Like pretty much every other major streaming service these days, Amazon Prime got into the world of original content. That includes movies to go along with their hit shows like The Expanse, The Boys, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Some weren't actually made by Amazon Studios but acquired by them over time.
2020 saw Amazon Prime release a slew of these movies to mostly strong reviews. A few were actually made in 2018 or 2019 but only saw their first major release on the streaming service. To ensure that the best of the bunch is featured here, only films with at least 50 official reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were considered.
Troop Zero (68%)
The earliest release on this list is Troop Zero. It arrived on Amazon Prime on January 17 and initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in February 2019. The comedy-drama is set in 1977 and follows a group of misfit kids who form their own troop of Birdie Scouts.
Inspired by a 2010 play titled Christmas and Jubilee Behold The Meteor Shower, the film boasts a strong cast. The likes of Viola Davis, Mckenna Grace, and Allison Janney lead the way. Troop Zero was considered rather familiar but boosted by the charming cast.
7500 (70%)
You won't find many movies from 2020 that were more intense than this. 7500 tells the story of a soft-spoken pilot who is forced to deal with his plane being hijacked by terrorists. The majority of the plot is set in the cockpit, keeping things tight and tense.
The talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the pilot and delivers one of his usual great performances. Initially premiering at the Locarno Film Festival in August 2019 and hitting Prime in June 2020, 7500 was praised for the acting even if it didn't reach its full potential.
Black Box (74%)
For the past few years, Blumhouse Productions has been delivering many notable films. Get Out, Split, Halloween, Happy Death Day, and more are among them. In 2020, they released a slew of movies for Prime in a series dubbed "Welcome to Blumhouse."
The best reviews for one of them came from Black Box, which arrived on October 6. It focuses on a single father who loses his memory in an accident and tries to get it back through an experiment. With strong directorial work, quality acting, and some intriguing surprises, it has been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Uncle Frank (78%)
With a world premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, Uncle Frank is a true 2020 release. It didn't hit Amazon Prime until November 25, though. It's another entry set during the 1970s but it tells a more serious story, even with the fun overall tone.
Directed by True Blood creator Alan Ball, Uncle Frank follows a girl who takes a road trip from South Carolina to New York with her uncle, who she realizes is gay. The performances of Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis were the standout reason that this got positive reviews.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (85%)
Nobody seemed to expect that there would ever be a sequel to 2006's Borat. Alas, fourteen years later, Sacha Baron Cohen blessed the world with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which went straight to Amazon Prime on October 23. It was met with mostly widespread acclaim.
The film sees Borat travel to the United States again, except this time he's with his daughter Tutar (a breakout performance by Maria Bakalova) and they arrive in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. What worked in the original was again a highlight this time around.
Get Duked! (87%)
Originally titled Boyz in the Wood, this British comedy follows four city boys as they trek through the wilderness to escape a hunter. The hip-hop inspired release initially was shown at the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival before hitting Prime on August 28.
Among the producers for this hilarious film is Tobey Maguire, while the cast includes Eddie Izzard and James Cosmo, among many newcomers. Get Duked! was praised for the way it expertly blended the comedy with the thriller aspects.
Selah And The Spades (88%)
Selah and the Spades is seen as one of the best coming-of-age stories in recent memory. It was shown at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and eventually hit Amazon Prime on April 17, 2020. Unlike most movies in the genre, it centers on a different kind of protagonist.
Selah, played brilliantly by Lovie Simone, is actually the girl who sits atop the most powerful faction (the Spades) at her high school. The writing and acting were considered highlights, as was the unique take and how it was actually rather messy for this kind of film.
Sylvie's Love (92%)
It really feels like Tessa Thompson has the "Midas Touch" these days. Almost everything she appears in from Thor: Ragnarok to Sorry to Bother You to Little Woods is praised. There are hiccups like Men in Black: International but those are rare. Sylvie's Love is another hit for her.
Premiering at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, it later went on to appear on Prime on December 23. The film takes place in the 1950s and tells the tale of a woman who falls in love with an aspiring saxophone player. Their romance spans the times and is indeed an epic love.
The Vast Of Night (92%)
There's something about Amazon Prime originals that seem to be at their best when set in various periods of the past. The Vast of Night is another, taking place in the 1950s. It details a radio DJ and switchboard operator as they discover an audio frequency they believe is of an extraterrestrial origin.
Amazon acquired the rights to stream this film after its 2019 Sundance Film Festival premiere and it hit the streaming service on May 29. Andrew Patterson's directorial debut was heavily praised, as was the eerie tone and how ambitious it was despite a relatively small budget.
Blow The Man Down (98%)
With a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Blow The Man Down tops the list. Released on March 20, 2020 after originally having its premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, this movie has been met with rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
The premise of Blow The Man Down follows two young girls who, while grieving the loss of their father, must cover up a gruesome crime. Sophie Lowe and Morgan Saylor are excellent as the leads, while the film was lauded for being clever and ultimately quite original.