It’s another big month for new movies on Amazon Prime Video. In Mach 2024, the streaming service is offering dozens of new picks from legendary classics to recent favorites, but with so many new additions to the library, it can be hard to know which ones to watch first.
That’s where we can help. Below you’ll find a selection of new to Prime Video months that have all scored at least 90% on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. These flicks range from a stop-motion family feature starring the Dark Knight and pals to a blood-drenched dystopian thriller that is pretty much "The Hunger Games" but with a load more violence.
If you’re looking for some new to watch on Prime Video then you really can’t go wrong with any of these picks. So let’s jump into our roundup of the best new to Prime Video movies…
'Blackfish' (2013)
“Blackfish” shocked the world in 2013, revealing the harrowing consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. Primarily focusing on the orca known as Tilikum, the engrossing, but often disturbing documentary explores the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, a SeaWorld trainer who was pulled underwater and drowned by the whale in 2010. Making the matter even more horrific, Tilikum had previously been responsible for the death of two other people, Keltie Lee Byrne and Daniel P. Dukes.
The feature-length documentary looks at the method used to capture killer whales, and the often unsuitable habitats they are held in, all of which have a measurable impact on their mood and temperament. And in the case of Tilikum, these factors ultimately lead to multiple tragedies. “Blackfish” is equal parts fascinating and shocking, and it’ll have you rethinking a trip to your local sealife park by the end.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream it on Prime Video
'How to Train Your Dragon' (2010)
Set in the mythical Viking village of Berk, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) doesn’t quite fit in among his warrior family. Struggling to live up to the expectations of his village chieftain father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), Hiccup hopes to earn acceptance by slaying a dragon. But when he encounters a deadly Night Fury he is unable to kill the beast.
Instead, Hiccup befriends the creature and nurses him back to health from an injured tail. Naming him toothless, the unlikely duo join forces to put an end to the terror that is wreaking havoc on both their worlds and also prove that Vikings and dragons don’t have to be enemies. With charming animation, excellent comedy and a heartfelt story, "How to Train Your Dragon" is a movie that soars on all fronts.
Genre: Adventure
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream it on Prime Video
'The Last Waltz' (1978)
Concert movies typically have a pretty niche appeal. You usually have to be a fan of the band or artist featured to enjoy the movie, but “The Last Waltz” has a little something extra in its favor. Yes, this is a concert movie about the legendary Canadian-American rock group The Band, who were performing what was billed as their farewell appearance at the time, but it’s also directed by the even more legendary Martin Scorsese and is often regarded as the best entry in the genre.
If a concert movie directed by Scorsese wasn’t enough to sell you on “The Last Waltz”, then perhaps its ridiculously impressive list of special guest appearances will instead. Even if you’re unfamiliar with The Band, you’ve likely heard of Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchel, Ringo Starr and Muddy Waters. Filmed during the band’s set on November 25, 1976, at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, “The Last Waltz” incorporates live performances, intimate studio recording sessions and unfiltered band interviews.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Stream it on Prime Video
'Gone Baby Gone' (2007)
"Gone Baby Gone" is a twisting thriller that is very much a family affair. Casey Affleck leads in front of the camera, while Ben Affleck makes his directorial debut behind the lens. The movie opens with the disappearance of a four-year-old girl from her home, and with the police making little progress, her desperate mother (Amy Ryan) calls into two private detectives, Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan).
Out of their depths from the very start, the pair have one advantage over the cops struggling to crack the case, they know how to navigate the mean streets of Boston. But as they uncover more evidence they start to question their personal and professional motivations and face a moral dilemma that could destroy multiple lives. Also featuring Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver, "Gone Baby Gone" is a thriller that grips from start to finish.
Genre: Thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it on Prime Video
'The Great Escape' (1963)
If you’re not already humming “The Great Escape” theme tune daily, then you certainly will be after watching the movie where it originates from. Of course, this classic World War II movie has a whole lot more to offer than just an earworm tune, it’s a thrilling adventure flick with a seriously cool performance from Steve McQueen at its center. Plus, it’s all based on a true story, which makes the bravery and heroism on display all the more cheerworthy.
