Amazon Prime Video has had some amazing blockbuster hits, from The Boys to Reacher, and so on. But tucked away in its vast library are shows that critics adored and fans still rave about, yet never quite reached mainstream recognition—and these are the ones you need to watch now.
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Undone (2019—2022)
When I first watched Undone, I was immediately mesmerized by the animation style. It utilizes what’s known as rotoscope animation, which involves layering live-action performances over hand-drawn visuals. The series creates a dreamlike atmosphere where reality and imagination constantly collide.
The story follows Alma (Rosa Salazar), a woman who survives a car accident and discovers she has the ability to manipulate time. Guided by her late father (Bob Odenkirk), Alma embarks on a surreal journey to uncover the truth about his mysterious death—and her own mind.
Undone’s second season can be seriously mind-bending, blending science fiction, philosophy, and deeply personal storytelling with its wonderful visuals. Critics praised the series for its originality and emotional depth, but it never got the marketing push of bigger Amazon shows. Still, it’s super worth a watch and doesn’t take hours of your life to get through.
Similarly, if you don’t want to commit to a show, you should try some of Prime Video’s most underrated films.
Tales from the Loop is interesting for a few reasons. First, it’s inspired by the retro-futuristic paintings of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, which gives it a very unique style.
Second, it blends this world of advanced technology and everyday life, where time travel, parallel universes, and strange machines exist alongside ordinary struggles. It’s sci-fi, but also grounded in normality. In that, Tales from the Loop is unlike most other fast-paced sci-fi thrillers.
Instead, it’s more self-reflective, considering the emotional weight of technology, with each episode focusing on a different character connected to “the Loop,” a mysterious underground machine.
My favorite part of ZeroZeroZero is that I had not heard of it until I started researching this list. And what a great show I feel like I uncovered.
Premiering in 2020, this Italian-produced series follows a massive shipment of cocaine as it travels from cartels in Mexico, through brokers in the United States, to buyers in Italy. ZeroZeroZero shifts perspectives between cartel members, corrupt soldiers, international brokers, and mafia families, interlinking the drug trade across continents—and showing the destruction it wreaks.
What sets ZeroZeroZero apart is its cinematic scope. The series was shot on location in multiple countries, giving it a raw, documentary-like authenticity. It’s brutal and unflinching, with intense performances and moments of shocking violence, but it’s also incredibly well-crafted.
If you enjoyed Narcos but want something even more ambitious, ZeroZeroZero is essential viewing.
Before Hugh Grant reinvented himself as a charming villain in The Undoing or Paddington 2, he delivered one of his best performances in A Very English Scandal.
Premiering in 2018, this three-part miniseries dramatizes the shocking true story of Jeremy Thorpe, a British politician whose career imploded in the 1970s after he was accused of conspiring to murder his former lover, Norman Scott.
Grant plays Thorpe with a mix of wit, arrogance, and desperation, while Ben Whishaw (who won a Golden Globe for his performance) portrays Scott with heartbreaking vulnerability. The show balances scandalous intrigue with biting dark humor, capturing both the absurdity and the danger of the situation.
Better still, if you enjoy A Very English Scandal, you can follow it up with its later seasons, A Very British Scandal and A Very Royal Scandal (though each season features a different cast).
Although it first aired in 2016, The Night Manager still feels fresh, thanks to its sleek production and star-studded cast. Based on the novel by John le Carré, it follows Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston), a former soldier working as a hotel night manager, who is recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie).
What follows is a tense game of deception, loyalty, and betrayal, as Pine balances his cover with the constant threat of exposure. The six-part series has all the hallmarks of a classic spy thriller—exotic locations, elegant costumes, and nail-biting suspense—but with the character-driven depth you’d expect from le Carré.
Hiddleston’s charismatic turn as Pine sparked rumors he might become the next James Bond, while Laurie’s performance as the charming yet ruthless villain is arguably one of his best. It’s a stylish, tightly written miniseries that stands as one of the best spy dramas of the past decade.
Oh, and guess what? You’re just in time to watch The Night Manager 2, which is due to air in the UK sometime later in 2025.
1
Upload (2020–present)
On the surface, Upload is a high-concept comedy about digital immortality. But dig deeper, and you’ll find it’s also a sharp satire of technology, consumerism, and relationships in the digital age. Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), the show premiered in 2020 and has since grown into one of Amazon’s most inventive ongoing series.
The premise is simple: in the near future, people can choose to “upload” their consciousness into a virtual afterlife run by corporations. The story follows Nathan (Robbie Amell), a young man who dies unexpectedly and is uploaded into the luxurious Lakeview digital afterlife, only to discover it’s not quite the paradise he imagined. His developing relationship with Nora (Andy Allo), a human customer service rep, gives the series both heart and humor.
These six series may not dominate Prime Video’s homepage, but they showcase the platform at its most daring and creative. From surreal animation and meditative sci-fi to political scandal, global crime, and sharp comedy, each of these gems offers a fresh perspective. Missed them before? Now’s your chance to catch up.
