72 Of The Best Movies To Stream On Prime Video In February

A classic topic of dinner party conversation: Would you be able to cut off your own hand in order to save your life? I will be the first to say that I think I am too weak. Then again, you will also not catch me hiking dangerous terrain alone. Only Instagram hikes for me, please. This dinner party quandary, however, became real for Aron Ralston when his hand was trapped by a falling boulder and he needed to saw it off with a multi-tool. In the Best Picture nominee based on Ralston's memoir, James Franco plays the man stuck between a rock and a hard place (a pun so obvious, it's the book's title). This is not a movie for the squeamish, and it proved to me once and for all that, yes, I would just die trapped in the rocks and let the vultures eat me. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Perhaps the most outstanding thing about (500) Days of Summer  — more so than the incredible indie soundtrack, Zooey Deschanel's manic pixie dreamgirl rise to fame, and that it makes every person walking through Ikea pretend that it is their dream house —  is that every time you watch it a different member of the romantic couple is the villain. Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Tom too idealistic, clingy, controlling, and unrealistic? Is Deschanel's Summer leading him on, afraid of commitment, and toying with his feelings? Everyone you ask has a different (VERY STRONG) opinion. The beauty of the script and performances, however, is that it accurately portrays an ill-fated relationship where neither party is the hero or the villain. They're just both people who at that time are not compatible for whatever reason. You've just never seen it on film before. 

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Let me say right off the bat that this is NOT a film for everyone. The rock opera musical from French auteur Leos Carax (Holy Motors) performed well among the elite cinephiles present at its Cannes Film Festival premiere, but its polarizing, slightly obtuse nature will make it a difficult sit for many. Adam Driver plays an edgy stand-up comedian who falls in love with Marion Cotillard’s opera singer. While Driver and Cotillard throw the full force of their acting powers into the roles, to mesmerizing effect, the structure of the movie, mimicking that of an opera, is much slower than a traditional movie musical. For those in love with French cinema and looking for a challenge, however, this could be a rewarding way to spend an evening. 

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Every now and again, a tiny indie film comes along that is so undeniable, it breaks through the ranks to Oscar success. In 2013, that film was this tiny whimsical drama about a girl named Hushpuppy growing up on an island in the Louisiana Bayou (although she was never forced into a cave with tiny mice to steal diamonds). After winning the Best First Feature prize at Cannes, the film slowly picked up steam, enchanting audiences one by one until it arrived at the Oscars with Best Picture, Screenplay, Director, and Actress nominations in hand. The film also launched the career of Quvenzhané Wallis, who became the youngest actor ever nominated for Best Actress at the age of 9. At 9, I was still struggling to get a better part than Wise Man No. 2 at my church Christmas pageant. 

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It's hard to make one critically acclaimed film, let alone a trilogy, and yet somehow the trio of director Richard Linklater and actors Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke did the impossible. Starting with the 1995 film Before Sunrise and continuing with Before Sunset (2004) and the concluding Before Midnight, the three trace the journey of a couple who meet serendipitously one night in Vienna. Each film, set nine years after the previous, visits the couple for a few hours as they wander, talking about their lives. The third installment finds the pair in Greece as a couple trying to determine their next steps in life. With the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the bunch at 95%, it's hard to find a more enjoyable way to spend a weekend than with these films. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

"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. 

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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). Now is also a great time to watch The Big Sick, as ripped Nanjiani will be in Marvel’s Eternals this fall. 

Watch it on Prime Video.  

Let us not forget that both Borat and its sequel happen to be Oscar-nominated films. Both screenplays and all the "my wife"s are not just your run-of-the-mill comedy gags. The original follows Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakhstani character Borat as he visits America attempting to make a documentary about the culture as well as find a wife (in this case Pamela Anderson who appears in the film). Shot in a candid camera-style, the film examines Borat's interactions with everyday Americans, all while exposing prejudices along the way as the individuals have to confront Borat's ridiculous notions about the world. The magic appears, though, in Cohen's ability to string a number of random one-off interactions into a story that not only makes sense but also speaks to important issues in our culture.

