The best movies on Amazon Prime Video (March 2023)

Nope (2022)
new

Genre

Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction

Stars

Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea

Directed by

Jordan Peele

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Jordan Peele’s latest film, Nope, is heading to Prime Video on March 21, and it’s an impressive blend of sci-fi and horror. Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em Haywood (Keke Palmer) are on the verge of selling their father’s horse ranch when they realize that a UFO appears to be hanging around their property and devouring horses. With the assistance of a Fry’s Electronics tech, Angel Torres (Brandon Perea), they attempt to record footage of the UFO as a way to get rich.

Unfortunately for the unlikely trio, the aforementioned UFO is far more dangerous than they initially realized. And it’s not what they expected at all. Nope made DT’s list of the best movies of 2022, and there’s a good reason why: it’s entertaining and smart, which is a rare combination in blockbuster movies these days.

NOPE | Official Trailer

Pulp Fiction (1994)
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Genre

Thriller, Crime

Stars

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman

Directed by

Quentin Tarantino

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Pulp Fiction was not Quentin Tarantino’s first movie, but it is the film that made him a legend. Tarantino intentionally tells the events of the story in non-chronological order. But the characters are so memorable that it’s almost impossible to take your eyes off of them. This is especially true of the hitmen, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), as they find themselves in way over their heads after an accidental death.

Bruce Willis also has a strong turn as Butch Coolidge, an aging boxer who double crossed the local crime boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), by refusing to throw a match after accepting a large bribe. And in Butch’s attempt to skip town with the money, he comes face-to-face with Marsellus himself.

Pulp Fiction Official Trailer #1 – (1994) HD

Creed (2015)
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Genre

Drama

Stars

Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson

Directed by

Ryan Coogler

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If you’re waiting for Creed III to show up on Prime Video, it’s going to be a while. But in the meantime, you can see where the next chapter of the Rocky movies began. Creed is actually a brilliant revival that puts Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) into the mentor role for a new fighter, Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the illegitimate son of Rocky’s late friend, Apollo Creed.

Somewhat reluctantly, Rocky takes Donnie under his wing and shows him what it takes to be a real fighter. But the really impactful blows are the emotional wounds suffered by both men, and the way they find catharsis and family with each other. There are even some great bro cry moments to melt even the hardest of hearts.

Creed – Official Trailer [HD]

Jackass Forever (2022)
new

Genre

Comedy, Documentary

Stars

Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius

Directed by

Jeff Tremaine

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No one could ever argue that Jackass Forever’s title doesn’t tell you exactly who it was made for. It’s not really a movie — it’s more like a reality show car crash that you can’t turn away from. Most of the cast members from Jackass make their return for some truly dangerous and often disgusting stunts. If this is your thing, have at it. But it’s definitely not going to be for everyone.

jackass forever | Official Trailer (2022 Movie)

The Magnificent Seven (2016)
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Genre

Adventure, Action, Western

Stars

Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke

Directed by

Antoine Fuqua

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The original Magnificent Seven is one of the all-time great Westerns. The modern remake is nowhere near that good, but it’s still enjoyable on its own terms. Strangely enough, it plays more like a superhero movie than a Western, as each of the seven brings a particular skill to the table.

Over a decade after the Civil War, Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) and his men enslave and brutalize a small town. The beleaguered townspeople turn to U.S. Marshal Sam Chisholm (Denzel Washington), and his hastily assembled Avengers of the Old West, including Joshua Faraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). The outcome is never really in doubt, but it’s still a fun ride.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN – Official Trailer (HD)

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
new

Genre

Drama

Stars

Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett

Directed by

Doug Atchison

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Before she was battling aliens in Nope, Keke Palmer starred in this 2006 drama about a young girl from south Los Angeles whose gift for spelling puts her on track for a place in the prestigious Scripps National Spell Bee. In order to get there, however, she needs to overcome a host of challenges with some help (and plenty of practice) from her teachers, mentor, and community. Angela Basset portray’s Akeelah’s mother, while Laurence Fishburne plays her spelling coach, in this acclaimed drama written and directed by Doug Atchison.

