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The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now
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As Netflix pours more of its resources into original content, Amazon Prime Video is picking up the slack, adding new movies for its subscribers each month. Its catalog has grown so impressive, in fact, that it’s a bit overwhelming — and at the same time, movies that are included with a Prime subscription regularly change status, becoming available only for rental or purchase. It’s a lot to sift through, so we’ve plucked out 100 of the absolute best movies included with a Prime subscription right now, to be updated as new information is made available.As Netflix pours more of its resources into original content, Amazon Prime Video is picking up the slack, adding new movies for its subscribers each month. Its catalog has grown so impressive, in fact, that it’s a bit overwhelming — and at the same time, movies that are included with a Prime subscription regularly change status, becoming available only for rental or purchase. It’s a lot to sift through, so we’ve plucked out 100 of the absolute best movies included with a Prime subscription right now, to be updated as new information is made available.
Here are our lists of the best TV shows and movies on Netflix, and the best of both on Hulu and Disney+.Here are our lists of the best TV shows and movies on Netflix, and the best of both on Hulu and Disney+.
The director Ridley Scott and the actress Sigourney Weaver made their mainstream breakthroughs with this hit, which ingeniously fused two of the most durable genre standbys: the lost-in-space sci-fi thriller, and the haunted house horror chiller. Weaver is among the crew members of the commercial spaceship “Nostromo,” headed back home when a creature starts killing her colleagues. Jolting scares and skin-crawling moments ensue, to great effect. Our critic called it “an old-fashioned scare movie” and praised Scott’s “very stylish” direction.Watch it on AmazonThe director Ridley Scott and the actress Sigourney Weaver made their mainstream breakthroughs with this hit, which ingeniously fused two of the most durable genre standbys: the lost-in-space sci-fi thriller, and the haunted house horror chiller. Weaver is among the crew members of the commercial spaceship “Nostromo,” headed back home when a creature starts killing her colleagues. Jolting scares and skin-crawling moments ensue, to great effect. Our critic called it “an old-fashioned scare movie” and praised Scott’s “very stylish” direction.Watch it on Amazon
One of Disney’s biggest hits of the 1980s was this “deliriously funny” and “crazily unexpected” story about cartoon animals and cynical humans who exist together in 1940s Los Angeles, where the movie star Roger Rabbit is accused of murdering a local tycoon. He hires Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a hard-boiled private eye, to clear his name, and they embark on an investigation of the animated movie industry. It’s a treat for movie buffs and cartoon aficionados, but also an entertaining potboiler, dipping into the juicy, “Chinatown”-like mysteries and scandals of postwar Hollywood.Watch it on AmazonOne of Disney’s biggest hits of the 1980s was this “deliriously funny” and “crazily unexpected” story about cartoon animals and cynical humans who exist together in 1940s Los Angeles, where the movie star Roger Rabbit is accused of murdering a local tycoon. He hires Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a hard-boiled private eye, to clear his name, and they embark on an investigation of the animated movie industry. It’s a treat for movie buffs and cartoon aficionados, but also an entertaining potboiler, dipping into the juicy, “Chinatown”-like mysteries and scandals of postwar Hollywood.Watch it on Amazon
This zombie-apocalypse thriller from the South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, set onboard a train hurtling toward possible safety, is a fantastic entry in the “relentless action in a confined space” subgenre (recalling “Snowpiercer,” “The Raid,” “Dredd” and the granddaddy of them all, “Die Hard”). The pacing is energetic, the makeup effects are convincing and the storytelling is ruthless. (Don’t get too attached to anyone.) But it’s not all blood and bluster; there’s a patient, deliberate setup before the orgy of gore and mayhem, leading to a surprising outpouring of emotion at the story’s conclusion. Our critic deemed it “often chaotic but never disorienting,” and praised its “spirited set pieces.” (If you like smart action movies, try “JCVD.”)Watch it on AmazonThis zombie-apocalypse thriller from the South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho, set onboard a train hurtling toward possible safety, is a fantastic entry in the “relentless action in a confined space” subgenre (recalling “Snowpiercer,” “The Raid,” “Dredd” and the granddaddy of them all, “Die Hard”). The pacing is energetic, the makeup effects are convincing and the storytelling is ruthless. (Don’t get too attached to anyone.) But it’s not all blood and bluster; there’s a patient, deliberate setup before the orgy of gore and mayhem, leading to a surprising outpouring of emotion at the story’s conclusion. Our critic deemed it “often chaotic but never disorienting,” and praised its “spirited set pieces.” (If you like smart action movies, try “JCVD.”)Watch it on Amazon
Wes Anderson tried his hand at family entertainment with this adaptation of the novel by Roald Dahl, in which the midlife crisis of a literal sly fox (voiced with panache by George Clooney) ends up endangering his family and neighbors. Though engaging for kids and true to the source material, it’s also indisputably a Wes Anderson movie; he fills the voice cast with his usual ensemble players (including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe) and uses its carefully constructed sets and characters to build, from scratch, the kind of universe he usually has to bend the real world into. A.O. Scott called it “in some ways his most fully realized and satisfying film.”Watch it on AmazonWes Anderson tried his hand at family entertainment with this adaptation of the novel by Roald Dahl, in which the midlife crisis of a literal sly fox (voiced with panache by George Clooney) ends up endangering his family and neighbors. Though engaging for kids and true to the source material, it’s also indisputably a Wes Anderson movie; he fills the voice cast with his usual ensemble players (including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe) and uses its carefully constructed sets and characters to build, from scratch, the kind of universe he usually has to bend the real world into. A.O. Scott called it “in some ways his most fully realized and satisfying film.”Watch it on Amazon
Meryl Streep won her second Oscar for this elegiac adaptation of the William Styron novel, directed by Alan J. Pakula (“All the President’s Men”). What begins as a folksy story of a would-be writer and his friendship with the couple upstairs grows into something far more traumatic, as the naïve, young Stingo (Peter MacNicol) discovers exactly what led Sophie (Streep), a Polish immigrant, to lose her two children before immigrating to the United States. Our critic wrote, “It’s a film that casts a powerful, uninterrupted spell.”Watch it on Amazon
John McTiernan’s remake of the Steve McQueen / Faye Dunaway classic makes a few modifications, primarily changing its title character from a bored playboy bank robber into a bored playboy art thief. That change sets up one of the snazziest set pieces in the caper movie canon, as Pierce Brosnan’s art thief, Thomas Crown, stages an elaborate museum diversion to return his stolen prize. Along the way, sparks fly between the enigmatic Crown and Catherine Banning, Rene Russo’s impeccable investigator, with extra juice supplied by a returning Dunaway in a sublime supporting turn. Enchanting, intoxicating fun. (If you’re in the mood for another sexy caper, try the Wachowskis’ “Bound.”)Watch it on Amazon
Those dreading holidays with the family may find some comfort in this “intelligent and touching farce” from the writer and director Peter Hedges — which details how much worse such events could be. Katie Holmes stars as a free spirit who invites her estranged family (including Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Alison Pill and John Gallagher Jr.) to her rundown New York City walk-up for Thanksgiving dinner. The result is one of the few films in cinematic history to offer valuable advice on both dealing with a family member’s terminal illness and cooking a turkey without a proper oven.Watch it on Amazon