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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 Joes) 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?   

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"Call me dream catcher. I'll answer." You can also call me an Anne Hathaway superfan (I've seen every single one of her movies) and a Bride Wars apologist. Don't let the 11% Rotten Tomatoes score deceive you — this Kate Hudson–Hathaway two-hander is a hoot. It's a campy sendup of bridezillas, with the pair resorting to Home Alone–level pranks to try to ruin the other's wedding. Candice Bergen, Casey Wilson, and Kristen Johnston show up in hilarious bit roles, and Chris Pratt was perfecting his creepy, overly possessive partner bit here long before his cringe IG post. Also, catch me doing "sprockets" on every dance floor from now to eternity. 

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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. 

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Yes, this is a two-and-a-half-hour Korean film with subtitles, but BOY, OH BOY, is it worth it. Watching Burning, which is based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami, was one of the most enjoyable viewing experiences I’ve had in recent memory. The film (which the Oscars snubbed) begins as a lyrical love story between Jong-Su (Yoo Ah-in) and Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), but just as the two seem to have found a rhythm, they are interrupted by the suave, charismatic Ben (Minari’s Oscar-nominated Steven Yeun). Not knowing what will happen is the beauty of this film, so I won’t say more, but like Parasite, it pivots into something more mysterious, subverting expectations repeatedly along the way. Please do yourself a favor and go stream it.    

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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.  

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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. 

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Does it count as incest if it's your stepbrother? Something to ponder while watching this horny cult classic starring the young trio of Reese Witherspoon, onetime husband Ryan Phillippe, and Daphne Blake herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Based on a horny French novel from the 1700s, the plot basically involves SMG daring her stepbrother that he can't get the school virgin (Witherspoon) to sleep with him. If she wins the bet, she gets a car. If she loses, he gets to sleep with her (again, his stepsister). The film is basically just rich horny people trying to scheme. Think Gossip Girl but with famous talented actors in the '90s. Also, never has there ever been a better use of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" than over the film's final scenes. Also, we need to get the cast of Euphoria hooked up with this prop designer. Kat definitely could use a cocaine rosary. 

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Ready for a fun fact that will seem to come out of left field? The dean from Community has an Academy Award. When he wasn't delivering puns at Greendale Community College, Jim Rash was writing this screenplay, which went on to nab the Oscar. V impressive, if you ask me. Outside of that trivia tidbit, though, this film has numerous merits. Focusing on a rich, middle-aged man living in Hawaii and dealing with his wife's tragic accident and impending death, Matt (George Clooney) is traversing a wealth of emotions. Clooney and Shailene Woodley, who plays his daughter, both give outstanding performances, and the Best Picture nominee tackles the depressing subject matter in a way that is still watchable and entertaining. Not to mention, there are lots of great shots of Hawaii. So skip Aloha and watch this instead. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Please weigh in on the cultural debate. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Every year when the holidays roll around and new lists of best Christmas movies arrive, the issue is drudged back up. Is the Bruce Willis–helmed action film about a cop stopping a terrorist attack on Christmas Eve technically a "Christmas movie" or a "movie set on Christmas"? The debate rages on. Either way, the caper, which sees Willis crawling around in air ducts and Alan Rickman pontificating as iconic villain Hans Gruber, is extremely watchable. There are bona fide Christmas films *cough* It's a Wonderful Life *cough* that are much more of a slog to get through. Christmas films would be lucky to have Die Hard. So "Yippee ki-yay" to that, Mother Marys. 