Rocky (1976)

Genre

Drama, Romance

Stars

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Directed by

John G. Avildsen

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The film that launched a franchise, Rocky casts Sylvester Stallone — who also wrote the film’s screenplay — as a down-on-his-luck Philadelphia boxer who gets the chance of a lifetime when Heavyweight World Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides to offer an unknown fighter a chance at the title. Based on a true story, the drama went on to become an Oscar darling, taking home three Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and earning Stallone a nomination for both his performance and the film’s script. One of the most iconic underdog stories in Hollywood history, Rocky spawned a franchise that continues to this day with the Creed spinoff films.

Smile (2022)

Genre

Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Stars

Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey

Directed by

Parker Finn

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This chilling 2022 horror film was a surprise hit for filmmaker Parker Finn. The film follows a therapist whose deadly encounter with a seemingly paranoid patient initiates her own terrifying ordeal. Terrorized by supernatural events based around maniacally grinning people, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) desperately tries to unravel a mystery before time runs out and something even more nightmarish unfolds.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

Genre

Drama, History, Comedy

Stars

Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough

Directed by

Will Sharpe

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Benedict Cumberbatch portrays turn-of-the-century English artist Louis Wain in this colorful biopic about the eccentric artist who famously made a name for himself with depictions of cats using bright, psychedelic colors and imagery. Cumberbatch is joined in the cast by Claire Foy (The Crown), who plays Wain’s wife, Emily.

I Want You Back (2022)

Genre

Comedy, Romance

Stars

Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood

Directed by

Jason Orley

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This lighthearted romantic comedy casts Charlie Day and Jenny Slate as heartbroken strangers whose chance encounter after being dumped leads them to formulate a crazy plan: They’ll each attempt to infiltrate the life of the other’s ex-partner and break up their new relationship. Silly, edgy, and fueled by the stars’ wonderfully funny chemistry, the film also features some great supporting roles for Gina Rodriguez, Scott Eastwood, and Pete Davidson.

Somebody I Used to Know (2023)

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Stars

Alison Brie, Jay Ellis, Kiersey Clemons

Directed by

Dave Franco

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Dave Franco and Alison Brie team up for this romantic comedy that casts Brie as a workaholic television producer who decides to return to her hometown after suffering a professional setback. The film is directed by Franco and co-written by him and Brie, and has her character reconnecting with her currently engaged first love (Jay Ellis). Their reunion sets off a series of events that has everyone getting in touch with who they are and who they really want to be in life and love.

The Best Man (1999)

Genre

Drama, Comedy

Stars

Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau

Directed by

Malcolm D. Lee

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In this romantic comedy from director Malcolm D. Lee, Taye Diggs plays a writer whose next novel is loosely based on the love lives of his friends. When an advance copy of the book leaks just before he’s set to serve as the best man for one of his friends, the wedding — and the entire group’s relationship — is thrown into disarray. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast that includes Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, and Regina Hall, the film inspired a multifilm franchise due to its popularity.

The King’s Speech (2010)

Genre

Drama, History

Stars

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

Directed by

Tom Hooper

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Colin Firth portrays King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, in this Oscar-winning film that managed to be a massive critical and commercial hit, and earned Firth his first Academy Award. The film chronicles George VI’s reluctant rise to the throne after his brother abdicates the position, and the unconventional friendship he formed with the speech therapist he employed to rid him of a debilitating stutter. The political drama of the period on the eve of war serves as a backdrop to the very personal story being told in the film, which is well-deserving of all the accolades it received.

I’m Your Woman (2020)

Genre

Crime, Drama

Stars

Rachel Brosnahan, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arinzé Kene

Directed by

Julia Hart

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This gritty 1970s-era crime drama casts Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan as Jean, the bored suburban housewife of shady hustler Eddie (Bill Heck). When Eddie suddenly disappears one night, it sets off a series of events that sends Jean on the run with their baby from mysterious, gun-toting villains. Soaked in ’70s aesthetic with a memorable, era-appropriate soundtrack, I’m Your Woman is an under-the-radar gem of high-stakes crime drama.

