Here Are The Best 100 Movies Streaming On Prime Video

BuzzFeed

October 12, 2022 at 10:34 AM·99 min read

Your mission is simple enough: Find a movie to watch on Prime Video. But unfortunately for you, the task is much easier said than done as the Amazon juggernaut has a massive catalog of constantly shifting titles for you to choose from.

MGM/Regal / Via giphy.com

Although Amazon's acquisition of MGM means that every James Bond film will be on the platform for the foreseeable future, and Amazon Studios puts out a few titles a month, the tech giant does not have the decades-long back catalog of titles that other streamers have. That means that it has to rely on leasing films from other studios, which can have its pros and cons. Pro: Prime members are offered a rotating array of films from every major studio. Con: Said film could disappear at a moment's notice if the contractual agreement expires. Just because you knew what you wanted to watch on Prime Video last week, doesn't mean that it will be there today.

Luckily for you, I am here to provide you with an up-to-date list of the best films that ARE available to stream on Prime Video.

MGM / Via giphy.com

The semi-confusing Prime Video homepage isn't always helpful, and often, the best titles aren't promoted well, meaning that the movies can come and go from the site without you ever knowing they were available. The fact that Prime's Freevee arm (an ad-supported branch that used to be IMDb TV) is somehow both a separate entity and lumped in with Prime, makes matters all the more confusing. But, if you know where to look, Prime Video offers plenty of top tier, fresh content that you probably have access to for free if you're a Prime member.

So, no need to fear, I've put together a whole big list for you, but to start, here are my three favorite films currently available:

Paramount Pictures / Via giphy.com

1. Clue: The horror comedy based on the board game is an all-time fave. It's quotable. It has three alternate endings. And it includes Tim Curry doing some of his best work.

2. Support the Girls: Regina Hall is the manager of a Hooters-like establishment and must deal with all the headaches of running the business in this indie darling.

3. Love and Monsters: This Dylan O'Brien action/comedy/romance/sci-fi/post-apocalyptic Oscar-nominated (!!!!) romp is so much fun and did not get nearly enough attention.

Plus, there's a wealth of classics (Bridesmaids, Shutter Island, In Bruges) that have just been added to the site, along with Run Sweetheart Run, a cat-and-mouse horror film, Argentina, 1985, an international Oscar contender, and Catherine Called Birdy, a delightful Medieval coming-of-age story.

New This Month:

1.A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Jude Law and Haley Joel Osment watch from behind a statue — **Director:** Steven Spielberg
**Cast:** Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Brendan Gleeson, and William Hurt
**Genre:** Science Fiction
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 26m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 75% (Critics) 64% (Audience)
As Steven Spielberg has been wracking up the Oscar nominations for his historical films like *The Post*, *Bridge of Spies*, *Lincoln*, and even last year's *West Side Story* remake, it can be easy to forget he started as a sci-fi savant. One of his most ambitious pieces of futuristic storytelling is this reimagining of *Pinocchio* in which *The Sixth Sense*'s Haley Joel Osment plays a robot child who wants desperately to be a real boy. Osment offers an eery adorableness in the role as he stumbles upon a series of misadventures trying to unlock the secret to humanity. A robotic gigolo Jude Law joins him on part of the dangerous journey, and Meryl Streep arrives briefly for some voice work. If you've already polished off *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* and *E.T.*, then this is your next step into the Spielberg-verse.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

2.Argentina,1985 (2022)

The cast of Argentina 1985 stand together — **Director:** Santiago Mitre
**Cast:** Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner, and Norman Briski
**Genre:** Historical Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 20m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** N/A
I for one had never head of the Trial of the Juntas before watching this film. I can't really say I knew much about Argentinian history at all. For those of you (like me), who are ill-informed, from 1976 to 1983, Argentina was ruled by a military dictatorship. When that regime was finally dismantled, its leaders were put on trial by the new government in 1985, a controversial and potentially dangerous move as the former leaders still held much sway within the country. *Argentina,1985*, which happens to be Argentina's Oscar submission this year, follows the attorney tasked with prosecuting these powerful men, and his ragtag team of aides who faced overwhelming odds in the name of justice. If you love a legal drama or just want to learn more about global history, this is an incredibly engaging way to delve into the past.
Watch it on Prime Video starting October 21.
Lina Etchesuri/Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

3.Bridesmaids (2011)

Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper walk down onto a plane — **Director:** Paul Feig
**Cast:** Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O'Dowd
**Genre:** Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 5m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 89% (Critics) 76% (Audience)
BRB. I'm just going to take a quick break from writing this list. I had lunch at a Brazilian steakhouse and am not feeling...
...I'm back. Please, no questions. Disregard anything you may have seen or heard. Back to the task at hand. *Bridesmaids*, the tale of wedding season madness, written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (Barb and Star for the uniformed) and directed by Paul Feig, is one of the greatest comedies of the 21st century. Annie (Wiig) is in a heated rivalry with fellow bridesmaid Helen (Byrne) over the best friendship of the bride Lillian (Rudolph). From the Spanish wedding party toast to the drunken airplane scene, the film delivers laughs from start to finish. The supporting cast (including Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy) bolster the hilarious leads even more. And we can't forget Jon Hamm. And Wilson Phillips! Ope. The steak is making a comeback, just gonna skip out again.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Suzanne Hanover/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

4.Catherine Called Birdy (2022)

Andrew Scott carries Bella Ramsey out of a carriage — **Director:** Lena Dunham
**Cast:** Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott, Joe Alwyn, and Dean-Charles Chapman
**Genre:** Medieval Comedy/Coming-of-age
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 48m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 88% (Critics) 69% (Audience)
The combination of a children's historical novel set in the 1200s and perpetual foot-in-mouth queen Lena Dunham (with her Pride parade casket) does not appear on the outset to be a particularly promising pairing. I am here to report though that against all odds, *Catherine Called Birdy* is an absolute delight, and one of the best children's movies I've seen in quite some time. Birdy (Bella Ramsey, who you probably know as Lyanna Mormont aka the bossy little northern girl from *Game of Thrones*) is being forced into marriage because her family needs money, but she is having NONE of it. The long string of suitors who pay visits to her castle are met with all manner of tricks and psychological warfare from Birdy, who just wants to play in the mud. The film is witty, charming, and most importantly, hilarious as it grapples with issues that feel very current (even if they are over 800 years old). While I imagine this would be a hit with teen girls (although I cannot say for sure as I'm a 30-year-old gay man), I was smitten with the whole project from start to finish. Also, if you are a 30-year-old-gay man reading this list, Andrew Scott plays Birdy's dad.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Alex Bailey/Amazon Prime Video

5.Cape Fear (1991)

Robert De Niro sits in a car talking to Nick Nolte — **Director:** Martin Scorsese
**Cast:** Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Joe Don Baker, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum, and Gregory Peck
**Genre:** Psychological Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 8m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 74% (Critics) 77% (Audience)
*Cape Fear* is not a movie for the faint of heart. While Martin Scorsese is certainly no stranger to movies about violent criminals (*Goodfellas*, *The Irishman*, and *The Departed* all jump instantly to mind), this might be his most terrifying film. Teaming up with his frequent collaborator Robert De Niro, Scorsese remakes the classic 1962 Gregory Peck thriller about a rapist who seeks revenge on his faulty defense attorney after being released from jail. De Niro is terrifying as the vile Max Cady, stalking Sam Bowden (Nolte) and his family in a slow, highly choreographed revenge plot. While the movie is uncomfortable, De Niro is mesmerizing, especially since he's been playing mostly kindly grandfathers of late. Plus, if you are a Scorsese fan, this is another film from his stacked filmography to check off your list.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

6.Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

Elizabeth McGovern and Laura Carmichael stand on a ship — **Director:** Simon Curtis
**Cast:** Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton
**Genre:** Historical Drama
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 4m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 86% (Critics) 97% (Audience)
Okay, this movie is not for everyone, BUT if you (like me) loved *Downton Abbey* with your whole heart, visited the actual filming location, and regularly think about Edith's lover who may not have died on the Titanic after all, then this film is completely perfect. It is everything you love about the television show ratcheted up to an 11, as the family both visits France and has a Hollywood film shot in their hallowed halls. *Downton 2* is basically just an extended episode of the television show, but for fans who long to return to that world and characters, this is the ultimate comfort watch.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Ben Blackall/Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

7.Get Shorty (1995)

John Travolta and Rene Russo stand in a garden — **Director:** Barry Sonnenfeld
**Cast:** John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, and Dennis Farina
**Genre:** Gangster/Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 45m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 88% (Critics) 70% (Audience)
We saw in *The Godfather* that the mob and the film industry do not always go hand in hand. Occasionally, when the two worlds touch, you end up with a horse head in your bed. In *Get Shorty*, however, the merger of cinema and "construction" leads to a more pleasant effect. John Travolta's Chili heads from Miami to LA to settle a debt with a B-movie director (Gene Hackman) and somehow manages to find himself as the newest member of a production team. The gangster comedy sends its lead down an increasingly absurd and humorous path as he's tasked with casting an aging scream queen (Rene Russo) and her Oscar-winning ex (Danny DeVito) in the new film. The whole film is like one of Donkey Kong's mine cars, bouncing down a path of messy, chaotic fun — but we're enjoying every single minute of it.
Watch it on Prime Video.
MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

8.In Bruges (2008)

Brendan Gleeson aims a gun at Colin Farrell — **Director:** Martin McDonagh
**Cast:** Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Clémence Poésy, and Jérémie Renier
**Genre:** Black Comedy/Crime/Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 47m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 84% (Critics) 87% (Audience)
Colin Farrell’s character Ray may want nothing to do with Bruges, Belgium, but this film had the opposite effect on me. I have a very intense desire to visit the little town full of cafés and canals, so if you want to be my travel buddy, let me know. Martin McDonagh’s crime comedy follows Ray and Brendan Gleeson’s Ken, both hitmen, as they hide out in Bruges until their recent kills blow over. The sleepy exile turns chaotic, however, when Ken is instructed to murder Ray. Ralph Fiennes plays their profanity-prone boss, and the Academy must have liked the curse words because the screenplay was nominated for an Oscar. I will say that this film has left me terrified of bell towers though, so that’s a potentially negative side effect.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

9.Last Holiday (2006)

Queen Latifah plays poker — **Director:** Wayne Wang
**Cast:** Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gérard Depardieu, Alicia Witt, and Giancarlo Esposito
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 52m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 55% (Critics) 67% (Audience)
IMHO this film is a holiday great on par with *The Santa Claus* and *Home Alone*. How it was relegated to B-tier status, I'll never know. When Georgia (Queen Latifah, who is effortlessly funny as usual) bumps her head on the job as a sales demonstrator at a department store, the store manager decides she should get a CT scan at the machine they have at the mall. As much as I love malls, I would never trust a CT scan machine that is just chilling in the back room of a department store. Why is it there? How reliable is it? Where did it come from? So many questions. Georgia asks none of them. When the machine tells her she's dying, and thus, this will be her last holiday, she's got to live it up. Off to a grand European resort and the perfect holiday adventure we go! Please, for the love of god and poulet tchoupitoulas, watch *Last Holiday* this Christmas.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

10.Monster House (2006)

Three kids creep through a dark house with flashlights — **Director:** Gil Kenan
**Cast:** Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Jason Lee, Catherine O'Hara, and Fred Willard
**Genre:** Animation/Horror
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 31m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 75% (Critics) 63% (Audience)
In the world of animation, Disney and Pixar occupy the lion's share of the conversation these days, but I would like to take this opportunity to highlight an underrated Sony animation offering that is not only a perfect Halloween film but one of the best animated films of the 2000s. It is a film about a terrifying haunted house that eats children on Halloween, so I can see why it might have been a tough sell to parents, but it is a wickedly sinister yet slicingly funny picture. A trio of schoolchildren (one played by Mitchel Musso in the most 2006 thing ever) attempt to save the neighborhood/subdue the house, and what follows is an edge-of-your-seat adventure. This was also nominated for an Oscar, if that helps push you over the edge to queue it up.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

