi-autobiographical off-Broadway play is a moving tale of last-chance redemption. Brendan Fraser gives a heroic, Oscar-winning performance as Charlie, a morbidly obese gay recluse who desperately tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink from Stranger Things).

Aronofsky deliberately reins in his often flamboyant style, underlining the theatrical origins of the intense chamber piece by using the claustrophobic Academy ratio. The result is an penetrating examination of self-destruction – Alan Jones

Ben Affleck directs and co-stars in this infectious 1980s-set tale of how underperforming sports clothing brand Nike turned its fortunes around by luring basketball star Michael Jordan to endorse its trainers. Affleck plays Phil Knight, Nike’s Porsche-driving CEO, but the film belongs to Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the basketball guru who spots Jordan’s potential and sets out to reel him in with the creation of the Air Jordan trainer.

Air is an absorbing film about money, power, race and class, revealing how Jordan’s relationship with Nike changed the face of corporate sponsorship for ever. – James Mottram

Girls creator Lena Dunham brings a modern sensibility to a medieval British setting in this effervescent comedy based on the 1994 children’s novel by Karen Cushman. Fourteen-year-old Birdy (Bella Ramsey) is a free-spirited maker of mischief living in intensely repressive times, whose spendthrift father Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott) is plotting to marry her off in order to clear his debts. Meanwhile her mother, Aislinn (Billie Piper), is negotiating one pregnancy after another, which mostly end in heartache. Lesley Sharp plays Birdy’s indispensable nursemaid, with Joe Alwyn her handsome uncle, whom Birdy is more than a little in love with. Ramsey is a sparky match for the material, and a soundtrack of fun cover versions keeps the energy high. – Emma Simmonds

From Monty Norman’s signature theme to Billie Eilish’s No Time to Die, the secrets of the music of the 007 series are laid bare in this superb documentary, released to coincide with Global James Bond Day. Director Mat Whitecross takes viewers behind the scenes for tales of Shirley Bassey removing her bra to help her hit the high notes in Goldfinger, and Tina Turner’s shock at Bono’s “really bad” vocal demo for GoldenEye. With various other Bond alumni getting involved, it all adds up to a fitting salute to the screen franchise as it celebrates its 60th anniversary. – Terry Staunton

Remarkable romcoms have become a rare commodity in the streaming era, with few modern movies managing to stand out in the endless sea of generic, paint-by-numbers “chick-flicks” regularly churned out by the countless platforms we subscribe to. Thankfully, Palm Springs – the sci-fi romcom starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti – swooped in last year to save the day, giving the genre a much-needed shot of adrenaline.

Best described as Groundhog Day meets Four Weddings and a Funeral, Palm Springs follows Sarah (Milioti), an apathetic maid-of-honour just trying to get through her sister’s California wedding when she finds herself trapped in a time loop with charming, care-free wedding guest Nyles (Samberg) and the pair are forced to relive the same day over-and-over again.

A fast-paced, hugely funny and refreshing take on the time loop concept, Palm Springs features stunning performances from Milioti and Samberg, an outstanding supporting cast made up of JK Simmons, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes and Peter Gallagher, and surprisingly twists that will have you returning for multiple viewings. – Lauren Morris

If you enjoyed Rosamund Pike’s blood-curdling turn in Gone Girl, you’ll love her performance in this fast-paced thriller, which earned the British actress a Golden Globe earlier this year. Pike plays ruthless Marla Grayson, a woman appointed by the courts to act as the legal guardian of elderly people who need assistance to take care of themselves. The problem is, the people she chooses are absolutely fine – the only thing they have to be scared of is Grayson, who steals their money, puts them in a home and exploits them for her own purposes. But one day she picks the wrong elderly woman.

Her son is a gangster (played by Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage) and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure his mum is OK. Cue a cat and mouse game, where both players will stop at nothing to get what they want. Impossible to predict and dealing with unsettling subject matter, I Care a Lot is a film that will get your heart pumping and keep you guessing until the very end. Refreshingly original and brought to life by brilliant performances, it’s real gem that you should add to your watchlist immediately. – Emma Bullimore

Dev Patel leads the cast of this acclaimed indie film, which is based on a 14th-century poem about Sir Gawain, nephew of the legendary King Arthur. While steeped in folklore, viewers should be warned that this isn’t an action flick in the vein of Guy Ritchie’s Legend of the Sword, but rather a more slow-paced and thoughtful drama which occasionally veers into completely surreal territory.

When the monstrous Green Knight appears before Arthur’s court one day with an intriguing challenge. He offers any knight the chance to strike him with his axe, but only on the condition that he may return their blow one year later. Gawain jumps at an opportunity to prove himself, chopping off the mysterious creature’s head, but not anticipating that it would survive the attack and go laughing into the night. The following year, he goes on a journey to find the Green Knight and settle their debt.

The Green Knight comes courtesy of director David Lowery, whose measured approach to the source material creates some truly atmospheric scenes, while the addition of Daniel Hart’s haunting score often drives the tension to new heights. Patel gives an excellent performance in the lead role, portraying an unlikely hero who is flawed yet utterly compelling, with memorable supporting roles going to Barry Keoghan (Eternals), Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad), and Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider). – David Craig

Amazon Prime Video bagged the exclusive rights to this film adaptation of the popular stage musical of the same name, which follows a 16-year-old boy who overcomes his bullies at school by forging a new identity as a drag queen. With the performative art being more popular than ever right now thanks to the likes of RuPaul, this is a story that’s sure to resonate with many viewers – and remarkably, it’s based on true events (see BBC Three documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16).

This incarnation features a different cast to the stage production, with newcomer Max Harwood taking the highly sought after title role and earning critical acclaim for his performance. The supporting cast includes familiar faces Sarah Lancashire, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar and Richard E Grant, while West End star Layton Williams and the real Jamie himself pop up in cameo appearances (so keep your eyes peeled).

Some critics took issue with the film’s somewhat sugar-coated plot, as there’s little in the way of tension over whether Jamie will achieve his dreams. However, for many viewers, I suspect that level of unbridled positivity and celebration is exactly what they’re looking for. Indeed, if it’s feel-good viewing your after, Jamie’s uplifting story should have no trouble putting a smile on your face. – David Craig