The 31 Best Shows on Amazon Prime Right Now
While Netflix is busy pumping out extra reveals than anybody particular person might watch (most likely), Amazon Prime Video has remained the place to go for a couple of of the very best reveals round. Trouble is, navigating the service’s labyrinthine menus could make discovering the correct sequence a ache. We’re right here to assist. Below are our favourite Amazon sequence—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.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
You probably know the idea from the title alone—a married couple function as undercover brokers, blurring the traces between their private {and professional} relationship. Unlike the 2005 Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film, although, 2024’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith does way more with the idea. Donald Glover (who co-created this reboot) and Maya Erskine supply far more developed takes on the mysterious characters of “John” and “Jane” Smith over the course of this eight-episode sequence, 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 enjoying. It’s all backed up with loads of Mission: Impossible–fashion motion, after all, however it’s the glowing chemistry between the present’s leads that may go away you considering, “Brangelina who?”
Bosch
Adapting Michael Connelly’s sequence of LA noir crime novels, Bosch stars Titus Welliver within the title function of Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. A compellingly dirty, cynical present with not one of the gloss and ridiculous theatrics of NCIS and its ilk, Bosch leans into old school police work with loads of political chicanery for good measure. Each of the seven seasons offers with its personal large case, however there’s an overarching one as Bosch investigates a chilly case: the homicide of his mom when he was a baby. It does not redefine crime dramas, however it’s paced completely for a stable binge because the threads of every case come collectively, making for a superior crime drama that any fan of the style will take pleasure in.
Reacher
Amazon has a means with motion thrillers targeted on navy robust guys who reply to “Jack R”—see Jack Ryan, additionally making this information—and this sharp adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels continues the development. Alan Ritchson (Titans, Fast X) stars as Reacher, a former navy policeman now drifting from city to city, making an attempt to reside a quiet life however unable to keep away from battle. Season one finds him accused of a homicide he did not commit, whereas the newly arrived second sees Reacher drawn into an unlimited conspiracy when somebody begins selecting off the members of his previous military unit of particular investigators. It’s pulpy at instances, however bombastic motion and surprisingly sharp dialog assist it punch above its weight.
Invincible
When Mark Grayson inherits the unbelievable powers and talents of his father, Omni-Man, he units out to comply with in his footsteps as new costumed superhero Invincible. Things don’t go in accordance with plan. After a stunning twist left the primary season on a serious cliffhanger—save for for the moderately sensible Invincible: Atom Eve one-shot plugging the hole and revealing the origins of a key character—this long-awaited return finds Mark’s world upended. Now, he is making an attempt to flee his father’s shadow moderately than reside as much as his legacy. Luckily, he isn’t on his personal, with a brand new era of heroes rising to assist guard the globe. A brilliantly animated adaptation of the hit Image comedian ebook by author Robert Kirkman and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible’s extra mature tackle superheroes permits it to do one thing Marvel’s and DC’s characters hardly ever do: develop up.
The Wheel of Time
Based on Robert Jordan’s sprawling novel sequence—one so huge it makes Game of Thrones look concise—that is one in every of Amazon’s most bold, and costly, sequence to this point. The eight-episode first season follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a robust weaver of an historic type of magic, as she gathers 5 unassuming younger folks, one in every of whom is destined to both save the world—or destroy it. The second season ups the stakes, with historic evils returning and new terrors rising—proper as the one ones who can cease them are scattered around the globe. A visually gorgeous sequence that blends luxurious location shoots with cinematic results work, that is an epic fantasy that is enhancing with each episode.
The Greatest Show Never Made
Back in 2002, it appeared everybody wished to realize the type of celeb that solely comes from a breakout function on a actuality TV present. It was the type of social obsession that was all too simple for unscrupulous producers to abuse, as a bunch of younger British fame-seekers came upon once they threw their lives away for a present that was apparently by no means actual. They stop jobs, deserted houses, and severed relationships in pursuit of a promised money prize. Decades later, this three-part documentary follows the individuals who had been drawn into the net of “producer” Nikita Russian (an apparent pseudonym that ought to have been their first clue one thing was off) to discover what went mistaken. Created with a mixture of archive footage and bizarrely shot recreations, there’s an air of unreality to the entire affair, proving as soon as extra that nothing is as unusual as “reality” TV.
Gen V
Spinning out of Amazon’s hit The Boys, Gen V follows the following era of supes, coaching their skills on the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting. In protecting with its twisted dad or mum present, this instructional institution is much less Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and extra The Hunger 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 faculty that problem her complete world view. Factor in all of the poor life decisions faculty college students are famed for and a few extraordinarily artistic (if typically disgusting) superpowers, then enable for The Boys’ trademark ultraviolence, and one factor’s for positive—the children of Gen V are most positively not alright.
Jack Ryan
There’s no scarcity of display screen variations of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books, however John Krasinski’s flip because the CIA desk jockey turned discipline agent will get way 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 last season caps Ryan’s profession along with his largest 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 potential involvement in a political assassination in Nigeria. While 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; large yikes there—its sharp writing, unbelievable performances, and cinematic motion make it compelling viewing.
I’m 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 Bother You), I’m a Virgo follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a daily 19-year-old who simply occurs to be 13 ft 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 surface world for the primary time, light big Cootie has to navigate every part from romance to the general public’s response to an enormous 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 might put a number of the worst offenders on The Boys to disgrace? Told you this was surreal. Do your self a favor and watch the behind-the-scenes episodes too, tucked underneath Prime Video’s “Explore” tab, for Riley’s perception into every episode.
Carnival Row
There’s a component of “what might have been” about Carnival Row. Its robust first season confirmed large potential, framing deeper themes of sophistication, immigration, and race inside a fantasy world the place dominant people and refugee fae reside in uneasy lockstep. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic massively delayed its second—and in the end last—season. But there’s nonetheless a neat bundle of 18 fantastically produced episodes to take pleasure in for a comparatively concise binge. The first season introduces human police inspector Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) and his former lover, fae Vignette “Vini” Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), as a string of murders rocks the gaslit metropolis of The Burgue. In the second, tensions erupt because the oppressed fae make a stand for his or her freedom—placing Philo and Vini on opposing sides. With its quasi-Victoriana aesthetic and a choice for ornate character make-up and prosthetics, Carnival Row can also be one of the crucial distinctive-looking sequence lately—simply ensure that your TV can deal with deep, darkish distinction ranges, because it’s additionally one of the crucial actually darkish reveals.
The Power
You know the way it’s with youngsters. They really feel a tingle, then immediately sparks are flying—however this isn’t about first loves or misdirected crushes, however a moderately extra literal electrical energy, as younger girls around the globe awaken to the ability to generate and discharge lightning. Soon, it proves to be a gender-wide capability, with girls young and old gaining The Power, a shift that quickly modifications social dynamics and energy buildings on a world scale. With a powerhouse solid fronted by Toni Collette as Seattle mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, and Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo, a photojournalist documenting the state of affairs because it unfolds, The Power explores the seismic shift of such a change enjoying out in every single place from the US to Nigeria.
The Legend of Vox Machina
Bawdy, gory, and completely not for youths, The Legend of Vox Machina started life because the hit Critical Role, by which a bunch of the most important English-language voice actors in animation and gaming livestreamed their Dungeons & Dragons classes earlier than it advanced into its personal beast. In the primary season of this exquisitely animated fantasy, the present follows the eponymous Vox Machina guild—a motley crew of often drunk adventurers consisting of gunslingers, druids, and the requisite sexy bard—as they battle to reclaim the town of Whitestone from the monstrous Lord and Lady Briarwood. The second season ups the ante with “the worst team ever assembled” preventing 4 apocalyptically highly effective dragons. Fully accessible to long-time followers of the supply materials and newcomers alike, this sequence manages to be a love letter to D&D whereas poking loads of enjoyable on the traditional RPG and transcending its origins to develop into one of the crucial authentic grownup animated reveals on Amazon.