11.Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Ingrid Bergman climbs on a train — **Director:** Sidney Lumet
**Cast:** Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, and Anthony Perkins
**Genre:** Detective/Mystery
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 8m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 90% (Critics) 78% (Audience)
Whether you have enough champagne to fill the Nile, a train, or a water bottle you're smuggling into the movie theater, a boozy Agatha Christie viewing is always a treat. Rather than slogging through the newest Kenneth Branagh adaptation, however, might I suggest giving the 1974 version of *Murder on the Orient Express* or its 1978 sequel, *Death on the Nile*, a try? Both films are jam-packed with film legends who slink around their confined transportation device, discovering dead bodies, telling lies, and giving suspicious glances from the shadows. Among this cast are Ingrid Bergman, Vanessa Redgrave, Albert Finney, and Sean Connery. If you like a whodunit, then this is sure to deliver more than watching Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer quote Shakespeare while having sex on an Egyptian ruin ever will.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Angelo EMI-Distributors

12.Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Rupert Friend and Keira Knightley stand in a field together — **Director:** Joe Wright
**Cast:** Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Judi Dench
**Genre:** Drama/Romance
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 9m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 87% (Critics) 89% (Audience)
Who doesn't love *Pride and Prejudice*? The book is a plot point in *You've Got Mail*, the inspiration for *Fire Island*, and even one of Elsie Fisher's favorite films. The classic enemies-to-lovers tale has been an extremely popular one since Jane Austen published it in 1813. In this 2005 adaptation, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (shockingly also Tom from *Succession*) take the lead roles of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, playing cards, attending dances, and moodily strolling across fields together. Joe Wright's version of this story is compelling and electric with this centuries-old book somehow feeling fresh and modern. The performances down to Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan as the fresh faced younger sisters are pitch perfect, and the film will appeal to English majors and Austen newbies alike.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

13.Rough Night (2017)

Jillian Bell, Kate McKinnon, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Kravitz, and ilana Glazer pose for a picture — **Director:** Lucia Aniello
**Cast:** Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoe Kravitz
**Genre:** Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 41m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 45% (Critics) 29% (Audience)
When *Rough Night* premiered, it was largely panned and has since disappeared into the ether with little fanfare. I am here, however, to put some respect on this low-key hilarious comedy's name. The premise is simple: A gaggle of bridesmaids rent out a beach house and order a stripper. As he is stripping, however, he falls, hits his head, and dies, leaving the bridal party to attempt to dispose of the body. Obviously, this does not go well, and hijinks ensue. If you for just a second think this film would be dull, just look at the cast. In addition *SNL*'s funniest cast member in a decade, Kate McKinnon, we've got *Broad City*'s Ilana Glazer, *Modern Family*'s Ty Burrell, and Jillian Bell who can do no wrong. Paul W. Downs from *Hacks*, *Eighth Grade*'s writer and director Bo Burnham, and late night host Hasan Minhaj also make appearances. The premise is great. The cast is stacked. I laughed out loud so many times. If you need a good film to make you chuckle, this would be the one. Thank me later.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Barry Wetcher/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

14.Run Sweetheart Run

Ella Balinska runs across a bridge — **Director:** Shana Feste
**Cast:** Ella Balinska, Pilou Asbaek, Clark Gregg, Aml Ameen, Dayo Okeniyi, Betsy Brandt, and Shohreh Aghdashloo
**Genre:** Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 38m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** N/A
The title here gives you the basic premise. The girl has got to run, and she has got to run fast. Why? Because a horrible man is chasing her down. When Cherie accepts to attend a dinner meeting with her boss, she is initially attracted to the tall muscular man across the table (Pilou Asbaek, who you may remember as the horrible suitor of Cersei Lannister, Euron Greyjoy, toward the end of *Game of Thrones*). Upon going back to his house with him post meeting/date, he reveals himself to be a brutal, bloodthirsty psychopath who loves hunting down women. If she can survive until sunrise, he'll leave her alone, but until then, she will have to run (sweetheart run). The horror movie is a little cheesy at points and convoluted at others, but it's a fun, fresh ride, and if you're tired of rewatching old horror staples, this is something new and engaging.
Watch it on Prime Video starting October 28.
Courtesy of Prime Video

15.Seabiscuit (2003)

Gary Stevens riding on a horse — **Director:** Gary Ross
**Cast:** Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Gary Stevens, and William H. Macy
**Genre:** Drama/Sports
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 20m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 78% (Critics) 76% (Audience)
Not to be confused with *Secretariat*, another movie about a famous horse, *Seabiscuit* is based on an underdog thoroughbred who became a sensation during the Great Depression (unlike Secretariat, which won the Triple Crown in 1973). Seabiscuit was a generally overlooked horse that ended up beating the Triple Crown winner War Admiral in a head-to-head matchup, and became a worldwide sensation. The Best Picture-nominated film stars Tobey Maguire as Seabiscuit's jockey dedicated to proving himself and his horse. I love a non-basketball/football/baseball sports movie, and so, to delve into the world of 1930s horse racing is an intriguing angle. It does not make me want to ride a horse (which seems incredibly dangerous to me), but I am slightly more intrigued having watched this.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

16.The Shape of Water (2017)

Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer clean the floor — **Director:** Guillermo del Toro
**Cast:** Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer
**Genre:** Drama/Fantasy/Romance
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 3m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 72% (Audience)
Three words: Sea monster sex (or is "seamonster" one word? unclear). Anyways, if you are a fan of sea monster/seamonster sex, this is one of the very few films to give you what you're looking for. *The Shape of Water* is, after all, a sci-fi romance about a mute cleaning lady at a government lab falling in love with an amphibious creature they are experimenting with there. Of course, I am burying the lead, which is that Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece was nominated for a whopping 13 Oscars, taking home four for Best Production Design, Original Score, Director, and Picture. It is a gorgeous film-watching experience from start to end, and the performances (especially from Jenkins and Spencer) are masterclass, and deserved every award they got. Such a shame this didn't start a wave (sea what I did there? (see what I did there, too?)) of human/fish-person love stories.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Kerry Hayes / Fox Searchlight / Courtesy Everett Collection

17.Shutter Island (2010)

Leonardo DiCaprio looks through a rainy window — **Director:** Martin Scorsese
**Cast:** Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Max von Sydow
**Genre:** Neo-noir/Psychological Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 18m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 68% (Critics) 77% (Audience)
Ugh, I love Leo. And I love Marty. And I love a Leo/Marty collab. Here Leo plays a US Marshall sent to investigate the disappearance of a woman on an infamous psychiatric hospital island. DiCaprio is broody and taking no shit from anyone as he tromps around in a trench coat before his mind begins to unravel, leading toward the film's shocking ending (which I will not spoil for you because I am a good person). Lots of excellent supporting performances here, and the film is genuinely terrifying at points. I'm not sure I'd bill it as straight horror, but if you are looking for a prestige scare, this is certainly in that realm. And again. Leo and Marty are doing some incredibly fun work.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

18.Support the Girls (2018)

Regina Hall and Haley Lu Richardson stand together — **Director:** Andrew Bujalski
**Cast:** Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James LeGros, Shayna McHayle, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka, and Brooklyn Decker
**Genre:** Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 33m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 60% (Audience)
I am on the record as being a massive Regina Hall fan, and honestly, I think this is her best performance. I am still shouting off a rooftop into the void about the fact that Hall was not Oscar-nominated for this pitch-perfect performance. It's Hall's first true lead, and she delivers as Lisa, the manager of a Hooters-like "breastaurant" called Double Whammies. We follow her through a single day as she balances a slew of issues at the bar (a man is stuck in the vents, a worker got a Steph Curry tattoo in the wrong place, her manager is threatening to fire her) while also dealing with her own impending divorce. The cast of supporting characters including Haley Lu Richardson and the glorious AJ Michalka (of Aly & AJ) are all having fun, but the film IS Hall. She became the first Black actress to win Best Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and had the movie been screened more widely, I firmly believe it would have been Oscar nominated as well. I would have held a car wash to support the campaign.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

19.Up in the Air (2009)

George Clooney and Anna Kendrick walk through an office — **Director:** Jason Reitman
**Cast:** George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton, Sam Elliott, J. K. Simmons, and Zach Galifianakis
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 49m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 90% (Critics) 79% (Audience)
After his success with *Juno*, director Jason Reitman returned two years later with another dramedy, this one about Ryan (Clooney), a man who travels the US as a consultant who fires people professionally when the higher ups at a corporation don't want to do the dirty work. Along the way, he starts a relationship with Alex (Farmiga), a woman who travels almost as much as he does, and Natalie (Kendrick), an ambitious colleague trying to climb the corporate ladder herself. While Reitman's later films have never quite recaptured the *Juno* magic with the Oscars, *Up in the Air* did nab six major Oscar nominations in Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress (for both Farmiga and Kendrick), and Screenplay. This movie also includes a great performance by the always superb Melanie Lynskey, who is having her moment now post-*Yellowjackets.* So, perhaps a rewatch (or first watch) is in order?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Dale Robinette/DreamWorks Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

20.Zoolander (2001)

Milla Jokovich, Ben Stiller, and Will Ferrell stand in a hallway — **Director:** Ben Stiller
**Cast:** Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, and Jon Voight
**Genre:** Comedy
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 30m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 64% (Critics) 80% (Audience)
I mean, what is there really to say about *Zoolander*? Really, I should just be staring you down with my Blue Steel until you are overcome with a desire to watch the film. What's it about? A group of top fashion executives trying to get a dumb model to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Who is in it? Every comedian who was alive in 2001. Should you watch the sequel after you finish watching this? Probably not. This is a comedy classic from Ben Stiller and co. that pokes fun at the pretentious fashion world. It's a quotable, delightful romp, and will also teach you the only good face to make during a selfie.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

What to Watch:

21.1UP (2022)

A line of gamers with headsets — **Director:** Kyle Newman
**Cast:** Paris Berelc, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Hari Nef, and Ruby Rose
**Genre:** E-Sports Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 40m
If you, like me, have been aggressively hoping for another *Pitch Perfect* movie, then I'm here to make your wishes come true by telling you that *1UP* will scratch that itch — just with video games instead of a cappella singing. The film (which, full disclosure, was produced by BuzzFeed Studios) follows Paris Berelc, a college student who forms an all-girls e-sports team to take on the very douchey boys team. Trans icon Hari Nef plays her bestie, and Ruby Rose plays their coach with an amount of humor and humanity I did not get from her in *Batwoman* or *The Meg*. The film has that scrappy, rapid-fire, slightly raunchy humor of the original *Pitch Perfect* and isn't afraid to be weird and clever. The relationships are very sweet (especially the nerdy romance plot line), and as someone who has not played a video game since *Mario Party 5* came out, I was intrigued by the world of e-sports.
Available on Prime Video.
Samantha Falco / Samantha Falco/Lionsgate

22.The 355 (2022)

Diane Kruger, Jessica Chastain, and Lupita Nyong'o all hold machine guns — **Director:** Simon Kinberg
**Cast:** Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o, édgar Ramirez, and Sebastian Stan
**Genre:** Action/Spy/Thriller
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 2m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 24% (Critics) 86% (Audience)
TALK ABOUT A CAST. Newly minted Oscar winner/TikTok star Jessica Chastain leads a group of five international spies who must take down terrorists trying to start World War III. Her compatriots? First up, we've got Jessica's Best Actress fellow nominee and Donatella Versace impersonator Penélope Cruz. Then, of course, we have Diane Kruger who famously helped to steal the Declaration of Independence, so we'd love to have her on any spy team. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, who made her American film debut in *X-Men: Days of Future Past*, is in the group representing MSS, and last but certainly not least, we've got Oscar-winner/scissor assassin Lupita Nyong'o. While not the most original spy film ever to be made, it is a fun showcase for five actresses usually known for more serious, dramatic work. And who doesn't want to watch Tammy Faye Messner kick some ass? I mean, come on.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Robert Viglasky/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

23.1917 (2019)

Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay cross barbed wire — **Director:** Sam Mendes
**Cast:** George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch
**Genre:** Drama/War
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 59m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 89% (Critics) 88% (Audience)
I am not usually one to rewatch movies in the theater, and I saw *1917* three times on the big screen. The World War I epic follows two soldiers, played by George MacKay (who is also incredible in *Captain Fantastic*) and (window-jumping Tommen himself) Dean-Charles Chapman, as they cross enemy lines to deliver military information that could save the lives of thousands. The Sam Mendes film uses a shot-in-one-take illusion to stay with the duo in real-time, and the artistry, tight plotting, and intricate camerawork utilized are unmatched. Nabbing 10 Oscar nominations and three wins (including a long overdue Best Cinematography win for Roger Deakins, whose burning church lighting design is *chef's kiss*), *1917* is one of the best films of the decade. While this is certainly a war film, the deeply human, emotional elements at play are what elevate this above the genre, and if you aren't sobbing in at least three scenes, then you are heartless. Also, we love a Hot Priest cameo.
Watch it on Prime Video.
/ ?Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

24.All the Old Knives (2022)

Chris Pine looks out from behind a gate — **Director:** Janus Metz Pedersen
**Cast:** Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Pryce, and David Dawson
**Genre:** Spy Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 41m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 64% (Critics) 45% (Audience)
In the ongoing debate over which of the four Chrises is the best, this is certainly a strike in the favor of Mr. Pine. What could have easily been a run-of-the-mill spy thriller based on a novel (think *Jack Reacher* or *Jack Ryan*) is elevated by a creative storyline and unsurprisingly good performances by the all-star cast consisting of Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, and Jonathan Pryce. Set over a sumptuous food-porn dinner (think *Pig* without the Nic Cage grunting), Pine and Newton discuss their days working in Vienna years earlier, where their relationship, as coworkers and lovers, disintegrated. After their CIA team botched a hostage situation that resulted in the deaths of an entire plane full of civilians, the pair moved on only to reconnect and attempt to unravel what exactly happened all those years ago. The film looks expensive, the mystery is compelling, and a series of twists will keep you on the edge of your seat. Chris's best work since he fell in that fountain in *Princess Diaries 2*.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Stefania Rosini/Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

25.Being the Ricardos (2021)

Nicole Kidman sits on a bench with two friends — **Director:** Aaron Sorkin
**Cast:** Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, and Clark Gregg
**Genre:** Biographical Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 11m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 67% (Critics) 75% (Audience)
"LUCY, I'M HOME!" And so is Amazon's new Lucille Ball biopic, which now resides on the tech giant's streaming platform. While the internet has expressed consternation about Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman's casting as the sitcom legend since the film's early stills appeared, there was no reason for concern. Kidman and Javier Bardem (who plays her husband, Desi Arnaz) combine just enough impression within their performances to make them believable without becoming caricatures. The Aaron Sorkin script is tight, focusing on the pair as they traverse a hectic week full of accusations of communism, cheating allegations, an unexpected pregnancy, inter-cast drama, and of course, a full-episode production cycle. The film zips along, with Sorkin's dialogue leading the film to a propulsive and cathartic end. A rare Oscar contender that is as fun as it as good.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Glen Wilson / Amazon Content Services LLC

26.The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Maggie Smith puts a letter in a box — **Director:** John Madden
**Cast:** Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson, and Maggie Smith
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 4m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 78% (Critics) 78% (Audience)
If Dame Maggie Smith decides she's going to India, then by golly, I'm going to India with her. In this delightful romantic comedy aimed at a more, shall we say, mature audience, Smith's Muriel moves to a retirement home in India along with a posse of fellow British pensioners (that is a UK phrase if I've ever heard one). The ragtag group is, of course, full of English acting royalty, including Old Deuteronomy herself Dame Judi Dench, Davy Jones sans tentacle beard Bill Nighy, and feisty Cousin Isabel Penelope Wilton. The titular hotel is, of course, run by the dreamy Dev Patel, who fosters the group's various romances and adventures. Don't let the cast's average age fool you — this is a romp for the whole family if you can swallow a few jokes about taking pills.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Ishika Mohan/Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection

27.The Big Sick (2017)

Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan talk — **Director:** Michael Showalter
**Cast:** Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 98% (Critics) 88% (Audience)
So, let’s say you dated a girl for five months, and then, she broke up with you. And then, she went to the hospital and was put into a coma. And then, her parents came, and they knew you broke up. And then, you just had to sit with them awkwardly in the waiting room because you did still care about the girl. Thus is the premise of *The Big Sick*, and also the real-life events surrounding the romance of the film's writers, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (who is also the star). One of the best romantic comedies of the past decade, this film also examines interracial dating in a smart, nuanced way and is stacked with your comedy faves, including Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, and Bo Burnham (whose recent comedy special *Inside* is a masterpiece).
Watch it on Prime Video.
Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection

28.Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Alex WInter and Keanu Reeves smiling — **Director:** Stephen Herek
**Cast:** Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Robert V. Barron, Terry Camilleri, Clifford David, and Al Leong
**Genre:** Comedy/Sci-fi
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 30m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 82% (Critics) 75% (Audience)
When my uncle suggested that we marathon all three Bill & Ted movies in one day during the pandemic, I was skeptical. An '80s slacker film? How good could it be? The answer is most excellent, dude! Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter play a pair of lovable goofballs who travel back through time collecting famous historical figures for a high school project. It is a DELIGHT! The whole film holds up remarkably well (which cannot be said for most movies of the time), and the scene where the pair end up leaving their posse of historic besties at the San Dimas Mall is one for the ages (and one of the best mall scenes in cinema). Most outstanding! *plays air guitar*
Watch it on Prime Video.
Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection

29.The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Heather Donahue walks in the woods — **Director:** Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
**Cast:** Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard
**Genre:** Supernatural Horror
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 21m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 86% (Critics) 56% (Audience)
If you needed any more reason to avoid a) lonely camping trips or b) potentially satanic locations, then this horror game-changer is here to remind you yet again. The film, which stirred up the found-footage craze, seems to be entirely filmed on a camcorder that a trio of film students take with them on a trip into the forest to investigate the legend of the Blair Witch. Things obviously don’t go well, and as their anxiety rises, the filming grows more erratic, further ratcheting up the tension. The movie was famously made for next to nothing and became such a phenomenon that it spawned several sequels. The original remains the very best of the bunch.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

30.Bottle Shock (2008)

Alan Rickman looks at a mason jar full of wine while Chris Pine looks on — **Director:** Randall Miller
**Cast:** Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, and Rachael Taylor
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 50m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 48% (Critics) 58% (Audience)
Once upon a time, I was home for the summer from college and rented this film from the library because I love Alan Rickman (*Harry Potter*, *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves*, *Sense and Sensibility*; I could go on). I found the movie captivating and demanded the DVD for Christmas. Rickman stars as a snobbish connoisseur of French wine who decides to throw a competition between the lauded French wineries and the looked-down-upon Californian upstarts (the leads of whom are Bill Pullman and Chris Pine). Rickman is an absolute delight, and I (someone who buys $4 watermelon rosé from Trader Joe's) was mesmerized by the true story that put Napa Valley on the map in the ’70s. Perhaps, uncork a bottle of wine, and settle in for the evening?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Freestyle Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection

31.Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Audrey Hepburn drinks coffee at a table in Tiffanys — **Director:** Blake Edwards
**Cast:** Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, and Mickey Rooney
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy
**Runtime:** 1h 55m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 89% (Critics) 91% (Audience)
Name a more iconic on-screen look. I'll wait. Audrey Hepburn's LBD complete with gloves, a tiara, and a long cigarette holder has been plastered on posters, mugs, and sweatshirts for decades now. Countless individuals site this simple, elegant look as the inspiration for their own personal style (despite having no idea what the movie is even about). For those who want to know, the movie is actually about a woman who falls in love with a struggling writer, and she does indeed eat breakfast at Tiffany's. It's based on a Truman Capote novella and is sort of sad, but the costumes are exquisite!
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

32.Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Jillian Bell runs down the street — **Director:** Paul Downs Colaizzo
**Cast:** Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Micah Stock
**Genre:** Sports Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 44m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 88% (Critics) 87% (Audience)
As somewhat of a marathon expert (I’ve written a whole book about the sport), I can personally attest to the tremendous amount of work that goes into running 26.2 miles, as well as the euphoric emotional payoff of finishing. This Jillian Bell film (based on a true story) follows Brittany as she signs up for the New York City Marathon in an attempt to get her life back on track. The heartwarming comedy also stars Michaela Watkins (*Search Party*) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (*Pitch Perfect*) and is the first feature film to actually shoot on location during the marathon. Watching Brittany finish her race is incredibly inspiring and will make you want to sign up for a marathon as well.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

33.Clockstoppers (2002)

Jesse Bradford and Paula Garces look at a frozen sprinkler — **Director:** Jonathan Frakes
**Cast:** Jesse Bradford, Paula Garcés, French Stewart, Michael Biehn, and Robin Thomas
**Genre:** Action/Comedy/Sci-fi
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 34m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 29% (Critics) 30% (Audience)
Is this movie straight-up awful? I am almost certain of it. Have I watched it many times? Yes, I have. Have I watched it in the last 15 years? No. Absolutely not, nor will I. As a tween, I remember *Clockstoppers*, a film about a bunch of high schoolers who get magic watches that allow them to pause time, being THE SHIT. I wanted one of those watches so bad! I wanted to be able to move water droplets coming out of sprinklers. I wanted to be able to put a peeing dog on the hood of a nemesis's car. I wanted to be able to steal food off someone's plate without them noticing. The whole concept was just so remarkable for my brain, and is one I think about regularly. The movie itself, however, would I'm sure buckle under scrutiny. It has a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, doesn't star a single person I've ever heard of, and was produced by Nickelodeon. BUT, you know what? Nostalgia is a powerful drug, and also Rotten Tomatoes says it's "a pleasant diversion for the young adults, but a waste of time for anyone older," which I'm taking to mean "great tween movie." So, why not give it a try? In my mind, it is a stone-cold classic!
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

34.Clue (1985)

Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren look shocked — **Director:** Jonathan Lynn
**Cast:** Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren
**Genre:** Black Comedy/Mystery
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 34m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 68% (Critics) 86% (Audience)
Mr. Green in the conservatory with the revolver? This ’80s comedy, based on the classic board game, takes the mystery of who killed Mr. Body and turns it into a slapstick black comedy. The band of comedians, including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Martin Mull, arrive at a large mansion on a stormy night, only to witness murder after murder to increasingly humorous effect. The film is chock-full of quotable lines (“Flames on the side of my face”) and has developed a cult following, even if it did poorly in theaters. Also, the three alternate endings available give the whole thing an extra dose of kookiness. I’d hazard to say that the movie is better than the book — I mean, board game.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

35.Cold War (2018)

Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig lean against each other on the floor of a bathroom — **Director:** Pawel Pawlikowski
**Cast:** Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza, Cédric Kahn, and Jeanne Balibar
**Genre:** Historical Drama/Romance
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 29m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 82% (Audience)
The first time I tried to see *Cold War* in theaters, I had to leave 10 minutes in because the man sitting behind me said he’d found bedbugs in his chair. Nevertheless! I had such high hopes for the movie that I booked a ticket at a different theater the next day (after nuking my clothes in the dryer and scrubbing down in the shower), and I was not disappointed. This Oscar-nominated Polish film from Pawel Pawlikowski follows the star-crossed 20-year romantic saga of Zula and Wiktor during the Cold War. Shot in stark black and white, the story is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. A romance for the ages.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

36.Crazy Heart (2009)

Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall stand at a bar — **Director:** Scott Cooper
**Cast:** Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, and Robert Duvall
**Genre:** Drama/Musical
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 52m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 90% (Critics) 76% (Audience)
If you watched and loved Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut, *The Lost Daughter*, and want more of her where she's not just screaming "Harvey," then might I suggest her Oscar-nominated film? Here she plays a divorced journalist who begins a relationship with an alcoholic country musician played by Jeff Bridges (who won the Oscar). The sweet little film follows the pair through their ups and down and also includes several songs (one of which won an Oscar). So whether you're entering your Joanne era or just need more Maggie, this is worth the watch.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Lorey Sebastian/Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection

