For three months in a row, Prime Video has offered an array of classic films, adding “12 Angry Men” and “Psycho” in May and a Golden Age classic in June. And in July 2024, Prime Video completed the hat trick with a fresh slate packed with some of the best films of all time.

Just to be clear, when I say “classics,” I'm referring to the classics: movies made from the 1920s through the 1960s, the period known as “Hollywood's Golden Age.” So if you can't stand black-and-white films older than your own parents, this list is probably not for you. But if, like me, you have an understanding of Hollywood history, get ready for a handful of new films to add to your Prime Video watch list.

Even better, all of the films on this list have received scores of 95% or higher on the comprehensive review site Rotten Tomatoes, a testament to their enduring status as true classics of American cinema. So let's dive into the new “golden oldies” added to Prime Video this month.

While politically charged comedies are a staple of current entertainment, films that take a humorous (yet sober) look at the society around us are by no means a modern invention. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is in many ways a classic social satire film. Aimed at the dysfunctional, self-serving government of the time (what has changed?), it has been parodied many times, most famously in “The Simpsons.”

Directed by Frank Capra, who also directed the Best Picture winner “What Happened One Night” and the holiday favorite “It's a Wonderful Life,” the film is best known for making its star, Hollywood icon James Stewart, a true star. He plays Jefferson Smith, a newly appointed United States Senator whose idealistic views are overturned when confronted with the corrupt practices of his hero and mentor, Senator Joseph Payne (Claude Rains).

Rotten Tomatoes 97 Streaming on Prime Video

The Western genre dominated Hollywood's Golden Age, and these three films, consisting of A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, are all All three films are must-sees (and all three were added to Prime Video this month), but of course you should start with the first one.

A Fistful of Dollars stars Clint Eastwood, a master gunslinger. Eastwood plays a stranger (referred to throughout the trilogy as “The Man with No Name”) who comes to the town of San Miguel looking for easy money. This enigmatic figure soon becomes embroiled in a long-standing feud between two families, the Baxters and the Rojos, and decides to play off the rival clans in order to acquire all the wealth he can carry.

Rotten Tomatoes 98 Streaming on Prime Video

If you were enchanted by “Oppenheimer,” you should watch “Dr. Strangelove” (avoid the funny-length full name) next. Like Nolan's epic, Stanley Kubrick's legendary satirical comedy sends a clear warning about the destructive power of nuclear war and the arrogance of man to cause global conflict. Among Kubrick's outstanding filmography, this war film stands out for its sharp satire, memorable performances, and era-defining filmmaking.

One of the most celebrated and revered films ever made, Dr. Strangelove features an overzealous American general who rashly orders an attack on the Soviet Union that will trigger the destruction of the world. After this fateful decision, the War Chamber convenes to prevent an unimaginable nuclear fallout. Surprisingly, the “Dr. Strangelove” has not aged 50 years, and its warning to humanity is as urgent today as it was then. We should listen.

Rotten Tomatoes 98 Streaming on Prime Video

Moviegoers will argue all night about which of the “Dollar” trilogy is the best, but there's no arguing which is the most iconic: 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, whose title is referenced at every turn. references, creating a legacy that has entered the popular lexicon. The epic drama, with Clint Eastwood once again as “the man with no name,” is regularly cited as “the definitive spaghetti western.”

Set during the Civil War, a strange man with wanderlust (Clint Eastwood) and an outlaw (Eli Wallach) form an unlikely duo to swindle a bounty from the local town. But the stranger's partner grows tired of his constant complaining and leaves him in the desert. However, when they get a tip about a $20,000 bounty buried in a secluded cemetery, they must put aside their differences and work together again. But sadistic criminals are also after the treasure.

Rotten Tomatoes 97 Streaming on Prime Video

The film starring Humphrey Bogart deserves immediate attention. Nominated for numerous Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bogart, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, “Mutiny on the Caine,” based on Herman Wouk's novel of the same name, has become a classic in film history.

The military drama takes place during World War II on the minesweeper Kane. When a new captain, Commander Queeg (Bogart), comes aboard and proves to be an unfit leader, the crew is unhappy. His unconventional and irrational behavior causes all sorts of problems, and during the storm, the executive officer (Van Johnson) decides to dismiss Queeg. A contested trial for sedition then ensues.

Rotten Tomatoes 95 Streaming on Prime Video