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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+.
Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a resourceful teenager who volunteers to compete in the decadent, dangerous televised title event, in which teens engage in blood sport to entertain the rich. The film series hadn’t quite found its footing in this initial outing, but it contains much of what makes the movies memorable — the tense action sequences, the striking costume and production design and especially Lawrence’s tough, muscular work in the leading role. (The three follow-up films — “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part One,” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part Two” — are all streaming on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
Kristen Wiig stars in and co-writes (with her frequent collaborator Annie Mumolo) this comedy smash from the director Paul Feig. Wiig is Annie, an aimless baker whose lifelong pal Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is getting hitched, and asks Annie to serve as maid of honor. This duty sets off an uproarious series of broad comic set pieces and thoughtful introspection; both the comedy and drama are played to the hilt by an ensemble that includes Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O’Dowd and an Oscar-nominated Melissa McCarthy.Watch it on Amazon
George Clooney turns in one of his most nuanced performances in this sharp and affecting comedy-drama from the writer and director Jason Reitman (“Juno”). Clooney uses his movie-star good looks and charisma in service of the supremely confident Ryan Bingham, a man who specializes in being the corporate bad guy (he is brought in to handle the layoffs), but whose confidence slowly deteriorates; Anna Kendrick is pitch-perfect as the young woman who is seeking to streamline their profession, and consequently put him out of a job. Our critic praised this “laugh-infused stealth tragedy.”Watch it on Amazon
James Marsh’s documentary tells the exhilarating story of the French daredevil Philippe Petit, whose team of friends and accomplices sneaked into the World Trade Center one night in 1974 and spent the night running a high-wire between the Twin Towers, so Petit could dazzle downtown New York with an early morning tightrope walk. Marsh ingeniously meshes archival footage and contemporary interviews with stylish re-enactments, framing Petit’s daring feat as a heist movie where the payoff is the possibility of death. A.O. Scott called it a “thorough, understated and altogether enthralling documentary.”Watch it on Amazon
In Joe Swanberg’s “nimble, knowing and altogether excellent” hangout flick, Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Olivia Wilde), pals and co-workers at a Chicago brewery, wonder if they’ve chosen the right romantic partners — just as those partners (Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston) are asking themselves the same question. The film’s casual style, which emphasizes improvisation and naturalistic performance, nicely balances the schematic story; it’s the kind of rom-com for which you’re pretty sure how it’s going to turn out, but it’s fun to get there anyway.Watch it on Amazon
Taylour Paige — so electrifying as the title character of last year’s “Zola” — shines brightly in this wonderful comedy-drama from the writer and director Stella Meghie. Paige stars as Jean Jones, a boho Brooklyn novelist whose career, love life and family seem to implode simultaneously. Sherri Shepherd, Gloria Reuben, Michelle Hurst and Erica Ash also star as the women of the Jones family, and their dialogue crackles with running jokes, passive insults and hidden resentments aplenty. It’s funny and breezily executed, and Paige is a tremendous presence, charismatic and likable even when she’s making a mess of things. (Meghie’s follow-up, “The Weekend,” is also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
After years of playing second banana, John Candy got his first shot at a full-on leading role in this zippy family comedy from the legendary director Carl Reiner. Candy plays an air traffic controller and perpetually harried family man whose attempt at a mellow summer vacation goes hilariously awry, thanks to unexpected injuries, sunburns and awkward encounters with the snooty locals (including a delightfully slimy Richard Crenna). The script is a fairly formulaic, post-“Caddyshack” snobs versus slobs affair. But Candy is a charming, likable, charismatic lead, and he and Rip Torn make for an unexpectedly excellent comedy team.Watch it on Amazon
Between their best picture-winning collaboration on “The Departed” and the best picture-nominated “The Wolf of Wall Street,” (also on Prime), the director Martin Scorsese and the actor Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up for this adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel. It was generally seen as a castoff, a stylistic exercise allowing the filmmaker to play in the moody genre sandbox of the B-movie masters. But there’s a bleakness to the picture, an existential despair, at which those movies only hinted, particularly in the implications of its shattering closing scenes. DiCaprio shines throughout in a performance of increasing complexity; the more we know about this character, the clearer DiCaprio’s achievement becomes.Watch it on Amazon
Nicolas Cage won — and earned — the Academy Award for best actor for his wrenching portrayal of a depressed screenwriter who goes to Sin City to drink himself to death. Elisabeth Shue was nominated for an Oscar for her turn as a prostitute who falls into something like love with the suicidal writer, and it speaks to the richness of their performances and the texture of Mike Figgis’s direction that such a melodramatic narrative, populated by well-worn stock characters, has such emotional immediacy. Our critic called this moving indie drama “passionate and furiously alive.” (For more ’90s drama, stream “Internal Affairs” and “Poison.”)Watch it on Amazon
Taissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario star in this “playfully arch and unsettling” adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel as the Blackwood sisters, who live (along with their infirm uncle) in solitude and mystery. Their parents died years earlier, under cloudy circumstances, and they’re still the subjects of talk in town. That chatter grows louder with the arrival of an enigmatic cousin, Charles (Sebastian Stan, wild and woolly), who shakes the precarious household to its core. Farmiga and Daddario exude both fragility and danger, while Crispin Glover underplays nicely (and surprisingly) as Uncle Julian.Watch it on AmazonTaissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario star in this “playfully arch and unsettling” adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel as the Blackwood sisters, who live (along with their infirm uncle) in solitude and mystery. Their parents died years earlier, under cloudy circumstances, and they’re still the subjects of talk in town. That chatter grows louder with the arrival of an enigmatic cousin, Charles (Sebastian Stan, wild and woolly), who shakes the precarious household to its core. Farmiga and Daddario exude both fragility and danger, while Crispin Glover underplays nicely (and surprisingly) as Uncle Julian.Watch it on Amazon
The Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu made his English-language debut with this harrowing ensemble drama, scripted by his frequent collaborator Guillermo Arriaga. The title comes from the weight said to leave the body at the time of death — the weight of the human soul — and Iñárritu explores the related complexities of mourning, guilt and redemption via the crashing intersections (sometimes literally) in the lives of characters played, with uncommon directness and vulnerability, by Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and an Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts. Our critic deemed it “an extraordinarily satisfying vision.” (For more Oscar-nominated acting, try “Mississippi Burning” and “The Dresser.”)Watch it on Amazon The Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu made his English-language debut with this harrowing ensemble drama, scripted by his frequent collaborator Guillermo Arriaga. The title comes from the weight said to leave the body at the time of death — the weight of the human soul — and Iñárritu explores the related complexities of mourning, guilt and redemption via the crashing intersections (sometimes literally) in the lives of characters played, with uncommon directness and vulnerability, by Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and an Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts. Our critic deemed it “an extraordinarily satisfying vision.” (Penn also shines in “Dead Man Walking.”)Watch it on Amazon
The filmmaking team of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady train their cameras on Pastor Becky Fischer, a fierce evangelical Christian who is training young soldiers in “God’s army” at the “Kids on Fire” summer camp. They capture sessions of indoctrination and disinformation, but resist the urge to comment directly, letting the troubling intensity of their footage speak for itself; the film was made during the second George W. Bush administration, and it’s fascinating to note how its participants are so directly sowing the seeds of our current culture wars. Our critic called it a “riveting documentary.”Watch it on AmazonThe filmmaking team of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady train their cameras on Pastor Becky Fischer, a fierce evangelical Christian who is training young soldiers in “God’s army” at the “Kids on Fire” summer camp. They capture sessions of indoctrination and disinformation, but resist the urge to comment directly, letting the troubling intensity of their footage speak for itself; the film was made during the second George W. Bush administration, and it’s fascinating to note how its participants are so directly sowing the seeds of our current culture wars. Our critic called it a “riveting documentary.”Watch it on Amazon
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton memorably co-star in this “sardonic, testosterone-fueled science fiction” effort from the director David Fincher, adapting Chuck Palahniuk’s acclaimed novel. Norton stars as a yuppie Everyman whose consumerist beliefs are shaken to their core by a chance encounter with a charismatic, enigmatic stranger (Pitt) with mayhem on his mind. Gleefully provocative and darkly funny, it’s a take-no-prisoners indictment of turn-of-the-millennium norms that has divided audiences for decades. Fincher’s vision has rarely been so crisp, or as merciless.Watch it on Amazon Brad Pitt and Edward Norton memorably co-star in this “sardonic, testosterone-fueled science fiction” effort from the director David Fincher, adapting Chuck Palahniuk’s acclaimed novel. Norton stars as a yuppie Everyman whose consumerist beliefs are shaken to their core by a chance encounter with a charismatic, enigmatic stranger (Pitt) with mayhem on his mind. Gleefully provocative and darkly funny, it’s a take-no-prisoners indictment of turn-of-the-millennium norms that has divided audiences for decades. Fincher’s vision has rarely been so crisp, or as merciless. (Fincher and Pitt’s later “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is also streaming on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
Few premises in modern cinema are more exhausting than the reimagining of classic characters in contemporary settings. But this goofy, endearing buddy movie from the writing and directing team of Aaron and Adam Nee, which gives us grown-up versions of Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) as modern-day, small-time criminals, has its own sprung rhythm and distinct comic voice. The filmmakers (who went on to direct “The Lost City,” also on Prime) refuse to romanticize these literary favorites, instead casting them as likable screw-ups who, like their child iterations, get in way over their heads. (For more indie comedy, try “Living in Oblivion.”)Watch it on AmazonFew premises in modern cinema are more exhausting than the reimagining of classic characters in contemporary settings. But this goofy, endearing buddy movie from the writing and directing team of Aaron and Adam Nee, which gives us grown-up versions of Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) as modern-day, small-time criminals, has its own sprung rhythm and distinct comic voice. The filmmakers (who went on to direct “The Lost City,” also on Prime) refuse to romanticize these literary favorites, instead casting them as likable screw-ups who, like their child iterations, get in way over their heads. (For more indie comedy, try “Living in Oblivion.”)Watch it on Amazon
A number of critics dismissed this Reese Witherspoon vehicle as lightweight, disposable fluff — a reaction strangely appropriate to this story of a young woman whose peers underestimate her based on looks and impressions. But just as Elle Woods thrived, against all odds, at Harvard Law School, this summer comedy has become a cultural touchstone thanks to its quotable dialogue, masterfully modulated lead performance and timeless message about self-determination in the face of adversity. (For more comedy, stream “Galaxy Quest” and “Saved!” on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon A number of critics dismissed this Reese Witherspoon vehicle as lightweight, disposable fluff — a reaction strangely appropriate to this story of a young woman whose peers underestimate her based on looks and impressions. But just as Elle Woods thrived, against all odds, at Harvard Law School, this summer comedy has become a cultural touchstone thanks to its quotable dialogue, masterfully modulated lead performance and timeless message about self-determination in the face of adversity. (For more of Witherspoon, try “Freeway.”)Watch it on Amazon
The scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, coupled with a general post-’60s distrust of authority and institution, led to a miniboom of taut, paranoid conspiracy thrillers like “The Conversation,” “The Parallax View,” and “Winter Kills.” One of the best is this “good‐looking, entertaining suspense film” from director Sydney Pollack, inspired by the James Grady novel; Robert Redford stars as Joseph Turner, a mild-mannered researcher at a low-profile C.I.A. outpost in New York City, whose entire office is executed while he’s out to lunch. On the run and unsure of whom to trust, Turner must transform himself from an analyst into an agent and figure out who is trying to kill him (and why). Redford and Faye Dunaway generate considerable heat in the leading roles, while Owen Roizman’s gritty cinematography nicely captures the uncertainty of the era.Watch in on Amazon The scandals of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate, coupled with a general post-’60s distrust of authority and institution, led to a miniboom of taut, paranoid conspiracy thrillers like “The Conversation,” “The Parallax View,” and “Winter Kills.” One of the best is this “good‐looking, entertaining suspense film” from director Sydney Pollack, inspired by the James Grady novel; Robert Redford stars as Joseph Turner, a mild-mannered researcher at a low-profile C.I.A. outpost in New York City, whose entire office is executed while he’s out to lunch. On the run and unsure of whom to trust, Turner must transform himself from an analyst into an agent and figure out who is trying to kill him (and why). Redford and Faye Dunaway generate considerable heat in the leading roles, while Owen Roizman’s gritty cinematography nicely captures the uncertainty of the era. (For more ’70s action, stream “Serpico” and “Escape from Alcatraz” on Prime.)Watch in on Amazon
The Swedish director Ruben Ostlund follows up his pointed social satire “Force Majeure” with this arch, uproarious and bitter attack on the pretensions of the art world. He adds a few famous faces to the mix (including Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West), but his biting voice has not been tempered — if anything, he cranks up the blatant discomfort and inescapable embarrassment. That doesn’t sound like much fun, granted, and at times it is not. Yet Ostlund’s refusal to soften (or redeem) his characters is admirable, and if you have the right kind of darkly comic sensibility, it’s a deeply funny piece of work.Watch it on AmazonThe Swedish director Ruben Ostlund follows up his pointed social satire “Force Majeure” with this arch, uproarious and bitter attack on the pretensions of the art world. He adds a few famous faces to the mix (including Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West), but his biting voice has not been tempered — if anything, he cranks up the blatant discomfort and inescapable embarrassment. That doesn’t sound like much fun, granted, and at times it is not. Yet Ostlund’s refusal to soften (or redeem) his characters is admirable, and if you have the right kind of darkly comic sensibility, it’s a deeply funny piece of work.Watch it on Amazon
Terrence Malick followed up “Badlands,” his startling debut, with this elliptical yet evocative period drama that follows three transients into the Texas panhandle, circa 1916. Richard Gere, in his first leading role, hides his internalized pain with brusque physicality, while Brooke Adams finds the right, quiet notes for the woman he loves, and loses. But the real star here is Malick’s distinctive style, which was fully formed by this sophomore effort: gorgeous, picturesque cinematography, paired with searching, thoughtful voice-over, accumulating into something less like conventional cinema and more like filmed poetry. (For more period drama, stream “Eight Men Out.”)Watch it on AmazonTerrence Malick followed up “Badlands,” his startling debut, with this elliptical yet evocative period drama that follows three transients into the Texas panhandle, circa 1916. Richard Gere, in his first leading role, hides his internalized pain with brusque physicality, while Brooke Adams finds the right, quiet notes for the woman he loves, and loses. But the real star here is Malick’s distinctive style, which was fully formed by this sophomore effort: gorgeous, picturesque cinematography, paired with searching, thoughtful voice-over, accumulating into something less like conventional cinema and more like filmed poetry. (For more period drama, stream “Eight Men Out.”)Watch it on Amazon
Jeff Bridges won an overdue Academy Award for best actor in this adaptation of Thomas Cobb’s novel from the writer and director Scott Cooper. Bridges stars as “Bad” Blake, an alcoholic country singer-songwriter whose best days seem to be behind him. He falls hard for a younger music journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and starts to think he might be able to turn his career, and his life, around. Our critic called this “a small movie perfectly scaled to the big performance at its center.” (Bridges is similarly electrifying in “Rancho Deluxe.”)Watch it on AmazonJeff Bridges won an overdue Academy Award for best actor in this adaptation of Thomas Cobb’s novel from the writer and director Scott Cooper. Bridges stars as “Bad” Blake, an alcoholic country singer-songwriter whose best days seem to be behind him. He falls hard for a younger music journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and starts to think he might be able to turn his career, and his life, around. Our critic called this “a small movie perfectly scaled to the big performance at its center.” (Bridges is similarly electrifying in “Rancho Deluxe.”)Watch it on Amazon
This acclaimed romance from the director Stephen Frears (“Dangerous Liaisons,” “The Grifters”) plays as both a tender relationship tale and a piercing commentary on Thatcher-era London. The tensions in that period between the city’s British and South Asian residents provide both the conflict and warmth that fuel this story of a young British Pakistani man (Gordon Warnecke) who takes over his uncle’s launderette with the help of his friend and eventual lover (a young Daniel Day-Lewis). There’s a wonderful offhandedness about the central relationship — these protagonists are drawn together not by labels, but by mutual attraction and affection — resulting in what our critic called “a fascinating, eccentric, very personal movie.”Watch it on Amazon