The director Rob Reiner and the screenwriter William Goldman (adapting his own novel) perform one of the most graceful acts of double-talk in all of cinema, simultaneously presenting a thrilling bedtime story — told by a cheerful grandpa (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage) — and a sly satire of such stories, thanks to the rakish humor of Goldman’s script and the hilarious supporting performances by the likes of Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Peter Cook and Wallace Shawn. Our critic praised its “cheery, earnest style.”Watch it on AmazonThe director Rob Reiner and the screenwriter William Goldman (adapting his own novel) perform one of the most graceful acts of double-talk in all of cinema, simultaneously presenting a thrilling bedtime story — told by a cheerful grandpa (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage) — and a sly satire of such stories, thanks to the rakish humor of Goldman’s script and the hilarious supporting performances by the likes of Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Peter Cook and Wallace Shawn. Our critic praised its “cheery, earnest style.”Watch it on Amazon
Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) gleefully picks up where “Godzilla” left off with this delightfully subversive riff on urban monster-movie conventions: His mutant sea creature is created by the carelessness of the local government and the American military. Bong also takes a keen interest in the human dynamics at play, and how the dysfunctional family at the story’s center comes together for a common cause.Watch it on AmazonOscar winner Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) gleefully picks up where “Godzilla” left off with this delightfully subversive riff on urban monster-movie conventions: His mutant sea creature is created by the carelessness of the local government and the American military. Bong also takes a keen interest in the human dynamics at play, and how the dysfunctional family at the story’s center comes together for a common cause.Watch it on Amazon
Oliver Stone graduated from a respected screenwriter to a top-flight filmmaker with this harrowing Vietnam War drama. He based the film on his own experiences in Vietnam, with Charlie Sheen as his avatar, a clean-cut kid from a privileged background whose eyes are opened to the horrors of combat. Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger singe the screen as his sergeants, one free-spirited and open, the other hard-edged and cruel. Our critic called it a “vivid, terse, exceptionally moving” film. (Stone returned to Vietnam, with similarly devastating results, in “Born on the Fourth of July.”)Watch it on AmazonOliver Stone graduated from a respected screenwriter to a top-flight filmmaker with this harrowing Vietnam War drama. He based the film on his own experiences in Vietnam, with Charlie Sheen as his avatar, a clean-cut kid from a privileged background whose eyes are opened to the horrors of combat. Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger singe the screen as his sergeants, one free-spirited and open, the other hard-edged and cruel. Our critic called it a “vivid, terse, exceptionally moving” film. (Stone returned to Vietnam, with similarly devastating results, in “Born on the Fourth of July.”)Watch it on Amazon
In this free-wheeling, high-spirited Western from the director George Roy Hill, Paul Newman and Robert Redford have charisma and chemistry to burn as the title characters, a pair of grinning outlaws always on the lookout for the next score and the next thrill. But the film achieves its immortality thanks to William Goldman’s wily and witty screenplay, which both sends up and embraces the conventions of the Western as well as supplies the stars with uproariously funny, fast-talking dialogue. (For a buddy comedy with a more contemporary setting, try “The Odd Couple.”)Watch it on AmazonIn this free-wheeling, high-spirited Western from the director George Roy Hill, Paul Newman and Robert Redford have charisma and chemistry to burn as the title characters, a pair of grinning outlaws always on the lookout for the next score and the next thrill. But the film achieves its immortality thanks to William Goldman’s wily and witty screenplay, which both sends up and embraces the conventions of the Western as well as supplies the stars with uproariously funny, fast-talking dialogue. (For a buddy comedy with a more contemporary setting, try “The Odd Couple.”)Watch it on Amazon
This wryly funny drama from Mike Nichols, adapted from the novel by Charles Webb, has become such an entrenched piece of popular culture that it is easy to miss that it is also great entertainment. Using Dustin Hoffman as his marvelously dry-witted vessel, Nichols dramatizes youthful ennui with a skill rarely seen in American cinema. Our critic called it “funny, outrageous, and touching.” (Nichols’ later “Closer” and “Carnal Knowledge” are also on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonThis wryly funny drama from Mike Nichols, adapted from the novel by Charles Webb, has become such an entrenched piece of popular culture that it is easy to miss that it is also great entertainment. Using Dustin Hoffman as his marvelously dry-witted vessel, Nichols dramatizes youthful ennui with a skill rarely seen in American cinema. Our critic called it “funny, outrageous, and touching.” (Nichols’ later “Closer” and “Carnal Knowledge” are also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
Bill Murray stars as the title character, a Jacques Cousteau-style oceanographer and documentarian, in this frisky yet bittersweet comic drama from director Wes Anderson. Working for the first time with Noah Baumbach (“Frances Ha”) as his co-writer, Anderson indulges in an absurdist streak that meshes nicely with the familial discord and dry wit of his previous pictures. He also marshals one of his most impressive casts to date, which includes Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston and Owen Wilson, who is both touching and goofy as Zissou’s estranged son. (Stay in a melancholy mood with “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” also streaming on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonBill Murray stars as the title character, a Jacques Cousteau-style oceanographer and documentarian, in this frisky yet bittersweet comic drama from director Wes Anderson. Working for the first time with Noah Baumbach (“Frances Ha”) as his co-writer, Anderson indulges in an absurdist streak that meshes nicely with the familial discord and dry wit of his previous pictures. He also marshals one of his most impressive casts to date, which includes Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston and Owen Wilson, who is both touching and goofy as Zissou’s estranged son. (Stay in a melancholy mood with “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” also streaming on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
This “passionate, wise and deeply felt” drama from the writer and director Pedro Almodóvar won the Oscar for best foreign-language film, and understandably so — it’s one of his finest and funniest films, a love letter to the stage and those who inhabit it. Telling a story with enough buried secrets and stunning turns to recall Douglas Sirk and Tennessee Williams, Almodóvar follows Manuela, an actress-turned-nurse (Cecilia Roth), as the loss of her son leads her on a heart-wrenching (and occasionally gut-busting) journey into her colorful past. Penélope Cruz co-stars.Watch it on AmazonThis “passionate, wise and deeply felt” drama from the writer and director Pedro Almodóvar won the Oscar for best foreign-language film, and understandably so — it’s one of his finest and funniest films, a love letter to the stage and those who inhabit it. Telling a story with enough buried secrets and stunning turns to recall Douglas Sirk and Tennessee Williams, Almodóvar follows Manuela, an actress-turned-nurse (Cecilia Roth), as the loss of her son leads her on a heart-wrenching (and occasionally gut-busting) journey into her colorful past. Penélope Cruz co-stars.Watch it on Amazon
Bob Dylan evolved his music, approach, and appearance throughout his career, so the director Todd Haynes (“Carol,” “Far From Heaven”) took perhaps the only sensible approach to his life: casting six different actors to encapsulate the singer’s contradictory personas and enact the conflicts in his music. “I’m Not There” doesn’t always make logical or narrative sense, but it has an emotional resonance and lyricism too often absent from musical biopics. The result is a boldly experimental journey through the mythology of a legend, an “incandescent rebus of a movie,” per our critic A.O. Scott.Watch it on AmazonBob Dylan evolved his music, approach, and appearance throughout his career, so the director Todd Haynes (“Carol,” “Far From Heaven”) took perhaps the only sensible approach to his life: casting six different actors to encapsulate the singer’s contradictory personas and enact the conflicts in his music. “I’m Not There” doesn’t always make logical or narrative sense, but it has an emotional resonance and lyricism too often absent from musical biopics. The result is a boldly experimental journey through the mythology of a legend, an “incandescent rebus of a movie,” per our critic A.O. Scott.Watch it on Amazon