37.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett lay in bed together — **Director:** David Fincher
**Cast:** Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mahershala Ali, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton
**Genre:** Drama/Fantasy/Romance
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 46m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 71% (Critics) 80% (Audience)
Over Christmas break in 2008, me being a pretentious high schooler desperate to prove myself an intellectual, opted to see this film (alone) instead of *Marley & Me* (which my entire extended family was seeing together). Clearly, I was going through something, but also, I became instantly smitten with David Fincher's retelling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. Screenwriter Eric Roth works wonders turning something that is basically a thought experiment asking, "What would it be like to age backward?" into this lyrical epic. This lifelong romance between Brad Pitt's and Cate Blanchett's characters is one for the ages. And if you are anything like 15-year-old me, be prepared to feel very emo and weep off and on throughout.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

38.Don't Make Me Go (2022)

Mia Issac and John Cho take a selfie — **Director:** Hannah Marks
**Cast:** John Cho, Mia Isaac, Kaya Scodelario, and Jemaine Clement
**Genre:** Adventure/Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 49m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 51% (Critics) 70% (Audience)
BRING TISSUES. I REPEAT: BRING TISSUES.
Every year, someone is out here trying to make us weep during a young adult drama, and this year, it's the sadistic team behind *Don't Make Me Go*, which premiered at Tribeca. The film stars John Cho (and his wonderfully luscious hair) as the father of newcomer Mia Issac. The pair go on a roadtrip to meet her estranged birth mother after he realizes he has a terminal disease. John Cho will make you sob uncontrollably while singing karaoke, so of course, beware of the music cues and invest in waterproof mascara. The force behind this charming tearjerker is Hannah Marks, who, based on her Q&A post-screening while wearing a bra/blazer combo, is quite possibly the coolest director I've ever seen. Next up for her is the adaptation of John Green's *Turtles All the Way Down,* so maybe just buy the 12-pack of Kleenex in prep.
Available on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

39.Emergency (2022)

RJ Cyler, Sebastian Chacon, and Donald Elise Watkins drive in a car — **Director:** Carey Williams
**Cast:** RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, and Sabrina Carpenter
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama/Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 45m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 71% (Audience)
If someone pitched me a movie by saying "It's like *Booksmart* meets *The Hate U Give*," I would immediately say, "No, thanks. That sounds awful." And yet, that is exactly how I'd pitch *Emergency*, which is shaping up to be one of the best films of the year. With strong buzz coming out of Sundance and SXSW, the film follows a trio of POC college seniors whose typical "get to the party" comedy shenanigans are cut short when they find a white girl passed out in their living room. Equal parts horrifying and hilarious, it never pulls punches for the sake of the audience, but still somehow manages to be an incredibly watchable romp. Exceptional performances from RJ Cyler (*Me and Earl and the Dying Girl*), Donald Elise Watkins, and Sebastian Chacon make this film's tightrope walk between genres possible, and the screenplay by KD Dávila deserves a round of shots (or an Oscar nomination depending on what kind of party we're at). Never have I been so worried about bacterial cultures. Never has there been such a scathing use of notes app apology. And never has my body whiplashed back and forth between a belly laugh and sheer horror so quickly. Clearing a spot on my 2022 Best of Film list as we speak.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Quantrell Colbert/Amazon Studios

40.Emma. (2020)

Anya Taylor-Joy poses lin a hat — **Director:** Autumn de Wilde
**Cast:** Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O'Connor, Callum Turner, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, and Bill Nighy
**Genre:** Period Drama/Romance/Comedy
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 4m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 86% (Critics) 72% (Audience)
Emma Woodhouse is certainly no stranger to the screen. She was, of course, played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1996 film version. Kate Beckinsale played her in a rival 1996 TV version. Emma has been the center of at least eight television adaptations of the Jane Austen novel, several stage adaptations, a manga, and was famously renamed Cher Horowitz in *Clueless,* which was based on the novel. It didn't appear that we needed a new *Emma* in 2020, but boy oh boy, am I glad we got one, because this quirky, highly stylized period drama from Autumn de Wilde is shocking, biting, and delightful. Anya Taylor-Joy steals the show (as she tends to do) as the it girl of regency England, while a cast of British up-and-comers — including Mia Goth, Josh O'Connor, Connor Swindells, and Callum Turner — take the supporting roles. This is how you properly do a remake.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

41.Encounter (2021)

Riz Ahmed looks into a mirror — **Director:** Michael Pearce
**Cast:** Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Janina Gavankar, Rory Cochrane, Lucian-River Chauhan, and Aditya Geddada
**Genre:** Drama/Sci-fi
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 48m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 57% (Critics) 50% (Audience)
Not a movie to watch if you are easily creeped out by bugs, parasites, or tiny microbial creatures burrowing into your body while you sleep, only to slowly take over your mind and turn you into a zombie. In this sci-fi/horror feature, Riz Ahmed's Malik believes the world to be under threat by microscopic alien lifeforms, so he kidnaps his children to protect them from their infected mother. As a cross-country chase ensues, with the police and potentially dangerous diseased carriers closing in, Malik struggles to keep his tiny family together. And then, of course, there is the question: Is this all just in his head?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

42.Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Paul Benjamin and Clint Eastwood sit outside a building — **Director:** Don Siegel
**Cast:** Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau, and Danny Glover
**Genre:** Prison Thriller
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 52m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 97% (Critics) 85% (Audience)
Alcatraz is an endlessly fascinating subject for some reason. The Californian island penitentiary has made appearances in movies, in books, and in video games. Nic Cage has been there. *Harry Potter*'s Azkaban is based off it. And y'all remember that Fox one-season wonder from J. J. Abrams? Much of the prison's notoriety stems from the mysterious escape attempt dramatized in this film, in which three inmates managed to flee what was supposedly the world's most secure prison. The inmates were never found, leading some to believe they'd drowned in the water around Alcatraz, while others claim it was one of the most successful escapes of all time. The Clint Eastwood action thriller details the events of the escape in what has become a stone-cold classic and the inspiration for numerous other prison break stories. Perhaps, we have *Escape from Alcatraz* to thank for Michael Scofield's tattoos?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

43.Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021)

Max Harwood hugs his mom — **Director:** Jonathan Butterell
**Cast:** Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, Sharon Horgan, and Richard E. Grant
**Genre:** Coming-of-age/Musical/Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 55m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 82% (Critics) 69% (Audience)
If you're a musical and you can get me listening to your song on repeat for a week, then you've got my support. And my Spotify certainly knows I've been jamming to "And You Don't Even Know It" nonstop. The film, based on the smash-hit, Olivier Award-nominated West End musical, follows a teenage boy named Jamie (newcomer Max Harwood) who dreams of becoming a drag queen. The songs are certified bops, and the glitzy choreography is a joy to watch. The supporting cast — including the never bad Richard E. Grant as his drag mentor, Sarah Lancashire as the supportive mother every queer kid wishes they had, and Lauren Patel as Jamie's peppy best friend — also bolsters the film. Inject this kind of pure, wholesome, LGBTQ fun straight into my arm, please.
Watch it on Prime Video.
John Rogers / Courtesy Amazon Studios

44.The Expendables (2010)

Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Jason Statham stand armed in a hallway — **Director:** Sylvester Stallone
**Cast:** Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, and Mickey Rourke
**Genre:** Action
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 43m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 42% (Critics) 64% (Audience)
Look, I don't know why, all of a sudden, the old-man action movie (or "geri-action" film) is now a whole genre, but that's the world we live in. And I, for one, find it sort of charming to watch a bunch of 60-year-old actors pretend they can still fight off hoards of nameless baddies armed with nothing but their waning virility and a bowie knife. No film franchise quite taps into this genre as well as the *Expendables* films which follow Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lungren, Jet Li, and co. as they embark on ridiculous missions and repeatedly grunt "I'm getting too old for this." The plot is ludicrous. The acting is bad. The costume designer decided to put everyone in scarves and hats for no reason. But it's undeniably fun. The films are high camp (think Lady Gaga in *House of Gucci* but for your dad), and are RIPE for a boozy, drinking-game-fueled viewing.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Karen Ballard/Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection

45.Fences (2016)

Denzel Washington and VIola Davis stand on a porch — **Director:** Denzel Washington
**Cast:** Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sidney
**Genre:** Period Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 19m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 75% (Audience)
If you're looking for a masterclass in acting, you needn't look any further than this film based on the August Wilson play, the revival of which earned both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis Tony Awards. The Best Picture-nominated film version earned them both Oscar nominations as well, with Davis taking home the trophy. While the toxic relationship between Troy (Washington) and Rose (Davis) is certainly front and center in the film, Troy's fraying relationship with his son Cory (Jovan Adepo) fights for top billing. An alcoholic terrified of how his own past sports career didn't serve him well, Troy forbids Cory from attempting to get a football scholarship, instead making him vastly unhappy, forcing him into the military, and robbing him of a chance to make it big. Their relationship is contentious, and the film grapples with how our parental relationships can affect us even after their deaths. But oof, those performances, though.
Watch it on Prime Video.
David Lee/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

46.Fight Club (1999)

Brad Pitt stands in a fight club — **Director:** David Fincher
**Cast:** Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, and Jared Leto
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 19m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 79% (Critics) 96% (Audience)
The first rule of Fight Club may be "Do not talk about Fight Club," but here I am talking about it anyway. The cult classic David Fincher film, based on a Chuck Palahniuk novel, is a must-watch, if only to know all of the references people constantly make to this film. The rules. The soap. Brad Pitt's sweaty abs. This trippy film about a straitlaced man's crisis and descent into insomniac madness has become a favorite among those dissatisfied by consumerism, complacency, and the corporate machine. The film is also filled with endless Easter eggs and hidden references so that even those who have seen it a dozen times will still pick up on something new. And like I said, Brad Pitt's sweaty abs.
Watch it on Prime Video.
20th Centry Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection

47.Firebird (2021)

Tom Prior and Oleg Zagorodni kiss by a rock — **Director:** Peeter Rebane
**Cast:** Tom Prior, Oleg Zagorodnii, and Diana Pozharskaya
**Genre:** Romance/War/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 47m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 55% (Critics) 80% (Audience)
Forbidden love. Clandestine hookups. Soviet architecture. *Firebird* has the three things everyone wants most in a film. Set in Estonia during the Cold War (a part of the USSR at the time), the film follows Sergey (Tom Prior), a young private in the air force, as he meets and begins an affair with Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii), a handsome fighter pilot. Anyone who has watched *Top Gun: Maverick* knows how easy it is to fall in love instantly with a fighter pilot, and so, the two quickly launch into a steamy, "put your pants on because the KGB is coming" affair. With horrible repercussions hanging above their heads should they be caught, the pair must weigh if their love is worth more than their lives. The film is a smidge melodramatic at points, but we've got plenty of glossy, ill-fated straight romances, so we can afford a few gay ones. Also, if any gay fighter pilots are reading this, please reach out.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Roadside Attractions/Courtesy Everett Collection

48.Force Majeure (2014)

Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren and Vincent Wettergren pose for a picture on the ski slopes — **Director:** Ruben Ostlund
**Cast:** Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju, and Fanni Metelius
**Genre:** Black Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 0m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 94% (Critics) 75% (Audience)
While I have you here, halfway through this massive list, which I'm sure you're reading every single word of, I'd like to give you a piece of life advice. It would be good to sit and think now about what you would do if you were eating lunch with your significant other and two children on a ski trip and an avalanche decided to head your way. Because that is what happens in *Force Majeure*, and the dad opts to sprint for his life and leave the other three there defenseless. Not a great look necessarily, and perhaps, if he'd considered this situation ahead of time, it would have helped him out. This Swedish film is from acclaimed two-time Palme d'Or-winner Ruben Ostlund and is as entertaining and funny as it is stressful. I'd also like to say that it reinforces for me that people should never go skiing. If Natasha Richardson's death wasn't enough to scare you away from this ridiculously stupid sport, then perhaps, this film will be.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

49.Heathers (1989)

