The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

Scorsese's greatest film. Henry Hill rises through the ranks of the New York mob from street kid to made man. Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro — three career-defining performances in one film. The tracking shot into the Copacabana alone justifies its existence.

A farmer and former NASA pilot ventures through a wormhole to find a new home for humanity. Christopher Nolan's most emotionally ambitious film — the docking sequence, the bookshelf, the wave planet. Hans Zimmer's score is one of the best ever made.

Two British soldiers must cross enemy territory to deliver a message that could save 1,600 lives. Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins film it to appear as one continuous shot. The result is the most immersive war film ever made — you feel every step.

Twelve alien spacecraft appear around the world. A linguist is recruited to communicate with the visitors before global panic becomes catastrophe. Denis Villeneuve's most human film — patient, beautiful, and with a final act that recontextualises everything before it.

A young blade runner discovers a secret that could destabilise what remains of society. Denis Villeneuve's sequel to Ridley Scott's original is a miracle — patient, visually staggering (Roger Deakins won his Oscar for it), and genuinely thoughtful science fiction.

The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire and drawn into a kidnapping plot. The Coen Brothers at their most absurdist — quotable from start to finish, endlessly rewatchable, and somehow both plotless and completely gripping.

A getaway driver with tinnitus syncs his life to music and gets drawn into one last job. Edgar Wright's most precisely crafted film — every action sequence is choreographed to its soundtrack. Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey.

The true story of the 1976 Formula 1 rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Ron Howard directs with real propulsion — this is one of the best sports films ever made. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl are both extraordinary.

A heavy metal drummer begins to lose his hearing. Riz Ahmed gives an extraordinary, physically committed performance. The film's sound design won the Oscar and is genuinely unlike anything else — it puts you inside his experience.

A Chinese-American woman returns to China as her family stages a fake wedding to gather around their dying grandmother — without telling her she's ill. Lulu Wang's film is tender, funny, and deeply moving. Awkwafina in her best performance.

Christopher Nolan films the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk from three simultaneous timelines — land, sea, and air. The result is the most visceral non-combat war film ever made. Hans Zimmer's ticking clock score rarely lets up.

Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, an oil prospector who will destroy everyone around him in pursuit of wealth. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic is one of the greatest American films — Day-Lewis's performance is simply unmatched. 'I drink your milkshake.'