5 Amazon Prime Video movies to watch when the kids are in bed

Watching a movie with your children is a rare pleasure. But what's an even rarer pleasure is watching a movie without them. The last thing you want is to waste that precious time on a bad movie. 

Luckily on Amazon Prime Video, there are a host of great movies just for adults to enjoy. Whether they're a little bit creepy, steamy or just would go over children's heads, these flicks are guaranteed to make the most of your free time. So put the kids to bed and put one of these on. 

Check out our similar guides for Netflix and Disney+ too. 

1. Half Nelson 

I could almost fill this list with just Ryan Gosling movies (check out the excellent Drive too) but Half Nelson is a superb film that doesn't get the love it deserves. 

Gosling plays a young teacher who also coaches the girl's basketball team at an inner-city school. He's smart and personable but also a drug addict barely holding it together. When one of his students (a brilliant Shareeka Epps) catches him lighting up, they form a close bond, with each having their struggles to face.  I won't say too much more but this is a low-key drama that will have you invested from the get-go, with incredible performances to boot. 

2. The Big Sick 

The true story of how star Kumail Nanjiani met his wife, The Big Sick is far more emotionally fraught than any romcom has the right to be. 

It starts pretty by the numbers, Kumail and Emily meet and a fling turns into a brief romance. But it doesn't work out and the two break up. Emily then falls life-threateningly ill and with no family around Kumail is she has to an emergency contact. After agreeing as her boyfriend to put her into a coma, Emily's parents arrive. Like I said, not a typical rom-com.

Sometimes dark, always funny, The Big Sick is a brilliant film only enhanced by its true-to-life credentials. 

3. The Others

A horror film that I saw as a child and gave me nightmares, I implore only grown-ups to watch The Others. 

What they'll find is a story that forgoes cheap jump scares and gore for genuine suspense and unbearable tension. Nicole Kidman plays a distressed mother looking after two children allergic to sunlight on the channel islands. Although her husband has been lost to the war, the arrival of new household help seems to relieve her burden. 

I won't say anymore but even after my traumatic viewing experience, this is a film I can't help but reccommend. 

4. Frances Ha

A collaboration between Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (now husband and wife) Frances Ha is a wry look at self-discovery. Aspiring dancer Frances is lacking direction in her life, 27 years old and renting in New York city, her housemate decides to move in with her boyfriend. As a result, Frances is forced to move too. With her career, best friend and youth getting further away each day, she looks for meaning in her life. 

Anyone in or who has been through their twenties will find this film oh so relatable (I sure do). Throw in Baumbach's excellent direction and the shining screenplay and you have a hidden gem. It's brilliant. 

5. Saltburn 

We couldn't do this list without mentioning Saltburn. One of the biggest streaming releases in Prime Video history, this Emerald Fennel feature is one of the most talked about films in years. 

Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi play two boys from opposite ends of society at Oxford University. When the privileged Felix (Elordi) invites Oliver (Keoghan) to stay at the titular country house, it seems as though we are in for a heartwarming tale of friendship. 

That couldn't be much further from the truth. Saltburn is a twisted film that absolutely should not be near anyone not yet an adult. That sounds like I'm disparaging it but that's not the case. Saltburn is a pitch-black comedy thriller that continues Fennel's distinct visual style and establishes her as one of the most exciting directors in film today. Not for the faint of heart.