February has arrived, and that brings a new batch of quality movies to Prime Video. Amazon's streaming service has a deep library with some of the best movies ever made, adding more each month and this month is no different.
To sort through everything new on Prime Video this month, we set a threshold of a 95% or higher critics rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. While an imperfect solution, this typically indicates a movie with near universal acclaim, which makes us comfortable recommending it to you, since we know it'll be worth your time. This month, there's a surprising amount of movies that met that high mark, including some newer movies, some classics and a few truly iconic movies.
So without further ado, here are seven new to Prime Video movies with a 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes in February you need to watch right now. For more Prime Video recommendations, check out this new to Prime Video survival thriller that only just missed the cut on this list.
'A Fish Called Wanda' (1988)
"A Fish Called Wanda" is a classic. This heist comedy stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Wanda Gershwitz, who along with her lover Otto West (Kevin Kline) is brought onto the crew of London-based gangster George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) and his stuttering partner Ken Pile (Michael Palin). Their diamond heist goes off successfully, but Wanda and Otto quickly betray George. To their frustration, they discover George anticipated their double cross and hid the diamonds in a safe deposit box.
To get into the box and get the diamonds, Wanda seduces George's barrister (lawyer to us Americans) Archie Leach (John Cleese) to try and find the box. What follows is a farcical masterpiece that might be the best performance of Curtis's, Kline's or Cleese's careers, with Kline winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Given their resumés, that's not faint praise, so stream this movie now.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch on Prime Video now
'Bowling for Columbine' (2002)
Think what you will of Michael Moore, he's undoubtedly one of the premiere documentarians of the past several decades. By the time "Bowling for Columbine" came out, he had already received critical acclaim for his debut documentary "Roger & Me" and famously, he'd go on to direct "Fahrenheit 9/11," which is probably his most well-known film (aside from this one) and a winner of the 2004 Palme d'Or at Cannes.
But let's focus on "Bowling for Columbine." This documentary centers around the tragic 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the U.S. and what causes contributed to it. (Spoiler alert: guns.) The documentary features interviews with a wide range of people, including "South Park" co-creator Matt Stone, National Rifle Association president and acclaimed actor Charlton Heston, Oklahoma City bombing suspect James Nichols, and musician Marilyn Manson. Don't miss this Academy Award-winning documentary now that it's on Prime Video.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch on Prime Video now
'DÌdi (弟弟)' (2024)
"DÌdi" ("Younger Brother" in Chinese) stars Izaac Wang as Chris, a Taiwanese-American eighth grader. Set in the summer of 2008, this coming-of-age comedy drama is a somewhat nostalgic exploration of growing up in the early days of the age of social media. It's also a profound examination of the Asian-American immigrant experience, as aside from centering around Chris's school life and relationships with friends (romantic or otherwise), the movie also focuses on his relationship with his mother, Chungsing (Joan Chen), who runs the California home that he, his sister (Shirley Chen) and Chungsing's mother-in-law (Chang Li Hua) live in while Chris's father works in Taiwan to support their family.
Critically, this was one of the big hits of 2024, especially in the indie film world. It won the Audience Award – U.S. Dramatic and Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble at Sundance 2024 and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize – U.S. Dramatic. It's been streaming for a while now, but "Didi" only just arrived on Prime Video, so don't miss it.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch on Prime Video now
'Fargo' (1996)
"Fargo" stars Frances McDormand as Brainerd, Minnesota police chief Marge Gunderson and William H. Macy as car salesman Jerry Lundegaard. Their paths cross when Marge begins to investigate a triple homicide perpetrated by a hitman hired by Jerry to kidnap Jerry's wife Jean en route to taking her to a remote cabin to wait on a ransom payment.
Look, you've probably seen "Fargo," or at the very least seen the iconic "woodchipper scene" (no spoilers). Heck, you've probably seen the hit FX anthology series of the same name inspired by this incredible Coen Brothers black comedy. But if for some reason you haven't, stop what you're doing and go watch it now. You won't regret it.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch on Prime Video now
'Past Lives' (2023)
"Past Lives" stars Greta Lee as Nora, who grew up in Korea as Na Young but has since emigrated to Canada and then New York City, changing her name to Nora Moon along the way. One day on Facebook, she discovers that her former childhood crush has been looking for her and they reconnect.
What follows is a semiautobiographical and heartbreaking romance drama from debut director Celine Song. "Past Lives" was one of the best movies of 2023, even earning a Best Picture nomination despite snubbing Lee for Best Actress. Make sure you watch this movie now while it's on Prime Video if you haven't already because it moves around from streaming service to streaming service a decent amount.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch on Prime Video now
'Red River' (1948)
"Red River" stars legendary American actor John Wayne as cowboy Thomas Dunson. This Western is a fictionalized dramatization about the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the Chislom trailer and is centered around the conflict between Dunson and his adopted son Matthew "Matt" Garth (Montgomery Clift). Their feud grows throughout the cattle drive, careening towards a potentially fatal conclusion.
This movie is an iconic Western and is considered one of the best in the genre. Wayne and director Howard Hawks both earned praise for their work in the film and it earned Academy Award nominations for Best Film Editing (Christian Nyby) and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (Borden Chase). If you love classic movies, "Red River" is a must-watch.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch on Prime Video now
'Witness for the Prosecution' (1957)
"Witness for the Prosecution" is based on the 1953 Agatha Christie play of the same name. The movie stars Tyrone Power as Leonard Vole, a man accused of killing Emily French (Norma Varden), a wealthy widow who had just named him as the main beneficiary. Defending him is senior barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton), who is taking the case against the advice of his private nurse Miss Plimsoll (Elsa Lanchester), having just recently suffered a heart attack and nearing retirement.
But as if this legal thriller wasn't complex enough, the prosecution has a star witness — Leonard's wife Christine (Marlene Dietrich). If you love classic movies and legal dramas, there's really no good reason to leave this off your watchlist this month.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch on Prime Video now