The cast of Heathers stand together — **Director:** Michael Lehmann
**Cast:** Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and Penelope Milford
**Genre:** Teen Black Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 43m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 93% (Critics) 83% (Audience)
Perhaps, you know *Heathers* because you love this '80s film. Perhaps, you know *Heathers* because you love the musical of the 2010s. Or, perhaps you know *Heathers* because you (like me) watched the *Heathers: The Musical* episode of *Riverdale* and then backtracked to the source material. Whatever journey you take in order to arrive at *Heathers* is valid. The dark tale about a rich girl and her new boyfriend trying to murder a clique of Heathers is as terrifying as it is funny. Complete with croquet mallets and '80s blazers, the film is a haunting romp whether you're watching Winona Ryder or Cheryl Blossom.
Watch it on Prime Video.
New World Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

50.A Hero (2021)

A man and boy walk across a street — **Director:** Asghar Farhadi
**Cast:** Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldoost, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie, and Sarina Farhadi
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 7m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 97% (Critics) 82% (Audience)
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has won the Oscar for Best International Feature twice in the last 10 years: once for *A Separation* in 2011 and then again for *The Salesman* in 2016. Well, now he's back trying for a third with this year's short-listed title about a man who thinks his ticket out of debtors prison is a purse full of cash that his girlfriend finds. But a fairly simple act goes awry very quickly and threatens to leave him worse off than he started. The intricately subtle set of moral quandaries at this film's center are as terrifying as they seem insignificant, and watching Amir Jadidi act his way through them is mesmerizing. If Farhadi takes home a third Oscar, it will certainly be well deserved.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Courtesy Amazon Studios

51.Hidden Figures (2016)

Octavia Spencer walks down the hall followed by a lot of women — **Director:** Theodore Melfi
**Cast:** Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell
**Genre:** Biographical Drama
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 7m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 93% (Critics) 93% (Audience)
If you thought those white astronauts made it to space purely because of their own skills and those of their white friends, then you've got the story all wrong. Like many events in our country's history, NASA's space missions in the '60s relied heavily on the work of Black pioneers who, sadly, were given little to no credit for their vital efforts. This 2016 Best Picture nominee tells the story of three Black women who worked for NASA: Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). The film offers viewers a peek behind the curtain into the computer rooms, engineering labs, and restrooms where, despite facing unending racism, these women worked tirelessly. Spencer is captivating as she always is (she snagged a Best Supporting Actress nom for the role), and the ensemble (including my beloved Kirsten Dunst and two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali) landed the coveted top prize from the Screen Actors Guild.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Hopper Stone/20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection

52.Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)

The Monsters of Hotel Transylvania huddle together — **Director:** Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska
**Cast:** Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, and Fran Drescher
**Genre:** Animation/Adventure/Comedy
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 27m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 49% (Critics) 44% (Audience)
Your favorite family of monsters is back on the big screen. Well, scratch the "big," since the film was snatched away from a theatrical release because of the Delta variant of the coronavirus and sent to Prime Video for its debut instead, but they are back nonetheless. And in the fourth installment of the much-loved Adam Sandler-led animated franchise, a de-monstering gun goes awry, leading the entire monster cast to be transformed into regular humans (and a plate of jello, in one case). The goofy caper is just as delightful as its previous installments, and the premise sets up a never-ending string of entertaining jokes and bits. It also makes you wonder what monster you'd be turned into if the gun on its opposite setting were aimed at you. Where's my BuzzFeed quiz?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Sony Pictures Animation / Courtesy Amazon Studios

53.House of Gucci (2021)

Lady Gaga stands in the snow outside a car — **Director:** Ridley Scott
**Cast:** Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, and Al Pacino
**Genre:** Biographical Drama/Crime
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 38m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 62% (Critics) 83% (Audience)
Allow me to introduce you to one of the best performances of 2021, saweetie. That of my pop queen-turned-Oscar winner, Lady Gaga. The fashion murder mystery follows the rise and fall of Patrizia Reggiani, a woman who married into the Gucci family only to be pushed back out again soon thereafter. While it is true that the second half is a bit slow (mostly because of the lack of Gaga), and that every actor appears to be in a different film (because no one reaches Gaga's one-of-a-kind camp performance), *House of Gucci* is a decadent, wild ride. The (Gucci-heavy) fashion of the film includes plenty of men's suits and, of course, the famed Gucci loafers, but also a number of ski-trip ensembles that Narnia's White Witch would be jealous of. Apparently, Gaga will be in a musical sequel to *Joker* soon, so while we wait for that, give this bad boy a watch. If not, you might be cursed by father, son, and House of Gucci.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Fabio Lovino/MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

54.How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Hiccup rides a dragon — **Director:** Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
**Cast:** Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig
**Genre:** Animation/Adventure/Fantasy/Comedy
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 38m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 99% (Critics) 91% (Audience)
IDK why you would ever want to kill a dragon when they are so darn cute, but the Viking warriors in this film franchise really have it out for the ickle-wickle, cutey-patootie fire breathers. In fact, the whole existence of the Viking crew seems to be hunting down and murdering dragons (I mean, truly get a life). But of course, when Hiccup, a young Viking, finally captures his first dragon, he is smitten with how freaking adorable the little guy is and decides to be his bestie rather than his butcher. Thus begins a lifelong friendship and three films' worth of hijinks as Hiccup tries to convince everyone that Toothless the dragon is a friend, not foe, and so are all his dragon buddies. I will also say that my sister probably watched this move 500 times one summer when I was home from college, and the score SLAPS even as you're watching the closing scene for the fourth time in a day.
Watch it on Prime Video.
DreamWorks SKG/Courtesy Everett Collection

55.The Hunt (2020)

Hilary Swank and Betty Gilpin fight in a kitchen — **Director:** Craig Zobel
**Cast:** Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts, Hilary Swank, Ethan Suplee, Sturgill Simpson, and Glenn Howerton
**Genre:** Horror/Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 30m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 57% (Critics) 66% (Audience)
This film's original release was scrapped because of a frenzied outcry from conservative media in the wake of dual shootings on August 3, 2019. The satirical horror film was eventually reintroduced to the lineup after more careful consideration for a squeeze-it-in-before-the-theaters-shut-down premiere. The plot focuses on a bunch of “deplorables” (i.e., conservatives) being hunted for sport by a posse of liberal elites. Betty Gilpin (*Glow*) takes center stage as a wily Army veteran, but the cast is stuffed with your favorite comedic actors as Ike Barinholtz (*Blockers*), Emma Roberts (*Scream Queens*), and Glenn Howerton (*It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia*) all pop up.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Patti Perret/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

56.I Want You Back (2022)

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate sing karaoke together — **Director:** Jason Orley
**Cast:** Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, Manny Jacinto, Clark Backo, and Gina Rodriguez
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 56m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 86% (Critics) 71% (Audience)
While much hand-wringing has taken place over the death of the rom-com, a genre that peaked in the '90s and largely disappeared after, I'm here to report that a new great has emerged. This new Amazon Original begins with both Charlie Day and Jenny Slate being broken up with, only to meet each other when they're both weeping in the stairwell of their office building. But then, the pair comes up with an ingenious plan: ruin the romance of the other's ex in order to drive them back into the arms of their former love. Naturally, this plan goes incredibly poorly, and Charlie and Jenny end up falling in love with each other along the way. A genuine joy to watch, with loads of laughs, great chemistry, and very few cringey moments (sorry to *Marry Me*), this film is perfect for anyone missing an old-fashioned rom-com, but with texting and dating apps rather than love letters over email.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Prime Video

57.Ida (2013)

Agata Trzebuchowska in a nun uniform — **Director:** Pawel Pawlikowski
**Cast:** Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, and Dawid Ogrodnik
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 22m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 79% (Audience)
A beautiful, eery, black-and-white international film about a nun who learns secrets about her past? Don't mind if I do! Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski reached more mainstream success in the US back in 2019 when his film *Cold War* earned him a Best Director nomination from the academy. His previous film, *Ida*, I would argue is even better, and took home the statue for Best International Film (a feat that *Cold War* couldn't quite muster against the juggernaut *Roma*). It follows a young woman on the cusp of becoming a nun who learns that her parents were Jews who had been murdered during World War II. A gorgeous, haunting, coming-of-age saga and character study, it is the perfect high-brow film if you're in the mood for Cinema with a capital C.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Music Box Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

58.Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Oscar Isaac stands up against a car that Garrett Hedlund is in — **Director:** Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
**Cast:** Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, and Justin Timberlake
**Genre:** Period Drama/Black Comedy/Musical
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 44m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 74% (Audience)
I would like to begin this section with a direct appeal to Spotify: *Dear Spotify executives, please put the entire* Inside Llewyn Davis *soundtrack on your site. Why do we get only three songs? I know it’s probably got something to do with legal things, but it’s rude nonetheless. Thank you*. If, however, you would like to hear the entire soundtrack from this Coen brothers folk musical, you can watch it on Amazon Prime. Oscar Isaac plays the titular struggling folk singer as he tries to make sense of his life, and sings haunting melodies in the process. My beloved Carey Mulligan and the scandal-shrouded Justin Timberlake also make appearances (although their song isn’t on Spotify). This under-appreciated, lyrical film should have been showered with more awards and praise than it was. Sometimes, the people just get it wrong.
Watch it on Prime Video.
CBS Films / Courtesy Everett Collection

59.The Invisible Man (2020)

Elizabeth Moss looks up at the ceiling while on the phone — **Director:** Leigh Whannell
**Cast:** Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen
**Genre:** Science Fiction/Horror
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 4m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 88% (Audience)
It may have had an abbreviated theatrical run due to the pandemic, but this taut sci-fi thriller is living its best life scaring people in the comfort of their own home on streaming. In this film from Leigh Whannell (*Saw*), Elisabeth Moss’s husband died by suicide…or did he? Perhaps, he only faked his death so he could torment her dressed up in a high-tech bodysuit that renders him invisible. The floating knives and mysterious footprints start as unsettling but ramp up to a full-on nightmare by the film’s riveting climax. And while it's a great horror film, it is also a startling representation of the gaslighting women endure even in the #MeToo era.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

60.Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue kiss underwater in a pool — **Director:** Mike Figgis
**Cast:** Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, and Julian Sands
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 51m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 85% (Audience)
**TW: This movie contains mentions of suicide.**
Not to be confused with Sheryl Crow's "Leaving Las Vegas" music video (which is technically based on John O'Brien's novel as well and was the source of much consternation, but for that story, please see the *Sheryl* documentary), this adaptation of the novel was an Oscar heavy hitter in 1996. Based on the semi-autobiographical, now classic, novel, the film follows a suicidal alcoholic played by Nicolas Cage who decides to drink himself to death in Las Vegas. Upon arrival, he meets a sex worker, played by Elisabeth Shue, and the two begin a brief affair. The novel, which has been called O’Brien’s suicide note as he died by suicide shortly after, is an incredibly dark look at humanity, but one that still finds the beauty in life (as awful as it can sometimes be). Both Cage and Shue were Oscar-nominated for their performances (with Cage winning), and the directing and screenplay also received nominations. While not a particularly pleasant film, it is one that will leave a lasting impression on you and remind you of what Cage is capable of at the top of his game.
Watch it on Prime Video.
MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

61.Legally Blonde (2001)

Reese Witherspoon talks on the phone — **Director:** Robert Luketic
**Cast:** Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge
**Genre:** Comedy
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 36m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 71% (Critics) 72% (Audience)
What is there to say about *Legally Blonde* that hasn't already been said? Just peruse the unending stream of BuzzFeed content on the 20-year-old film if you need proof. Reese Witherspoon had, of course, already starred in *Election* and *Cruel Intentions* by the time it was released, but this was the film that skyrocketed her to stardom. As Elle Woods, the pink-obsessed, small dog-owning, bend-and-snapping lawyer-to-be, she created one of the most iconic characters of the 2000s. The film is constantly being quoted and referenced, it is the source of one of Broadway's only good movie-to-musical adaptations, and it gave us an immaculate Jennifer Coolidge performance. You've seen it 50 times before, but why not throw it on again?
Watch it on Prime Video.
MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

62.Licorice Pizza (2021)

Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim ride in a car together — **Director:** Paul Thomas Anderson
**Cast:** Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 13m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 65% (Audience)
As a Paul Thomas Anderson fan, a Haim fan, and a fan of waterbeds (although that was in childhood, and I haven't tested one out in a while), I am a sucker for this odd '70s Hollywood dramedy. The movie is a long series of vignettes (some of which work better than others) that follow an unlikely pair of friends played by Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim as they traipse around Los Angeles getting into trouble. A who's who of Hollywood elite also pop up in scene-stealing roles. Bradley Cooper as Barbra Streisand's lover and Harriet Sansom Harris as a child talent agent both give tremendous (if brief) performances. While the film didn't end up winning any Oscars last year, it did land three nominations (nothing to scoff at) and minted the youngest Haim as a double acting/singing threat. Speaking of which, I need Haim to get to work on a new album so PTA can shoot some more of their music videos.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Melinda Sue Gordon/MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

63.The Lighthouse (2019)

Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson stand outside a lighthouse — **Director:** Robert Eggers
**Cast:** Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson
**Genre:** Period Drama/Horror/Psychological Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 49m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 90% (Critics) 72% (Audience)
Robert Eggers’ follow-up to *The Witch* (where we all learned to live deliciously) is a claustrophobic psychological nightmare and anything but delicious (unless dead seagulls and farting whet your appetite). Shot in black and white with a nearly square aspect ratio, the film resembles an 1800s home video as it tracks Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s characters to a rocky island lighthouse. Fueled by alcohol and cut off from society, the pair descend into a salty, windswept madness. This is certainly not for everyone, but those of you with a strong constitution and love of psychological horror will find this a riveting exploration of the untethered mind.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Eric Chakeen / A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

64.The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Ian McKellen sits with Elijah Wood — **Director:** Peter Jackson
**Cast:** Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis
**Genre:** Adventure/Epic/Fantasy
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 58m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 95% (Audience)
With Prime Video's uber-expensive *Lord of the Rings* prequel series here, the streamer is providing supplemental orc/dwarf content by streaming all six *LOTR*/*Hobbit* movies. Perhaps a controversial opinion as *Return of the King* snatched a (elvish?) boatload of Oscars, but I believe the original is the best film in the series. Not only do we get to watch the glut of incredible actors in the *Fellowship* play off one another (rather than giant spiders and gluttonous Ruling Stewards of Gondor), but the action-adventure quest element I find more enticing than the latter two films' extended battle sequences. Sean Bean's Boromir hasn't died yet, the Ringwraiths are creepy AF, and the chase sequence through the Mines of Moria is one of my favorites in the series. Most importantly, *Fellowship* gifted us with "the dwarf breathed so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," which is a deliciously quotable line for nearly any occasion. No matter your favorite *LOTR* moment, though, they're all here for your perusal.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Warner Bros / ?Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

65.Love & Friendship (2016)

A couple stand in a drawing room together — **Director:** Whit Stillman
**Cast:** Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Morfydd Clark, Stephen Fry, and Chloe Sevigny
**Genre:** Period Comedy
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 1h 30m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 60% (Audience)
You have probably seen *Pride & Prejudice*, *Sense & Sensibility*, or *Emma*, but I'm here to tell you about the recent adaptation of Jane Austen's lesser-known novel *Lady Susan*, which was published long after her death. Kate Beckinsale plays the titular, recently widowed protagonist, who, in true Austen fashion, is on the prowl for a wealthy husband, not just for herself but for her daughter. No one does Regency wit and matchmaking quite like Jane Austen, and the film is a thrilling romantic dramedy. Also, assuming you weren't assigned this book in college, the tale should be fresh, whereas we've all seen Mr. Darcy propose to Elizabeth Bennet 100 times.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection

66.Love and Monsters (2020)

Dylan O'Brien looks at a dog — **Director:** Michael Matthews
**Cast:** Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Dan Ewing, and Michael Rooker
**Genre:** Monster Adventure
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 49m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 94% (Critics) 89% (Audience)
As a completist, I make it a point every year to watch every Oscar-nominated film (shorts, documentaries, and song nominees included). Often, this is a thankless task, but occasionally, you stumble upon greatness! I'd never heard of this dystopian romance before it nabbed a Best Visual Effects nomination during the 2020 COVID Oscars. It had gone straight to VOD and boasted little star power beyond *Teen Wolf* actor Dylan O'Brien. This was the best surprise of the season. Witty, fresh, and full of imaginatively designed monsters, this film is a romp. O'Brien's Joel must travel through monster-infested territory to reach his true love, and the whole thing is hilarious and incredibly smart. I recommend this film so often, and it was honestly better than at least half of the Best Picture nominees that year.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Jasin Boland/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

67.Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Case Affleck and Lucas Hedges walk down a road — **Director:** Kenneth Lonergan
**Cast:** Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and Lucas Hedges
**Genre:** Psychological Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 17m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 78% (Audience)
*Manchester by the Sea* is a beautiful, if disastrously depressing film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck both give incredible performances (even if Casey’s more recent controversies have detracted from his star power). But what I’d like to discuss is the birth of Lucas Hedges into the American consciousness. Hedges plays Patrick, a 16-year-old with a THICK Boston accent, who goes to live with his depressed uncle (Affleck) after the death of his father. His performance is so strong that it nabbed him a rare young male Oscar nomination and launched him into lead roles in subsequent films like *Ben Is Back* and *Boy Erased*. He would also go on to become an A24 darling in films like *Lady Bird* and *Waves*. Just as I couldn’t stop looking at this recent photo of him, I was transfixed by his presence here and have loved watching his journey to stardom.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Claire Folger / Roadside Attractions / Courtesy Everett Collection

68.Marry Me (2022)

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez kiss on stage — **Director:** Kat Coiro
**Cast:** Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley, Chloe Coleman, and Sarah Silverman
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy/Drama/Musical
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 52m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 61% (Critics) 92% (Audience)
This is perhaps the most ridiculous film ever made. Jennifer Lopez plays a pop star who is jilted at the altar (i.e. on the stage of an internationally televised concert) only to spontaneously and tearfully drag Owen Wilson's derpy school teacher onto the stage to marry her instead. And while this premise is lunacy of the highest order, it ends up being a very sweet rom-com (which fared well in one handsome, clever author's ranking of J.Lo's movie romances). The best part about the film, however, is the never-ending parade of new pop tracks from the superstar including "Church" which the Academy MUST nominate for Best Original Song or risk losing all credibility. If you like silly rom-coms, this one is for you, and imho does more to prove J.Lo's star power than her Netflix documentary does. I mean, how could you possibly watch her perform "Church" and not be agog?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Barry Wetcher/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

69.Master (2022)

Regina Hall and Amber Gray on a run together — **Director:** Mariama Diallo
**Cast:** Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Amber Gray, Molly Bernard, and Nike Kadri
**Genre:** Psychological Horror/Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 38m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 74% (Critics) 36% (Audience)
2022 Sundance was ruled by Regina Hall, who after decades of strong work in films like *Scary Movie* and *The Best Man* finally seems to be breaking through into prestigious lead roles like that in *Support the Girls*, *Black Monday*, *Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul*., and *Master*. In this horror film, Hall plays the first Black master at a largely white New England private college. The campus is supposedly haunted by the ghost of the first Black student ever admitted, BUT hear me out, perhaps it is mostly haunted by a lot of racists. Hall, of course, is the consummate professional and plays her role as the conflicted, haunted, horrified academic perfectly. Terrifying and speaking to the broader cultural toxin that is WASP-y, elitist colleges, the film has the potential to break through into awards conversations as well.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

70.Mayor Pete (2021)

Pete Buttigieg takes a picture with a crowd — **Director:** Jesse Moss
**Cast:** Pete Buttigieg and Chasten Buttigieg
**Genre:** Documentary
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 36m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 71% (Critics) 53% (Audience)
I think it's easy in 2021 (post-run for president, post-arrival in Washington, DC, as secretary of transportation, and post-shirtless thirst trap) to forget what a trailblazer Pete Buttigieg is. Putting aside how you feel about his politics, his track record, or his stoic demeanor, his fairly successful campaign as an openly gay man was an incredible achievement for LGBTQ rights. This documentary, while rehashing many of the campaign facts that you already know, does a nice job of reminding viewers how powerful it was for many people (especially not those in liberal urban enclaves) to see a married gay man running for president. The film also provides some interesting behind-the-scenes moments, including him repeatedly having to face a likability/relatability question and his eventual decision to drop out. You may not like Mayor Pete, but you can't help but acknowledge what he was able to accomplish.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Courtesy Amazon Studios

71.My Best Friend's Exorcism (2022)

Elsie Fisher and Amiah Miller sit on a bed — **Director:** Damon Thomas
**Cast:** Elsie Fisher, Amiah Miller, Rachel Ogechi Kanu, Cathy Ang, and Christopher Lowell
**Genre:** Comedy/Horror
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 37m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 51% (Critics) 40% (Audience)
Elsie Fisher has returned to our screens! PRAISE THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (for only he can save us from demons). The darling breakout star of Bo Burnham's *Eighth Grade* is now a high schooler in the '80s named Abby who is just casually using an Ouija board with her friends one night in a secluded cabin when, BAM!, her bestie Gretchen gets infested by the spawn of Satan. The horror comedy, which showcases mall evangelists, a hot priest, and a charity dunk tank (takes me back) is a quick and easy romp. It's got big *Stranger Things* energy (down to the synthy score), and the whole time, I just kept repeating to myself "Elsie Fisher is such a gem. Put her in literally every movie that is made next year." Her and Gretchen's perm are really the stars here, and the release date makes this a perfect spooky season delight.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Eliza Morse/Amazon Prime Video/Courtesy Everett Collection

72.My Fake Boyfriend (2022)

Dylan Sprouse and Sarah Hyland stand together — **Director:** Rose Troche
**Cast:** Keiynan Lonsdale, Dylan Sprouse, Sarah Hyland, and Karen Robinson
**Genre:** Romantic Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 40m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 73% (Critics) 54% (Audience)
We are all in need of a cute rom-com. We are all in need of a cute queer rom-com. We are all in need of a cute queer rom-com that involves a faked funeral. And, of course, we are all ALWAYS in need of more Sarah Hyland. Luckily, *My Fake Boyfriend —* which was produced by the folks at BuzzFeed (ever heard of it?) — checks all these boxes. Starring Keiynan Lonsdale of *Love, Simon* fame, the film follows Andrew (Lonsdale) as his best friend Jake (Dylan Sprouse) creates a fake boyfriend for Andrew in order to help him get over his on-again, off-again toxic ex. All three of the leads give entertaining performances, and the film is an easy, breezy fun watch that is great for Pride or any of the other eleven months where queer love is also worth celebrating.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Stephanie Montani/Lionsgate

73.My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021)

Pauli Murray sits at hr desk writing — **Director:** Betsy West and Julie Cohen
**Genre:** Documentary
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 31m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 93% (Critics) 89% (Audience)
I am ashamed to say that prior to watching this documentary, I had no idea who Pauli Murray was. If you, too, have never heard of this fascinating, groundbreaking, trailblazing individual, then you need to hustle right on over to Amazon and give this a watch. A civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks. An African American lawyer whose work paved the way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's landmark cases on sexism. A queer intellectual who sought to understand gender and sexuality during a time before modern labels. Murray is an icon we should be learning about in school, so if you're a schoolteacher and you're reading this article, wheel that TV into the classroom and press play.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Courtesy Amazon Studios

74.Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

Sidney Flanigan looks out a bus window — **Director:** Eliza Hittman
**Cast:** Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, and Sharon Van Etten
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 41m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 99% (Critics) 54% (Audience)
*Never Rarely Sometimes Always* is not an easy watch, nor is it necessarily a fun one, but it is necessary, especially to those of us lucky enough to have avoided making the choice as to whether or not to have an abortion. Eliza Hittman's award-winning indie follows Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), a pregnant 17-year-old who must travel from Pennsylvania to New York in order to get an abortion without her parents' consent. The journey is fraught on so many levels as she comes up against bureaucratic roadblocks at every turn, and with little money or support, must face those crises largely alone. Autumn's relationship with her best friend Skylar is the bright spot of the film as the girls work together on their trip to New York's Planned Parenthood, and the intake where Autumn is repeatedly asked questions with the titular answers is a heart-wrenching piece of cinema. This is also the most effective use of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in film history. You feel every miserable minute that they have to spend there.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