Argentina, 1985 (2022)

Genre

Drama, Crime, History

Stars

Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner

Directed by

Santiago Mitre

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This critically acclaimed historical drama released in 2022 explores the events surrounding 1985’s “Trial of the Juntas,” in which the ringleaders of Argentina’s last, bloody civil-military dictatorship were prosecuted. The events that transpired became the most prominent war crimes trial since the Nüremberg Trials, and the first major trial for war crimes conducted by a civilian court. Argentina’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at this year’s Academy Awards, Argentina 1985 also won a Golden Globe Award en route to becoming one of the country’s most celebrated films of all time.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Genre

Drama

Stars

Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee

Directed by

Spike Lee

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Often found on lists of the greatest movies ever made, Spike Lee’s 1989 drama unfolds during one of the hottest days of the year in a Brooklyn neighborhood where racial tension has reached a boiling point. An Italian-American pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello) becomes the focal point for drama in the film, which has Lee’s character delivering pizzas throughout the neighborhood while navigating the complicated relationships around every corner. The film earned a pair of Academy Award nominations and remains a critically acclaimed work of cinema decades after it first hit theaters.

Serpico (1973)

Genre

Crime, History, Drama

Stars

Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe

Directed by

Sidney Lumet

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Al Pacino portrays real-life former New YorkCity Police Department officer Frank Serpico in this biographical drama based on Peter Maas’ book of the same name. The film chronicles Serpico’s efforts to expose the corruption that was rampant within the city’s police department, only to be ignored — an environment that eventually leads him to be shot and, later, become one of law enforcement’s most prominent whistleblowers. Directed by Sidney Lumet, the 1973 film earned a long list of accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for Pacino’s memorable portrayal of the film’s titular honest cop.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Genre

Action, Animation, Science Fiction

Stars

Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Iemasa Kayumi

Directed by

Mamoru Oshii

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This groundbreaking animated feature inspired the Wachowskis and James Cameron, among other noteworthy sci-fi filmmakers, with its tale of a cyborg operative in the year 2029 who’s tasked with hunting down a mysterious hacker known as The Puppet Master. Directed by Mamoru Oshii and based on Masamune Shirow’s iconic manga of the same name, Ghost in the Shell explores the nature of humanity and self-determination as the story’s protagonist, Motoko Kusanagi, finds herself increasingly drawn into the criminal’s world of complicated cybercrime. The film went on to spawn multiple series and several sequels, as well as a forgettable 2017 live-action film.

Clue (1985)

Genre

Comedy, Thriller, Crime, Mystery

Stars

Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn

Directed by

Jonathan Lynn

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The perfect blend of mystery and comedy, Jonathan Lynn’s big-screen adaptation of the popular Parker Brothers board game brought an all-star cast together for a classic whodunit story. Seven strangers are invited to a creepy mansion, and when one of them dies, the hijinks begin as the colorful cast of characters attempts to figure out the identity of the murderer in their midst. Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Michael McKean, and Lesley Ann Warren lead the cast of the film, which famously features a set of alternate endings that explore the night’s events from different characters’ perspectives.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Genre

Adventure, Action

Stars

Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman

Directed by

Steven Spielberg

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The film that spawned one of the greatest adventure franchises of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark introduces Harrison Ford as intrepid archeologist Indiana Jones, whose efforts to recover priceless historical artifacts often end up with him running, fighting, or flying for his life — occasionally assisted by his signature bullwhip. This debut feature puts him on the trail of the fabled Ark of the Covenant and in the crosshairs of Nazi agents bent on putting it to evil use. It’s easy to see why audiences became enamored with Dr. Jones after watching this saga play out.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Genre

Adventure, Comedy, Crime

Stars

George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson

Directed by

Joel Coen

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Joel and Ethan Coen wrote, produced, and directed this surreal comedy that casts George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson as a trio of prison inmates who escape from a chain gang in order to track down a hidden treasure. Set during the Great Depression, the film offers a contemporary spin on Homer’s epic The Odyssey, pitting the three convicts against a variety of obstacles — real, imagined, and even mystical — over the course of their quest. With a beautiful soundtrack and memorable performances from a star-studded cast, the film won a Grammy Award for its music and received a pair of Academy Award nominations, too.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Genre

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comedy

Stars

Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler

Directed by

Boots Riley

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Set in an alternate version of Oakland, Sorry to Bother You casts LaKeith Stanfield (Get Out, The Harder They Fall) as a Black telemarketer who discovers that using his “white voice” propels him up the corporate ladder, only to find that every inch of upward mobility comes at a high moral price. A fascinating, unpredictable takedown of corporate culture and viral celebrity, the 2018 surreal comedy served as the directorial debut of hip-hop musician Boots Riley, and earned a long list of awards and high praise from critics en route to becoming one of the year’s most under-the-radar gems. Tessa Thompson, Terry Crews, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, and Armie Hammer co-star in the film, which delivers plenty of unexpected surprises along with its potent message.