Two young men in Park Slope, Brooklyn, weather their parents’ nasty divorce in this ruthlessly intelligent and evenhanded coming-of-age story from the writer and director Noah Baumbach, who drew upon his own teenage memories and put himself, not altogether complimentarily, into the character of the 16-year-old Walt (a spot-on Jesse Eisenberg). Laura Linney is passive-aggressive perfection as his mother, while Jeff Daniels, as the father, masterfully captures a specific type of sneeringly dissatisfied intellectual. The film is “both sharply comical and piercingly sad,” A.O. Scott wrote; Baumbach dissects this family’s woes and drama with knowing precision.Watch it on AmazonTwo young men in Park Slope, Brooklyn, weather their parents’ nasty divorce in this ruthlessly intelligent and evenhanded coming-of-age story from the writer and director Noah Baumbach, who drew upon his own teenage memories and put himself, not altogether complimentarily, into the character of the 16-year-old Walt (a spot-on Jesse Eisenberg). Laura Linney is passive-aggressive perfection as his mother, while Jeff Daniels, as the father, masterfully captures a specific type of sneeringly dissatisfied intellectual. The film is “both sharply comical and piercingly sad,” A.O. Scott wrote; Baumbach dissects this family’s woes and drama with knowing precision.Watch it on Amazon
The head-spinning complications of contemporary family life generate both laughs and pathos in this bittersweet comedy-drama from the director Lisa Cholodenko,. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are a couple who, at the request of their children, seek out the sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo). Complications ensue, many of them comic, but never cheaply so; Cholodenko creates real emotional stakes and consequences. A.O. Scott praised its originality, “the thrilling, vertiginous sense of never having seen anything quite like it before.” (“Little Man Tate” and “Mother and Child” are similarly thoughtful looks at the complications of parenthood.)Watch it on AmazonThe head-spinning complications of contemporary family life generate both laughs and pathos in this bittersweet comedy-drama from the director Lisa Cholodenko,. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are a couple who, at the request of their children, seek out the sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo). Complications ensue, many of them comic, but never cheaply so; Cholodenko creates real emotional stakes and consequences. A.O. Scott praised its originality, “the thrilling, vertiginous sense of never having seen anything quite like it before.” (“Little Man Tate” and “Mother and Child” are similarly thoughtful looks at the complications of parenthood.)Watch it on Amazon
Shot with smartphones and a cast of mostly first-time actors, this “fast, raucously funny comedy about love and other misadventures” from the director Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) is a vibrant and heartfelt story of life on the fringe. The plot concerns two transgender sex workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) and their various fortunes and misfortunes over a 24-hour period in Los Angeles. Played differently, the material could have been sensationalistic, but it isn’t; Baker is, above all, a humanist, and he loves his characters no matter what kind of trouble they’re causing.Watch it on AmazonShot with smartphones and a cast of mostly first-time actors, this “fast, raucously funny comedy about love and other misadventures” from the director Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) is a vibrant and heartfelt story of life on the fringe. The plot concerns two transgender sex workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) and their various fortunes and misfortunes over a 24-hour period in Los Angeles. Played differently, the material could have been sensationalistic, but it isn’t; Baker is, above all, a humanist, and he loves his characters no matter what kind of trouble they’re causing.Watch it on Amazon
When people say, “They don’t make’ em like they used to,” Sidney Lumet’s Oscar winner is the kind of movie they’re usually talking about: a sparkling literary adaptation, handsomely mounted and elegantly acted by an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar for her role). Albert Finney stars as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, who is called upon to figure out which passenger on the title train killed a man whom, it seems, they all had a motive to murder. Our critic called it “superb fun.” (For more ’70s action, try “The Parallax View and “The Warriors.”)Watch it on AmazonWhen people say, “They don’t make’ em like they used to,” Sidney Lumet’s Oscar winner is the kind of movie they’re usually talking about: a sparkling literary adaptation, handsomely mounted and elegantly acted by an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar for her role). Albert Finney stars as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, who is called upon to figure out which passenger on the title train killed a man whom, it seems, they all had a motive to murder. Our critic called it “superb fun.” (For more ’70s action, try “The Parallax View and “The Warriors.”)Watch it on Amazon
The unlikely marriage of the screwball-inspired screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and the chilly visual stylist David Fincher birthed one of the finest works of both their careers, a “fleet, weirdly funny, exhilarating, alarming and fictionalized” account of the early days of Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg (brought to sneering life by Jesse Eisenberg). Sorkin’s ingenious, Oscar-winning script spins the Facebook origin story as a Silicon Valley “Citizen Kane,” dazzlingly hopscotching through flashbacks and framing devices. But the ruthlessness of Fincher’s cleareyed direction is what brings the picture together, presciently framing Zuckerberg as the media mogul of the future — and hinting at the trouble that entails.Watch it on AmazonThe unlikely marriage of the screwball-inspired screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and the chilly visual stylist David Fincher birthed one of the finest works of both their careers, a “fleet, weirdly funny, exhilarating, alarming and fictionalized” account of the early days of Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg (brought to sneering life by Jesse Eisenberg). Sorkin’s ingenious, Oscar-winning script spins the Facebook origin story as a Silicon Valley “Citizen Kane,” dazzlingly hopscotching through flashbacks and framing devices. But the ruthlessness of Fincher’s cleareyed direction is what brings the picture together, presciently framing Zuckerberg as the media mogul of the future — and hinting at the trouble that entails.Watch it on Amazon
This thrillingly unpredictable rom-com/crime movie mash-up from the director Jonathan Demme (“The Silence of the Lambs”) begins as a boy-meets-girl movie with a slightly psychosexual edge, seeming to tell the story of how a wild girl (Melanie Griffith) and a straight guy (Jeff Daniels) meet in the middle. Then Ray (a sensational Ray Liotta) turns up and hijacks the entire movie, turning into something much darker and more dangerous. Throughout, Demme keeps the focus on his colorful characters and sharp dialogue. (For a more conventional romantic comedy, try “(500) Days of Summer” or “His Girl Friday.”)Watch it on AmazonThis thrillingly unpredictable rom-com/crime movie mash-up from the director Jonathan Demme (“The Silence of the Lambs”) begins as a boy-meets-girl movie with a slightly psychosexual edge, seeming to tell the story of how a wild girl (Melanie Griffith) and a straight guy (Jeff Daniels) meet in the middle. Then Ray (a sensational Ray Liotta) turns up and hijacks the entire movie, turning into something much darker and more dangerous. Throughout, Demme keeps the focus on his colorful characters and sharp dialogue. (For a more conventional romantic comedy, try “(500) Days of Summer” or “His Girl Friday.”)Watch it on Amazon
