Every month Amazon Prime adds movies to its lineup and takes other movies off. As usual with this high-profile streaming service, each month’s offerings include something for every taste and age bracket.
To determine the best things to watch on Amazon Prime this March, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of February 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies included with Prime that had at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes as of February, and ruled out documentaries. (Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood, and directorial and cast credits are from IMDb.)
Amazon Prime really shines for the classics. Top picks for March include Buster Keaton’s “The General” (1926); Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946); “The Night of the Hunter” (1955), the only feature directed by actor Charles Laughton; and “Charade” (1963), with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
The No. 1 movie is “12 Angry Men” from 1957. Directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda, it’s a courtroom drama about a jury considering the fate of an 18-year old defendant accused of stabbing his father to death. It has an IMDb user rating of 9 out of 10, a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 97%, and a Tomatometer score of 100%.
At No. 2 is Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” a 1966 spaghetti western set during the Civil War and starring Clint Eastwood. (If you’re looking for more cowboy movies, here are the best classic westerns available to stream from home.)
The No. 3 movie is 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs.” Directed by Jonathan Demme, it stars Jodie Foster as a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer. She enlists the aid of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins – who gives one of the most memorable performances in movie history. “The Silence of the Lambs” won Academy Awards in all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Besides these celebrated films, you might also find some choices on the list that are new to you, or that you missed the first few times around. (Here’s where to stream 50 great movies you’ve probably never seen.)
50. GoldenEye (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (245,610 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (285,758 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (79 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Campbell
49. Crazy Heart (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (86,771 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (124,819 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (212 reviews)
> Directed by: Scott Cooper
48. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (396,506 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,859,947 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (210 reviews)
> Directed by: Len Wiseman
47. WarGames (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (94,915 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (52,706 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: John Badham
46. Coherence (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (117,703 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,939 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (89 reviews)
> Directed by: James Ward Byrkit
45. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (146,256 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (45,114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (286 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
44. The Impossible (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (211,276 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (49,422 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (202 reviews)
> Directed by: J.A. Bayona
43. Paterson (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (75,911 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (16,194 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (262 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
42. Lincoln (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (252,083 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (245,942 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
41. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (391,048 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (1,205,243 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (222 reviews)
> Directed by: Larry Charles
40. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (469,968 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (473,611 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (251 reviews)
> Directed by: Brad Bird
39. The City of Lost Children (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (66,670 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (65,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
38. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (81,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (79,097 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (154 reviews)
> Directed by: Noah Baumbach
37. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (488,439 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (397,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Marc Webb
36. Heathers (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (95,825 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (75,561 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Lehmann
35. RoboCop (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (235,958 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (226,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
34. Walk the Line (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (241,495 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (545,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (210 reviews)
> Directed by: James Mangold
33. Dances with Wolves (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (250,448 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (213,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (76 reviews)
> Directed by: Kevin Costner
32. The Fly (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (167,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (90,069 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: David Cronenberg
31. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (261,587 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (50,382 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (352 reviews)
> Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan
30. 127 Hours (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (360,403 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (95,966 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (238 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle
29. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (136,693 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (181,269 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (66 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Crichton
28. The Wailing (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (59,362 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (7,116 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Hong-jin Na
27. The Prestige (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,245,319 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (551,618 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (203 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
26. Forrest Gump (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,905,676 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,244,237 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
25. What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (19,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (52,290 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (58 reviews)
> Directed by: Brian Gibson
24. October Sky (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (86,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (66,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Johnston
23. Dead Poets Society (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (449,222 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (307,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (58 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Weir
22. Pride (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (54,294 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (16,261 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (153 reviews)
> Directed by: Matthew Warchus
21. Rain Man (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (490,155 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (314,261 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (80 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
20. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (454,829 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (427,295 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (218 reviews)
> Directed by: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton
19. The Big Sick (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (127,850 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (32,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (303 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Showalter
18. Platoon (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (395,356 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (240,012 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Oliver Stone
17. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (616,488 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,922,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (269 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass
16. Charade (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (72,875 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (42,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen
15. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,564 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,773 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Charles Laughton
14. The General (1926)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (86,816 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (11,542 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
13. His Girl Friday (1940)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (56,106 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
12. Fargo (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (643,417 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (234,520 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (102 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
11. The Terminator (1984)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (820,969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (776,923 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
10. The Killing (1956)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (85,754 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (22,285 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
9. The Usual Suspects (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,028,997 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (435,145 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Bryan Singer
8. Die Hard (1988)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (820,820 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (574,298 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (79 reviews)
> Directed by: John McTiernan
7. The Great Escape (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (233,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (103,579 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: John Sturges
6. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,855 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
> Directed by: William Wyler
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,292,307 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (993,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (143 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
4. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (422,428 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,179 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Capra
3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,332,128 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,443 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Demme
2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (718,036 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (239,989 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (77 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Leone
1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (702,293 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (105,515 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Sidney Lumet