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Somehow I assumed this movie was about an inventor. Probably because of "electrical" in the title. It is not. It is basically a movie about a man who REALLY, REALLY, REALLY likes cats. Based on the real life of Louis Wain, the film follows Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), an eccentric artist at the turn of the century who specialized in drawing brightly colored cats. If the film is to be believed, Wain almost single-handedly turned cats into the rival of dogs for most popular house pet. Prior to him, they were considered mangy strays. But after he adopted cats with his wife (Claire Foy) and then spent his entire life drawing them, they took the world by storm, with everyone nabbing a cat after falling in love with his illustrations. If you're a dog person, you now know to whom you should send your hate mail. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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, and 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. 

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. 

Apparently, in China it is not an uncommon practice to hide death prognoses from patients in hopes that they will have a higher quality of life as they near life’s end. In this film, directed by Lulu Wang and based on her experience, the Wang family receive news that the matriarch, Nai Nai, has terminal lung cancer. Instead of sharing that news, they decide to stage a wedding as an excuse to bring the whole family to China to see their grandmother one final time. Billi (Awkwafina) tags along but is extremely uneasy about lying to her grandmother so excessively. What transpires will make you not only laugh but also cry, sigh, smile, and feel a gamut of other emotions as the film looks at the importance of family and the ends to which we’ll go to protect the ones we love.    

Watch it on Prime Video.  

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. 

Prime Video (like life) is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get as the service regularly adds and deletes new films from their lineup. Currently on the roster, however, is this Oscar juggernaut which took home six trophies including Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. The film follows the titular Gump throughout his life as he bumbles his way through countless misadventures including cross-country runs, shrimp boat work, the Vietnam War, and, of course, accidentally setting off the Watergate scandal. Perhaps one of the most iconic pieces of American cinema (JENNY!), and well worth a rewatch. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Long before Clint Eastwood was directing his own movies like The Mule and Richard Jewell, he was simply a movie star, specializing in playing the strong silent type in westerns and action films. Perhaps his most beloved is this Spaghetti Western (a genre of Western films created and shot mostly by Italians in Europe and highlighted in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). The third installment of Sergio Leone's Dollar Trilogy, the film follows Eastwood's nameless protagonist as he goes head to head with two other gunslingers as they crisscross the Civil War south in search of Confederate gold. If only BuzzFeed had been around in 1966 to tell viewers whether they were the good, the bad, or the ugly. 

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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.

Your favorite family of monsters is back on the big screen. Well, scratch the "big," as the film was snatched away from a theatrical release due to 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. 

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 patooty 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 by how freaking adorable the little guy is and decides to be his bestie rather than his butcher. Thus begins a life long 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. 

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"What the hell is happening?" will be the question running through your mind for most of this film. After all it is self-described as an "existential comedy" in which numerous people connected to a Wal-Mart-like big box store called Huckabees are trying discover the meaning of life through a pair of odd detectives (Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman). The zany film from David O. Russell (who would move on to more mainstream projects) is, at times, bewildering but such a joy to sit through as the cast including Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Isla Fisher, Isabelle Huppert, and Mark Wahlberg all seem to have lost control of the brakes and are speeding in all directions at 100 miles per hour. There's also the delicious behind-the-scenes moments of Lily Tomlin losing her mind over Russell's script changes and growing increasingly pissed off at his requests. And then there's this all-time great line reading. Someone buy me a bonnet so I can go as "f**kabees" for Halloween. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

While much hand-wringing has been given to the death of the rom-com, a genre that peaked in the '90s and largely disappeared since, I'm here to report that a new great has emerged. This new Amazon Original begins with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate both 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 come up with an ingenious plan: ruin the other's ex's romance in order to drive them back into the arms of their former love. Naturally this plan goes incredibly poorly and Day and Slate 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 that now includes texting and dating apps rather than love letters over e-mail. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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 underappreciated, 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.  