The New Zealand television presenter David Farrier fronts and co-directs (with Dylan Reeve) this stranger-than-fiction documentary, detailing his investigation of “competitive endurance tickling.” Farrier initially conceived it as a giggly story about a strange online phenomenon, but found himself immersed in a bizarre web of online harassment, sexual blackmail and worse. The twisty narrative is endlessly fascinating, and Farrier is an engaging onscreen presence, striking just the right balance between bemusement and horror.Watch it on AmazonThe New Zealand television presenter David Farrier fronts and co-directs (with Dylan Reeve) this stranger-than-fiction documentary, detailing his investigation of “competitive endurance tickling.” Farrier initially conceived it as a giggly story about a strange online phenomenon, but found himself immersed in a bizarre web of online harassment, sexual blackmail and worse. The twisty narrative is endlessly fascinating, and Farrier is an engaging onscreen presence, striking just the right balance between bemusement and horror.Watch it on Amazon
The writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson picked up nominations for best director, best original screenplay and best picture for this richly textured, quietly bittersweet and frequently funny story of growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s. The actor Cooper Hoffman is charismatic and charming as a young would-be entrepreneur; the musician Alana Haim, in a star-making performance of astonishing depth, is the perpetually out-of-reach object of his affections. It’s the kind of movie that sneaks up on you with its warmth and insight. Manohla Dargis called it “a shaggy, fitfully brilliant romp.”Watch it on AmazonThe writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson picked up nominations for best director, best original screenplay and best picture for this richly textured, quietly bittersweet and frequently funny story of growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s. The actor Cooper Hoffman is charismatic and charming as a young would-be entrepreneur; the musician Alana Haim, in a star-making performance of astonishing depth, is the perpetually out-of-reach object of his affections. It’s the kind of movie that sneaks up on you with its warmth and insight. Manohla Dargis called it “a shaggy, fitfully brilliant romp.”Watch it on Amazon
The director Michael Mann made his big-screen debut with this moody thriller, and with much of his distinctive aesthetic already in place: sleek photography, synthesized music and a keen interest in the interior lives of men who make their living in crime. James Caan is riveting as a used-car salesman who moonlights as a safecracker, while Tuesday Weld is sweetly sympathetic as the young woman who seems to offer a road out. But the film’s scene stealer is the great character actor Robert Prosky, who turns his customary warmth and affability into the deceptive shell of a truly malevolent boss. (For more vintage thrills, queue up “The Naked Kiss” and “Bird With the Crystal Plumage.”)Watch it on AmazonThe director Michael Mann made his big-screen debut with this moody thriller, and with much of his distinctive aesthetic already in place: sleek photography, synthesized music and a keen interest in the interior lives of men who make their living in crime. James Caan is riveting as a used-car salesman who moonlights as a safecracker, while Tuesday Weld is sweetly sympathetic as the young woman who seems to offer a road out. But the film’s scene stealer is the great character actor Robert Prosky, who turns his customary warmth and affability into the deceptive shell of a truly malevolent boss. (For more vintage thrills, queue up “The Naked Kiss” and “Bird With the Crystal Plumage.”)Watch it on Amazon
Few fictional characters have embedded themselves in the pop culture consciousness as firmly as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the brilliant monster brought to bone-chilling life by an Oscar-winning Anthony Hopkins in Jonathan Demme’s 1991 adaptation of the Thomas Harris best seller. The film also won awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress — a quintuple play only matched two other times in film history — all deserving, none perhaps more so than Jodie Foster, whose indelible portrayal of the rookie F.B.I. investigator Clarice Starling sharply combines small-town naïveté with quick-witted strength. Our critic called it “pop film making of a high order.” (For more ’90s drama, stream “Internal Affairs” and “Poison.”)Watch it on Amazon The Farrelly brothers made this bowling comedy between the big hits “Dumb and Dumber” and “There Something About Mary,” and although it was initially less successful, it has since grown in stature as a gonzo comic classic. Woody Harrelson is in top-notch dirtbag form as a hard-luck former bowling champion who takes an Amish whiz kid (Randy Quaid) on the road as a bowling hustler; Bill Murray pops up as the villain, reveling in the character’s exaggerated evil (and uproariously obvious hairpiece). It’s a comic riff on “The Color of Money,” affording opportunities aplenty for the brothers’s signature style of gross-out burlesque. (For more sports-minded comedy, try “Heaven Can Wait.”)Watch it on Amazon
The Farrelly brothers made this bowling comedy between the big hits “Dumb and Dumber” and “There Something About Mary,” and although it was initially less successful, it has since grown in stature as a gonzo comic classic. Woody Harrelson is in top-notch dirtbag form as a hard-luck former bowling champion who takes an Amish whiz kid (Randy Quaid) on the road as a bowling hustler; Bill Murray pops up as the villain, reveling in the character’s exaggerated evil (and uproariously obvious hairpiece). It’s a comic riff on “The Color of Money,” affording opportunities aplenty for the brothers’s signature style of gross-out burlesque. (For more wild comedy, check out “Semi-Tough” or “La Cage Aux Folles.”)Watch it on Amazon The filmmaker Crystal Moselle’s roots are in documentary — she directed the 2015 Sundance sensation “The Wolfpack” — and that ear for the rhythms and routines of real life are apparent in this “unfailingly compassionate” hybrid feature, in which a group of young New York City skateboarders play fictionalized versions of themselves. Rachelle Vinberg stars as the outsider looking in, a would-be skater who idolizes this all-girl crew from social media, and works her way into their midst. The details are contemporary (and keenly observed), but “Skate Kitchen” is a good old-fashioned coming-of-age story, in which norms are challenged, lessons are learned and young people must decide which version of their possible selves they want to be.Watch it on Amazon
