Entertainment

These 35 Underrated Movies Are Streaming On Amazon & Need To Be On Your List

by Tatiana Tenreyro
Columbia Pictures

If you live somewhere where it’s cold out, you’ve probably decided it’s time to comb through your favorite streaming sites and find a movie you haven’t watched yet. But you might not have noticed that Amazon has tons of underrated movies streaming — some that aren’t easily available anywhere else. If you’ve been trying to watch films starring your favorite movie stars that you haven’t seen yet, the streaming service has got you covered. You can watch Mandy Moore’s edgiest role to date in the dark comedy Saved!, starring alongside some of your other favorite childhood celebs, including Macaulay Culkin and Heather Matarazzo. And then there’s Angelina Jolie’s cult classic, Hackers, starring alongside her first husband Jonny Lee Miller.

But there are also some incredible, critically acclaimed films you might’ve missed, like Academy Award winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros, starring Gael García Bernal, and touching documentary Dina about a couple with Autism Spectrum Disorder who fall in love.

And if you’re looking for flicks that’ll make you feel nostalgic, there are plenty of those, too. Amazon has some truly underrated Disney Channel Original Movies, like Right on Track, that’ll remind you that before becoming Captain Marvel, Brie Larson had her start on Disney Channel playing a race car driver. And there are also plenty of teen comedies like Sleepover (also starring Larson!) and Teen Witch.

There are so many underrated movies to choose from on Amazon that it’ll be nearly impossible to know where to start on you're own. So here are 35 that you should absolutely check out.

1

'Saved!'

If you love Mandy Moore's mean girl role in Princess Diaries and appreciate dark comedies, you need to watch Saved! ASAP. Both Mandy Moore and Heather Mattarazzo star in this flick, with Moore playing Hillary Faye, the mean queen bee of a Christian high school, who torments her pregnant friend Mary (Jena Malone).

2

'Uptown Girls'

This is by far one of the best yet most underrated movies Brittany Murphy starred in. And regardless of whether you've watched it a million times growing up or didn't even know it existed you need to stream it. But good luck getting "Sheets of Egyptian Cotton" out of your head afterwards.

3

'Hackers'

Hackers has achieved cult classic status, yet there are still plenty of Angelina Jolie fans who haven't watched it. If you haven't seen Jolie as a badass teen hacker, you need to.

4

'Into The Blue'

If you're a Paul Walker fan, chances are you became one thanks to the Fast and the Furious franchise. But one of his most underrated roles was in this flick, that turned Jessica Alba into one of the most popular leading ladies of the early 2000s.

5

'Alpha Dog'

Anton Yelchin passed away three years ago, and while he was best known for his roles in big flicks like Star Trek, one of his best roles is in Alpha Dog. And the rest of the cast is incredible, too, including Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Amber Heard, and more. This thriller is based on the true story of the murder of Nicholas Markowitz, and it'll have you on the edge of your seat throughout.

6

'Pet Sematary'

Most film adaptations of Stephen King novels tend to become horror classics, like It and The Shining. But Pet Sematary is by far one of the best, yet one of the most underrated, with King as the screenwriter. And you can watch it before the upcoming remake that's set to come out this year.

7

'Right On Track'

DCOMs included plenty of empowering sports dramas, and this one, based on the true story of race car drivers Courtney and Erica Enders, shows how the sisters fought to be respected within a sport that barely gave opportunities to women. This one isn't included with Prime, but you can rent it for a small fee.

8

'Dark Crystal'

When it comes to fantasy movies with incredible puppets, The Neverending Story tends to overshadow Dark Crystal. But Jim Henson's Dark Crystal has become a cult classic, and it's definitely worth watching before the upcoming Netflix show that's set to premiere this year.

9

'Sleepover'

Alexa Vega, Brie Larson, and Steve Carell in a '00s teen movie? Yes, please!

10

'Cruel Intentions'

I could write 1,000 words on why you should watch Cruel Intentions right now if you haven't. But really, this cult classic is a true testament to Reese Witherspoon's acting chops. And Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) was definitely the OG Chuck Bass.

11

'Disobedience'

The Favourite has been getting tons of attention, but Rachel Weisz's other recent flick deserves some love, too. Weisz plays Ronit, a woman who was shunned from her Orthodox Jewish community for falling in love with her best friend, Esti (Rachel McAdams). But when Ronit returns home for her dad's funeral, they rekindle their love and face the consequences.

12

'Landline'

Amazon has some original movies you might've missed, including Landline, about two sisters coping with their dad's affair.

13

'The Cult Of JT Leory'

If you're looking for a captivating documentary, this is the one to watch. It's a deep dive into how author Laura Albert tricked everyone into thinking she was actually a wunderkind named JT Leroy, passing off her novel as Leroy's memoir, befriending Hollywood A-listers and bands who became enamored by Leroy. It'll leave you in absolute shock of how much Albert was able to get away with for so long.

14

'Kick-Ass'

You might've forgotten about this offbeat superhero flick already, but it's time to revisit it — or watch it for the first time. And how can you go wrong with Chloe Grace Moretz and Nicholas Cage as a father-daughter superhero duo?

15

'What We Do In The Shadows'

Love Jemaine Clements? You should definitely watch this comedy-horror mockumentary about vampires, which is being adapted into a TV series this year.