Cold War (2018)

Genre

Drama, Romance, War, Music

Stars

Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc

Directed by

Paweł Pawlikowski

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Paweł Pawlikowski’s gorgeous, Oscar-nominated historical drama Cold War follows Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and Zula (Joanna Kulig), a music director and singer respectively, who meet and fall in love in Poland after the end of World War II. As the years drag on and the Soviet grip over Eastern Europe tightens, the two drift across borders, in and out of each other’s lives. Their turbulent romance, set against a backdrop of paranoia and repression, is messy but moving. Filmed in stark black-and-white, Cold War is a beautiful film full of masterfully composed shots.

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Genre

Drama

Stars

Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams

Directed by

Kenneth Lonergan

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Casey Affleck won an Academy Award for his performance in this powerful drama about a man forced to confront the sins — and tragedies — of his past when his older brother dies, leaving his teenage son orphaned. Praised for its thoughtful, emotional script and the performances of Affleck and supporting actress Michelle Williams, the film also earned director Kenneth Lonergan an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Nanny (2022)

Genre

Horror, Drama

Stars

Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls

Directed by

Nikyatu Jusu

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This critically acclaimed horror film casts Anna Diop as Aisha, an immigrant from Senegal who hopes to bring her son to the U.S. with the income she earns as a nanny for a wealthy couple in Manhattan. Her plans take a dark turn when a violent entity begins to creep into her dreams, then her reality.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Genre

Fantasy, Romance

Stars

Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen, Jermaine Harris

Directed by

Ian Samuels

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The time-loop genre goes young-adult in this charming film about a teenager whose comfortable, infinitely repeating life is shaken up when he meets a teenage girl living through a similar, constantly looping day. Kyle Allen and Kathryn Newton portray the star-crossed, time-looping lovers in the teenage rom-com, which was written by The Magicians author Lev Grossman.

Good Night Oppy (2022)

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Angela Bassett, Steve Squyres, Jennifer Trosper

Directed by

Ryan White

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In the same way that audiences fell in love with Pixar’s cute Wall•E, watching Good Night Oppy elicits a similar response, drawing you into the gushy human emotion surrounding a robot roaming Mars 50 million miles away. But that’s because this documentary is as much about the people at NASA that made the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover mission possible as it is about the rover itself. Narrated by Angela Basset, Good Night Oppy tells the inspiring story of Opportunity, a six-wheeled, solar-powered vehicle that touched down on the Red Planet in January of 2004 and was supposed to roam and explore the landscape for a pre-determined 90 days. But beyond anyone’s expectations, Oppy’s mission endured for nearly 15 years before going dark. Told through interviews with many of the scientists and engineers on the project, as well as archival footage, this is a feel-good doc not to be missed.

Good Night Oppy – Official Trailer | Prime Video

American Animals (2018)

Genre

Drama, Crime, Documentary

Stars

Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner

Directed by

Bart Layton

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You know a movie’s gonna be good when it’s based on a true story and it’s as crazy as this. Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and Evan Peters (American Horror Story, WandaVision) star as Spencer Reinhard and Warren Lipka, two students in Kentucky who get the idea of stealing a handful of rare, valuable books from the Transylvania University library, including a first edition of James Audubon’s Birds of America, which would sell for millions if they were to snag it. Together with their friends Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) and Chas Allen (Blake Jenner), they hatch an insane plan involving dressing up like elderly businessmen and restraining the librarian to make off with the books. The fact that a movie was made about it perhaps gives some insight into whether they were successful or not, but it happened, it’s bananas, and we’re all delightfully entertained by it.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Conan O’Brien, Andy Richter, Jimmy Vivino

Directed by

Rodman Flender

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If you’re a fan of comedy legend Conan O’Brien, then this is the documentary you never knew you needed. And whether you’re a fan of the redheaded giant or not, you’re probably aware of the controversial 2010 Tonight Show conflict where O’Brien, after briefly taking over hosting duties from Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, was double-crossed by the network and rescheduled to a later time slot so Leno could reclaim the Tonight Show desk. Well, O’Brien wouldn’t do it and instead agreed to walk away (to the tune of $45 million) while also agreeing to a seven-month ban on making any television appearances. Hence the focus of this documentary: The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, a 32-city comedy show throughout the U.S. and Canada, which was lovingly captured by O’Brien’s friend and filmmaker Rodman Flender. The doc is a hilarious and often emotional look behind the scenes of the tour and features tons of friends of the comedian, including Jon Hamm, Jack Black, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Eddie Vedder, and Jack White. If you’re a fan of Conan’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, you’ll appreciate the constant companionship and banter of O’Brien’s longtime assistant, Sona Movsesian.