The Rig
Supernatural thriller The Rig doesn’t even aspire to subtlety on the subject of ecological metaphors. In reality, they’re typically downright clumsy, as when one character says “if you keep punching holes in the earth, eventually the earth’s going to punch back.” But in case you can look previous such clunkiness, this is an interesting piece of tv. When the crew of the remoted Kinloch Bravo oil rig is minimize off from civilization by an odd fog, the inexplicable deaths and tools failures quickly make it clear that that is no mere climate sample. And as the strain and concern mount, being trapped in a glorified tin can within the North Sea drives the survivors to paranoid extremes. It’s all brilliantly shot to utilize each the claustrophobic setting and the terrifying expanse of ocean round it, and the fabric is elevated by an exceptional solid of Game of Thrones and Line of Duty veterans, making The Rig greater than the responsible pleasure it would in any other case be.
Tales From the Loop
Despite being a few years previous, Tales From the Loop stays one of the crucial mesmerizing reveals on Prime Video. Loosely primarily based on the work of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the sequence 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 potential. Expect tales of frozen time, traded lives, and parallel worlds, all delivered to life by a implausible solid and administrators—together with Andrew Stanton and Jodie Foster. But it’s the visuals that basically elevate this present, which captures the chic aesthetic of Stålenhag’s work and juxtaposes neofuturism and rural communities for a world that appears and seems like nearly nothing else. At solely eight episodes, a go to to Mercer is transient however unforgettable.
The Devil’s Hour
When Peter Capaldi, right here enjoying mysterious felony Gideon Shepherd, says “my perception of time is better than anyone’s,” it’s clear that The Devil’s Hour creator Tom Moran is having somewhat fourth-wall-breaking enjoyable along with his former Time Lord main man. That’s about as shut as this gritty six-part drama will get to Doctor Who, although. Instead, it is a mixture of homicide thriller and thriller, topped off with a touch of the supernatural. The focus is on Lucy (Jessica Raine), an over-burdened social employee with an more and more distant and troubled younger son. Lucy wakes at precisely 3:33 am each morning, affected by horrific visions, and her nightmares draw her into the orbit of police detective Ravi Dhillon’s (Nikesh Patel) investigations of a bloody homicide and a baby’s abduction. As she tries to determine how the 2 are entangled, Lucy comes head to head with Shepherd. Raine is a phenomenally commanding lead all through, whereas Capaldi’s sinister efficiency is without doubt one of the most chilling you’ll see on display screen.
Them
This horror anthology sequence, created by Little Marvin and executive-produced by Queen & Slim’s Lena Waithe, units its first season in Nineteen Fifties Los Angeles and follows the Emory household as they transfer into an all-white neighborhood. It all goes about in addition to you would possibly anticipate, with Livia (Deborah Ayorinde) quickly penned into their new dwelling by the Stepford-like housewives of the realm who make her life a residing hell, led by ringleader Betty (Alison Pill). Outside the house, husband Henry (Ashley Thomas) faces bodily assaults and harassment at work. Ayorinde and Thomas are phenomenal all through, brilliantly portraying the psychological, bodily, and emotional turmoil of residing underneath relentless menace. While the present’s portrayal of the interval is tense and horrifying in its personal proper, the layering of some really unsettling supernatural threats make this a regularly terrifying watch.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Tapping into The Lord of the Rings creator J. R. R. Tolkien’s sprawling historical past of Middle-earth, The Rings of Power is ready millennia earlier than the occasions of the core books (or movies, which is basically the place the visible language of this adaptation comes from), detailing the most important occasions of Tolkien’s Second Age. Much of the main focus is on Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) as she searches for Sauron, servant of Morgoth, however this bold fantasy sequence explores a variety of occasions and themes, corresponding to the autumn of the island of Númenor; the fractious politics between man, elves, and dwarves; and the forging of these perilous rings. While there’s been no scarcity of debate round Rings of Power, there’s additionally no denying that Amazon bought what it paid for with the costliest TV present ever made—this is without doubt one of the most stunning sequence you’ll ever lay eyes on. Whether the continuing story nails the touchdown stays to be seen, however for sheer excessive fantasy spectacle, there’s nothing higher in the mean time.
