October is here, and with it comes a fresh batch of top-rated movies on Prime Video. As one of the most versatile streaming services available, Prime Video continues to deliver a steady stream of high-quality movies, all bundled with your Amazon Prime membership. This month, the service brings a mix of genres to suit every taste, including some must-watch horror classics perfect for spooky season.
To help you sift through the selection, we’ve curated a list of the best new additions to the streamer. So, without further ado, here are our picks for the seven new to Prime Video movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes to add to your watchlist this month.
And if you’re still hungry for more, don’t forget to check out our full rundown of everything new to Prime Video this October.
‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three’ (1974)
In the mood for a classic? “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” should be your next watch. This crime thriller focuses on the hijacking of a New York City subway train. A group of four armed men, led by a criminal mastermind named Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw), takes control of the train, codenamed Pelham 1:23 based on its scheduled time. The hijackers hold the passengers hostage, demanding a ransom of one million dollars from the city, threatening to start killing the hostages if their demands are not met within a specific time frame.
On the other side, Lieutenant Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau), a transit authority officer, is tasked with negotiating with the hijackers and figuring out how to outsmart them. As Garber works to prevent a disaster, the authorities race against time to both deliver the ransom and stop the criminals before lives are lost.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
‘Lost in Translation’ (2003)
“Lost in Translation” is a comforting drama-comedy you need to add to your watchlist. It explores the unlikely connection between two strangers, Bob Harris (Bill Murray), an aging American actor, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman, as they navigate feelings of isolation and cultural displacement in Tokyo. Bob is in Japan to shoot a whiskey commercial, feeling disillusioned with his career and disconnected from his wife. Charlotte, in Tokyo accompanying her photographer husband, feels lost and uncertain about her future and her marriage.
The two characters meet in their hotel and form a deep, but understated bond as they explore the city together. They share intimate conversations, quiet moments, and experiences of alienation in a foreign culture, which help them gain a new perspective on their lives.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
I had to include one of the best thriller movies to ever exist. And it's the perfect pick for those who don't enjoy pure horror. “The Silence of the Lambs” is a psychological thriller that follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she seeks the help of an imprisoned cannibalistic serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), to catch another serial killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine).
Buffalo Bill abducts and murders women, and Clarice is tasked with stopping him before he kills again. Dr. Lecter, though manipulative and dangerous, provides valuable insights into the mind of the killer, but in exchange, he probes into Clarice's personal traumas. The movie dives deep into manipulation, fear, power and the psyche of both the killers and law enforcement.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
‘Wonder Woman’ (2017)
Sometimes we all need a good superhero action movie to watch on the weekend; “Wonder Woman” definitely fits the bill. It's set during World War I, telling the origin story of Diana (Gal Gadot), Princess of Themyscira, who later becomes known as Wonder Woman. Diana is an Amazon warrior raised on a hidden, all-female island paradise. Trained to be a fierce fighter, she believes her purpose is to protect the world from Ares, the god of war, whom the Amazons believe will one day return to bring destruction to humanity.
When an American pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), crashes near the island, Diana learns about the massive conflict taking place in the outside world. Convinced that Ares is behind the war, she leaves her home with Steve to help end the fighting. Along the way, Diana discovers her true powers and learns that the evils of war aren't as black-and-white as she once believed.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
‘Ex Machina’ (2015)
One of the most thrilling sci-fi movies recently landed on Prime Video, and that's “Ex Machina”. The story centers around a young programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), who is invited to the secluded home of Nathan (Oscar Isaac), a reclusive tech genius and the CEO of a major tech company. Nathan reveals that he has created an advanced humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander), who possesses highly sophisticated artificial intelligence.
Caleb's task is to conduct a Turing test, which determines whether Ava's AI can convincingly simulate human consciousness. Over the course of their interactions, Caleb becomes fascinated by Ava, who displays remarkable intelligence and emotion. However, as the experiment progresses, the lines between creator, machine and tester blur, and Caleb begins to question the motives behind Nathan's experiment, as well as Ava's true nature.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
‘The Witch’ (2015)
“The Witch” has to be one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen, and it’s perfect for Halloween season. It’s set in 1630s New England and follows a Puritan family that is exiled from their settlement due to a religious dispute. The family ends up settling near a remote forest. Soon after their arrival, strange and disturbing events begin to occur, starting with the mysterious disappearance of baby Samuel, which the family believes is the work of a witch living in the woods.
Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), the teen daughter, becomes the target of suspicion and fear, with her parents and siblings questioning whether she might be involved with witchcraft. The movie is all about religious fanaticism, isolation and the breakdown of a family under extreme pressure.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)
We have another classic movie, except this one aims to make you laugh. “Galaxy Quest” is a sci-fi comedy that parodies the world of science fiction television and fandom, particularly “Star Trek”. The movie follows the washed-up cast of a once-popular sci-fi TV show called "Galaxy Quest," who now spend their days attending fan conventions and making public appearances. The actors, led by Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played the show's heroic captain, have grown weary of their typecast roles and stagnant careers.
However, things take a wild turn when a group of real aliens, the Thermians, mistake the "Galaxy Quest" TV show for actual historical records. Desperate for help, the Thermians recruit the cast to help them defeat a real, menacing alien warlord named Sarris. Suddenly, these actors — who are only used to pretending to be space heroes — are thrust into an actual intergalactic conflict where they must step up and become the heroes their fans always believed them to be.
Watch it now on Prime Video
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
