Streaming service Amazon Prime Video is crushing the game right now with a slew of celebrated original series (The Boys, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Upload), zeitgeist-capturing original films (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm!), and a deep library of must-see movies (Knives Out). Below is just a selection of Prime Video’s – start bingeing, stat!
93%
A fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It’s the powerless against the superpowerful as ”The Boys” embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about ”The Seven” and Vought – the multibillion dollar conglomerate that manages these superheroes.
Critics Consensus (season 1): The Boys‘ violent delights and willingness to engage in heavy, relevant themes are sure to please those looking for a new group of antiheroes to root for.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
85%
Released from prison for bringing shame to his country, Kazakh funnyman Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) risks life and limb when he returns to America with his 15-year-old daughter.
Critics Consensus: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm proves Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic creation remains a sharp tool for exposing the most misguided – or utterly repugnant – corners of American culture.
Knives Out (2019)
97%
The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) knows for sure – everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.
Critics Consensus: Knives Out sharpens old murder-mystery tropes with a keenly assembled suspense outing that makes brilliant use of writer-director Rian Johnson’s stellar ensemble.
89%
Part survival drama, part dystopic slumber party, The Wilds follows a group of teen girls from different backgrounds who must fight for survival after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. The castaways both clash and bond as they learn more about each other, the secrets they keep, and the traumas they’ve all endured. There’s just one twist to this thrilling drama… these girls did not end up on this island by accident.
Critics Consensus (season 1): An addictive thriller that also captures the complex lives of teenage girls, The Wilds is worth getting lost in.
In this ’50s-set series, Miriam “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) is a content wife and mother whose perfect life takes a sudden turn when she discovers an unknown talent – stand-up comedy.
Critics Consensus (season 1): The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an upbeat addition to Amazon’s original offerings, propelled by a playful yet poignant performance by Rachel Brosnahan.
90%
Emmy-Award winning writer Greg Daniels’ sci-fi comedy series Upload is set in a future where humans can choose to be “uploaded” into a virtual afterlife when they find themselves near-death. The series follows a young app developer, Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who winds up in the hospital following a self-driving car accident, needing to quickly decide his fate; he ultimately chooses to be uploaded to his girlfriend’s family’s luxurious virtual afterlife, the Horizen company’s “Lakeview,” where he meets and forms a bond with his “angel.”
Critics Consensus (season 1): Though Upload at times suffers from tonal overload, witty writing and a winsome cast make it an afterlife worth living.
83%
A global adventure series with a canine spin: Here, 12 teams of dogs and their human companions compete in challenges designed to celebrate their bond. At stake? A life-changing $500,000 for the winning duo and $250,000 for an animal charity. Gold Medal-winning skier Lindsay Vonn hosts… with her dog Lucy.
No Critics Consensus as yet.
In this pop culture phenomenon that kicked off in 2009, drag queens compete in weekly challenges in an elimination contest hosted by noted drag star RuPaul and featuring celebrity judges. The winner is, of course, crowned “The Next Superstar Drag Queen of the World.”
No Critics Consensus as yet.
I'm Your Woman (2020)
81%
In this 1970s-set crime drama, a woman (Rachel Brosnahan) is forced to go on the run after her husband betrays his partners, sending her and her baby on a dangerous journey.
Critics Consensus: Smart, sophisticated, and subversive, I’m Your Woman is brought to life by a powerful performance from Rachel Brosnahan — and finds director Julia Hart in near-total command of her craft.
A dramatic thriller based on novelist Tom Clancy’s CIA operative (played by John Krasinski) as he begins his career in the spy game.
Critics Consensus (season 1): Though not as thematically rich as some of its geopolitical predecessors, Jack Ryan is a satisfying addition to the genre buoyed by exceptional action sequences and a likable cast.
Thumbnail images courtesy Amazon Prime Video