Across six years in the mid-2000s, an analyst named Daniel Jones (portrayed by an excellent Adam Driver) pored through millions of pages of documents to write the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation program. This taut, angry film from Scott Z. Burns dramatizes that investigative process and what Jones discovered — and the steady growth of his righteous indignation. Burns, in what our critic deemed a “smart, layered screenplay,” deftly translates the story’s intellectual urgency into emotional agency, making the political into something decidedly personal. (Driver is also first-rate in Leos Carax’s “Annette.”)Watch it on AmazonAcross six years in the mid-2000s, an analyst named Daniel Jones (portrayed by an excellent Adam Driver) pored through millions of pages of documents to write the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation program. This taut, angry film from Scott Z. Burns dramatizes that investigative process and what Jones discovered — and the steady growth of his righteous indignation. Burns, in what our critic deemed a “smart, layered screenplay,” deftly translates the story’s intellectual urgency into emotional agency, making the political into something decidedly personal. (Driver is also first-rate in Leos Carax’s “Annette.”)Watch it on Amazon
This debut film from the director Andrew Patterson wears its “Twilight Zone” influence right on its sleeve, opening (on a vintage television, no less) with the spooky intro to an anthology series called “Paradox Theater,” and presenting this story as “tonight’s episode.” The throwback framework is key; this is a film that bursts with affection for analog, with the look, feel and sound of black-and-white TVs, reel-to-reel tape recorders, telephone switchboards and the distant voices of a radio disc jockey and his mysterious callers. Patterson orchestrates it all with the grinning giddiness of a campfire storyteller — he’s having a great time freaking us out. Manohla Dargis called it “a small-scale movie that flexes plenty of filmmaking muscle.”Watch it on AmazonThis debut film from the director Andrew Patterson wears its “Twilight Zone” influence right on its sleeve, opening (on a vintage television, no less) with the spooky intro to an anthology series called “Paradox Theater,” and presenting this story as “tonight’s episode.” The throwback framework is key; this is a film that bursts with affection for analog, with the look, feel and sound of black-and-white TVs, reel-to-reel tape recorders, telephone switchboards and the distant voices of a radio disc jockey and his mysterious callers. Patterson orchestrates it all with the grinning giddiness of a campfire storyteller — he’s having a great time freaking us out. Manohla Dargis called it “a small-scale movie that flexes plenty of filmmaking muscle.”Watch it on Amazon
Kenneth Lonergan makes films about people in turmoil, roiled by bottomless sadness, dysfunction and guilt. Casey Affleck won an Oscar for his nuanced portrayal of Lee Chandler, a Boston janitor who, for all practical purposes, is broken; Lucas Hedges is prickly and funny as the nephew who needs him to put himself together again. It’s a tear-jerker in the best sense, never stooping to cheap manipulation. Our critic called it “a finely shaded portrait.” (For more heart-wrenching drama, stream “Atonement” on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonKenneth Lonergan makes films about people in turmoil, roiled by bottomless sadness, dysfunction and guilt. Casey Affleck won an Oscar for his nuanced portrayal of Lee Chandler, a Boston janitor who, for all practical purposes, is broken; Lucas Hedges is prickly and funny as the nephew who needs him to put himself together again. It’s a tear-jerker in the best sense, never stooping to cheap manipulation. Our critic called it “a finely shaded portrait.” (For more heart-wrenching drama, stream “Atonement” on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
It was only a matter of time before Whit Stillman, the writer and director of such literate comedies as “Metropolitan” and “Barcelona,” adapted Jane Austen, whose dissections of upper-class relationships had always been an influence. This “howlingly funny” expansion on Austen’s novella “Lady Susan” merges their voices seamlessly, with Kate Beckinsale’s sly, scheming heroine, the Lady Susan Vernon, enforcing a tone of cheerful irreverence. After decades of relatively benign adaptations of Austen’s novels, “Love and Friendship” is a reminder that her work is part of the tradition of lacerating British comedy, and this whip-smart adaptation favors slashing wit and ruthless gamesmanship over swooning romance.Watch it on AmazonIt was only a matter of time before Whit Stillman, the writer and director of such literate comedies as “Metropolitan” and “Barcelona,” adapted Jane Austen, whose dissections of upper-class relationships had always been an influence. This “howlingly funny” expansion on Austen’s novella “Lady Susan” merges their voices seamlessly, with Kate Beckinsale’s sly, scheming heroine, the Lady Susan Vernon, enforcing a tone of cheerful irreverence. After decades of relatively benign adaptations of Austen’s novels, “Love and Friendship” is a reminder that her work is part of the tradition of lacerating British comedy, and this whip-smart adaptation favors slashing wit and ruthless gamesmanship over swooning romance.Watch it on Amazon
Michael Caine is a Cockney crook leading a gang of thieves through an elegant plot to steal $4 million in gold from Northern Italy and high-tail it to Switzerland. In sharp contrast to most caper movies, in which the focus is on the mechanics of the theft, the key to “The Italian Job” is the escape, exuberantly executed by a pack of Mini Coopers in one of the most famous car chases in all of cinema. But there’s more to this than just fancy driving: Noël Coward supplies elegance as a dapper crime boss; Benny Hill is on hand for low comedy; and Caine brings to it his inimitable style, adding a timeless admonishment to the cinema canon: “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” (For a contemporary riff on the heist movie, try “Heist.”)Watch it on AmazonMichael Caine is a Cockney crook leading a gang of thieves through an elegant plot to steal $4 million in gold from Northern Italy and high-tail it to Switzerland. In sharp contrast to most caper movies, in which the focus is on the mechanics of the theft, the key to “The Italian Job” is the escape, exuberantly executed by a pack of Mini Coopers in one of the most famous car chases in all of cinema. But there’s more to this than just fancy driving: Noël Coward supplies elegance as a dapper crime boss; Benny Hill is on hand for low comedy; and Caine brings to it his inimitable style, adding a timeless admonishment to the cinema canon: “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” (For a contemporary riff on the heist movie, try “Heist.”)Watch it on Amazon
Deemed by our critic as “Mel Brooks’s funniest, most cohesive comedy,” this 1974 gem finds the master of broad satire taking on the Universal horror pictures of the 1930s. Co-writer Gene Wilder is sublimely manic as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein — pronounced “Fronk-en-steen,” he insists — grandson of the famed corpse re-animator Victor, who returns to his grandfather’s estate and laboratory to claim his inheritance and finds himself drawn into the family business. Brooks and Wilder’s Oscar-nominated script is a hit parade of comedy classics, from the candlestick bit to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” to the monster’s dinner with a blind hermit (an unlisted Gene Hackman). But most surprising is its narrative discipline (relative to the rest of the Brooks filmography). (For more wild comedy, add “Raising Arizona” and “The Bad News Bears” to your watchlist.)Watch it on AmazonDeemed by our critic as “Mel Brooks’s funniest, most cohesive comedy,” this 1974 gem finds the master of broad satire taking on the Universal horror pictures of the 1930s. Co-writer Gene Wilder is sublimely manic as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein — pronounced “Fronk-en-steen,” he insists — grandson of the famed corpse re-animator Victor, who returns to his grandfather’s estate and laboratory to claim his inheritance and finds himself drawn into the family business. Brooks and Wilder’s Oscar-nominated script is a hit parade of comedy classics, from the candlestick bit to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” to the monster’s dinner with a blind hermit (an unlisted Gene Hackman). But most surprising is its narrative discipline (relative to the rest of the Brooks filmography). (For more wild comedy, add “Raising Arizona” and “The Bad News Bears” to your watchlist.)Watch it on Amazon