End of Sentence (2019)

Genre

Drama

Stars

John Hawkes, Logan Lerman, Sarah Bolger

Directed by

Elfar Adalsteins

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Driven by powerful performances from its young cast, and led by the seasoned chops of Deadwood‘s formidable John Hawkes, End of Sentence is a road-trip drama that’ll give you all the feels. Sean (Logan Lerman) is a young man trying to start over after a stint in prison. Upon his release, he’s met by his estranged father Frank (Hawkes), who informs him that his mother has died, and even though they can’t stand each other, it was her dying wish that the pair travel to her homeland in Ireland to scatter her ashes in a place special to her. Sean reluctantly agrees, but the journey across the green Irish countryside draws the warring father and son together — the presence of a beautiful hitchhiker (Sarah Bolger) isn’t hurting either, and as Sean falls for her he starts to see a path to redemption and reconciliation.

Torn Hearts (2022)

Genre

Horror, Thriller, Music

Stars

Katey Sagal, Abby Quinn, Alexxis Lemire

Directed by

Brea Grant

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Early Rotten Tomatoes critics’ reviews bode well for this haunting horror-thriller starring Katey Sagal who is terrifying as reclusive Nashville country icon Harper Dutch. Young, up-and-coming country duo Jordan Wilder (Abby Quinn) and Leigh Blackhouse (Alexxis Lemire) are paying their dues in Nashville bars when they get the chance to meet Harper and record a song with her at her decrepit mansion (which should have been the first sign). They say you should never meet your idols, which is the understatement of the year as the girls are drawn into Harper’s twisted nightmare — kind of like if Dolly Parton went all Jack Torrance. One respite from all the thrills is Torn Hearts‘ music: there are some truly great vocal numbers sung by Sagal herself.

Torn Hearts I Official Trailer

The Northman (2022)

Genre

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Stars

Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang

Directed by

Robert Eggers

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The Northman is nothing short of brutal. That’s not a critique of the film (it has a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 89%) — by that, we mean that The Northman is a dark and vicious Viking revenge tale that makes shows like Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla look like episodes of Sesame Street. Directed by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse), Northman tells the Viking legend of prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), whose father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), is murdered by his own brother, Fjolnir (Claes Bang), who assumes rule and takes Aurvandill’s wife (Nicole Kidman) as his own. Young Amleth flees by boat, narrowly escaping death, and spends the following years preparing and plotting his revenge. And boy, does he get it. Now a grown man and a trained berserker, Amleth tracks a usurped Fjolnir down in Iceland, where he’s living a much more modest life as a farmer. With the help of a young slave woman (Anya Taylor-Joy), all Viking hell is set to break loose.

Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

Genre

Adventure, Comedy

Stars

Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott

Directed by

Lena Dunham

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If you like sassy, era-crossing period content such as Netflix’s Enola Holmes and Apple TV Plus’ Dickinson, then this adventure comedy from Girls‘ Lena Dunham might be perfect for you. Based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman, this passion project for Dunham stars Game of Thrones‘ Bella Ramsay (who’s also starring as Ellie in the upcoming The Last of Us series), who became a fan favorite for her depiction of feisty Lyanna Mormont, as the titular Lady Catherine, aka “Birdy,” a teenager in Medieval England. When her father, Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott), tries to marry her off to a long list of suitors to prevent the family’s financial ruin, Birdy uses her wit and cunning to stave them off in a battle for her independence.

Heathers (1989)

Genre

Comedy, Crime

Stars

Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty

Directed by

Michael Lehmann

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In the ’80s and ’90s, no one did “rebellious teen” like Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, and their dark-as-hell 1988 black comedy Heathers is exhibit A. The antithesis of John Hughes’ cheerier fare, Heathers turns the high-school clique trope on its head. Veronica Sawyer (Ryder) is part of her Ohio school’s popular crew, along with the Heathers three: Duke (Shannen Doherty), McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and clique leader, Chandler (Kim Walker). Veronica has had it with the mean-girls act, but when she falls hard for the broody new kid, J.D. (Slater), she learns just how dark and rebellious he can be when the Heathers start turning up dead.