McQueen plays Captain Virgil Hilts, an American prisoner of war who has escaped from multiple German-controlled camps in the past. After being recaptured, he’s placed in a camp that is said to be “escape-proof” which falls under the command of Colonel von Luger (Hannes Messemer). Undeterred by this claim, Hilts bands together with his fellow POWs and sets about concocting a way to break out. Also starring Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson and James Garner, “The Great Escape” is a true cinema classic.
Genre: Adventure
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it on Prime Video
'Take Shelter'
In “Take Shelter” a seemingly ordinary family man (Michael Shannon) starts to have apocalyptic dreams and visions of a terrible storm. Fearing that his loved one will soon be in grave danger, he begins to build an elaborate backyard shelter. He accepts counseling at the insistence of his concerned wife (Jessica Chastain) but refuses to stop building his bunker, even when it threatens to cost him the family he is trying to protect.
A thoughtful thriller with two nuanced performances from Shannon and Chastain, “Take Shelter” is a rich movie that tackles serious subject matters and also raises introspective questions (not all of which it’s able to answer by the end). If you want a dramatic drama full of twists and turns, you might find this slow burn a little challenging, but dig beneath the surface and there’s plenty to unpack in this rewarding watch.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Prime Video
'The Lego Batman Movie' (2017)
A delightful spin-off from 2014’s “The Lego Movie”, “The Lego Batman Movie” is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, an animated superhero movie about a plastic-brick version of the caped crusader. Will Arnett voices the Dark Knight here, and his take on Bruce Wayne’s nocturnal alter-ego is a brooding loner who swears he doesn’t need any help to defend the citizens of Gotham City or defeat his arch-enemies like The Joker (Zach Galifianakis).
However, when the Prince Clown of Crime recruits an army of supervillains to assist him in taking over the city, Batman must turn to his companions Robin (Michael Cera) and Batgirl (Rosario Dawson), to save the day. But first, he’ll have to learn how to work with others. “The Lego Batman Movie” is stuffed with playful references to Batman’s past — the good-natured dig at Adam West’s silly 60s Batman is a personal favorite — and also packs a simply stunning stop-motion animation style. It’s a bat-tastic treat for the whole family.
Genre: Animation
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Prime Video from March 19
'The Imitation Game' (2014)
In “The Imitation Game”, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, a British mathematician who led a team of very intelligent people at Bletchley Park, England during World War II. The team’s mission was of the utmost secrecy as they were attempting to crack the Enigma Code, a cipher used by the German forces to send coded messages without the Allies being able to understand them. During their effort to break the code, Turing built an early precursor to the modern-day computer and formed a deep bond with Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), a Cambridge graduate who helped Turing hide his homosexuality, which was illegal at the time.
“The Imitation Game” manages to strike the perfect balance between being an exceptional character study of a truly brilliant man, and also a deeply compelling wartime thriller that has you hooked throughout. The stakes are high, and as Turing and his team struggle to crack Enigma, it’s hard not to feel the gravity of the situation and the complex manner of the task.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Prime Video
'Battle Royale' (2001)
In a dystopian future Japan, youth delinquency has risen to such a high level that the ruthless government passes the Battle Royale Act, which decrees that every year a randomly selected school class is taken to a deserted island and forced to fight to the death until there is just a single survivor left. The premise sounds very similar to “The Hunger Games” but “Battle Royale” actually came first, and doesn’t shy away from the violence either.
What makes “Battle Royale” so effective isn’t just the compelling premise (“Battle Royale” essentially kicked started the battle royale genre as we know it today), but also the fleshed-out characters forced to compete in the death match. We see each student handle the situation differently, some are too scared to wield a weapon, while others immediately turn savage and start hunting down their classmates. “Battle Royale” is a bloody, biting, satire that was highly impactful at release and its influence can be felt to this day in not just movies but also video games like Fortnite.
Genre: Action
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Prime Video from March 31
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How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
