Whenever Prime Video confirms its slate for a new month, the first thing I look for is the latest thriller movies. The genre is persistently popular on the platform, and I’m personally a huge fan of thrillers. Fortunately, Prime Video’s August 2026 slate isn’t letting us down in this regard.
I’ve combed through the latest additions to the streaming service, and found a trio of thrillers worthy of your watchlist. There’s a ‘90s flavor to my picks this week, with two of the best genre efforts of the decade, including a crime epic often cited as Quentin Tarantino’s greatest ever film. But if you’re craving something new, Prime Video offers a thriller from 2026, too.
These are the 3 new-to-Prime Video thrillers you need to watch this week if you need streaming picks that will have you gripping your sofa and shocked by unexpected twists.
3 best new to Prime Video thriller movies this week
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
“Pulp Fiction” is a movie that needs no introduction. Quentin Tarantino’s second feature made him a Hollywood rockstar, and any self-respecting list of the best movies of the 1990s is going to include it somewhere near the top (if not ranked No. 1). Widely considered Tarantino’s magnum opus, the near bulletproof reputation of this 1994 crime epic remains intact to this very day. Just calling it iconic feels like underselling this classic.
If you somehow don’t know the general gist of this masterpiece, Pulp Fiction” collects multiple interconnected chapters that eventually crossover to form a full picture. Each vignette is intriguing enough to anchor an entire movie, but is just part of the glorious puzzle that is “Pulp Fiction”. The film tells the tales of a hitman duo, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), his actress wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), and drowning-in-debt boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis).
Watch "Pulp Fiction" on Prime Video now
‘The Gates’ (2026)
In February, “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek tragically passed away, making “The Gates” his final movie appearance. Released posthumously, it’s a tense little thriller that also stars Mason Gooding (known for his work in the new “Scream” trilogy), Algee Smith and Keith Powers. The reviews were middling, but Van Der Beek’s performance was much praised, and the central premise of this thriller is intriguing enough to warrant a watch.
“The Gate” sees a trio of college friends (Gooding, Smith and Powers) enjoying a carefree road trip when they make what proves to be a potentially fatal mistake by taking a shortcut through a remote gated community. Here they witness a murder, and become trapped within the community's walls. Over the course of a very long night, they are hunted by the residents who plan to blame them for the crime. Leading the hunting party is Jacob (Van Der Beek), a sinister man of faith.
Watch "The Gates" on Prime Video now
‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)
In a recent Tom’s Guide poll to find the best twist in movie history, “The Usual Suspects” ranked second with an impressive 20% of the vote (“The Sixth Sense” won the gold). It’s a testament to the enduring popularity of this twisting crime thriller’s shocking final reveal. Naturally, I’m not going to spoil anything here, but if you’ve managed to avoid having the twist ruined, go watch “The Usual Suspects” on Prime Video right now.
This thriller hangs on a single question: Who is Keyser Söze? After a job gone wrong at the San Pedro Harbor, a timid small-time crook, Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), is taken into police custody for interrogation. Through a series of flashbacks, he explains how the ill-fated heist came to be and, more importantly, how he made contact with the enigmatic crimelord, Keyser Söze. The police hope to identify Söze using Verbal’s testimony, but the elusive criminal mastermind has a plan up his sleeve to escape the police’s enclosing net.
Watch "The Usual Suspects" on Prime Video now
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