With the recent wide release of The French Dispatch, perhaps now is a good time to revisit some of Wes Anderson's older titles, including this maritime comedy starring Bill Murray. Murray plays Zissou, a Jacques Cousteau–like figure intent on getting revenge on the jaguar shark for killing his former partner. In classic Wes Anderson fashion, the film is beautifully shot in brightly colored, immaculately constructed, symmetrical frames. Also in classic Wes Anderson fashion, the film stars a sprawling cast of A-listers, including Anderson regulars Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston, and Jeff Goldblum. Beware, however — watching Steve Zissou could give you the urge to buy a red beanie. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

With Presidents Day movie lists dropping left and right, there has never been a better time to revisit Lincoln. The timing is made even better by the fact that its director Steven Spielberg is in the middle of an Oscar campaign for his remake of West Side Story. And perhaps even better because the stovepipe hat and Honest Abe beard were all the rage at 2022 NYFW (okay that's actually a lie). Anyone who has taken five seconds of a US history class (or just watched a Rozerem commercial) knows the basic facts on Mr. Lincoln. Here he's played by Daniel-Day Lewis (who legit pretend to be Abe for months) in an Oscar-winning performance. The film got 12 Oscar noms. It probably should have won Best Picture. I'm still not exactly sure what "four score" is, but otherwise you'd be hard pressed to find a better presidential film (unless of course you count Dave). 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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 while we anxiously await The Northman, Eggers’ next film. 

Watch it on Prime Video.   

In the world of melancholy, indie family dramedies, there is only one Little Miss Sunshine, and everyone else is simply playing for second. The film, about a family of struggling misfits driving in a decrepit yellow van to attend a children's beauty pageant, is one of a kind in its achievements. It's a feel-good movie that's not cloying. It's a movie about depressed people that isn't depressing. The all-stars in the cast — including Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, and Alan Arkin — not only give great performances but are also in roles that highlight their individual strengths to bolster the film. Colette in particular is flawless as the supportive mother and gets to deliver the greatest Popsicle-eating performance ever recorded onscreen. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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 enough to quote the film version won't come out for fifty years. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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.  

Who doesn't love a cult movie? I mean, if you tell me there is even just one scene involving a cult, I'm in, and this one features a bizarre, Scientology-like society that is run by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. The Oscar-nominated psychological drama sees Joaquin Phoenix return from World War II, only to be brought into the strange group called "the Cause." The acting pedigree (which also includes Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons, and Rami Malek) is unimpeachable, and the film is also the follow-up to Oscar juggernaut There Will Be Blood by Paul Thomas Anderson. So if you loved watching Alana Haim drive a gasless van through LA, this might be the next PTA movie on your list. Also, Licorice Pizza's star, Cooper Hoffman, is Philip Seymour's son!

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

The Mission: Impossible franchise is a bit of an odd duck cinematically, with a number of writers and directors taking stabs at Ethan Hunt stories before Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie decided to seal the deal as an actor-director match made in practical stunt heaven. Much is owed, however, to MI3, which is not only the first film directed by the massively successful J.J. Abrams but is also the first film of the franchise to include both Simon Pegg and Michelle Monaghan in the cast. It's a bit more twisty than the other installments and relies less heavily than the later films on Cruise almost dying, but if you haven't circled back to the earlier films, you might give this one a try before MI7 and MI8 appear in theaters. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

It took Baz Luhrmann nearly three years to secure all the rights to this jukebox musical, but he had a vision, and the finished product was well worth the time. We've seen plenty of filmed musicals and even a few jukebox musicals, but never an original one based on music from so many different artists: Madonna. Elton John. Nirvana. The resulting film is a romance between Christian (Ewan McGregor), an English writer, and Satine (Nicole Kidman), a cabaret singer at the Parisian Moulin Rouge. The one-of-a-kind film immediately struck a chord with critics and audiences, landing eight Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. And we're still listening to "Lady Marmalade" to this day because of it. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Seemingly every five minutes we get a Sherlock Holmes adaptation, whether that be the Robert Downey Jr. films, the Benedict Cumberbatch TV show, or the endless string of BBC miniseries and TV movies. Very few, however, have given us the great Baker Street detective at the age of 93. In this version of Holmes, Sir Ian McKellen takes on the literary legend as he attempts to solve one last case, even as the details of the crime are slipping from his mind due to dementia. Will the once great mind be able to unravel the mystery before his mind unravels? You'l have to watch to find out. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

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. 