The filmmaker Crystal Moselle’s roots are in documentary — she directed the 2015 Sundance sensation “The Wolfpack” — and that ear for the rhythms and routines of real life are apparent in this “unfailingly compassionate” hybrid feature, in which a group of young New York City skateboarders play fictionalized versions of themselves. Rachelle Vinberg stars as the outsider looking in, a would-be skater who idolizes this all-girl crew from social media, and works her way into their midst. The details are contemporary (and keenly observed), but “Skate Kitchen” is a good old-fashioned coming-of-age story, in which norms are challenged, lessons are learned and young people must decide which version of their possible selves they want to be. (For more coming-of-age dramas, stream “Little Man Tate” or “The Man in the Moon” on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon The director Martha Coolidge brought a welcome female perspective (and gaze) to the ubiquitous ’80s “horny teenager” comedy with this story of a suburban girl (the charming Deborah Foreman) who finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a downtown punk (Nicolas Cage, magnetic in one of his first roles). The conflicts and complications are fairly formulaic, but Coolidge conveys a genuine affection for her subjects, the dialogue is winkingly witty and the supporting cast (particularly Colleen Camp and Frederic Forrest as her hippie parents) is aces. (’80s cult movie fans will also enjoy “An American Werewolf in London.”)Watch it on Amazon
The director Martha Coolidge brought a welcome female perspective (and gaze) to the ubiquitous ’80s “horny teenager” comedy with this story of a suburban girl (the charming Deborah Foreman) who finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a downtown punk (Nicolas Cage, magnetic in one of his first roles). The conflicts and complications are fairly formulaic, but Coolidge conveys a genuine affection for her subjects, the dialogue is winkingly witty and the supporting cast (particularly Colleen Camp and Frederic Forrest as her hippie parents) is aces. (Romantic comedy fans will also enjoy “Roxanne.”)Watch it on Amazon August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about an African American family’s struggles in 1950s Pittsburgh was first performed on Broadway in 1987; after Denzel Washington starred in its 2010 revival, he retained much of the original cast for this film adaptation. As a director, Washington does little to expand upon the play; he seems well aware that the film is carried by the lyricism of the words and the power of the performances, particularly his nuanced portrayal of the bitter Troy Maxson and Viola Davis’s heart-rending turn as his wife, Rose. (“Revolutionary Road” is a similarly wrenching period drama; Washington fans can also stream “Man on Fire.”)Watch it on Amazon
August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about an African American family’s struggles in 1950s Pittsburgh was first performed on Broadway in 1987; after Denzel Washington starred in its 2010 revival, he retained much of the original cast for this film adaptation. As a director, Washington does little to expand upon the play; he seems well aware that the film is carried by the lyricism of the words and the power of the performances, particularly his nuanced portrayal of the bitter Troy Maxson and Viola Davis’s heart-rending turn as his wife, Rose. (“Revolutionary Road” is a similarly wrenching period drama.)Watch it on Amazon
One of the greatest of all “gritty Gotham” movies — our critic called it “a movie that really catches the mood of New York and New Yorkers” — this darkly funny, white-knuckle thriller from the director Joseph Sargent concerns four armed men who take a subway car hostage, demanding a million dollar ransom for the lives of the passengers aboard. Robert Shaw is coolly ruthless as the leader of the gang while Walter Matthau is at his hangdog best as the cynical transit cop hot on their trail. (For more ’70s action, stream “Serpico” and “Escape from Alcatraz” on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
Walter Farley’s 1941 children’s novel gets a long-overdue film adaptation in this family adventure picture from the producer Francis Ford Coppola and the director Carroll Ballard (“Fly Away Home”), which expertly fuses the simplicity of the original book with the craftsmanship and sensitivity of its cinematic era. (One of the film’s screenwriters, Melissa Mathison, went on to write “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”) Younger viewers will thrill to the story of a young, shipwrecked boy and the Arabian horse who becomes his best friend; older viewers will find themselves awe-struck by the gorgeous cinematography and the heart-tugging (and Oscar-nominated) supporting turn by Mickey Rooney. (Fans of this classic may also enjoy John Sayles’s “The Secret of Roan Inish.”)Watch it on Amazon
Matthew Broderick (at his charismatically smarmy best) plays a high school computer whiz who uses his chunky PC and primitive modem to dial in to what he thinks is a video game company — unaware that he has instead dialed into the U.S. military’s supercomputer and started a nuclear war simulation. The screenplay (by the future “Sneakers” writers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes) is smart and snappy while the director John Badham (“Saturday Night Fever”) orchestrates an effective mix of high-stakes drama and low-key comedy that, according to our critic, “grabs us where we’re most vulnerable.”Watch it on Amazon
During the contentious 1968 presidential nomination conventions, ABC News got a bright idea: It would team Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, two commentators from opposite ends of the political spectrum, for on-camera debates of the issues of the day. The resulting conversations were, by turns, lively, ugly, sharp-edged and contentious, culminating in years of insults, litigation and rewriting. The filmmakers Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon succinctly capture the appeal of this prickly pairing, via well-chosen video clips, new and archival interviews and writings by the participants (as read by John Lithgow and Kelsey Grammer) — while thoughtfully exploring the aftermath of that discourse, and tracing it to the poisonous style of our current political punditry.Watch it on AmazonDuring the contentious 1968 presidential nomination conventions, ABC News got a bright idea: It would team Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, two commentators from opposite ends of the political spectrum, for on-camera debates of the issues of the day. The resulting conversations were, by turns, lively, ugly, sharp-edged and contentious, culminating in years of insults, litigation and rewriting. The filmmakers Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon succinctly capture the appeal of this prickly pairing, via well-chosen video clips, new and archival interviews and writings by the participants (as read by John Lithgow and Kelsey Grammer) — while thoughtfully exploring the aftermath of that discourse, and tracing it to the poisonous style of our current political punditry.Watch it on Amazon
