It may not seem like it, but Amazon Prime Video has a stellar lineup of movies in September.
While original movies like The Map That Leads to You and the recent War of the Worlds remake flopped with critics, the streamer has several new additions that make your subscription worthwhile.
Rotten Tomatoes is a great way to gauge the quality of a movie, and the following four movies scored around 90 percent or better critic scores: the spy thriller Black Bag, the boxing drama Creed with Michael B. Jordan, the crime film Pulp Fiction and the classic thriller Blow Out.
‘Black Bag’ (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96 percent
When a top-secret surveillance software program leaks, it’s up to counterintelligence officer George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) to investigate. He usually finds his man, but this case is different since one of the suspects is his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), who also works as a government spy. George has always trusted his wife, but when all the clues point to her being the culprit, he’ll have to choose between love for her or duty to his country.
In a year filled with superheroes, ghosts and endless reboots, Black Bag was a rare thing — an original movie made by and for adults. While it didn’t do too well at the box office, it’s finding a second life on streaming. It’s not hard to see why — the movie looks great, with sharp dialogue and sexy star turns from Balnachette and Fassbender.
‘Creed’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95 percent
Rocky won three Oscars, including Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards, but it’s not the most critically acclaimed movie in the long-running franchise. That honor goes to Creed, a spinoff/sequel that focuses on Rocky’s rival Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan). At first, Donnie doesn’t want to follow in his famous father’s footsteps and become a professional boxer, but soon, he’s asking now-retired Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to train him for an upcoming fight with “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew). Does Rocky still have the fighting spirit to help Donnie? And does Donnie have what it takes to be a champion like his legendary father?
Creed was a huge hit when it was released in 2015, and it’s only improved in the decade since its debut. Director Ryan Coogler (Sinners) balances the fight scenes and the melodrama well, giving boxing fans the ring action they all came for while also making Donnie and Rocky flawed, fleshed-out characters you want to watch and root for. Stallone isn’t known for his acting, but he gives the best performance of his career as a broken-down man who finds inspiration in the unlikeliest of people.
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent
How do you describe Pulp Fiction? Quentin Tarantino’s modernist masterpiece tells a non-linear story involving a bunch of characters that sometimes — but not always — connect. The basic story involves two hitmen, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), who are tasked to retrieve a mysterious briefcase for their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). This is easier said than done as they encounter unexpected distractions, some of which involve an impromptu restaurant robbery, an accidental murder in a sedan and doing the Batusi at a 1950s-themed restaurant.
That’s just the surface of Pulp Fiction’s byzantine plot, and part of the fun is enjoying the ride from point A to point Z to point D. It all makes sense in the end, though, which is a testament to Tarantino’s genius as a writer and director. He juggles his cast of over a dozen characters nimbly and creates a portrait of Los Angeles that’s seedy, bloody and surprisingly funny. It’s a rare masterpiece that’s a blast to watch and improves the more you watch it.
‘Blow Out’ (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88 percent
When sound technician Jack Terri (John Travolta) witnesses a car crash involving a governor while recording ambient noises for a movie he’s working on, he initially assumes it’s an accident and moves on with his life. But as he listens closely to the recordings he made the night of the crash, he realizes someone fired a bullet that caused the driver’s death. After he finds the woman, Sally (Nancy Allen), who survived the crash, he realizes he’s deep in a political conspiracy that involves a sadistic hitman (John Lithgow) who has one last task to accomplish — kill Sally. Now, Jack must protect Sally while also proving the governor’s death was no accident but a deliberate assassination.
Blow Out was a big bomb when it was released in 1981, but it’s now acknowledged as one of the best thrillers of all time. Director Brian De Palma is famous for his love of Alfred Hitchcock, but he also draws upon other movies like Blow Up to create a homage that also feels strikingly original. The movie is consistently thrilling, with an ending that’s both great and an all-time bummer. You won’t soon forget it, and you won’t want to, either.