My cousin, who was an admissions counselor at a Christian college, once told me that whenever she asked high schoolers the question, "Which dead person would you like to spend the day with?" they always answered "Jesus." But if you weren't trying to trick a Catholic admissions counselor, perhaps you'd take Marilyn Monroe out to lunch instead. If you'd like to get a taste of what that might involve, try watching this biopic about the bombshell's filming of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Oliver. Michelle Williams and (Belfast director) Kenneth Branagh play the stars, with Eddie Redmayne tagging along as Monroe's chaperone for a week in London. Four-time Oscar nominee Williams should have snagged a statue for this role, as you can't take your eyes off her every second she's onscreen. But alas, she was up against Meryl Streep playing Margaret Thatcher, and that is just an automatic TKO. 

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"Tina, you fat lard, come watch this movie." Is there a movie more quotable than the 2004 sleeper hit? "Napoleon, give me some of your tots." "Your mom goes to college." "Make yourself a dang quesadilla." "I caught you a delicious bass." And of course my favorite: "How much do you want to bet I can throw this football over them mountains?" The film made by friends for approximately $12 — with its biggest star being Hilary Duff's sister — crawled its way into the minds of viewers to the point where everyone I knew had seen it dozens of times and could quote it word for word. The "Vote for Pedro" shirt. The "Canned Heat" dance. Tetherball. Dare I say that this is potentially the most iconic film of the new millennium? I mean, I don't have any scientific numbers here, but I would have to imagine there was a precipitous decline in 1% milk sales post-release. This film MADE A MARK. 

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Okay, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss how the academy hates Jake Gyllenhaal for some reason. The man is, imho, one of the greatest actors of his generation, and yet he only has one Oscar nom (for Brokeback Mountain). Wildlife. Zodiac. Proof. Nocturnal Animals. The Sisters Brothers. All were Oscarworthy, and don't even get me started (too late) on Nightcrawler. Gyllenhaal is giving one of the best performances of his career as an unethical crime scene photographer, and NOTHING from the academy (even though they clearly watched the film, since it got a screenplay nom): "We're giving a nom to Bradley Cooper in American Sniper instead." Really? Really? Ugh. Go watch those movies back to back and tell me who was better. 

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In 1964, famed African American 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.     

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If you (like me) are currently a bit smitten with Willem Dafoe, then you've got to watch Platoon. Before he was delivering one of 2021's best performances as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home, or being a great hotel manager in The Florida Project or farting up a storm in The Lighthouse, he was playing a conflicted soldier in the 1986 Best Picture winner. Part of Oliver Stone's Vietnam Trilogy based on his time in the war, this drama follows three young men (played by Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, and Tom Berenger) as they wage war in southeast Asia, struggling with the morality of their actions. More philosophical than your typical war movie, it is a war movie for people who don't typically like the genre. And as one of Dafoe's four Oscar nominations, it's a must watch if you're a card-carrying member of his fan club.  

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Let me tell you, the world of 1890s magicians was a TOXIC one. Like, the rivalry was just too much, y'all. I love a little "Pick a card, any card" bit as much as the next guy, but when PEOPLE START DYING, the tricks have gone too far. Luckily, this isn't actually a true story, but it is a twisty, cerebral one from the mind of Christopher Nolan. The man can craft a compelling mind-bender, and he does so with this rivalry between Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as they attempt to one-up each other with daring magic tricks. And if you're thinking, I thought Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti were in this movie, you're thinking of The Illusionist, which is another 1890s magician movie that also came out in 2006. There was just something about the mid-aughts that had people craving petticoat magicians, I guess. 

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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. 

