Whereas Netflix is busy pumping out extra collection than anybody individual might watch (in all probability), a few of the finest exhibits are on Amazon Prime Video. Bother is, navigating the service’s labyrinthine menus could make discovering the proper collection a ache. We’re right here to assist. Under are our favourite Amazon collection—all included together with your Prime subscription.
For extra viewing picks, learn WIRED’s information to the finest motion pictures on Amazon Prime, the finest motion pictures on HBO’s Max, and the finest motion pictures on Netflix.
Butterfly
Years in the past, David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim) and Juno Lund (Piper Perabo) fashioned the personal intelligence group Caddis, reshaping world safety from the shadows. Then, Lund ripped the operation out from below Jung—and took his daughter Rebecca (Reina Hardesty) with it, elevating her to grow to be an unstoppable murderer. Reunited within the aftermath of a success on a Russian ambassador in Seoul, David and Rebecca discover themselves on the run throughout South Korea, uncertain if they’ll even belief one another, and with Caddis scorching on their heels. A mix of next-level motion choreography and household drama exploring themes of abandonment, Butterfly is an explosive twist on bring-your-kid-to-work day.
Ballard
A spin-off from Bosch, certainly one of Prime’s greatest hits, Ballard is one other creation of crime creator Michael Connelly, seeing detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q, Designated Survivor) stepping up as head of a newly fashioned cold-case unit. Left with no price range and no official assist, Ballard rapidly assembles a group of volunteers that features her retired former accomplice Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch) and disillusioned former cop Zamira Parker (Courtney Taylor). They quickly discover that diving into forgotten instances can imply unearthing secrets and techniques highly effective folks need to maintain buried. A mix of crime-of-the-week instances and season-long mysteries make Ballard each a comfortable procedural and a riveting longer-form drama, buoyed by a incredible solid—together with Titus Welliver reprising his position as Connellyverse staple Harry Bosch.
The Second Finest Hospital within the Galaxy
If about 300 seasons of Gray’s Anatomy hasn’t scratched your medical drama itch, then a go to to The Second Finest Hospital within the Galaxy could be simply the therapy you want. Riffing on the hospital procedural style and giving it a sci-fi twist, the present follows alien medics Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer) as they sort out the wildest ailments and accidents the universe can throw at them—from an anxiety-eating mind worm to a shape-shifting STI—all whereas navigating messy relationships and private drama. See, similar to Gray’s. Created by Russian Doll author Cirocco Dunlap—bringing that present’s Natasha Lyonne alongside because the voice of often invisible Nurse Tup—this Saharan-dry grownup animated comedy will treatment what ails you.
Overcompensating
Benny is so deep within the closet, he is discovered Narnia. And reasonably than utilizing his freshman yr of faculty as an opportunity to search out himself, he is sustaining the phantasm of heterosexuality by throwing himself right into a campus lifetime of partying, consuming, and chasing women. The results, for Benny and his new finest pal Carmen (Wally Beram), might be extreme … however hilarious. Created by comic Benito Skinner, who additionally stars as Benny, Overcompensating is a foul-mouthed and ferociously humorous school comedy that is nearly painfully genuine in its depiction of the high-quality line between self-exploration and weapons-grade cringe.
Cell Swimsuit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Prime Video would not have a tendency to select up as a lot anime as rival Netflix does, however when it does, it is typically one thing massive. Cell Swimsuit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (it is pronounced “gee-kwux,” earlier than you ask), takes issues again to the very starting of the enduring mecha franchise and asks a easy query: What if the dangerous guys, the “area Nazis” of the Principality of Zeon, received an important battle? Don’t be concerned if you cannot inform a beam saber from a core fighter although—this alternate actuality focuses on model new character Amate Yuzuriha, a highschool scholar thrust right into a world of mounting army tensions after an experimental Gundam crashes into the area colony the place she lives. GQuuuuuux additionally marks a inventive excessive for Gundam, with Evangelion studio Khara bringing its dynamic type of animation to the collection, however past the phenomenally flashy visuals, this has some actual emotional depth, utilizing a science fiction lens to discover how folks can discover hope and combat for freedom, even within the darkest of timelines. Weekly episodes drop on Tuesdays.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time has been a little bit of a sluggish burn, however now this fantasy collection is a raging hearth. The primary season launched magic weaver Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her quest to uncover which of 5 unassuming younger folks is destined to save lots of or destroy the world, then the second upped the stakes—returning historical evils whereas scattering the one folks capable of cease them. The newly dropped third season pays it off in spades, although, opening with a ferocious battle between brutal lady warriors—a style rarity—whereas setting the stage for Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) to grab that harmful future, in some way. Based mostly on Robert Jordan’s sprawling novel collection—one so huge it makes Sport of Thrones look concise—this visually beautiful collection has cemented itself because the most interesting fantasy present round.