Train to Busan (2016)

Genre

Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Action

Stars

Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok

Directed by

Yeon Sang-ho

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Zombie apocalypse movies and TV shows come and go (and some stay way, way too long — The Walking Dead, we’re looking at you), but some are so good and unique that they linger in your psyche. South Korea’s Train to Busan is one such memorable film. It tells the story of divorced father Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), whose work-obsessed lifestyle is taking its toll on his young daughter, Su-an (Su-an Kim), so the pair board a train from Seoul to Busan to visit Su-an’s mother. But wouldn’t you know it, all hell breaks loose when a strange virus suddenly grips the country, turning everyone infected into frenzied, blood-hungry zombies … and it’s found its way onto the train. With some absolutely stunning action sequences, Train to Busan not only explores the chaos of everyone-for-themselves mass hysteria but also how humans band together when in need.

Let the Right One In (2008)

Genre

Horror, Drama

Stars

Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar

Directed by

Tomas Alfredson

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Based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Swedish horror author John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In is one of the most unique vampire movies ever made. It’s a dark story of love and acceptance under macabre circumstances, but it’s oddly touching nonetheless. Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a 12-year-old boy who is bullied relentlessly at school. He lives with his mother in a duplex in suburban Sweden. Eli (Lina Leandersson) is a pale, peculiar girl who only visits Oskar at night, and the pair develop a close bond. While Oskar plots his revenge on his classmates, strange, gruesome murders start happening in the neighborhood, which Eli, who is much more than she appears to be, may have something to do with. This film is in Swedish with English subtitles.

Thirteen Lives (2022)

Genre

Drama, Thriller

Stars

Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton

Directed by

Ron Howard

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After practice on June 23, 2018, 12 boys aged 11 to 16, teammates of the Thai junior football team Wild Boars, and their assistant coach, went in to the scenic Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand and were trapped after heavy rain flooded the caves. The massive rescue effort drew worldwide attention, as a team of international divers traversed several kilometers to bring the boys out. Thirteen Lives tells this intense, nail-biting story, with Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton playing three of the heroic divers who risked their lives to bring the team and their coach to safety.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Genre

Drama, Comedy

Stars

Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn

Directed by

Paul Thomas Anderson

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The fact that this is a Paul Thomas Anderson film should really tell you all you need to know (just watch it), but here goes: In this Oscar-nominated, coming-of-age comedic drama, Alana Haim (of American indie rockers Haim, who’ve had several music videos directed by Anderson) makes her film debut as Alana Kane, a young woman who finds herself reluctantly falling in love with the much younger Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, whom Anderson worked with on several films), a 15-year-old actor. In true PTA fashion, the film is full of delightfully funny and quirky moments and characters as Alana and Gary traipse around the San Fernando Valley flirting, trying to make each other jealous, starting businesses together, and interacting with an ensemble cast of characters played by Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, and others — you know, normal Paul Thomas Anderson stuff.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)

Genre

Music, Drama, Comedy

Stars

Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel

Directed by

Jonathan Butterell

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If you’re in need of a fun, fabulous, feel-good movie this weekend, this West End stage play-turned-feature film will likely have you not just off the couch, but setting up a runway in your living room. Originally based on Jenny Popplewell’s popular TV movie, Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, this Amazon Original Movie is an adaptation of the stage musical from the same team – director James Butterell, composer Dan Gillespie, and lyricist Tom McRae. Sixteen-year-old Sheffield high schooler Jamie New (Max Harwood) has big dreams of becoming a drag queen. And while his chosen path is unconventional and even frowned upon by his classmates, his own father (Ralph Ineson), and the locals, Jamie gets nothing but support from his loving mum (Sarah Lancashire), best friend, Pritti (Lauren Patel), and old drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant), who agrees to teach Jamie all he knows about drag. Full of big, bold, and colorful musical numbers (there’s a lot of dancing on desks going on), if Everybody’s Talking About Jamie doesn’t help you shake off the fall funk, you may want to check your pulse.

