Amazon said “Audiences already recognize that Amazon has raised the bar with productions,” when they started producing original movies and shows, but since its first original the bar has only been lowered. 

In 2011, users who already had an Amazon Prime account gained access to Amazon Prime Video, a “free” streaming service with access to over 5,000 movies and shows. In 2013, Amazon released its first original series, “Alpha House,” which focused on four Republican senators who all share the same house rental in Washington, D.C. 

Today, there are hundreds of Amazon Prime Original movies and TV shows. Some of these productions have been big hits with critics and audiences alike, such as series like “Reacher,” “The Boys” and “The Summer I turned Pretty.” Some of the platform’s most popular movies include “Red One,” “Roadhouse,” and “The Idea of You.” 

But these good productions are in the minority. Prime is more focused on quantity over quality, and it shows. In 2025 alone, Prime premiered over 200 originals and just four months into 2026 it premiered 18 originals. 

“Pretty Lethal” is one of the most recent releases and follows a group of five ballerinas as they try to escape an inn in Hungary after their bus broke down on the way to a dance competition. The film leaves much to be desired, from severely underdeveloped characters, to incredibly slow pacing and weak dialogue. One of the only things slightly redeemable about the film is its action sequences. 

In the end the ballerinas kill most of the men trying to kill them, either with the razor blade they have attached to the end of their point shoe or using their other dance skills to take the men down. 

Just like many other prime original productions, the plot for “Pretty Lethal” sounds incredibly interesting in theory, but producers fail to follow through and the movie ends up much worse than audiences would hope. 

Even some of their more popular movies are criticized by audiences. “Red One” is a Christmas movie where, after Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s head of security is forced to team up with a notorious hacker to find Santa. With Dwayne Johnson as Callum, the head of security, and Chris Evans as Jack, the hacker, the movie presents as a fun time. Many find an action-packed Christmas movie a blast. But, some say the movie tried way too hard to feel like it was a part of the Marvel universe. 

If you already pay for an Amazon Prime membership, having access to all the movies and shows Prime Video offers isn’t terrible. They do have a long catalog of productions you oftentimes can’t find anywhere else. But don’t go out of your way to buy a Prime membership just to have access to Prime Video; you’d be much better off paying for a different streaming service.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment