It’s a new month, which means all-new films have been added to every streaming library.
One of the best in the business is Amazon Prime Video, and some of its newest additions include several lauded canon classics that would make even the most disinterested moviegoer into a passionate cinephile.
But which ones are the best of the best? That’s what Watch With Us is here for.
We’ve cooked up a recommendation guide with only films that achieve at least a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Read on to see our picks.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
The film that started it all back in 1931, Universal’s iconic adaptation of Mary Shelley‘s Gothic masterpiece stars horror icon Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster. The film and Karloff’s visage as the monster have become the paradigm of Frankenstein imagery, but aside from being immensely influential, the film is also a masterwork in its own right. With a spooky atmosphere, a compelling story and genuinely gruesome moments, it’s clear why Frankenstein is considered a classic.
Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive, based on Victor Frankenstein from the novel) is a scientist who digs up graves and makes out with errant body parts to use for his science experiments. He is helped by his trusty assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), and together they collect the necessary pieces to form a resurrected human man. But the creature that emerges from Henry’s blasphemous scheme is wild and reckless, and he must stop it from wreaking havoc on nearby villages.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent
This surrealist fantasy film is a mind-bending delight from director Spike Jonze (Her), with an incredible cast featuring Cameron Diaz, John Cusack, Catherine Keener and, of course, the eponymous actor himself. Being John Malkovich follows a struggling puppeteer named Craig (Cusack), who takes a temp job working as a filing clerk at an office that happens to feature a portal that acts as a direct line to entering John Malkovich’s mind.
When Craig lets his beautiful coworker (Keener) in on his discovery, the pair embark upon a bizarro business scheme that ends up propelling Craig’s restless wife Lotte (Diaz) into a strange relationship between herself and Malkovich’s mind. Being John Malkovich is definitely unlike any film you’ve ever seen before, and it certainly isn’t a story you’ve ever seen before. But the oddities are all part of the film’s quirky appeal, which includes great performances and a surprisingly poignant emotional core.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent
Unlucky-in-love Loretta Castorini (Cher) ends up unexpectedly falling for Ronny Cammareri (Nicolas Cage) — the hot-headed, estranged younger brother of the man she’s supposed to marry. While her fiancé, Johnny (Danny Aiello), is out of the country, Ronny pursues Loretta, and she can’t help but give in, drawn to his strange and unwieldy passion. Caught in a complicated love triangle, Loretta only finds herself falling deeper in love with the man who is not her fiancé.
For her performance as Loretta, Cher received the Academy Award for Best Actress. It’s no wonder: not only is her performance GOATed, the film she’s in is a masterful, hilarious love story for the ages. Cher and Cage have wonderful romantic as well as comedic chemistry, and the energetic direction from Norman Jewison makes Moonstruck impossible not to like.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent
Based on the hit Broadway musical with acclaimed music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story is a New York-set adaptation of Romeo and Juliet that pits rival street gangs against each other in a deadly clash of cultures. When Puerto Rican Maria (Natalie Wood) falls for all-American Tony (Richard Beymer), the star-crossed lovers must contend with fallout from both sides of their worlds: Tony’s gang of white boys, the Jets, and Maria’s brother’s Puerto Rican posse, the Jets.
West Side Story received an update from Steven Spielberg back in 2021, but the first cinematic adaptation of the stage play is well worth your time. Featuring timeless catchy tunes that will stay in your head, kinetic dance choreography and unforgettable performances — in particular, Rita Moreno as Anita, Maria’s brother, Bernardo’s (George Chakiris) girlfriend. At the time, it was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, taking home Best Picture. It still maintains the record for the most Academy Award wins for a musical.
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