Emergency (2022)

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Stars

Donald Watkins, RJ Cyler, Sebastian Chacon

Directed by

Carey Williams

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Sadly, in our racially-inequitable society, the truth often takes a back seat to the way things look, and for college students Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins), his best friend, Sean (RJ Cyler), and their roommate Carlos (Sebastian Chacon), things look bad. During a night of epic Spring Break partying, Kunle and Sean return to their room to find a drunk, semi-conscious white girl on their living room floor, while an oblivious Carlos is in his room gaming. Do they call the police? As Sean astutely points out, “they’re just going to see three brown guys hanging over this little white girl.” What follows is a darkly funny and suspenseful string of events as the boys try to get the girl to the hospital. [/dt_media

The Vast of Night (2019)

Genre

Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Stars

Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz, Bruce Davis

Directed by

Andrew Patterson

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This nostalgic throwback to classic sci-fi thrillers follows a young switchboard operator and a radio DJ whose discovery of a mysterious audio frequency sets off a series of discoveries that lead them deep into the unknown. The Amazon Studios film is the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson and has earned high praise from critics and streaming audiences alike for its suspenseful, low-budget spin on the genre.

Master (2022)

Genre

Horror, Thriller, Drama, Mystery

Stars

Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder

Directed by

Mariama Diallo

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Regina Hall (Nine Perfect Strangers, Insecure) stars in this social thriller/horror about an elite New England university that’s as old as the country itself and has just as many dark secrets. Hall plays Gail Bishop, the school’s new headmaster and the first Black person to hold the position. A Black student, Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), arrives as a freshman and is soon subjected to anonymous racist attacks that she is convinced are being done by an ancient presence from the school’s past — turns out the school was built on the site of some Salem-era witch trials. As Gail and Jasmine learn to navigate the school’s elite politics and privilege, they uncover the truth about the school and just how tied to its past it really is.

Lucy and Desi (2022)

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Lucie Arnaz

Directed by

Amy Poehler

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Amy Poehler’s stunning love letter to legendary television power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz digs deep with Poehler gaining access to some never-before-seen footage of the pair to help tell the incredible story of their rise to entertainment royalty. Poehler’s documentary feels as though it’s being narrated by Lucy and Desi themselves, with the help of rare home movies and cassette audiotapes the couple made over the years, and insightful and touching interviews with, among others, their daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Desi Arnaz Jr., Norman Lear, Carol Burnett, Charo, and Bette Midler. Lucy and Desi is a timeline of a remarkable legacy that spans from their early days in show business and their marriage, through the transition from radio to TV, the creation and explosive success of I Love Lucy and their production company, Desilu, to their eventual divorce. It even touches on the difficult period in Lucy’s life when she was accused of being a member of the Communist party. And if Poehler’s superb film isn’t enough Lucy and Desi for you, Amazon is also home to Aaron Sorkin’s excellent dramatized film Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.

Lucy and Desi – Official Trailer | Prime Video

My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021)

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Patricia Bell-Scott, Dolores Chandler, Brittney Cooper, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Directed by

Julie Cohen, Betsy West

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From the same directing team behind 2018’s Oscar-nominated RBG, My Name Is Pauli Murray is the long-overdue telling of the life and influence of pioneering lawyer, civil and women’s rights activist, poet, and priest Pauli Murray. The film is a tribute to the largely unsung hero, the struggles they faced as a non-binary African American, and the legal contributions they made arguing for gender and race equality, most notably with the passing of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment in 1968, which outlawed discrimination based on sex. Murray’s influence on the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is highlighted throughout the documentary, which, like RGB, is destined for Oscar greatness.

Pinocchio (2019)

Genre

Fantasy, Adventure, Drama

Stars

Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Marine Vacth

Directed by

Matteo Garrone

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Italian author Carlo Collodi’s classic children’s story dates back to 1881, and since then, it’s been reimagined and adapted countless times in print, on television, for the stage, and in film — perhaps most notably in Disney’s 1940 animated movie. With this most recently released feature version, Italian filmmakers Matteo Garrone and Massimo Ceccherini use live-action, stunning CGI, and some pretty fantastic costumes and makeup to once again tell the tale of a lonely carpenter, Gepetto (Roberto Benigni), who creates a wooden boy puppet who magically comes to life. Pinocchio‘s universal themes of perseverance through adversity, honesty, and redemption ring true in Garrone’s adaptation as well, as the boy puppet heads out into the film’s bizarre world of animal tricksters, blue fairies, and gigantic fish to learn the lessons he needs to get back to Gepetto and realize his dream of becoming a real boy.