16

'Hugo'

You might have thought, "Hmm he looks familiar..." watching Asa Butterfield grapple with high school and intimacy in Netflix's Sex Education. The star actually had his start in Martin Scorcese's children's film Hugo, starring alongside Chloe Grace Moretz.

17

' Lars And The Real Girl'

Ryan Gosling might be the ultimate rom-com leading man, but in this comedy, he plays an extremely different kind of role within that realm. Lars (Gosling) believes his sex doll Bianca is his girlfriend, but he slowly comes to terms with wanting a real relationship after developing a crush on his co-worker.

18

'Mars Attacks!'

Tim Burton's most popular flicks are either stop-motion movies, or have the same recurring cast. But Mars Attacks!, which was one of his first, is often forgotten on the list of his best, despite its status as a cult classic.

19

'Winter's Bone'

Jennifer Lawrence became a star nearly a decade ago with her role in Winter's Bone, but the Academy Award-nominated film hasn't been talked about much since then. But it's definitely still worth watching.

20

'A Fantastic Woman'

This Chilean film made history at the 2018 Academy Awards for becoming the first film with a transgender lead to win an Oscar. This one's not included with Prime, so you will have to pay to watch it.

21

'Love, Gilda'

Many of your current favorite female comedians probably wouldn't be inspired to work in comedy without Gilda Radner. And this gorgeous documentary shows her incredible legacy, proving yet again that the concept of women not being as funny as men is a gross, sexist lie. You do have to pay to watch the doc, but it'll be worth it.

22

'Brigsby Bear'

Do you love weird comedies? Then you'll surely be into this one, produced by the Lonely Island guys. SNL star Kyle Mooney plays James, whose parents (Mark Hamill and Jane Adams) raised him to believe the outside world is bad, and that the only TV show in existence is Brigsby Bear. But once James makes contact with the outside world, he finds out his dad created the show, and decides to close the chapter on his love for Brigsby Bear by creating a movie based on the show.

23

'Rudo Y Cursi'

Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal make an incredible duo, especially when they're in Alfonso Cuarón's films. But one of their most underrated flicks was actually made by Cuarón's brother, Carlos Cuarón, about two soccer players who are half-brothers and have to compete against each other for a chance to try out for Mexico City's soccer team. It's among those that aren't included with Prime, but it's so hilarious it'll be worth paying for it.

24

'Don't Think Twice'

So many great comedians, including Gillian Jacons, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Birbiglia, and Chris Gethard, star in this indie flick that it'll make you wonder why you didn't know about it before in the first place. And it looks at the comedy world through a realistic lens, showing how much comedians struggle to make it in the industry. This is one of the flicks you have to pay for, though.

25

'SLC Punk'

Before Matthew Lillard became a big star, he starred in SLC Punk, playing a punk who begins to re-evaluate his life and identity. It also has plenty of other familiar stars, like Jason Segel, Devon Sawa, and Rent's Adam Pascal. This is one of the rentable ones that aren't included with Prime.

26

'Intouchables'

If you want to avoid the Kevin Hart flick The Upside, you should instead watch the French original, which is actually great. You do have to rent this one out, though.

27

'Support the Girls'

This indie flick shows that a film about women working in a Hooters-type bar can be empowering. It focuses on the bar's general manager (Regina Hall), who experiences an intense, strange day that puts her patience with her job to the test. You can rent it out for a small fee.

28

'Operation Finale'

Oscar Isaac stars in this flick based on a true story of Israeli agents traveling to Argentina to track down Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), the Nazi officer who caused the deaths of millions during the Holocaust. It's not included on Prime, but you can rent it out.

29

'Dogtooth'

If you thought The Favourite and The Lobster were bizarre, you should check out Yorgos Lanthimos' other film, Dogtooth. Not included with Prime.

30

'Dina'

This is the perfect documentary to watch when you need something lighthearted and will remind you of the joys of falling in love. This doc follows the touching love story of two people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It's unfortunately not included with Prime, but it'll be worth paying for.

31

'Amores Perros'

If you love crime dramas, you need to watch Amores Perros. It's incredibly intense and captivating, and easily one of Gael García Bernal's best roles. You'd have to pay a fee for this one, too.

32

'20th Century Women'

Need more Greta Gerwig flicks? You can't go wrong with this one, about three generations of women (Annette Bening, Gerwig, and Elle Fanning) who help raise a teenage boy (Lucas Jade Zumann). This is one of the rentable ones.

33

'Eddie's Million-Dollar Cook-Off'

This is a deeply underrated DCOM, but you should definitely watch it again. In this one, Eddie (Taylor Ball) is the best baseball player on his team, but what he really wants to be is a chef, even though he knows he'll be ridiculed for it by the sexist boys from his school. But Eddie is forced to choose between baseball and cooking when a cooking competition is on the same day as his big game.

Like most of the other DCOMs on Amazon, you have to rent this one out because it's not included with Prime.

34

'Three Identical Strangers'

There are plenty of movies and TV shows about twins separated at birth. But this documentary looks at what it's like when it happens in real life, examining the case of triplets who were part of a heartbreaking experiment that involved keeping them separate from each other, with their biological families being kept a secret until adulthood. This one's not included with Prime, so you can rent it out.

35

'Teen Witch'

Chances are that when you were a kid, you wished you could have magical powers. And this truly underrated '80s teen comedy shows what happens when that wish comes true. You can rent this one out for a small fee.

There are so many movies to choose from, you'll have a hard time leaving home!