The "free" label is a trap, but it is also an opportunity. It forces you to stop asking "What is new?" and start asking "What is good?"
Furthermore, Amazon introduced ads in late 2024 for the basic tier. The "free" movies are now interrupted by commercials for laundry detergent. This changes the calculus. A three-hour epic like Heat now has ad breaks. Is it still "free"? Economically, yes. Psychologically, it is a return to network television.
Unlike Netflix, which pays for multi-year global licenses, Amazon often licenses "free" movies for 3-to-6-month windows. A film like Midsommar (director’s cut) might be free today, but on August 31st, it will become a rental.