Years before Netflix’s series adaptation of “The Queen’s Gambit” prompted a nationwide chess craze, the writer and director Steven Zaillian proved that the game could indeed be a thrilling and emotional spectator sport. He also tells the “absorbing story” of a prodigy: Joshua Waitzkin, who moves with ease from matches in Washington Square Park to national tournaments as his parents (Joe Mantegna and Joan Allen) try to keep his little feet on the ground. Based on the memoir by Waitzkin’s father, this powerful drama provides the surprises of an underdog sports movie, but it also tackles universal questions about parenting a talented child. (“Paper Moon,” another story of a precocious child, is also on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonYears before Netflix’s series adaptation of “The Queen’s Gambit” prompted a nationwide chess craze, the writer and director Steven Zaillian proved that the game could indeed be a thrilling and emotional spectator sport. He also tells the “absorbing story” of a prodigy: Joshua Waitzkin, who moves with ease from matches in Washington Square Park to national tournaments as his parents (Joe Mantegna and Joan Allen) try to keep his little feet on the ground. Based on the memoir by Waitzkin’s father, this powerful drama provides the surprises of an underdog sports movie, but it also tackles universal questions about parenting a talented child. (“Paper Moon,” another story of a precocious child, is also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
This unapologetically dark comedy changed the high-school movie forever, from the heartfelt and ultimately sunny chronicles of John Hughes to something with a bit more bite. Winona Ryder is tart and charming as Veronica, a popular teen who has come to hate the clique she runs with. Then she meets J.D. (Christian Slater), a Jack Nicholson clone who suggests bumping off their less tolerable classmates. Nearly 30 years on, the sheer riskiness and take-no-prisoners attitude of this delightfully demented picture still shocks; our critic called it “as snappy and assured as it is mean-spirited.” (If you like this confrontational dark comedy, try “Fight Club.”)Watch it on AmazonThis unapologetically dark comedy changed the high-school movie forever, from the heartfelt and ultimately sunny chronicles of John Hughes to something with a bit more bite. Winona Ryder is tart and charming as Veronica, a popular teen who has come to hate the clique she runs with. Then she meets J.D. (Christian Slater), a Jack Nicholson clone who suggests bumping off their less tolerable classmates. Nearly 30 years on, the sheer riskiness and take-no-prisoners attitude of this delightfully demented picture still shocks; our critic called it “as snappy and assured as it is mean-spirited.” (If you like this confrontational dark comedy, try “Fight Club.”)Watch it on Amazon
This classic Western from the director Fred Zinnemann is best remembered for its innovative construction, in which a small-town marshal’s looming standoff with a revenge-seeking outlaw is dramatized in real time. The film was widely read as an allegory for the film industry blacklists of the era — the screenwriter Carl Foreman was deemed an “uncooperative witness” by the House Un-American Activities Committee. But “High Noon” also cleared an important path for the future of the Western, replacing the usual genre high jinks with thoughtful explorations of masculinity and violence; our critic called it “a Western of rare achievement.”Watch it on AmazonThis classic Western from the director Fred Zinnemann is best remembered for its innovative construction, in which a small-town marshal’s looming standoff with a revenge-seeking outlaw is dramatized in real time. The film was widely read as an allegory for the film industry blacklists of the era — the screenwriter Carl Foreman was deemed an “uncooperative witness” by the House Un-American Activities Committee. But “High Noon” also cleared an important path for the future of the Western, replacing the usual genre high jinks with thoughtful explorations of masculinity and violence; our critic called it “a Western of rare achievement.”Watch it on Amazon
Winner of three Academy Awards — for best actress (Patricia Neal), best supporting actor (Melvyn Douglas) and for its black-and-white cinematography (by James Wong Howe) — this wide-screen tale of the contemporary West seems, in its opening scenes, like yet another story of a wild cowboy who cannot be tamed. But as played by Paul Newman (himself an Oscar nominee), Hud Bannon isn’t a hero; he’s a brutish, irresponsible lout, and “Hud” refuses to romanticize him. Instead, the director, Martin Ritt, sees Hud for what he is: a dinosaur who is just beginning to realize he’s on his way to extinction. (For more Oscar-winning acting, stream “The Constant Gardener” and “On Golden Pond.”)Watch it on AmazonWinner of three Academy Awards — for best actress (Patricia Neal), best supporting actor (Melvyn Douglas) and for its black-and-white cinematography (by James Wong Howe) — this wide-screen tale of the contemporary West seems, in its opening scenes, like yet another story of a wild cowboy who cannot be tamed. But as played by Paul Newman (himself an Oscar nominee), Hud Bannon isn’t a hero; he’s a brutish, irresponsible lout, and “Hud” refuses to romanticize him. Instead, the director, Martin Ritt, sees Hud for what he is: a dinosaur who is just beginning to realize he’s on his way to extinction. (For more Oscar-winning acting, stream “The Constant Gardener” and “On Golden Pond.”)Watch it on Amazon
Steven Soderbergh followed up the career revival of “Out of Sight” with another fusion of art-house experimentation and genre storytelling. He combines fractured timelines, stream-of-consciousness editing and even clips from an earlier, unrelated film to tell the tale of a revenge-seeking ex-con (Terence Stamp, in a career-best performance). In doing so, Soderbergh turns what could’ve been a “Death Wish” remake into a thoughtful, mournful, elegiac meditation — on family, on forgiveness, on the past in general and the ’60s in particular. (Soderbergh’s “Traffic” is also streaming on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonSteven Soderbergh followed up the career revival of “Out of Sight” with another fusion of art-house experimentation and genre storytelling. He combines fractured timelines, stream-of-consciousness editing and even clips from an earlier, unrelated film to tell the tale of a revenge-seeking ex-con (Terence Stamp, in a career-best performance). In doing so, Soderbergh turns what could’ve been a “Death Wish” remake into a thoughtful, mournful, elegiac meditation — on family, on forgiveness, on the past in general and the ’60s in particular. (Soderbergh’s “Traffic” is also streaming on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
The director Billy Wilder followed up the triumph of “Sunset Boulevard” with this similarly “sordid and cynical drama,” starring Kirk Douglas as a ruthless and amoral newspaper man who turns a minor story of a man trapped in a collapse into a nationwide media circus, all to bolster his own profile. “Ace in the Hole” was a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, a reception that now seems an indication that Wilder was ahead of his time; the picture’s unflinching portrait of mass media (and of humanity in general) seems much more in tune with our contemporary mood. (For more ’50s drama, add “The Man with the Golden Arm” to your watch list.)Watch it on AmazonThe director Billy Wilder followed up the triumph of “Sunset Boulevard” with this similarly “sordid and cynical drama,” starring Kirk Douglas as a ruthless and amoral newspaper man who turns a minor story of a man trapped in a collapse into a nationwide media circus, all to bolster his own profile. “Ace in the Hole” was a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, a reception that now seems an indication that Wilder was ahead of his time; the picture’s unflinching portrait of mass media (and of humanity in general) seems much more in tune with our contemporary mood. (For more ’50s drama, add “The Man with the Golden Arm” to your watch list.)Watch it on Amazon
