Amazon Prime Video has added a whole load of new movies this month. In fact, just scrolling through the list of new to Prime Video movies in September 2023 had my eyes glazing over as there were just so many movies to take in. But such a large selection of new content dropped on the service at all once, can make picking out the gems a little tricky.
That’s why we’re looking at the new to Prime Video movies that scored highly on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Sure, a 90%+ score on Rotten Tomatoes is not an absolute guarantee that a movie will appeal to you personally, but it’s a solid indication that a majority of critics consider a movie to be worthwhile, and likely deserving of a spot in your watchlist.
On this list, you’ll find a strong variety of picks including a science-fiction classic that is still influencing the genre to this day and one of the most uplifting sports movies of all time. There’s also a documentary that remains timely even more than two decades after its release and an adaptation of a beloved Jane Austen novel that will have viewers of any age swooning.
Here are the best new to Prime Video movies this month, and check out our longer list of the best Prime Video movies for even more recommendations.
Sense And Sensibility (1995)
Based on the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name, Sense And Sensibility is a drama set in the English countryside. It focuses on two sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), who must marry into wealth after their father dies and the Dashwood family falls on hard times. Marianne is torn between two men (Greg Wise and Alan Rickman), while Elinor's potential suitor, Edward (Hugh Grant), is entangled in a previous engagement. Naturally, drama soon ensues.
Directed by Ang Lee, this 1995 film is often cited as one of the best Austen adaptations of all time. This is thanks in large part to the Oscar-winning screenplay by Emma Thompson, and the movie was nominated for a further six Academy Awards including Best Picture shortly after its release. Whether you’re well-versed in Austen’s literary works or not, Sense And Sensibility is a surprisingly funny movie that could never be accused of being merely a stuffy period piece.
Genre: Period drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Stream it on Prime Video
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
If Sense And Sensibility didn’t have enough Hugh Grant for you, then you’ll be delighted to hear that he leads a very funny cast in Four Weddings and a Funeral. This British rom-com was a smash hit upon release in 1994, becoming the highest-grossing British film in history at the time, and it’s still fondly remembered to this very day.
Written by Richard Curtis — the screenwriter of rom-com classics including Bridget Jones, Notting Hill and Love Actually — Four Weddings and a Funeral tracks the romantic adventures of affable Englishman Charle (Grant) across, you’ve guessed it, four nuptials and one slightly more somber affair. The object of his affection is an American woman named Carrie (Andie MacDowell), who he firmly believes is the one for him, even if their timing is never quite right.
Genre: Romantic comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Prime Video
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
In 2002, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore sparked a national debate that rages on to this day with his film Bowling for Columbine. The feature-length doc explores the causes of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 and casts a largely critical eye on U.S. gun laws and the accessibility of firearms.
Branded “provocative” and “incendiary” by some critics, Bowling for Columbine cuts right to the heart of the matter addressing the senseless tragedy with brutal honesty. Moore also broadens the topic by looking at the wider causes of violent crime in the U.S. and why the firearm crime rate is so much higher in America compared to other nations. As this documentary is more than 20 years old some of the data is a bit outdated — and the interviewees are less culturally relevant — but the overall point is as important as ever. Maybe even more so these days.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Stream it on Prime Video
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Movies don’t get much more influential than 2001: A Space Odyssey. The ripples from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 space epic can clearly be seen even to this day, with modern sci-fi movies like Interstellar and Ad Astra owning this flick a clear debt. Even more remarkable is how well 2001 has held up; even its special effects, which were lauded as groundbreaking upon release, still look seriously convincing and the narrative remains highly gripping.
Spanning multiple time periods (and dimensions) 2001: A Space Odyssey sees Dr. Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and his fellow astronauts embark on a mysterious space mission, but before they can complete their task, the ship’s artificial intelligence system, named HAL, begins displaying strange behavior, and a tense showdown between man and machine follows. There’s much more to discuss, but for fear of spoilers, I won’t peel back the curtain any further. Just know, that if you consider yourself even somewhat of a sci-fi fan, you need to see this landmark movie now.
Genre: Sci-fi
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Prime Video
Rocky (1976)
This 1976 movie spawned an iconic franchise that is still running to this day and turned Sylvester Stallone into a bankable movie star overnight. Rocky is the quintessential sports movie. This tale of an underdog rising up to face impossible odds has been mimicked by countless genre films since, but almost none of them can hold a candle to the original.
Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer trying (and failing) to make it big in Philadelphia. But when the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed announces plans to challenge a local contender to face him in the ring, this “nobody” is given the chance to be a “somebody.” Creed is expected to win the exhibit match with ease, but Rocky knows this bout is his one shot at glory, and the scrappy southpaw has no intentions of letting Creed win the contest without first putting up a fight.
Genre: Sports drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Prime Video
Tangerine (2015)
Tangerine made a pretty huge splash in 2015, not just because of its stellar quality and its inclusive casting, but also because the entire movie was shot on three iPhone 5s smartphones. Director Sean Baker's guerrilla style of filmmaking leads to a movie that feels extremely raw, and also highly refreshing.
The comedy-drama follows a transgender sex worker, Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), who upon being released from prison discovers that her boyfriend and pimp, Chester (James Ransone), has been cheating on her. With her best friend and fellow sex worker, Alexandra (Mya Taylor), in tow, Sin-Dee sets out to find Chester and teach him and his new lover a lesson.
Genre: Comedy-drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Prime Video
Children of Men (2006)
Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by English author P. D. James, Children of Men is set in a world where mass infertility has brought society to the brink of collapse. In this bleak future, a disillusioned government worker (Clive Owen) becomes an unlikely savior when he is tasked with helping a refugee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) escape from a dystopian United Kingdom.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and also featuring strong performances from Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Pam Ferris, Charlie Hunnam, and Michael Caine, Children of Men is a modern masterpiece. It’s a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, and its single-shot action sequences have been frequently imitated over the last 15 years. Most of all, Children of Men is a welcome reminder that hope can be found in even the bleakest times.
Genre: Thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Prime Video
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