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Before Nicolas Cage was trying to rescue his pig, starring in a string of direct-to-VOD action films, and playing himself in the baffling The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he was a bonafide blockbuster star. Nowhere is that more apparent than in this fizzy action movie about chemist (Cage) who must break into Alcatraz Prison in order to stop a terrorist group from shooting evil green chemicals into SF. His companion? The only man to ever escape from Alcatraz, a hardened British operative (played by Sean Connery). One of the greatest action films of our time, the whole thing is easy-to-watch pulp that I will watch WHENEVER it appears on cable (usually in a hotel room). Cage's doofiness pairs nicely with Connery's stern tenacity, and the film makes me miss Nic Cage: action star. 

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Let me just say this: If you have to fake a life-threatening illness in order for your family to talk to you, then you might want to rethink some of your relationships. Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the patriarch of the unruly Tenenbaum clan, does indeed fake near-death in this early Wes Anderson masterpiece. His three children (played by Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Gwyneth Paltrow) are prodigies during childhood; then he leaves the family. He returns to find them mostly washed up and struggling to sort out their lives, given the trauma he's caused. There was never a wackier family, and Anderson uses every quirk and bizarre outfit to create a film that is aesthetically pleasing while it delves into psychiatric childhood scarring. 

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If there are two iconic badass Nickelodeon women we should all aspire to be, they are the megalomaniacal toddler Angelica Pickles from The Rugrats and the too-cool-for-school, blasé Debbi Thornberry from The Wild Thornberrys. The beauty of this crossover animated film is that the two sassy villains get to go on a trip together. Finally, instead of stupid babies and gorillas, these women get to interact with someone on their own intellectual level, and there is magic to behold. ALSO, this has nothing to do with watching this on Amazon, because sadly, the tech is not here yet, but when I saw this movie in theaters, I watched it with an Odorama scratch-and-sniff card from Burger King, so I got to smell the action. Never has there been a more magical theatergoing experience. 

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I had heard about the storming of Normandy during World War II in history class for as long as I could remember, but oof, did I not get a good picture of what a momentous day that was until I watched this Steven Spielberg Best Picture nominee. In it, we see Tom Hanks and his squadron storm the beach, and it is harrowing stuff. But getting onto French soil is just the beginning for the small band of soldiers then sent on a mission to find Private Ryan (Matt Damon), who is to be sent home after both of his brothers have died in battle. The film is a bloody, often depressing, war drama, but the scope is incredible, and even your dad will be in tears by the end. Inarguably, one of the greatest war films of all time.

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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.   

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I mean, this premise: A Reno, Nevada, lounge singer witnesses a mob murder and must go into witness protection AS A NUN. And then she turns the dingy old choir into a soulful Motown cover band! Come on. This is genius. Plus we've got Whoopi Goldberg doing some of her best work, Kathy Najimy dancing in a habit, and Dame Maggie Smith serving us Dowager Countess–lite as Reverend Mother. "I Will Follow Him" from the first film is breathtaking. Even Pope Francis is vibing. 

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I have been to the top of the Empire State Building several times, and I always loiter around up there for FAR too long, hoping that I will meet the love of my life. Is this just me? Was I the only one infected by this Tom Hanks–Meg Ryan romantic comedy about people from different parts of the country orbiting each other precariously until they meet late at night at the top of the iconic New York skyscraper? This film can also be included in the "Adult movie with a cute kid" folder because Hanks's son, played by Ross Malinger, is ADORABLE. I wonder if he can also spell "F-O-X, fox."

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One of this year’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."

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As someone with particularly bad musical taste, I will take this moment to admit that I had no idea who the Talking Heads were until this summer, when I watched David Byrne’s American Utopia, a filmed version of the Broadway performance. Byrne, for the uninformed, was the lead singer of a new wave band called the Talking Heads (the one song I knew by them was used in the trailer for the horrid Matt Damon film Downsizing). American Utopia, however, gave me an appreciation for the Talking Heads, and so I naturally stumbled upon Stop Making Sense, which is a filmed version of their live performances at the Pantages Theater in 1983. It is an exquisite concert film. The music is wonderful. The concert is theatrical. And the whole thing jumps off the screen in a way that concert videos don’t often manage to do. So everyone follow my lead and become a Talking Heads fan. Better some three decades late than never. 