The “one night” of the title of Regina King’s feature directorial debut is Feb. 25, 1964 — the night Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) took down Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship. But the fight footage is brief, because King isn’t making a boxing movie; she’s making a film about Black identity, filled with conversations that are still being had, and questions that are still being asked. The four participants — Ali (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) — are giants in their fields and are friends celebrating a victory. It’s a moving, powerful film, confrontational and thought-provoking. A.O. Scott called it “one of the most exciting movies I’ve seen in quite some time.”Watch it on AmazonThe “one night” of the title of Regina King’s feature directorial debut is Feb. 25, 1964 — the night Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) took down Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship. But the fight footage is brief, because King isn’t making a boxing movie; she’s making a film about Black identity, filled with conversations that are still being had, and questions that are still being asked. The four participants — Ali (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) — are giants in their fields and are friends celebrating a victory. It’s a moving, powerful film, confrontational and thought-provoking. A.O. Scott called it “one of the most exciting movies I’ve seen in quite some time.”Watch it on Amazon
Riz Ahmed is devastatingly good as Ruben, a hard rock drummer whose entire life — his music, his relationship, his self-image — is upended by a sudden case of extreme hearing loss, in this wrenching drama from the writer and director Darius Marder. A former addict in danger of relapse, Ruben enters a school for the deaf, where he must confront not only his new condition, but the jitteriness that predates it. His sense of solitude, even with others, quickly transforms to self-consciousness, then self-doubt, then self-destruction, and “Sound of Metal” is ultimately less about finding a silver bullet cure than finding the stillness within oneself. Marder works in a quiet, observational style, skillfully avoiding every cliché he approaches, taking turns both satisfying and moving. Our critic praised the film’s “distinctive style.”Watch it on AmazonRiz Ahmed is devastatingly good as Ruben, a hard rock drummer whose entire life — his music, his relationship, his self-image — is upended by a sudden case of extreme hearing loss, in this wrenching drama from the writer and director Darius Marder. A former addict in danger of relapse, Ruben enters a school for the deaf, where he must confront not only his new condition, but the jitteriness that predates it. His sense of solitude, even with others, quickly transforms to self-consciousness, then self-doubt, then self-destruction, and “Sound of Metal” is ultimately less about finding a silver bullet cure than finding the stillness within oneself. Marder works in a quiet, observational style, skillfully avoiding every cliché he approaches, taking turns both satisfying and moving. Our critic praised the film’s “distinctive style.”Watch it on Amazon
Three years after reinventing the crime movie with “Bonnie and Clyde,” the director Arthur Penn worked similar magic on the Western, adapting Thomas Berger’s novel about a very old man (Dustin Hoffman) who tells the tale of his exploits in the Old West, where he was raised by Native Americans. The film’s attitudes toward Indigenous people were boldly progressive at the time of its release, in 1970, coming as it did during a period when most westerns still teemed with racist images of “merciless Indian savages,” in the words of the Declaration of Independence. Our critic called it a “tough testament to the contrariness of the American experience.” (For more ’70s drama, try “The King of Marvin Gardens” on Prime.)Watch on AmazonThree years after reinventing the crime movie with “Bonnie and Clyde,” the director Arthur Penn worked similar magic on the Western, adapting Thomas Berger’s novel about a very old man (Dustin Hoffman) who tells the tale of his exploits in the Old West, where he was raised by Native Americans. The film’s attitudes toward Indigenous people were boldly progressive at the time of its release, in 1970, coming as it did during a period when most westerns still teemed with racist images of “merciless Indian savages,” in the words of the Declaration of Independence. Our critic called it a “tough testament to the contrariness of the American experience.” (For more ’70s drama, try “The King of Marvin Gardens” on Prime.)Watch on Amazon
Orson Welles attempted to repair his flailing film career (and his marriage to Rita Hayworth, whom he cast as a femme fatale) in this moody and visually striking film noir. Welles portrays a crewman hired to sail Hayworth and her husband’s yacht, and finds himself drawn into a wicked web of deception, sex and murder. As was often the case with his later works, “Shanghai” suffered from extensive studio interference and reshoots. But even in its expurgated form, this is an expert potboiler, and its oft-imitated house-of-mirrors climax is as gripping as ever. Our critic called it “at once fluid and discordant,” and “filled with virtuoso set pieces.” (For more classic noir, stream “The Naked Kiss.”)Orson Welles attempted to repair his flailing film career (and his marriage to Rita Hayworth, whom he cast as a femme fatale) in this moody and visually striking film noir. Welles portrays a crewman hired to sail Hayworth and her husband’s yacht, and finds himself drawn into a wicked web of deception, sex and murder. As was often the case with his later works, “Shanghai” suffered from extensive studio interference and reshoots. But even in its expurgated form, this is an expert potboiler, and its oft-imitated house-of-mirrors climax is as gripping as ever. Our critic called it “at once fluid and discordant,” and “filled with virtuoso set pieces.” (For more classic noir, stream “The Naked Kiss.”)
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When Jonathan Demme’s performance film of the Talking Heads opened in 1984, our critic wrote, “’Stop Making Sense’ owes very little to the rock filmmaking formulas of the past. It may well help inspire those of the future.” She couldn’t have been more right. Demme was rewriting the rules with this innovative hybrid of documentary and concert movie, taking his cues from the group’s kinetic energy and cross-pollination of styles. The filmmaker creates an immersive experience that captures both the thrill of being in that crowd, and the high of playing for them. (If you like your movies loaded with music, try the beloved biopic “La Bamba” or the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”)Watch it on AmazonWhen Jonathan Demme’s performance film of the Talking Heads opened in 1984, our critic wrote, “’Stop Making Sense’ owes very little to the rock filmmaking formulas of the past. It may well help inspire those of the future.” She couldn’t have been more right. Demme was rewriting the rules with this innovative hybrid of documentary and concert movie, taking his cues from the group’s kinetic energy and cross-pollination of styles. The filmmaker creates an immersive experience that captures both the thrill of being in that crowd, and the high of playing for them. (If you like your movies loaded with music, try the beloved biopic “La Bamba” or the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”)Watch it on Amazon
Spike Lee adapts and updates Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata” to the streets of contemporary Chicago in this wildly funny, vividly theatrical mash-up of gangland drama, musical comedy and surrealist fantasy. Teyonah Parris shines as the determined young woman who leads a sex strike to stop the city’s violence, while Samuel L. Jackson struts and rhymes as “Dolmedes,” the picture’s one-man Greek chorus. His Dolemite-style interludes push the premise to its bawdy extremes, but Lee isn’t just playing for laughs. He’s swinging for the fences, and the result, according to Manohla Dargis, “entertains, engages and, at times, enrages.” (Lee’s “The Original Kings of Comedy” is also on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonSpike Lee adapts and updates Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata” to the streets of contemporary Chicago in this wildly funny, vividly theatrical mash-up of gangland drama, musical comedy and surrealist fantasy. Teyonah Parris shines as the determined young woman who leads a sex strike to stop the city’s violence, while Samuel L. Jackson struts and rhymes as “Dolmedes,” the picture’s one-man Greek chorus. His Dolemite-style interludes push the premise to its bawdy extremes, but Lee isn’t just playing for laughs. He’s swinging for the fences, and the result, according to Manohla Dargis, “entertains, engages and, at times, enrages.” (Lee’s “The Original Kings of Comedy” is also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