The Boys
Superheroes are supposed to signify hope and optimism—the very best 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 and his “associates,” gleefully dispatching “Supes” who’ve gone too far, typically in terribly violent methods. In the newly dropped third season, the workforce is pressured to go legit and work for the US authorities whereas struggling to topple the sadistic, psychotic Homelander, chief of The Seven—the world’s premier superheroes, delivered to you by Vought International. To complicate issues, Butcher is wrestling with turning into the factor he hates most: a Supe. Possibly Amazon’s goriest present, The Boys stands as a pertinent examination of the abuses of energy, all wrapped in superhero drag.
The Underground Railroad
Based on the Pulitzer Prize–profitable novel by Colson Whitehead, this restricted sequence from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins sticks fairly carefully to the premise of the ebook. It’s a piece of historic fiction that takes the thought 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.
Fleabag
You’re not supposed to love Fleabag. She’s egocentric, self-destructive, and morally bankrupt. Her household is loathsome, her life-style is ridiculous, and her job is a joke. Yet after watching this 12-episode sequence, we defy you to not love her somewhat. This magnificent sitcom a couple of Londoner (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) grappling with the loss of life of her finest pal has no filter: You’ll hear her ideas on feminism, familial pressure, love, and sodomy. The first time Waller-Bridge interrupts her personal dialog to shoot a disarming, conspiratorial look to the display screen, you’re hooked. Season one is a smutty but fantastic crescendo of self-destruction pushed by a solid of characters that features Fleabag’s intensely awkward sister Claire (Sian Clifford), her egocentric and pretentious stepmother (Olivia Colman), and her clueless father (Bill Paterson). The second season cheerfully bounds into blasphemy as she grapples with inappropriate (and reciprocated) emotions for a Catholic priest (Andrew Scott). It’s stunning and immensely watchable—and one of many uncommon instances when a sequence really is pretty much as good as folks say.
The Man within the High Castle
This adaptation of sci-fi grasp Philip Ok. Dick’s novel a couple of world by which the Nazis gained the Second World War was one in every of Amazon’s first forays into authentic content material. The world-building is stunningly accomplished—a divided, alternate-reality Nineteen Sixties America by no means appeared so believable—however be warned: There is likely to be only a contact an excessive amount of present-day resonance for some viewers.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
What is a New York woman 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 the complete viewers. Set within the Nineteen Fifties, this fast-talking fashionista hides her new life as a comic from her household and ex whereas battling sexism, dangerous crowds, and large competitors. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Midge Maisel on this refined nod to Joan Rivers’ profession. With 4 seasons and a bunch of awards and nominations to its title, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is one in every of Amazon’s sharpest comedies.
The Expanse
Humanity now lives among the many stars—properly, the remainder of the photo voltaic system, a minimum of. A bunch of antiheroes are linked by the disappearance of a rich political activist, and between them they have to unravel what occurred to her. Adding to the complexity are the political tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt, a bunch of loosely affiliated colonies between the 2 planets. That’s simply season one—there are six out there on Prime, and every is filled with sufficient daring missions, area fights, and Martian politics to maintain followers of exhausting science fiction hooked.
Good Omens
Feeling battered and emotionally bruised by bleak TV dystopias and even bleaker world information? Good Omens is your shelter within the storm, and inside it’s cozy, camp, and type. Neil Gaiman has tailored his personal 1990 ebook, cowritten with Terry Pratchett, which follows an angel (Michael Sheen) and a demon (David Tennant) as they attempt to cease Armageddon. The six-part occasion sequence offers followers precisely what they dreamed of from such a workforce. Silly stuff with Cold War overtones, excessive whimsy, and gruff British wit.