Reacher
Amazon has a approach with motion thrillers targeted on army robust guys who reply to “Jack R.” First there was Jack Ryan, who additionally makes an look on this information. Then there was Reacher, the sharp adaptation of Lee Youngster’s Jack Reacher novels, now in its third season. Alan Ritchson (Titans, Quick X) stars because the bodily imposing Reacher, a former army policeman now drifting from city to city, making an attempt to reside a quiet life however unable to keep away from battle. Season one discovered him accused of a homicide he did not commit, earlier than season two drew him into an unlimited conspiracy. The newly arrived third—based mostly on the seventh novel, Persuader—sees him up towards his greatest menace but: Paulie, a fair larger hulk of muscle (performed by 7′2″ Olivier Richters). Positive, Reacher can be working undercover for the DEA and monitoring down an previous enemy, however three seasons in, the present is assured sufficient to play to its pulpy strengths, with top-tier combat choreography and surprisingly sharp dialog serving to it punch above its weight.
Invincible
Mark Grayson inherited the unimaginable powers and skills of his father, Omni-Man—solely to study expensive previous dad wasn’t a paragon of justice however the vanguard for an alien invasion. The newly dropped third season of Invincible finds Mark not solely nonetheless struggling to flee his father’s shadow, guiding his youthful brother to make use of his personal burgeoning powers responsibly, but additionally drowning in a world of murky politics, pushed towards darker, harder selections to maintain Earth protected. A brilliantly animated adaptation of the hit Picture comedian guide by author Robert Kirkman and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible’s extra mature tackle superheroes permits it to do one thing Marvel and DC characters hardly ever do: develop up.
The Man within the Excessive Fort
This adaptation of sci-fi grasp Philip Okay. Dick’s novel a couple of world wherein the Nazis received the Second World Battle was certainly one of Amazon’s first forays into authentic content material. The world-building is stunningly accomplished—a divided, alternate-reality Sixties America by no means appeared so believable—however be warned: There could be only a contact an excessive amount of present-day resonance for some viewers.
The Rig
Again for its second season, sci-fi thriller The Rig finds the surviving crew of remoted North Sea oil rig Kinloch Bravo forcibly relocated to The Stac, an much more distant facility within the Arctic. Whereas most are determined for solutions and a approach house, the group’s loyalties are examined because the sinister Pictor company seeks to make use of them to unearth one thing historical and highly effective from the ocean ground. Whereas The Rig doesn’t even aspire to subtlety with regards to its ecological metaphors (one character even says, “For those who maintain punching holes within the Earth, ultimately the Earth’s going to punch again”), it’s all brilliantly shot to utilize each the claustrophobic settings and the terrifying expanses and underwater pressures of the ocean. With the fabric elevated by an exceptional solid of Sport of Thrones and Line of Responsibility veterans, together with Iain Glen and Rochenda Sandall—and bolstered additional by the addition of the always-watchable Alice Krige in season 2—The Rig is excess of the responsible pleasure it’d in any other case be.
Cross
Aldis Hodge steps into the footwear of Washington, DC murder detective Alex Cross in Prime’s new collection based mostly on James Patterson’s long-running collection of crime novels. Nevertheless, in contrast to the streamer’s different thrillers Bosch and Reacher, Cross would not straight adapt any of Patterson’s books—a dangerous transfer, however one which largely pays off, permitting this eight-episode first season to chart an unpredictable journey as Cross faces off towards a twisted assassin who fashions every of his kills on one other serial killer. Already renewed for a second season, Cross is a powerful addition to Prime’s roster of crime dramas.
Citadel: Diana
Amazon tried to make a splash with its $300 million spy thriller Citadel in 2023, however solely half-succeeded. The Richard Madden- and Priyanka Chopra-starring motion collection was entertaining sufficient—and rode excessive on Prime Video’s most-watched lists—however didn’t precisely set the world alight. Nevertheless, it did set up a sprawling shared universe, with rival organizations Citadel and Manticore engaged in a globe-spanning chilly battle setting the stage for worldwide spin-offs. Citadel: Diana is the primary, an Italian outing specializing in Diana (Matilda De Angelis), a girl out for revenge after her dad and mom are killed, and drawn into the spy-fi underworld with violent outcomes. Beautiful location shoots, bone-crunching combat choreography, and, most significantly, a tighter focus assist Diana enhance on its mum or dad collection.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Bawdy, gory, and completely not for youths, The Legend of Vox Machina follows the eponymous adventurers’ guild—consisting of gunslingers, druids, and the requisite sexy bard—as they develop from a motley crew of usually-drunk mercenaries into sudden heroes for the realm of Exandria. The newly arrived third season continues the group’s battle towards the Chroma Conclave, a horrifyingly highly effective collective of dragons. It is a quest that sends them on a small diversion to Hell itself. Adapting the hit Essential Function—the livestreamed Dungeons & Dragons classes of a few of the greatest voice actors in animation and gaming—this exquisitely animated fantasy takes issues in sudden instructions that maintain issues recent for brand spanking new or returning viewers alike. A love letter to D&D that is additionally unafraid to poke enjoyable on the traditional RPG, it is one of the crucial authentic grownup animated exhibits on Prime.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy
Tapping into The Lord of the Rings creator J. R. R. Tolkien’s sprawling historical past of Center-earth, The Rings of Energy is ready millennia earlier than the occasions of the core books (or movies, which is de facto the place the visible language of this adaptation comes from), detailing the main occasions of Tolkien’s Second Age. Whereas the primary season was a sluggish burn, dwelling on the fractious politics of the period, the second ratchets up the tempo significantly. From Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) making an attempt to forestall the ascension of Darkish Lord Sauron (Charlie Vickers) to the long-awaited introduction of fan-favorite character Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), the brand new season feels far richer and deeper than earlier than. It stays a feast for the eyes too, with the stratospheric price range obvious in each body, from quiet moments in luxuriant shires to cinematic battles between armies of Orcs and Elves. For sheer excessive fantasy spectacle, there’s little else to rival this streaming proper now.