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We start with a mansion on Sunset Boulevard. And oh look, there is a body floating facedown in the swimming pool. Whose body is it? How did it get there? You’ll have to watch to find out. The black-and-white Hollywood classic tracks the events leading up to the mysterious death, as William Holden plays a young screenwriter who is slowly sucked into the web of the reclusive former silent-film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). The iconic film, which gave us lines like, “Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up,” was nominated for 11 Oscars and holds an ironclad spot in the film canon. A perfect film, it feels startlingly modern even as a ’50s noir, and it packs just as much punch today as it did at its release. 

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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.

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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?  

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“I’ll be back.” This Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action film not only has gone on to spawn multiple spinoffs, but it also gave us some of the most quotable lines in cinema history. The former governor of California plays an evil AI cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the woman who will eventually give birth to the man who will save humankind. While the later films in the franchise are more action focused, the original is basically a horror film with the terminator killing anyone that gets in the way of him murdering Sarah. Watch your favorite Austrian bodybuilder deliver his classic lines before his fake skin is melted off and he turns into a terrifying red-eyed robot. 

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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. 

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A recent 2021 release, this Chris Pratt sci-fi film is set in a world in which aliens overrun the planet in 30 years. The future, therefore, is drafting humans from the present to time-travel to the future to fight off the aliens in order to save humanity. Pratt, playing a former Green Beret, is drafted alongside a ragtag crew including Sam Richardson (Veep) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (aka Gail the Snail from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). While the time-travel logistics are a bit murky, the action sequences (especially on a giant, oil rig–style military base) are incredible, and the monsters will give you nightmares.     

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South Korean 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.     

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Before we were Eat Pray Loving, we were Under the Tuscan Sunning. If you're in the middle of your life and finding yourself aimless postdivorce, then the obvious solution is to travel to Italy, eat some pasta, and write yourself toward a new life. In this romantic dramedy, Diane Lane's Frances does just that at the prodding of her friend Patti (the never not-funny Sandra Oh). While gallivanting through the Italian countryside, Frances searches for a new love, begins writing again, and tries to find direction in life after the one she had imploded. If your life is going well, enjoy the breezy watch. If your life is going poorly, perhaps consider booking a ticket.  

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Controversial opinion: I not only think that The Village is one of M. Night Shyamalan's best films; I also think it's just a really good film in general. Members of an old-timey Pennsylvania town live in fear of evil creatures stalking the woods around their village. They must never go out at night. They must never wear red because it attracts the monsters. The horror film is full of suspense as an all-star cast including (sorry for listing all these names, but this is insane) Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson, Cherry Jones, Judy Greer, and Jesse Eisenberg serve Puritan realness as they try not to get eaten. Pooh-pooh the twist ending all you like, but I think the whole idea is actually very intriguing, and you can't tell me some of these monster shots aren't terrifying. 

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THE Reese Witherspoon Oscar winner. That is how this film will forever be catalogued in my mind. While Witherspoon has certainly built an empire for herself out of playing type-A, headstrong women, for producing women-led projects, and for launching one of the most successful celebrity book clubs since Oprah, she earned her Oscar for playing the firm but supportive wife of Johnny Cash. In this biopic about Cash, his rise to fame, and his drug abuse, Witherspoon plays the stalwart love interest who helps guide Johnny back to the straight and narrow under the threat of losing her forever. It's a beautiful love story with plenty of good music throughout. And even if I wish Reese had won for Legally Blonde, I'm happy she has an Oscar!

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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 answer, "Should I know more about the laws that govern me?" 

Watch it on Prime Video.