Good Omens 2
Four years is a protracted wait between seasons, however the dynamic between angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in 2019’s authentic Good Omens (additionally on this checklist) was so completely charming that hardly a day has passed by with out followers clamoring for extra. Thankfully, the hotly anticipated second season doesn’t disappoint, with the dastardly divine odd couple weaving their magic as soon as once more as they try to stave off one more apocalypse. When the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) goes lacking from Heaven, solely to point out up amnesiac (and bare) at Aziraphale’s homely bookshop in London, it kicks off a battle between “upstairs” and “downstairs.” But whereas Gabriel’s half-remembered warnings of one thing horrible looming body the season, it’s the exploration of the central duo’s previous that basically delights. With loads of flashbacks displaying extra of Aziraphale and Crowley’s historical past—and greater than a little bit of fanservice enjoying to the character of their millennia-long relationship—Sheen and Tennant’s chemistry will get to shine so brilliant it dazzles. An overdue however extremely welcome return.
Forever
You’ll know inside the first episode whether or not you’re into this gradual, a stylized miniseries from Parks & Recreation and Master of None alums Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard. It’s half high-concept TV and half uncomfortable marriage drama, with a facet serving to of shtick from the 2 outrageously gifted leads, Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. It would possibly make you impatient at instances, however Forever will follow you in case you dangle on till the finale.
Sneaky Pete
Just launched from jail, Marius (Giovanni Ribisi) steals the identification of former cellmate Pete Murphy with the intention to disguise from the hazards of his previous life. On the run from a vicious debtor performed by Bryan Cranston (who additionally collectively created the present), Marius nestles in with Pete’s motley crew of estranged household, who’re delighted to be reunited with their long-lost relative—and enters waters simply as shark-infested as these from which he’s come. Over the course of three seasons, Sneaky Pete proves itself one of many most interesting dramas Amazon has produced but.
Mozart within the Jungle
A comedy-drama documenting the world {of professional} orchestra musicians in New York, Mozart within the Jungle is an odd beast. The sequence follows Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke), an aspiring oboist making an attempt to construct a profession with the New York Symphony, and her conflicted relationship with eccentric conductor Rodrigo De Souza (Gael García Bernal). With a powerful artistic workforce and real-world supply materials within the type of skilled oboist Blair Tindall’s memoir Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, the compelling and regularly hilarious present has picked up Golden Globes and Emmy Awards and confirmed itself one in every of Amazon’s finest exclusives.
Red Oaks
In the mid-’80s, faculty pupil and struggling filmmaker David Myers (Craig Roberts) desires one final, nice summer season earlier than going through maturity. Unfortunately, he’s caught working at a pretentious nation membership and struggling to achieve momentum in his life. Big goals of constructing it within the movie business meet crushing actuality as David navigates the calls for of the membership’s eccentric visitors—from taking awkward wedding ceremony shoots to filming intercourse tapes for swingers golf equipment—whereas additionally struggling to keep up his relationship with girlfriend Skye. All three seasons of this pleasant interval comedy can be found now.
Vikings
Inspired by the real-life Viking hero and ruler Ragnar Lodbrok, Vikings is a household saga exploring the lives, epic adventures, and cultural politics of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages. Six seasons of the traditionally impressed motion sequence can be found on Amazon Prime Video, with WWE wrestler Adam “Edge” Copeland becoming a member of the solid in season 5 because the story expands to a civil conflict in Norway, battles in England in opposition to the Nordic invaders, and exploration of northern Africa.
Lore
Entertaining properly previous Halloween, this anthology sequence presents “the frightening and often disturbing tales based on real people and events that have led to our modern-day myths and legends.” Based on the award-winning podcast of the similar title, it gives two six-episode seasons of real-world horror tales assured to sit back your bones.