One Night in Miami… (2020)

Genre

Drama

Stars

Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge

Directed by

Regina King

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In actress Regina King’s excellent directorial debut, she takes Kemp Powers’ screenplay of his own stage play and turns it into a riveting drama. One Night in Miami is a fictionalized ponderance of a real-life meeting that happened in Miami Beach in 1964 in which famous friends Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), who earlier that night just beat Sonny Liston for the world championship, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben -Adir), singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) gathered to enjoy each other’s company, debate, and discuss their roles in affecting change in Black America. Each star holds his own portraying such cultural heavyweights, and the film mixes beautifully shot sequences of their individual lives and achievements with fly-on-the-wall ensemble scenes that give you a sense of what it might have been like being in the room with these icons.

Sound of Metal (2020)

Genre

Drama, Music

Stars

Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci

Directed by

Darius Marder

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Sound of Metal doesn’t mess around, getting straight to the intense and terrifying moments that Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer in a heavy metal duo with his girlfriend (the wonderful Olivia Cooke), starts to lose his hearing. It’s the little things we take for granted that director/screenwriter Darius Marder zeroes in on in the film’s opening minutes — the excruciating silence of a blender, the subtle drip of percolating coffee, or the shushing spray of a showerhead — all gone. But Sound of Metal isn’t about deafness, it’s a story about change and the journey we must take to embrace it, as Ruben enters a facility to help him learn to live with his deafness while also avoiding a relapse into his old life of drug abuse. It’s a beautiful film about life-changing loss and redemption and shouldn’t be missed.

Chi-Raq (2015)

Genre

Drama, Crime, Comedy

Stars

Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes

Directed by

Spike Lee

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Aristophanes’ classic Greek comedy Lysistrata gets a modern update in this 2015 film directed by Spike Lee. The film follows a group of women who decide to withhold sex from their partners until they agree to curb the gang violence plaguing their Chicago neighborhood. Told in a mixture of music and verse, the film stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Handmaiden (2016)

Genre

Thriller, Drama, Romance

Stars

Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo

Directed by

Park Chan-wook

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From Korean director Park Chan-wook, award-winning director of Oldboy, The Handmaiden is an intense, pulse-pounding crime drama set in the early 1900s during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The film follows two women — a young Japanese lady on a secluded estate, and the Korean woman who is hired as her new handmaiden. Little does the former know, though, that the latter is conspiring with a con man to defraud the woman out of her inheritance.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Genre

Thriller, Drama

Stars

Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov

Directed by

Lynne Ramsay

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This Amazon Original was nominated for four 2019 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix). Phoenix stars as a traumatized veteran who harnesses his trauma into hunting down missing girls for a living. However, as his nightmares begin to overtake him and he continues to get in over his head, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy or save him, depending on the paths he takes.

The Big Sick (2017)

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Stars

Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter

Directed by

Michael Showalter

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Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and comedy writer Emily V. Gordon adapted their real-life love story for film in The Big Sick, a charming romantic comedy that was one of Digital Trends’ favorite movies of 2019 and helped score Nanjiani and Gordon their own Apple TV+ show. The movie begins with Kumail (playing a loosely fictionalized version of himself) struggling to build a stand-up career, mining his Pakistani background for material. After a run-in with a heckler named Emily (Zoe Kazan) turns into a one-night stand and eventually a relationship, the two start to run into trouble. For starters, Kumail’s parents want him to settle down with a Pakistani woman, leading them to break up. Making things even more complicated, an infection leaves Emily in a coma. While visiting Emily in the hospital, Kumail meets her parents, Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter), learning more about them and Emily as he processes his own feelings.

Blow the Man Down (2019)

Genre

Drama, Mystery, Comedy

Stars

Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale

Directed by

Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole

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Blow the Man Down is a dark comedy and a hidden gem that arrived on Amazon Prime under the radar earlier this year. Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe co-headline the film as feuding sisters Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly, respectively. When Mary Beth kills a man who tried to harm her, Priscilla decides that blood is thicker than water and she helps her sister cover up the evidence. Unfortunately for the Connolly sisters, secrets are hard to keep in a small town, and they never quite know who they can trust. Margo Martindale also has a terrific supporting turn as Enid Nora Devlin, a local brothel owner who may know too much.