Apologies to High Fidelity, but why make a top 5 list when you can go top 7? My favorite new to Prime Video movies, added from June 1 on, give you a whole week's worth of excellent movie nights.
It's one of the key reasons why we rank Prime Video as one of the best streaming services. In fact, this month Prime Video gained one of my favorite dramas of 2022, a classic heist drama, and a trio of fantastic comedies.
All of these movies could make a strong case for inclusion in our roundup of the best movies on Prime Video, so if you’re looking for something new to watch on Amazon’s streaming service this month, here are my top seven recommendations.
Tár (2022)
Composer and classical music icon Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is shattering every glass ceiling above her, but her methods are beginning to come under scrutiny as recordings of her classes go viral. Following a whisper campaign from those close to her, accusations of something worse begin to bubble to the surface.
Impressive for how it doesn't quite take sides or reveal too much, Tár gives a compelling spin on the #MeToo stories we've seen and heard. Blanchett, though, is truly worthy of the Best Actress Oscar nomination she earned (though we won't complain that Michelle Yeoh won for Everything Everywhere All At Once).
Arrived on Prime: June 6
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Mark Strong
Director: Todd Field
Stream it on Prime Video
Hot Fuzz (2007)
If you take yourself too seriously, you'll eventually find that friend you don't know you need, the one who teaches you how to laugh at yourself. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is just one of these Type A folks who holds himself to strong standards, and won't stop pushing himself.
In an attempt to stop Angel from being so serious, he's reassigned to the quiet town of Sandford in Gloucestershire — where crime is nil and Village of the Year awards are expected. There, he has to hunt for crime to stop, and is partnered with the bumbling Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), an action movies aficionado who would ask me why I'm not writing about Bad Boys II.
Both of the other chapters of director Edgar Wright's 'Cornetto' trilogy — Shaun of the Dead and The End of The World — also hit Prime Video this month.
Arrived on Prime: June 1
Genre: Action comedy
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Paddy Considine
Director: Edgar Wright
Stream it on Prime Video
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Sonny (Al Pacino), Sal (John Cazale) and Stevie (Gary Springer) decided to rob a First Brooklyn Savings Bank, and Sonny's never done anything like this before. But he's not the only nervous one, as Stevie runs. Soon, Sonny and Sal realize that they've made a big mistake, and then the cops and public show up.
Once it's done being funny, as everyone can't believe the screwup behavior they're seeing, Dog Day Afternoon becomes sublimely tense. Dark and brilliant, Dog Day Afternoon is the kind of movie you only watch on certain evenings. Oh, and this is based on a true story.
Arrived on Prime: June 1
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Amy Levitt, Susan Peretz
Director: Sidney Lumet
Stream it on Prime Video
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
We all love a little escapism into the lives of the super-rich, right? Well, Crazy Rich Asians has all that, plus a rom-com worth rewatching. But the luxury nature of this trip is a surprise to Rachel (Constance Wu), as she goes with boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to Singapore where she learns his family is extremely well-off.
So what was meant to be a trip for her boyfriend's friend's wedding turns into a whole situation where everyone — including Nick's mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) — is judging Rachel. Both hilarious and gorgeous (the costumes and scenery are perfect), Crazy Rich Asians is one of the easiest movies to watch on this list.
Arrived on Prime: June 6
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Stars: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Lisa Yu
Director: Jon M. Chu
Stream it on Prime Video
Interstellar (2014)
Coop (Matthew McConaughey) has a lot of skills, but the former NASA pilot is currently working as a farmer. At least, though, he was until he finds a gravitational anomaly in his daughter's bedroom. This leads Coop to a massive possibility: humanity may have a second chance. He only has to leave his family and pilot the Endurance spaceship.
A big sci-fi story with epic scale that's grounded in family, Interstellar was a fitting choice for Christopher Nolan, as it's the first film he directed after the Dark Knight trilogy. A little divisive, especially with its its 2-hour, 45-minute run time, Interstellar is one of the movies I come back to again and again.
Arrives on Prime: June 11
Genre: Sci-fi drama
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stream it on Prime Video
12 Years a Slave (2013)
The true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), based on his slave memoir, makes for utterly gripping cinema in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. Kidnapped while he was a free Black man in upstate New York, Northup is sold into slavery in the years prior to the Civil War, and endures horrible cruelty from owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).
Director Steve McQueen won praise for how 12 Years a Slave is a visually powerful and engrossing movie that shows us the ugliness and beauty found throughout life. '12 Years' also features Lupita Nyong'o in her breakout role as Patsey, who suffers unspeakable tragedy.
Arrived on Prime: June 1
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams
Director: Steve McQueen
Stream it on Prime Video
Saved! (2004)
Religious comedy Saved! finds a different Mary (Jena Malone) in a different sticky situation. Devout in her faith, she tries to "save" her boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) once she learns that he's gay.
Not only does that go wrong, but Mary (shockingly) discovers that she's pregnant, which causes her social stock to plummet. Fortunately, she's able to find help from two other outcasts: Roland (Macaulay Culkin) and Cassandra (Eva Amurri).
Somewhere between satire and wholesome, Saved! is a solid high school comedy about the terribly high standards that are pushed upon us. Plus, the pious weirdos (Mandy Moore) who fake it 'til they break it all.
Arrived on Prime: June 1
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
Stars: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri
Director: Brian Dannelly
Stream it on Prime Video
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