75.No Time to Die (2021)

Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas stand at a bar — **Director:** Cary Joji Fukunaga
**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes
**Genre:** Spy Thriller
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 43m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 83% (Critics) 88% (Audience)
You hopefully don't have time to die, but you should make time to watch the latest James Bond film (and Daniel Craig's last). The spy thriller was widely lauded as a well-executed sendoff to the latest Aston Martin driver, and it includes a slew of great supporting performances from Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, and Ben Whishaw. Ana de Armas pops up in a few scenes as a perfect dose of machine gun-wielding comedic relief, and the stunts are obviously topnotch. It should be noted that the Billie Eilish-sung theme song "No Time to Die" won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year, which makes it the third Bond song in a row to take home the top prize. Now, we just have to sit and wait to see who will be cast as the new Bond and if our next musician will nab an Oscar.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Nicola Dove/MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

76.One Night in Miami (2020)

A man sits in a chair — **Director:** Regina King
**Cast:** Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr.
**Genre:** Historical Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 54m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 98% (Critics) 78% (Audience)
In 1964, famed civil rights activist Malcolm X, boxer Muhammad Ali, football star Jim Brown, and singer Sam Cooke all spent an evening together in a hotel room in Miami. That historic meeting serves as the basis for this film, directed by Regina King (an Oscar-winning actor herself) and adapted by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the play and Pixar's *Soul* (big year for him!). Focused on the relationships between these four great men, the film creates fictional dialogue that aims to unpack race, privilege, and the responsibility that comes with fame. *Hamilton*’s Leslie Odom Jr. plays Cooke (a performance for which he was Oscar-nominated), but it's Kingsley Ben-Adir’s take on Malcolm X that is most captivating. Never has such a long stay in a hotel room been so interesting.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Patti Perret/Courtesy of Amazon Studios

77.Pain and Glory (2019)

Etxeandia and Antonio Banderas sit at a table together — **Director:** Pedro Almodóvar
**Cast:** Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, and Penélope Cruz
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 53m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 91% (Audience)
Penélope Cruz has been in seven of Pedro Almodóvar's films, so it seems only natural that when he was casting someone to play his mother in this semi-autobiographical drama, he tapped her for the part. (He also cast her in *All About My Mother* and *Parallel Mothers,* so we've got some mom vibes in general happening). The film depicts a complicated relationship between the mother and son, one that haunts Salvador (Antonio Banderas) even after her death, especially in his romantic relationships with other men. Banderas got an Oscar nomination for his work here, and one scene, in which he reunites with a former lover ages after the fact, is one I'll never forget. That mother/son dynamic is a doozy, though. Gotta get a therapist out here to examine.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Sony Pictures Classics/Courtesy Everett Collection

78.Paterson (2016)

Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani sit across from each other at a table — **Director:** Jim Jarmusch
**Cast:** Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Cliff Smith, William Jackson Harper, and Masatoshi Nagase
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 58m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 72% (Audience)
I will say this after working in publishing for half a decade: There is no tougher, less lucrative arts field than poetry. We may study the crap out of it in college and take creative writing classes where we learn to write sonnets, but making a living off poetry is insanely difficult. It's best to just keep as a hobby. In Jim Jarmusch's *Paterson* (named after the William Carlos Williams poem), Adam Driver plays a driver (!) named Paterson (!) who writes poetry about people on his bus. His wife wants him to publish (good luck), but he is resistant. The sweet little film, however, is ultimately an encouraging message to do what you love (no matter what curmudgeonly BuzzFeed writers may tell you) and to follow your dreams as a writer (because who knows? They might come true!). We are due for another great sonnet writer after all.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Mary Cybulski/Bleecker Street Media/Courtesy Everett Collection

79.Post Malone: Runaway (2022)

Post Malone plays the guitar — **Director:** Hector Dockrill
**Genre:** Music Documentary
**Rating:** 18+
**Runtime:** 1h 5m
If you are a fan of the concert film genre or Post Malone, then you are in luck. *Runaway*, which covers the genre-defying artist's 2019-20 tour of the same name, follows Postie to various stops on the road. We see him write and record music, perform, and play an obscene amount of beer pong. The production value of the concert is not extremely high (something that cannot be said for those being filmed here), but he performs his hits AND spits beer into the audience. The film gets a pickup at the end when we see his interactions with Ozzy Osbourne (who appears on "Take What You Want"), and there are plenty of great vocal performances throughout. Really, we need a doc about the parties following Post Malone concerts, because those look to be ON ANOTHER LEVEL.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Freevee/Courtesy Everett Collection

80.Pride (2014)

Imelda Staunton and Andrew Scott talk in a doorway — **Director:** Matthew Warchus
**Cast:** Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Joseph Gilgun, and Ben Schnetzer
**Genre:** Historical Drama/Comedy
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 59m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 89% (Audience)
I LOVE to promote a good LGBTQ film, and this funny little historical British dramedy is a fantastic one. Back in 1984, during a British miners' strike, gay activist Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) realized that the police were too busy focusing on the miners to focus on their usual harassment of the gay community, and so he started Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners to help a fellow group of oppressed folks. It’s this fight by the LGBTQ community on behalf of the labor class that serves as the plot here. Hot priest Andrew Scott is here, along with *1917*’s George MacKay and Professor Umbridge, aka Imelda Staunton. The film is charming and uplifting and shows you how underdogs helping underdogs can do a lot of good for everyone.
Watch it on Prime Video.
20th Century Fox

81.A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

Emily Blunt leads Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe through weeds — **Director:** John Krasinski
**Cast:** Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou, and John Krasinski
**Genre:** Post-apocalyptic Horror
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 37m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 92% (Audience)
Please read this blurb in a whisper, because if you don't, then a giant tentacled beast will come eat you, your deaf daughter, your brand new baby, and your dumbass son. (Sorry, Noah Jupe. I love you, but your character here is itching to get everyone killed.) The sequel to the much-loved 2018 film directed by and starring John Krasinski is now only directed by John Krasinski, (Not gonna say why, but I'll give you three guesses), but Jupe, Emily Blunt, and Millicent Simmonds are back hustling silently through the weeds. The sequel expands the world beyond the confines of the family farm and provides some backstory as well. It's an entertaining horror/action movie, and Emily Blunt is acting her ass off (without speaking) yet again. Someone nominate her for an Oscar.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

82.Respect (2021)

Jennifer Hudson sings at the piano — **Director:** Liesl Tommy
**Cast:** Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, and Mary J. Blige
**Genre:** Biographical Drama/Musical
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 25m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 68% (Critics) 95% (Audience)
I mean, it's basically two hours of Jennifer Hudson singing Aretha Franklin songs. What's not to love? Oscar-winner Hudson has an immaculate voice. Grammy-winner Franklin wrote immaculate songs. And the two are paired together here to perfection as we follow Franklin's life over three decades watching her career rise and fall and rise again while she also overcomes challenges in her personal life. While the film ultimately fell short of landing any Oscar nominations, it is still well worth a watch, both for the music and as a monument to the life of a historic Black woman within the music world. It should also be noted that Franklin hand picked Hudson to play her before her death, so you know she's got the goods.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Quantrell D. Colbert/MGM?Courtesy Everett Collection

83.Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Mia Farrow holds a knife and approaches a crib — **Director:** Roman Polanski
**Cast:** Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, and Ralph Bellamy
**Genre:** Psychological Horror
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 16m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 87% (Audience)
Poor Rosemary. All she wants to do is be a mother, but as it would turn out, her neighbors are all in a satanic cult, and her baby is the child of Satan. Mia Farrow plays the titular Rosemary here in this classic old-school horror film, which traffics in mysterious dread as she tries to unravel what is happening around her. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for her role as the terrifying neighbor, and the script was also nominated for an Oscar. Another interesting Hollywood tidbit, which you might remember from *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,* is that director Roman Polanski was dating/married to Sharon Tate while working on this project and had hoped that she would star in the film rather than Farrow. Very interesting to think of the world where the devil's mother was played by the gone-too-soon icon.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

84.Serpico (1973)

Al Pacino stands in a kitchen — **Director:** Sidney Lumet
**Cast:** Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire, Edward Grover, and Tony Roberts
**Genre:** Biographical Drama/Crime
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 9m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 91% (Critics) 88% (Audience)
Al Pacino was famously nominated for an Oscar eight times before he finally won for *Scent of a Woman* in 1993. Many claim that this was not in fact the legendary actor's best work, and that he should have been given his Oscar much earlier for a better film such as *Serpico*. In this biographical crime drama, Pacino plays Frank Serpico, an NYPD vice detective who worked with the New York Times as a whistleblower to uncover rampant corruption in the police force. Pacino's performance here is one of his best and most lasting. Who doesn't love a good whistleblower narrative (especially against corrupt cops)? And watching Pacino use his full force in what is basically an extended character study is mesmerizing. While his performances in *House of Gucci* and *Jack and Jill* were certainly something to behold, I really recommend you go back and watch him shine in his earlier work.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

85.Short Term 12 (2013)

Brie Larson sits beside LaKeith Stanfield — **Director:** Destin Daniel Cretton
**Cast:** Brie Larson, John Gallagher, Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Stephanie Beatriz
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 36m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 98% (Critics) 92% (Audience)
I don’t know what was happening on the set of *Short Term 12*, but someone had a rabbit's foot or made a deal with the Illuminati, because truly, everyone in this tiny indie drama has gone on to have their careers BLOW UP! There’s *Captain Marvel* herself, Brie Larson. There’s *Booksmart*’s scene-stealer Kaitlyn Dever. There’s Best Actor/Freddie Mercury impersonator Rami Malek. There’s *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* star Stephanie Beatriz. And of course, there is the very recent Oscar nominee for *Judas and the Black Messiah*, LaKeith Stanfield. This film, which focuses on a group home for troubled teenagers, is funny, sad, and heartwarming in its own right, but watching all your current faves’ younger selves is a trip.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Cinedigm / Courtesy Everett Collection

86.The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins in a mask with two police officers around him — **Director:** Jonathan Demme
**Cast:** Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine
**Genre:** Psychological Horror
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 59m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 95% (Critics) 95% (Audience)
To win the Oscar's "Big Five" (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay) is a feat only accomplished three times in the history of the awards — in 1934 by *It Happened One Night*, in 1975 by *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, and in 1991 by *The Silence of the Lambs*. And in another bit of Oscar history-making, this is the ONLY horror film to have won Best Picture. This terrifying drama follows the cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) and FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) who team up to find another serial killer on the loose. While some anti-trans aspects of the film don't hold up, it remains a masterclass in suspense, and the two leads are giving some of the best work in their storied careers. The several spinoffs and sequels never quite matched the caliber of this film, but how could they? This is living in rarified air. Or, perhaps rarified fava beans?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Orion/Courtesy Everett Collection

87.Skyfall (2012)

Daniel Craig and Judi Dench stand by the side of a road — **Director:** Sam Mendes
**Cast:** Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney, and Judi Dench
**Genre:** Spy Thriller
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 23m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 86% (Audience)
*Skyfall* is the best of Daniel Craig's James Bond films. (*Casino Royale* fans are going to have to fight me). In it, Bond is sent to confront his past and his childhood in a way that the other installments of the historic spy franchise never really do. Javier Bardem makes a fantastic villain, Judi Dench gives a strong, badass performance as M, and the arrival of Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris breathed new life into the franchise after the underwhelming *Quantum of Solace*. I have written about Adele's opening credits song "Skyfall" and her beautiful performance of it at the Oscars. The song and film are firing on all cylinders, and unless they cast Jonathan Bailey as a gay Bond, I can firmly state this will be my favorite for quite some time. OH, AND ALBERT FINNEY! I almost forgot about him! This was the final film performance from the legendary actor, and as Skyfall's groundskeeper, he brings so much gravitas and verve. RIP.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Francois Duhamel/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