This “meticulously acted” serio-comic drama was the feature filmmaking debut of Joey Soloway (credited as Jill Soloway), the creator of “Transparent” and “I Love Dick.” Kathryn Hahn is astonishing in the leading role, clearly conveying her dissatisfied housewife’s longings and nerves but keeping her intentions enigmatic, and Juno Temple is electrifying as a young woman who’s learned how to use her sexuality as a weapon without fully considering the carnage left in its wake. Their byplay is vibrant, and it gets messy in fascinating ways; this is a sly, smart sex comedy that plumbs unexpected depths of sadness and despair.Watch it on AmazonThis “meticulously acted” serio-comic drama was the feature filmmaking debut of Joey Soloway (credited as Jill Soloway), the creator of “Transparent” and “I Love Dick.” Kathryn Hahn is astonishing in the leading role, clearly conveying her dissatisfied housewife’s longings and nerves but keeping her intentions enigmatic, and Juno Temple is electrifying as a young woman who’s learned how to use her sexuality as a weapon without fully considering the carnage left in its wake. Their byplay is vibrant, and it gets messy in fascinating ways; this is a sly, smart sex comedy that plumbs unexpected depths of sadness and despair.Watch it on Amazon
The great British writer/director Joanna Hogg tells a story of youthful exuberance, romantic recklessness, and unchecked addiction in early ’80s London. Her heroine is Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne, flawless), an idealistic film student who finds herself pulled, time and again, into the orbit of Anthony (Tom Burke), whose roguish charm covers a considerable number of concerning flaws. Tilda Swinton (Byrne’s real-life mother) co-stars as Julie’s concerned mum. Hogg’s film is quiet yet revelatory, trusting its audience with these characters’ secrets — and trusting us enough to fill in their blanks. A.O. Scott raves, “This is one of the saddest movies you can imagine, and it’s an absolute joy to watch.” (For more indie drama, try “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Hard Eight.”)Watch it on AmazonThe great British writer/director Joanna Hogg tells a story of youthful exuberance, romantic recklessness, and unchecked addiction in early ’80s London. Her heroine is Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne, flawless), an idealistic film student who finds herself pulled, time and again, into the orbit of Anthony (Tom Burke), whose roguish charm covers a considerable number of concerning flaws. Tilda Swinton (Byrne’s real-life mother) co-stars as Julie’s concerned mum. Hogg’s film is quiet yet revelatory, trusting its audience with these characters’ secrets — and trusting us enough to fill in their blanks. A.O. Scott raves, “This is one of the saddest movies you can imagine, and it’s an absolute joy to watch.” (For more indie drama, try “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Hard Eight.”)Watch it on Amazon
The director Frank Capra and the actor Jimmy Stewart took a marvelously simple premise — a suicidal man is given the opportunity to see what his world would have been like without him — and turned it into a holiday perennial. But “It’s a Wonderful Life” is too rich and complex to brand with a label as simple as “Christmas movie”; it is ultimately a story about overcoming darkness and finding light around you, a tricky transition achieved primarily through the peerless work of Stewart as a good man with big dreams who can’t walk away from the place where he’s needed most. Our critic said it was a “quaint and engaging modern parable.” (Classic movie lovers can also stream “A Place in the Sun” and “Hamlet” on Prime.)The director Frank Capra and the actor Jimmy Stewart took a marvelously simple premise — a suicidal man is given the opportunity to see what his world would have been like without him — and turned it into a holiday perennial. But “It’s a Wonderful Life” is too rich and complex to brand with a label as simple as “Christmas movie”; it is ultimately a story about overcoming darkness and finding light around you, a tricky transition achieved primarily through the peerless work of Stewart as a good man with big dreams who can’t walk away from the place where he’s needed most. Our critic said it was a “quaint and engaging modern parable.” (Classic movie lovers can also stream “A Place in the Sun” and “Hamlet” on Prime.)
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Early in Garrett Bradley’s extraordinary documentary (a coproduction of The New York Times), someone asks Fox Rich about her husband, and she replies, “He’s, uh, out of town now.” Technically, it’s true; he’s in Angola prison, for a 1997 bank robbery, serving a 60-year sentence without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Fox Rich has spent years fighting for her husband’s release — and against mass incarceration — and Bradley interweaves her crusade with years of grainy home video footage, moving back and forth from past to present, contrasting the possibilities of those early videos and the acceptance, even resignation, of today. But Fox Rich never gives up hope, and this “substantive and stunning” film suggests that even in the grimmest of circumstances, that never-say-die spirit can pay dividends. (Documentary lovers will also want to check out “Jesus Camp” on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonEarly in Garrett Bradley’s extraordinary documentary (a coproduction of The New York Times), someone asks Fox Rich about her husband, and she replies, “He’s, uh, out of town now.” Technically, it’s true; he’s in Angola prison, for a 1997 bank robbery, serving a 60-year sentence without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Fox Rich has spent years fighting for her husband’s release — and against mass incarceration — and Bradley interweaves her crusade with years of grainy home video footage, moving back and forth from past to present, contrasting the possibilities of those early videos and the acceptance, even resignation, of today. But Fox Rich never gives up hope, and this “substantive and stunning” film suggests that even in the grimmest of circumstances, that never-say-die spirit can pay dividends. (Documentary lovers will also want to check out “Jesus Camp” on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
Billi (Awkwafina), a Chinese immigrant who grew up to be a starving artist in New York City, returns to her homeland to help perpetrate a family hoax in this charming and beguiling comedy/drama from the writer-director Lulu Wang. The reason for the homecoming is her grandmother, known as Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), who has only months to live, but doesn’t know it. The family hastily arranges a premature wedding as a chance to say goodbye, resulting in misunderstandings, realizations and reconciliations. A.O. Scott praised the film’s “loose, anecdotal structure” and “tone that balances candor and tact.” (Fans of character-driven indie fare should also check out “Raising Victor Vargas” and “Passion Fish.”)Watch it on AmazonBilli (Awkwafina), a Chinese immigrant who grew up to be a starving artist in New York City, returns to her homeland to help perpetrate a family hoax in this charming and beguiling comedy/drama from the writer-director Lulu Wang. The reason for the homecoming is her grandmother, known as Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), who has only months to live, but doesn’t know it. The family hastily arranges a premature wedding as a chance to say goodbye, resulting in misunderstandings, realizations and reconciliations. A.O. Scott praised the film’s “loose, anecdotal structure” and “tone that balances candor and tact.” (Fans of character-driven indie fare should also check out “Raising Victor Vargas” and “Passion Fish.”)Watch it on Amazon
The South Korean master Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) takes the stylistic trappings of a period romance and gooses them with scorching eroticism and one of the most ingenious con-artist plots this side of “The Sting.” Working from the Sarah Waters novel “Fingersmith,” Park begins with the story of a young woman who, as part of a seemingly straightforward swindle, goes to work as a Japanese heiress’s handmaiden, occasionally pausing the plot to slyly reveal new information, reframing what we’ve seen and where we think he might go next. Manohla Dargis saw it as an “amusingly slippery entertainment.” (If you like your period movies with a bit of fire, you may also enjoy “The Last of the Mohicans.”)Watch it on AmazonThe South Korean master Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy”) takes the stylistic trappings of a period romance and gooses them with scorching eroticism and one of the most ingenious con-artist plots this side of “The Sting.” Working from the Sarah Waters novel “Fingersmith,” Park begins with the story of a young woman who, as part of a seemingly straightforward swindle, goes to work as a Japanese heiress’s handmaiden, occasionally pausing the plot to slyly reveal new information, reframing what we’ve seen and where we think he might go next. Manohla Dargis saw it as an “amusingly slippery entertainment.” (If you like your period movies with a bit of fire, you may also enjoy “The Last of the Mohicans.”)Watch it on Amazon