In this inspiring story of empowerment and hope, Keisha Castle-Hughes stars as Pai, a young Maori woman who bucks the rules and traditions of her tribe. She was nominated for an Oscar, and deserved it — this is a complicated portrayal of a driven young woman, one who simply cannot understand the limits her family has placed on her, and sees no need to abide by them. The director, Niki Caro, situates herself and her film inside the culture, filling her scenes and frames with keenly observed details and richly drawn characters. Our critic wrote, “it has the inspiring resonance of found art.” (“Yentl” is a similarly inspiring tale of self-discovery and breaking traditions.)Watch it on Amazon In this inspiring story of empowerment and hope, Keisha Castle-Hughes stars as Pai, a young Maori woman who bucks the rules and traditions of her tribe. She was nominated for an Oscar, and deserved it — this is a complicated portrayal of a driven young woman, one who simply cannot understand the limits her family has placed on her, and sees no need to abide by them. The director, Niki Caro, situates herself and her film inside the culture, filling her scenes and frames with keenly observed details and richly drawn characters. Our critic wrote, “it has the inspiring resonance of found art.” (For more family-friendly fare, check out John Sayles’s “The Secret of Roan Inish” or “Shaun the Sheep Movie.”)Watch it on Amazon
Audrey Hepburn’s mesmerizing performance as Holly Golightly, the Manhattan party girl who finds love in the least likely of places, is deservedly iconic — and the movie surrounding it isn’t half-bad either. The racist antics of Mickey Rooney aside (have your fast-forward button at the ready), the “Pink Panther” director Blake Edwards mines both the humor and desperation of the novella by Truman Capote, while Hepburn and George Peppard (as her would-be beau) generate enough sparks to power their shared apartment building.Watch it on AmazonAudrey Hepburn’s mesmerizing performance as Holly Golightly, the Manhattan party girl who finds love in the least likely of places, is deservedly iconic — and the movie surrounding it isn’t half-bad either. The racist antics of Mickey Rooney aside (have your fast-forward button at the ready), the “Pink Panther” director Blake Edwards mines both the humor and desperation of the novella by Truman Capote, while Hepburn and George Peppard (as her would-be beau) generate enough sparks to power their shared apartment building.Watch it on Amazon
The publicist-turned-screenwriter Ernest Lehman said he wrote this acidic, darkly comic drama to cleanse himself of the sins of the business, and that much is clear; it’s very much a story told from the inside out, in which there are no good or bad guys, but varying degrees of scoundrels. Tony Curtis is at his career best as the hungry young press agent desperately trying to work his way into the good graces of Burt Lancaster’s powerful newspaper columnist, who can make or break a star with a throwaway item. The dialogue (by Lehman and the playwright Clifford Odets) crackles, Alexander Mackendrick’s brisk direction moves like a locomotive and James Wong Howe’s black-and-white cinematography captures the sparkle of Broadway at night — and the darkness just under its surface. (For more ’50s drama, try “Man With the Golden Arm.”)Watch it on Amazon
Robert De Niro won his second Academy Award for his fiercely physical and psychologically punishing performance in this searing adaptation of the autobiography of the middleweight champion Jake LaMotta. It’s a relentlessly downbeat piece of work, but the force of De Niro’s performance and the energy of Martin Scorsese’s direction are hard to overstate, or to forget. Our critic called it Scorsese’s “most ambitious film as well as his finest.” (Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street” is also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
The director Robert Altman teamed up with his frequent collaborator Elliott Gould, and paired him up with George Segal, for this “fascinating, vivid” snapshot of two lovable losers. Gould and Segal play a pair of Los Angeles gamblers, floating from card table to racetrack to casino, in constant search of that one big score. Such a payday presents itself at the end of their journey, but Altman is too unconventional a filmmaker to put much stock in that destination. He’s more interested in the journey, and is film is propelled by the rowdy hum of those rooms and the colorful personalities of the people who inhabit them. (“The King of Marvin Gardens,” “Husbands” and “Fat City” work a similar vibe.)Watch it on AmazonThe director Robert Altman teamed up with his frequent collaborator Elliott Gould, and paired him up with George Segal, for this “fascinating, vivid” snapshot of two lovable losers. Gould and Segal play a pair of Los Angeles gamblers, floating from card table to racetrack to casino, in constant search of that one big score. Such a payday presents itself at the end of their journey, but Altman is too unconventional a filmmaker to put much stock in that destination. He’s more interested in the journey, and is film is propelled by the rowdy hum of those rooms and the colorful personalities of the people who inhabit them. (“The King of Marvin Gardens,” “Husbands” and “Fat City” work a similar vibe.)Watch it on Amazon
Jim Jarmusch directs this documentary portrait of Iggy Pop and his seminal punk band the Stooges with a fan’s enthusiasm and a filmmaker’s craft. His best asset is Iggy himself, aged and hardened but still an entertaining storyteller with a novelist’s knack for details — no mean feat considering the volume of substances he recalls having ingested in the Stooges’ short but eventful existence. Jarmusch supplements Pop’s remembrances with interviews from surviving band mates and collaborators, along with enough archival material to delight his fellow superfans. Our critic praised its “many moments of foaming-at-the-mouth musical fury.” (If you love rock-docs, try the Joan Jett profile “Bad Reputation.”)Jim Jarmusch directs this documentary portrait of Iggy Pop and his seminal punk band the Stooges with a fan’s enthusiasm and a filmmaker’s craft. His best asset is Iggy himself, aged and hardened but still an entertaining storyteller with a novelist’s knack for details — no mean feat considering the volume of substances he recalls having ingested in the Stooges’ short but eventful existence. Jarmusch supplements Pop’s remembrances with interviews from surviving band mates and collaborators, along with enough archival material to delight his fellow superfans. Our critic praised its “many moments of foaming-at-the-mouth musical fury.” (If you love rock-docs, try the Joan Jett profile “Bad Reputation.”)