Batman: Caped Crusader
The primary new solo Batman animated collection in a decade, Caped Crusader harkens again to Batman: The Animated Collection from the Nineties, with showrunner Bruce Timm returning to the Darkish Knight and Hamish Linklater voicing Bruce Wayne/Batman in an ode to the late, nice Kevin Conroy. In contrast to rival ‘90s revival X-Males ’97, although, this is not a continuation however reasonably an entirely distinct take permitting for recent interpretations of the enduring hero’s rogues’ gallery and allies—look out for drastically totally different takes on the Penguin and Harley Quinn specifically. Leaning closely right into a Thirties aesthetic that evokes Batman’s earliest comedian guide origins, this manages to be nostalgic and provocative directly—a incredible outing that takes DC’s authentic city vigilante again to his gritty pulp noir roots.
The Boys
Superheroes are supposed to symbolize hope and optimism—the perfect of us, given outsize kind. In The Boys, tailored from the darkly satirical comedian by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, they’re a mirrored image of humanity’s worst—greed and unrestrained energy, marketed to a gullible public by vested company pursuits, working with out restraint and leaving a path of our bodies of their wake. Enter Billy Butcher (Karl City) and his associates The Boys, gleefully dispatching “Supes” who’ve gone too far, typically in terribly violent methods. Sadly, the newly dropped fourth season finds the group in disarray, fractured by Butcher’s personal lies, proper because the world wants them most. Arch-manipulator Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) is near the Oval Workplace, whereas the sadistic, psychotic Homelander (Antony Starr) is planning a superhuman rebellion. In all probability Amazon’s goriest present, The Boys stands as a pertinent examination of the abuses of energy, all wrapped in superhero drag.
Fallout
Perhaps the tip of the world is the key sauce to creating an incredible online game adaptation—between The Final of Us and now this spectacular interpretation of Bethesda’s postapocalyptic RPG collection, we’re dwelling in an sudden golden period for the shape. But in contrast to HBO’s bleak however stunning world, Fallout faucets into the supply materials to craft an apocalypse with a really totally different really feel, one dripping in cracked Americana, black comedy, razor-sharp social satire, and just a bit little bit of camp. Its best energy, although, lies in the way it doesn’t straight adapt any one of many core Fallout video games. As an alternative, it completely channels their tone and really feel, specializing in a core trio—naive Lucy (Ella Purnell), born and raised in a subterranean vault; pushed Maximus (Aaron Moten), a recruit in a military searching for know-how from the previous world; and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a centuries-old bounty hunter mutated right into a nigh-immortal zombie when the bombs fell—to showcase simply how brilliantly twisted this nuclear wasteland actually is.
Three-Physique
No, you are not on the Netflix record—Prime Video has its personal distinct adaptation of Cixin Liu’s The Three-Physique Downside. This take, initially launched for Chinese language audiences again in 2023, faithfully adapts Liu’s award-winning novel of humanity’s first contact with an nearly unknowable alien species and the affect that their impending arrival on Earth has on humanity. Hopping between time durations, a galactic thriller unfurls after nanotech specialist Wang Miao (Luyi Zhang) is named in by detective Shi Qiang (Hewei Yu) to research a worldwide spate of suicides amongst scientists, with the ominous phrase “Physics would not exist” being the one hyperlink between the deaths. Though Three-Physique is a bit softer than Netflix’s 3 Physique Downside when coping with some facets of the story—notably something associated to China’s Cultural Revolution—a hearty 30-episode run permits for a lot extra space to discover Liu’s advanced themes and huge roster of characters. The pacing might take some getting used to for viewers extra accustomed to western TV, and it is subtitled-only, however this C-drama is out of this world.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
You seemingly know the idea from the title alone—a married couple function as undercover brokers, blurring the strains between their private {and professional} relationship. In contrast to the 2005 Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film, although, 2024’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith does much more with the idea. Donald Glover (who cocreated this reboot) and Maya Erskine supply way more developed takes on the mysterious characters of “John” and “Jane” Smith over the course of this eight-episode collection, exploring their true identities, why they signed up for his or her harmful careers, and whether or not their rising emotions for one another are simply a part of the roles they’re taking part in. It is all backed up with loads of Mission: Unattainable–type motion, in fact, but it surely’s the glowing chemistry between the present’s leads that may depart you pondering, “Brangelina who?”
