We're in the dog days of summer now, and Prime Video is bringing the heat with an impressive slate of critically acclaimed movies on one of the best streaming services.
It isn’t easy to know where to start when highlighting the best new Prime Video movies this month. Arguably one of the biggest new additions is "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," the latest heart-pumping Mission Impossible film starring Tom Cruise. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, with several past Oscar winners like "Silence of the Lambs," "Saving Private Ryan," and "A Separation" also on tap among other critically acclaimed movies.
We've rounded up the best new movies to Prime Video that have scored at least 90% on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. While a high score isn't a guaranteed hit, it is a clear testament to a movie's quality. So, let’s dive into the best new Prime Video movies you can watch this month.
'Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One' (2023)
Tom Cruise is back as cinema’s greatest superspy, Ethan Hunt. The seventh installment in the long-running blockbuster franchise, and the first half of a two-part saga, "Dead Reckoning Part One" sees Hunt and his team — Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) — return for all the high-octane car chases, daring stunts, and elaborate fight sequences you'd expect.
This time around, the crew is crisscrossing the globe in search of two interlocking keys that, when combined, grant access to a deadly artificial intelligence dubbed “the Entity." Just about every nation on the planet is racing to get their hands on this thing, including a ghost from Hunt's past. Sure, the story is on the ridiculous side, but that matters little when the film is so damn fun.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Prime Video from July 25
'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
"Silence of the Lambs" is one of my favorite horror movies, and its arrival on Prime Video is the perfect excuse to watch it yet again. Anthony Hopkins' iconic performance as Hannibal Lecter never fails to make my skin crawl, and his spell-binding monologues are just as unsettling whether it's your first or hundredth watch.
Jodie Foster is equally mesmerizing as the tenacious FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling, who's given the impossible task of consulting with the convicted cannibal to flush out a new serial killer on the loose known as Buffalo Bill. Director Jonathan Demme uses some ingenious camera tricks to foster a general sense of unease and replicate the othering Clarice struggles with as one of the few women in her line of work.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Stream it now on Prime Video
'Rocky' (1976)
Released in 1976, this film marked the inception of an enduring franchise that continues to thrive today. "Rocky" stands as the archetypal sports movie, and its tale of an underdog triumphing against insurmountable odds went on to serve as a template for a slew of genre films that followed. Yet, few can compare to the original's timeless appeal.
Starring Sylvester Stallone as the titular Rocky Balboa, "Rocky" went on to win multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The sequels through "Rocky V" also just landed on Prime Video, so now's the perfect time to binge-watch one of the best sports series of all time.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Prime Video
'Saving Private Ryan' (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, "Saving Private Ryan" is one of the most celebrated war movies of all time. Set in 1944 on the European frontline, it follows Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) as he leads a small group of men on a mission to locate Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) to bring him home after his three brothers are killed in the conflict.
Captain Miller and his courage team endure unimaginable hardship on their harrowing journey to find Private Ryan. With unwavering resolve and a strong sense of honor, they confront each obstacle head-on and bond over their shared struggles amid the most brutal war in modern history. While renowned for its depiction of the Normandy landings in its opening sequence, "Saving Private Ryan" offers far more than just its iconic opening. There's a reason it's often considered Spielberg's magnum opus.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it now on Prime Video
'How to Train Your Dragon 2' (2014)
For something a little more family-friendly, there's "How to Train Your Dragon 2." And don't worry, you need to have seen the original to follow along. The film opens with the young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless, now an unstoppable duo of adventurers after having united their two sides.
However, they soon uncover a deeper, more intricate family history when they stumble upon a new territory teeming with wild dragons and meet one of Hiccup's long-lost relatives (Cate Blanchett). Beloved for its charming characters and new lore that expands both characters and the world they live in, "How To Train Your Dragon 2" is one of the few sequels that stands up to and even exceeds the original. It also perfectly captures the spirit of adventure that captivated young audiences in the first film.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it now on Prime Video
'A Separation' (2011)
This Oscar-winning Iranian drama is hailed as one of the best films of the last decade. When Nader (Payman Maadi), a bank employee, refuses to leave Tehran with his family to continue caring for his senile father, his wife, Simin (Leila Hatami) sues for divorce in the hope that she can make a better life for their 10-year-old daughter abroad.
The family court rejects the application, but the two still split and go live with their respective parents. Needing someone to care for his father while he's at work, Nader hires a married woman from a poor family named Razieh (Sareh Bayat). The two get drawn into a thorny legal battle after Nader, angered by his father's treatment, pushes her and later that same day she loses the pregnancy she'd concealed from him.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream it now on Prime Video
'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
This pitch-perfect adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is one of the Coen Brothers movies I always find myself rewatching. Its two main characters — hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) — find themselves at odds after Moss stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and quietly steals a suitcase full of cash.
Local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is on the case and doing his best to protect Moss, but he's secretly living in his own moral gray area too. Bardem's Chigurh is easily the shining gem of this high-stakes thriller as he prowls the lands with his air-powered pistol. His chilling performance has earned him a spot among the most memorable movie villains of all time.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Stream it now on Prime Video
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