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Howard Hawks’s newsroom farce wasn’t the first cinematic adaptation of the popular play “The Front Page,” but it cooked up a twist the 1931 version hadn’t: What if Hildy Johnson, the superstar reporter whom the ruthless editor Walter Burns will keep on his staff at any cost, wasn’t his drinking buddy but his ex-wife? It’s a movie that talks fast and moves faster, and the passage of nearly 80 years hasn’t slowed it down a bit. Our critic called it “a boldfaced reprint of what was once — and still remains — the maddest newspaper comedy of our times.” (For more workplace comedy, stream “The Devil Wears Prada.”) Howard Hawks’s newsroom farce wasn’t the first cinematic adaptation of the popular play “The Front Page,” but it cooked up a twist the 1931 version hadn’t: What if Hildy Johnson, the superstar reporter whom the ruthless editor Walter Burns will keep on his staff at any cost, wasn’t his drinking buddy but his ex-wife? It’s a movie that talks fast and moves faster, and the passage of nearly 80 years hasn’t slowed it down a bit. Our critic called it “a boldfaced reprint of what was once — and still remains — the maddest newspaper comedy of our times.” (Classic movie fans can also stream “Man With the Golden Arm.”)
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The chef Jiro Ono’s 10-seat sushi-only Tokyo eatery is recognized worldwide and is less a restaurant than a temple. According to those who know and work with him, it’s an extension of his personality; he’s doggedly dedicated to his craft. But has that perfectionism made him (or the people around him) happy? David Gelb’s mouthwatering documentary poses that question and further explores the chef’s philosophies of life and work, while also painstakingly capturing the careful preparation of Ono’s culinary gifts and lovingly lingering on the results.The chef Jiro Ono’s 10-seat sushi-only Tokyo eatery is recognized worldwide and is less a restaurant than a temple. According to those who know and work with him, it’s an extension of his personality; he’s doggedly dedicated to his craft. But has that perfectionism made him (or the people around him) happy? David Gelb’s mouthwatering documentary poses that question and further explores the chef’s philosophies of life and work, while also painstakingly capturing the careful preparation of Ono’s culinary gifts and lovingly lingering on the results.
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Pawel Pawlikowski’s Oscar winner looks and sounds like an unapproachable foreign prestige picture, a grim post-Holocaust story in an austere style with moody (and gorgeous) black-and-white photography. And it is indeed a vivid historical drama and an evocative road movie. But its real subject is the bond between two very different women, young Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) and her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza) — a cold relationship that slowly thaws during this forceful and resonant trip through their shared history. It’s an emotional story about coming to terms with family secrets, containing, our critic wrote, “a cosmos of guilt, violence and pain.” (Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” is also on Prime.)Watch it on AmazonPawel Pawlikowski’s Oscar winner looks and sounds like an unapproachable foreign prestige picture, a grim post-Holocaust story in an austere style with moody (and gorgeous) black-and-white photography. And it is indeed a vivid historical drama and an evocative road movie. But its real subject is the bond between two very different women, young Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) and her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza) — a cold relationship that slowly thaws during this forceful and resonant trip through their shared history. It’s an emotional story about coming to terms with family secrets, containing, our critic wrote, “a cosmos of guilt, violence and pain.” (Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” is also on Prime.)Watch it on Amazon
In investigating the death of a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., the director Gabriela Cowperthwaite traces the sordid practice of capturing killer whales and training them to perform for audiences, creating a masterly juxtaposition of SeaWorld’s own commercials and promotional videos with grisly tales of accidents and attacks, accompanied by public relations spin. Paced like a thriller, the film is intelligent, methodical and harrowing; our critic called it a “delicately lacerating documentary.”In investigating the death of a trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., the director Gabriela Cowperthwaite traces the sordid practice of capturing killer whales and training them to perform for audiences, creating a masterly juxtaposition of SeaWorld’s own commercials and promotional videos with grisly tales of accidents and attacks, accompanied by public relations spin. Paced like a thriller, the film is intelligent, methodical and harrowing; our critic called it a “delicately lacerating documentary.”