88.Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Sonic sits in a boat with James Marsden — **Director:** Jeff Fowler
**Cast:** James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey
**Genre:** Animation/Adventure/Comedy
**Rating:** PG
**Runtime:** 2h 2m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 69% (Critics) 96% (Audience)
*Sonic the Hedgehog 2* (and *Sonic the Hedgehog* 1 for that matter) are both exceptionally fun, watchable, family-friendly comedies. I have seen both at early morning IMAX screenings with one of my besties. We snuck in bagels and iced coffees and watched our favorite furry blue video game character surrounded by dozens of children's birthday parties and half-asleep parents (and we will be recreating the experience for *Sonic 3*). These movies are pure, wholesome delights. Jim Carrey is giving classic Jim Carrey like we haven't seen since he played Count Olaf. Ben Schwartz and James Marsden have great chemistry as Sonic and his dad(?). The plots are silly but stick to the high points of the Sonic video games (LOVE ME some *Sonic Adventure 2: Battle*). And if you are feeling a little too snooty to watch, might I entice you with the fact that Natasha Rothwell (of Mike White's acclaimed *The White Lotus*) is given some real hilarious material as a bridezilla who hates Marsden. The film RAKED in over $400M, and a third film is on the way. PLEASE introduce Rogue the Bat into the franchise. I beg of you.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount/Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

89.Sound of Metal (2019)

Riz Ahmed plays the drums shirtless — **Director:** Darius Marder
**Cast:** Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, and Mathieu Amalric
**Genre:** Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 0m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 97% (Critics) 90% (Audience)
One of 2020’s freshly minted Best Picture nominees, *Sound of Metal* follows Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who comes to the (at first) horrifying realization that he is losing his hearing. The indie drama, which continued to pick up more steam and accolades through the awards season, stars Riz Ahmed in the lead as he mourns his hearing and struggles to find ways to cope. Both he and Paul Raci, who plays the deaf leader of a shelter for recovering addicts, landed Oscar noms for their performances, and Olivia Cooke, who plays Ruben’s girlfriend, rightfully should have received one as well. This fascinating film also substantiates my mom’s claim that "you are going to lose your hearing from turning the radio up too loud."
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon / Courtesy Everett Collection

90.Source Code (2011)

Jake Gyllenhaal stands in a train aisle — **Director:** Duncan Jones
**Cast:** Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright
**Genre:** Action/Science-Fiction/Thriller
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 29m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 92% (Critics) 82% (Audience)
It's not often we get a great, twisty sci-fi thriller of this caliber. While many (*Old*, *Serenity*, *Passengers*, *Terminal*) really biff the landing, it's rare to get something that is both inventive and well-executed. If it can also incorporate a human element with powerful performances? Well DING DING DING, we have a winner! Such is the case with *Source Code*, the Jake-Gyllenhaal-helmed action mystery that follows an army officer into an eight-minute-long time loop where he must identify the bomber of a train in order to prevent subsequent terrorist attacks. It's using the *Groundhog Day* conceit in a really creative way, and the twists we encounter as we watch the explosion play out over and over continue to pay off (there is a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score to prove it!). Gyllenhaal's chemistry with Michelle Monaghan also pushes this movie into the epic romance space, so there is truly something for everyone. The sole loser in this endeavor is whoever buys this cursed Walmart poster of Monaghan serving haunted wraith at the premiere.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Jonathan Wenk/Summit Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

91.The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Jude Law shirtless at the beach — **Director:** Anthony Minghella
**Cast:** Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jack Davenport
**Genre:** Psychological Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 19m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 84% (Critics) 80% (Audience)
*The Talented Mr. Ripley* is one of my favorite films of all time. It tells the story of a repressed nerdy gay man, in love with his best friend, and driven to all manner of conman tactics and violence when that love isn't reciprocated. Based on a Patricia Highsmith novel, the thriller stars a very hot cast (Jude Law, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett) who gallivant around the Italian countryside. They get up to endless mischief, and they look amazing doing it. The writing is taut, the cinematography is breathtaking (although how hard is it to make coastal Italy look good?), and there are several GOAT-level murder scenes. I also went out and bought several knit, short-sleeve button-downs for this summer just so that I could attempt to look like Jude Law. MA'AM.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection

92.Tangerine (2015)

Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mickey O'Hagan walk down an LA Street — **Director:** Sean Baker
**Cast:** Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanian, and James Ransone
**Genre:** Comedy/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 27m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 96% (Critics) 76% (Audience)
If you haven't watched Sean Baker's revolutionary film about transgender sex workers in Los Angeles, then you need to stop what you're doing and go watch immediately. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the best film I saw during my never-ending pandemic film binges. Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), one of the pair of sex worker besties at the heart of the film, goes on a rampage when she learns her boyfriend is dating a new woman. Finding the "other woman," Dinah, Sin-Dee drags the beleaguered Dinah around the streets of LA for an evening on the hunt for her pimp/BF. A movie about trans people starring trans people, this is a win-win.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Magnolia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

93.The Tender Bar (2021)

Lili Rabe hugs a young boy — **Director:** George Clooney
**Cast:** Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, and Daniel Ranieri
**Genre:** Coming-of-age/Drama
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 46m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 51% (Critics) 69% (Audience)
With Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations, Ben Affleck is a bona fide awards season hopeful in this coming-of-age drama about a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist growing up with his eccentric family on Long Island. Affleck plays the literary, yet rough-and-tumble owner of a bar who mentors his nephew (Tye Sheridan) on all things life, love, and booze. The George Clooney-directed period piece also features Lili Rabe and Christopher Lloyd as the supportive mother and crotchety grandfather respectively. Plus, who doesn't want to listen to bickering in Long Island accents?
Watch it on Prime Video.
Claire Folger / Claire Folger/ ? 2021 Amazon Content Services LLC

94.Thirteen Lives (2022)

Thira Chutikul and Viggo Mortensen prepare to go cave diving — **Director:** Ron Howard
**Cast:** Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman
**Genre:** Biographical Drama/Adventure
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 2h 22m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 86% (Critics) 95% (Audience)
The media frenzy around the 2018 Thai cave rescue in which 13 young men were trapped inside a cave for over two weeks is now immortalized on the silver screen in this thriller starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton as three of the divers tasked with saving the children. Oscar-winner Ron Howard directed the film, and with the somewhat similar *Apollo 13* under his belt, you know he knows how to do a tense rescue in a tight space. The film, which supposedly tested incredibly well in pre-screenings, and you can see why, was set to have a juicy awards-y November release this year before MGM was bought by Amazon. With an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, stellar performances from Oscar-nominated actors, and a great real-life news hook, I am SHOCKED this was dumped onto the streaming site without much fanfare in August. This movie is exceptional and should be in the conversation for Oscars this year. Please go watch, and then DM me how much you agree.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Vince Valitutti/MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

95.Time (2020)

Fox Rich sits at her desk — **Director:** Garrett Bradley
**Genre:** Documentary
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 21m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 98% (Critics) 50% (Audience)
Rarely do we get a documentary as raw and moving as *Time*. The film follows Fox Rich, using over 25 years’ worth of home videos as she fights tirelessly for her husband, Rob, who is serving time in prison for his participation in an armed bank robbery, to be granted clemency. What filmmaker Garrett Bradley thought would be a short film turned into a feature when Fox handed her over 100 hours of home video footage taken while her husband was in prison. Bradley then took the home videos and her own footage, converted it all to stunning black and white, and built the moving, 81-minute-long final product. The documentary, which was nominated for an Oscar, vividly shows the flaws of the criminal justice system and how that can deeply affect the families of those struggling through it. It’s a beautiful statement as to what can be accomplished if you try hard enough, and how important it is to have someone tirelessly in your corner.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

96.Train to Busan (2016)

Sohee runs through a crowded train — **Director:** Yeon Sang-ho
**Cast:** Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung
**Genre:** Action/Horror
**Runtime:** 1h 58m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 94% (Critics) 89% (Audience)
South Korea puts out great horror films, including this zombies-on-a-train flick. When a zombie apocalypse breaks out, a group of survivors must band together as their high-speed train from Seoul to the titular Busan begins to fill up with overeager flesh eaters. Honestly, given the choice, I’d take snakes on a plane any day of the week.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Well Go USA Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

97.Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

Andrew McCarthy, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Jonathan Silverman look afraid — **Director:** Ted Kotcheff
**Cast:** Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Terry Kiser
**Genre:** Black Comedy
**Rating:** PG-13
**Runtime:** 1h 37m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 54% (Critics) 57% (Audience)
If you love humor that involves a corpse, then I've got the perfect film for you! In this very dark comedy, Larry and Richard arrive at their boss's house for the weekend only to realize that he has died. The pair decide to pretend the boss (Bernie) is still alive in order to avoid being suspected of killing him only to find out that he's put a hit out on them in order to cover up his own embezzlement. The result is a gut-busting classic '80s comedy full of gags that involve propping up dead bodies. Not since *Clue* have we seen such great corpse comedy. So prop up whatever bodies you've got laying around on your couch, pop the popcorn, and get ready for a fun movie night with the dead.
Watch it on Prime Video.
20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection

98.What the Constitution Means to Me (2020)

Heidi Schreck speaks at a podium — **Director:** Marielle Heller
**Cast:** Heidi Schreck, Mike Iveson, Rosdely Ciprian, and Thursday Williams
**Genre:** Broadway Play
**Runtime:** 1h 40m
I would hazard a guess that most of us know next to nothing about the US Constitution. Perhaps you memorized the preamble in school, but even that I never understood. Heidi Schreck, however, was well versed in the legal document from a young age, traveling around the country to compete in speech competitions about the Constitution for scholarship money. Now an adult, Schreck wrote and starred in a Broadway show about her experience with this document and what it means for our country and culture today. The deeply personal and incredibly charming show was recorded for your non-Broadway viewing (thank goodness this is happening more and more these days) and is available on Amazon. It will teach you a thing or two about this essential American document while also forcing you to ask, "Should I know more about the laws that govern me?"
Watch it on Prime Video.
Joan Marcus / Courtesy Amazon Studios

99.The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Leonardo DiCaprio shouts into a microphone at a pool party — **Director:** Martin Scorsese
**Cast:** Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, and Jean Dujardin
**Genre:** Biographical Drama/Comedy/Crime
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 2h 59m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 80% (Critics) 83% (Audience)
Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance, which comes within one of his five collaborations with Martin Scorsese, is his portrayal of Wall Street stockbroker/party animal/deplorable human being Jordan Belfort. The role is pure drug-fueled, high-adrenaline chaos from start to finish, and Leo chews up every scene with a campy, delicious, talk-to-the-camera flair that makes you like this man even as you despise him. But DiCaprio isn't the only shining star here. Jonah Hill and his fake teeth also got an Oscar nomination, Margot Robbie launched her career on the back of her performances as the Long Island-accented wife, and of course, Scorsese makes the whole thing sing. It was nominated for five Oscars, and as long as I live, I'll be thinking about the woman who shaved her head in the party scene.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

100.You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Joaquin Phoenix holds Ekaterina Samsonov on his back — **Director:** Lynne Ramsay
**Cast:** Joaquin Phoenix, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette, Dante Pereira-Olson, and Alessandro Nivola
**Genre:** Neo-Noir/Psychological Thriller
**Rating:** R
**Runtime:** 1h 30m
**Rotten Tomatoes:** 89% (Critics) 64% (Audience)
In its premise, *You Were Never Really Here* sounds like a *Taken* copycat. Joaquin Phoenix plays an assassin who is hired by a prominent politician to find the man's daughter who was kidnapped by human traffickers, and then murder the traffickers violently. In execution, while certainly similar in some of its plot, the film is much more interested in humanity and character development than it is action sequences. Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the woman behind the incredibly creepy *We Need to Talk About Kevin*, the film has a fascination with its subjects and nuanced view that most vigilante justice films don't. The score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and the performance from Phoenix also do a lot to move this into a genre all its own. Despite strong reviews and a buzzy Cannes debut, it never quite earned mainstream success in the US, which means it's a hidden gem ripe for the watching now.
Watch it on Prime Video.
Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection

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