Gen V
Spinning out of Amazon’s hit The Boys, Gen V follows the subsequent era of supes, coaching their skills on the Godolkin College College of Crimefighting. Consistent with its twisted mum or dad present, this instructional institution is much less Xavier’s College for Gifted Children and extra The Starvation Video games with superpowers, as college students battle for glory and an opportunity to hitch premier super-team The Seven. Lead Jaz Sinclair (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) impresses as freshman Marie Moreau, a haemokinetic with lofty ambitions who uncovers darkish secrets and techniques on the school that problem her complete world view. Consider all of the poor life selections school college students are famed for and a few extraordinarily inventive (if typically disgusting) superpowers, then enable for The Boys’ trademark ultraviolence, and one factor’s for positive—the children of Gen V are most undoubtedly not alright.
Jack Ryan
There is not any scarcity of display diversifications of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books, however John Krasinski’s flip because the CIA desk jockey turned area agent will get much more room to breathe than its predecessors. The status political thriller charts Ryan’s rise from analyst to operative—and past—over 4 completely crafted seasons. The ultimate season caps Ryan’s profession along with his greatest problem but, investigating the convergence of a drug cartel and a terrorist group set to create an unstoppable felony enterprise, all whereas juggling the CIA’s attainable involvement in a political assassination in Nigeria. Whereas the present hasn’t been with out controversies—season two attracted condemnation from Venezuela’s authorities for supposedly condoning a US invasion of the nation; massive yikes there—its sharp writing, unimaginable performances, and cinematic motion make it compelling viewing.
I am a Virgo
A surrealist comedy with the sharp political and social edge viewers have come to anticipate from creator and director Boots Riley (Sorry to Hassle You), I’m a Virgo follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), an everyday 19-year-old who simply occurs to be 13 toes tall. Raised in secrecy by Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps), Cootie is thrust into the limelight when his larger-than-life existence is inevitably found. Experiencing friendships and the skin world for the primary time, mild large Cootie has to navigate all the pieces from romance to the general public’s response to a large Black man wandering round Oakland. Oh, and did we point out Cootie’s idol, The Hero, a real-life superhero with an authoritarian streak that will put a few of the worst offenders on The Boys to disgrace? Instructed you this was surreal. Do your self a favor and watch the behind-the-scenes episodes too, tucked below Prime Video’s “Discover” tab, for Riley’s perception into every episode.
Tales From the Loop
Regardless of being a few years previous, Tales From the Loop stays one of the crucial mesmerizing exhibits on Prime Video. Loosely based mostly on the work of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the collection blurs the road between ongoing narrative and anthology because it follows the residents of Mercer, Ohio, exploring how their intersecting lives are impacted by “the Loop,” an underground facility exploring experimental physics and making the unattainable attainable. Anticipate tales of frozen time, traded lives, and parallel worlds, all delivered to life by a incredible solid and administrators—together with Andrew Stanton and Jodie Foster. But it surely’s the visuals that actually elevate this present, which captures the chic aesthetic of Stålenhag’s work and juxtaposes neofuturism and rural communities for a world that appears and appears like nearly nothing else. At solely eight episodes, a go to to Mercer is temporary however unforgettable.
The Underground Railroad
Based mostly on the Pulitzer Prize–profitable novel by Colson Whitehead, this restricted collection from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins sticks fairly intently to the premise of the guide. It’s a piece of historic fiction that takes the concept of the Underground Railroad—the community of smugglers who helped escaped slaves flee the South—and reimagines it as an precise subway system with trains and secretive station brokers.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
What’s a New York girl to do when she finds out her husband is having an affair along with his dim-witted secretary? If Mrs. Maisel is something to go by, the reply is to move to a dingy watering gap in your nightgown, perform a little standup comedy, and get hauled away by the police after flashing all the viewers. Set within the Fifties, this fast-talking fashionista hides her new life as a comic from her household and ex whereas battling sexism, dangerous crowds, and massive competitors. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Midge Maisel on this refined nod to Joan Rivers’ profession. With 4 seasons and a number of awards and nominations to its title, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is certainly one of Amazon’s sharpest comedies.
