Amazon Prime Video has long been one of Australia's best streaming services thanks to its great selection of original TV shows and movies.
Aside from providing instant access to some brilliant content, an Amazon Prime subscription offers several other perks, like free express delivery within Australia, Prime-exclusive deals, access to Amazon Prime Music, Prime Reading and Prime Gaming — and all at a fee that's still quite affordable, despite last year's price hikes to AU$9.99 p/m and AU$79 p/a.
Even without all of that extra stuff, we still think an Amazon Prime membership would be worth it for its content library alone, which boasts a wide range of quality TV shows (along with some trashy ones, like Below Deck Down Under).
Add to this a huge back catalogue of older movies and TV shows, and we think Prime Video is certainly worth its asking price. Best of all, you can test the waters before paying thanks to Amazon Prime's free 30-day trial. Need more proof? Here are 10 Prime Video TV shows worth subscribing for.
Reacher
While Tom Cruise's two Jack Reacher films did a respectable job of embodying the spirit of author Lee Child's most popular creation, his physicality was a far cry from how the character is described on the page. Enter Alan Ritchson — an actor who's every bit the imposing figure that Reacher is meant to be, while perfectly personifying the character's righteous sense of justice and investigative smarts. For those who are unfamiliar with the character, Jack Reacher is a nomadic ex-military police investigator who spends his time wandering across the US with nothing but the clothes on his back, his toothbrush, and enough money for bus tickets (and the occasional thrift store wardrobe refresh). Described by Child as a knight errant, Reacher always finds himself seeking justice for those who've been wronged. Each season of the Amazon Original show follows Reacher on a standalone adventure that's based on one of the 28 novels in the book series, meaning there's plenty of material for the show's creators to mine for future outings.
The Boys
Quite possibly the only cure for superhero fatigue, The Boys is set in a version of our world where superheroes are not only real, but deeply sociopathic and owned by a corrupt corporation. While most of society is blissfully unaware of how messed up and murderous 'Supes' like Homelander (Antony Starr) are, a small group of vigilantes led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) is working behind the scenes to take them down. Gloriously gory and profoundly profane, The Boys is a must-watch for those who have grown tired of sanitised heroes.
Daisy Jones & The Six
Loosely inspired by the story of Fleetwood Mac, Daisy Jones & The Six follows the meteoric rise of a rock band in the 1970s, and the inner turmoil that threatens to bring the whole thing down. Struggling to break out, The Six frontman Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) immediately clashes with Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) when she's brought in as the band's missing ingredient. Despite their obvious chemistry, Billy is determined to keep Daisy at arm's length for the sake of his marriage to Camila (Camila Morrone), who can see their attraction to each other from a mile away. Unfortunately, this emotional distance wreaks havoc on Daisy, causing her to fall deep into substance abuse. If you miss the days when rock music had heart and soul, you'll love Daisy Jones & The Six. Oh, and its soundtrack of original songs is absolutely killer.
Watch Daisy Jones & The Six on Prime Video
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Reportedly the most expensive series of all time, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Amazon's attempt to score its own Game of Thrones-style hit. Does it succeed? Well, while the show didn't necessarily take the world by storm, it did offer an unmatched level of production value, rivalling that of Peter Jackson's classic Tolkein films. Set during The Second Age (roughly 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit), The Rings of Power offers a look at a very different time in Middle-earth's history. Not only do we follow a much younger Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), we also witness the re-emergence of evil in the realm with the arrival of Sauron. A show with room to grow, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a journey well worth taking for Tolkein fans.
Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
In the mood for something charming? Look no further than The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — a wonderful dramedy that follows Miriam 'Midge' Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a young Jewish mother in the 1950s. Midge thought she had it all — a husband, two kids and a great home on New York's Upper West Side. Although everything seems fine and dandy, Midge's world is upended when her aspiring-comedian husband suddenly leaves her for another woman. Forced to reassess her life, Midge wanders onto a nightclub stage by accident and discovers she's a bit of a stand-up comic herself, leading her to pursue a career in comedy.
Watch the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video
Wheel of Time
Fantasy author Robert Jordan's beloved series The Wheel of Time has finally received the live-action treatment thanks to Amazon Studios, which has mostly zeroed in on the most important aspects of the 14-volume saga. Set in a world where magic exists, but only some have the power to wield it, The Wheel of Time: Seasons 1 and 2 follow Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) on her secret quest to find the prophesied Dragon Reborn, who is said to have the power to either save or destroy the world. Moiraine crosses paths with five young villagers — one of which could be the reincarnated Dragon.
Watch The Wheel of Time on Prime Video
Fleabag
Taking on duties as creator, writer and star of Fleabag, the multi-talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays the titular character — a young woman who attempts to find love and live a normal life in London following the untimely death of a friend, all while trying to avoid the fact that her life is descending into mayhem. Cleverly written, Fleabag takes the fresh approach of having Waller-Bridge deliver her character's inner thoughts directly into the camera, leading to some incredibly funny moments. But while the show is primarily a comedy, it's also bound to make you cry — especially in its most heartwarming moments.
The Expanse
Fans of hard sci-fi will love The Expanse, a show that was rescued by Amazon after it was initially cancelled. When the daughter of the most powerful CEO in the Sol System goes missing, detective Joe Miller (Thomas Jane) is given the task of finding her. Along the way, Miller crosses paths with ice freighter captain James Holden (Steven Strait) and U.N. politician Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Before long, a conspiracy is uncovered that involves Earth, Mars and the Belt. Based on a series of novels by authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, The Expanse goes in some wild directions over the course of its six seasons.
Watch The Expanse on Prime Video
Invincible
An animated adaptation of the brilliant Image Comics series from writer Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and illustrators Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible follows Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), a high schooler who happens to be son of the famous superhero Omni-Man (J.K Simmons). Now developing superpowers of his own, Mark's world is turned upside down when the father he looks up to is revealed to be a remorseless murderer with a secret mission to conquer Earth for the Viltrum Empire. Sounds like typical comic book fare, right? Trust us when we say that Invincible subverts the superhero genre at every turn, starting with its bouts of ultra-violence. Featuring an all-star cast, Invincible is every bit as addictive as The Boys.
Watch Invincible on Prime Video
I'm A Virgo
From Boots Riley, writer and director of the incredibly original film Sorry To Bother You, comes another story with an equally wild premise — I'm A Virgo is a coming-of-age story with a twist, in that it follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot tall young man from Oakland, California. Although Cootie has spent most of his life hidden from the world, he's now about to experience it properly for the first time, with all the good and bad that comes with it. Along the way, he gains new friends, finds love, and meets his idol — a real-life superhero!