Asghar Farhadi writes and directs this lucid and contemplative morality play, in which a married couple must grapple with the fallout of an assault on the wife in their home, particularly when the husband’s desire for vengeance surpasses her own. Farhadi’s brilliance at capturing the complexities of his native Iran’s culture is as astonishing as ever — particularly when coupled with insights into victimhood, justice, poverty and intimacy that know no borders. A.O. Scott praised the picture’s “rich and resonant ideas.” (Cinephiles may also enjoy “Cold War” and “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.”)Watch it on AmazonAsghar Farhadi writes and directs this lucid and contemplative morality play, in which a married couple must grapple with the fallout of an assault on the wife in their home, particularly when the husband’s desire for vengeance surpasses her own. Farhadi’s brilliance at capturing the complexities of his native Iran’s culture is as astonishing as ever — particularly when coupled with insights into victimhood, justice, poverty and intimacy that know no borders. A.O. Scott praised the picture’s “rich and resonant ideas.” (Cinephiles may also enjoy “Cold War” and “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.”)Watch it on Amazon
Humphrey Bogart won his first and only Oscar for his role as the gin-soaked roughneck at the helm of the titular vessel; this was also his only on-screen pairing with his fellow icon Katharine Hepburn. Most of what happens is predictable, from the outcome of the dangerous mission to the eventual attraction of the opposites at the story’s center, but the actors and John Huston’s direction keep the viewer engaged and entertained. Our critic praised the picture’s “rollicking fun and gentle humor.” (Huston’s gut-wrenching “Fat City” is also streaming on Prime, as is Bogart’s “In a Lonely Place.”)Watch it on AmazonHumphrey Bogart won his first and only Oscar for his role as the gin-soaked roughneck at the helm of the titular vessel; this was also his only on-screen pairing with his fellow icon Katharine Hepburn. Most of what happens is predictable, from the outcome of the dangerous mission to the eventual attraction of the opposites at the story’s center, but the actors and John Huston’s direction keep the viewer engaged and entertained. Our critic praised the picture’s “rollicking fun and gentle humor.” (Huston’s gut-wrenching “Fat City” is also streaming on Prime, as is Bogart’s “In a Lonely Place.”)Watch it on Amazon
The broad plot outlines — a traumatized vet, working as a killer-for-hire, gets in over his head in the criminal underworld — make this adaptation of Jonathan Ames’s novella sound like a million throwaway B-movies. But the director and screenwriter is Lynne Ramsay, and she’s not interested in making a conventional thriller; hers is more like a commentary on them, less interested in visceral action beats than their preparation and aftermath. She abstracts the violence, skipping the visual clichés and focusing on the details another filmmaker wouldn’t even see. Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerizing in the leading role (“there is something powerful in his agony,” A.O. Scott noted), internalizing his rage and pain until control is no longer an option. (For more mind-bending drama, queue up “Midsommar,” “Peeping Tom” or “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”)Watch it on AmazonThe broad plot outlines — a traumatized vet, working as a killer-for-hire, gets in over his head in the criminal underworld — make this adaptation of Jonathan Ames’s novella sound like a million throwaway B-movies. But the director and screenwriter is Lynne Ramsay, and she’s not interested in making a conventional thriller; hers is more like a commentary on them, less interested in visceral action beats than their preparation and aftermath. She abstracts the violence, skipping the visual clichés and focusing on the details another filmmaker wouldn’t even see. Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerizing in the leading role (“there is something powerful in his agony,” A.O. Scott noted), internalizing his rage and pain until control is no longer an option. (For more mind-bending drama, queue up “Midsommar,” “Peeping Tom” or “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”)Watch it on Amazon
Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani based their first screenplay on their own, unconventional love story — a courtship that was paused, then oddly amplified by an unexpected illness and a medically induced coma. This isn’t typical rom-com fodder, but it’s written and played with such honesty and heart that it somehow lands. Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan (standing in for Gordon) generate easy, lived-in chemistry and a rooting interest in the relationship, while a second-act appearance by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as her parents creates a prickly tension that gives way to hard-won affection. Our critic deemed it “a joyous, generous-hearted romantic comedy.” (If you like indie comedy-dramas, we also recommend “Living in Oblivion.”)Watch it on AmazonEmily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani based their first screenplay on their own, unconventional love story — a courtship that was paused, then oddly amplified by an unexpected illness and a medically induced coma. This isn’t typical rom-com fodder, but it’s written and played with such honesty and heart that it somehow lands. Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan (standing in for Gordon) generate easy, lived-in chemistry and a rooting interest in the relationship, while a second-act appearance by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as her parents creates a prickly tension that gives way to hard-won affection. Our critic deemed it “a joyous, generous-hearted romantic comedy.” (If you like indie comedy-dramas, we also recommend “Living in Oblivion.”)Watch it on Amazon
This sun-drenched romp reunited the director Alfred Hitchcock with one of his favorite leading men, Cary Grant, and with Grace Kelly, the ultimate “Hitchcock Blonde.” The sparks are nuclear-grade as the two fall in love, and they trade witticisms, jabs and flirtations with aplomb against the beautiful backdrop of the South of France. Our critic wrote, “the script and the actors keep things popping, in a fast, slick, sophisticated vein.” (Hitchcock admirers may also enjoy “No Way Out” and “Knives Out.”)This sun-drenched romp reunited the director Alfred Hitchcock with one of his favorite leading men, Cary Grant, and with Grace Kelly, the ultimate “Hitchcock Blonde.” The sparks are nuclear-grade as the two fall in love, and they trade witticisms, jabs and flirtations with aplomb against the beautiful backdrop of the South of France. Our critic wrote, “the script and the actors keep things popping, in a fast, slick, sophisticated vein.” (Hitchcock admirers may also enjoy “No Way Out” and “Knives Out.”)
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Billy Wilder’s poison-penned love letter to Hollywood is often remembered more as a series of moments (particularly its closing line) than for its overwhelming whole: a sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, always riveting story about a faded silent movie queen (an unforgettable Gloria Swanson) and the opportunistic young man who tries to take advantage of her (a prickly William Holden). Our critic wrote that it “quickly casts a spell over an audience and holds it enthralled to a shattering climax.” (If you love classics, add “Funny Girl” and “Roman Holiday” to your watch list.)Watch it on AmazonBilly Wilder’s poison-penned love letter to Hollywood is often remembered more as a series of moments (particularly its closing line) than for its overwhelming whole: a sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, always riveting story about a faded silent movie queen (an unforgettable Gloria Swanson) and the opportunistic young man who tries to take advantage of her (a prickly William Holden). Our critic wrote that it “quickly casts a spell over an audience and holds it enthralled to a shattering climax.” (If you love classics, add “Funny Girl” and “Roman Holiday” to your watch list.)Watch it on Amazon