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He gets up every morning, writes a line or two of poetry in his journal, goes to work, drives his bus, has dinner with his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), writes a few more lines, walks the dog to his favorite bar, has a beer, goes home, goes to bed and then starts it all over again the next day. Over the course of this wistful, lovely, “delectably funny” and deceptively low-key dramedy from the writer and director Jim Jarmusch, Paterson (Adam Driver) does not seek success, discovery or even publication. That’s not why he writes — it’s about routine and release. Above all, “Paterson” is a valentine to all of those who create art not to make a living, but to sustain their souls. (Fans of character-driven indie fare should also check out “Zebrahead.”)Watch it on AmazonHe gets up every morning, writes a line or two of poetry in his journal, goes to work, drives his bus, has dinner with his wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), writes a few more lines, walks the dog to his favorite bar, has a beer, goes home, goes to bed and then starts it all over again the next day. Over the course of this wistful, lovely, “delectably funny” and deceptively low-key dramedy from the writer and director Jim Jarmusch, Paterson (Adam Driver) does not seek success, discovery or even publication. That’s not why he writes — it’s about routine and release. Above all, “Paterson” is a valentine to all of those who create art not to make a living, but to sustain their souls. (Fans of character-driven indie fare should also check out “Zebrahead.”)Watch it on Amazon
The ’50s gangster movie gets a snazzy musical makeover in this 1955 film adaptation of the Broadway hit, itself based on the colorful New York characters of Damon Runyon’s fiction. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“All About Eve”) directs with energy and pizazz, coaxing cheerful, engaged performances out of Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Vivian Blaine and that most unlikely of crooners, Marlon Brando. Our critic called it “as tinny and tawny and terrific as any hot-cha musical film you’ll ever see.” (If you love musicals, add “Funny Girl” and “Hair” to your watch list.)Watch it on Amazon The ’50s gangster movie gets a snazzy musical makeover in this 1955 film adaptation of the Broadway hit, itself based on the colorful New York characters of Damon Runyon’s fiction. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“All About Eve”) directs with energy and pizazz, coaxing cheerful, engaged performances out of Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Vivian Blaine and that most unlikely of crooners, Marlon Brando. Our critic called it “as tinny and tawny and terrific as any hot-cha musical film you’ll ever see.” (If you love musicals, add “Funny Girl” to your watch list.)Watch it on Amazon
Because it begat so many sequels, reboots, adaptations and other ephemera, it’s easy to forget that James Cameron’s original “Terminator” film was, as our critic put it, “a B-movie with flair” — a stripped-down, low-budget exploitation picture with an ingenious central idea, a well-selected cast and a director who knew how to stretch a dollar. Linda Hamilton is charismatic and sympathetic as Sarah Conner, a woman who discovers a cyborg from the future (a terrifying Arnold Schwarzenegger) has been sent to hunt her down. (’80s genre fans will also enjoy “An American Werewolf in London” and “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.”)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.”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
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 Oscar-winning acting, stream “Dead Man Walking” and “Paper Moon.”)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 Oscar-winning acting, stream “Wall Street” and “Paper Moon.”)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 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. (Anglophiles will also enjoy “The Dresser.”)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 film’s live wire vibe, try “Freeway”; for more Ryder, stream “Mermaids” and “Experimenter.”) 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. (For more dark high-school comedy, try “Jennifer’s Body”; for more Ryder, stream “Mermaids” and “Experimenter.”)
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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. Our critic 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. Our critic 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.” (For more indie drama, try “The Yards” and “Raising Victor Vargas.”)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.” (For more indie drama, try “Raising Victor Vargas.”)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 a more traditional Western, try the original “True Grit”; Hoffman fans should also seek out “Marathon Man.”)Watch 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 a more traditional Western, try “Shane”; Hoffman fans should also seek out “Marathon Man.”)Watch 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 our critic, “entertains, engages and, at times, enrages.”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 our critic, “entertains, engages and, at times, enrages.”Watch it on Amazon
This “meticulously acted” serio-comic drama was the feature filmmaking debut of Joey 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. (For more character-driven comedy-drama, stream “Eat Drink Man Woman” or “American Beauty.”)Watch it on Amazon This “meticulously acted” serio-comic drama was the feature filmmaking debut of Joey 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. (For more character-driven comedy-drama, stream “Panic” or “American Beauty.”)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.” 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.” (For some eccentric holiday fare, try “Edward Scissorhands.”)
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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.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. Our critic saw it as an “amusingly slippery entertainment.” (If you like sexy capers, try “Bound” or “The Thomas Crown Affair.”)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. Our critic saw it as an “amusingly slippery entertainment.” (If you like sexy capers, try “Bound.”)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. Our critic praised the picture’s “rich and resonant ideas.” (Fans of international cinema may also enjoy “Transit” and Farhadi’s “A Hero.”)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. Our critic praised the picture’s “rich and resonant ideas.” (Fans of international cinema may also enjoy “Transit” and Farhadi’s “A Hero.”)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,” our critic noted), internalizing his rage and pain until control is no longer an option. (Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is also on Prime.)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,” our critic noted), internalizing his rage and pain until control is no longer an option. (Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is also on Prime, as is the similarly stylized thriller “Don’t Look Now.”)Watch it on Amazon