100 Of The Best Movies To Stream On Prime Video In June

Perhaps the most outstanding thing about (500) Days of Summer  — more than the incredible indie soundtrack, Zooey Deschanel's "manic pixie dream girl" rise to fame, and the fact 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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As Steven Spielberg has been wracking up the Oscar nominations for his historical films like The Post, Bridge of Spies, Lincoln, and even this 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.  

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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. 

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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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Sadly, Bruce Willis has recently stepped back from acting due to being diagnosed with aphasia, but if you love the actor as much as I do (Moonlighting, Die Hard, The Kid), then you'll want to revisit this classic. The highest-grossing film of 1998, the sci-fi disaster epic follows a group of deep-core drillers who get sent to stop a giant asteroid from obliterating Earth. It's an early Michael Bay film (before a group of Transformers took his family hostage and required him only to make movies starring Optimus Prime), and an early J.J. Abrams script, solidifying the pair as our sci-fi grandmasters for years to come. The film brought us "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing", landed four Oscar noms, and reminded the world that just because critics hate it (38% on Rotten Tomatoes), it can still be an incredible film. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Billie Jean King. A legendary tennis badass with 12 Grand Slam wins. An openly lesbian queer icon. A glasses and sweatband influencer. It is impossible to do her justice when explaining what a trailblazer she was. Here in this historical tennis drama, we watch her face off against the chauvinist Bobby Riggs in the infamous (and titular) Battle of the Sexes, in which King proved that women can do anything a man can do better. Oscar winner Emma Stone takes on the role of King in an incredible transformation, and Steve Carrell (who I have posited is one of the great villain actors of our era) has lots of fun as the smarmy Riggs. It's a queer sports movie (you don't see many of those), a feminist sports movie (don't see many of those either), and a movie featuring Andrea Riseborough in a ridiculous wig (you see many, many, many of those). Advantage Battle of the Sexes. 

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If you've been looking for a film that is 90% just a young Leo walking around shirtless, well then I have a movie for you. While perhaps not one of the best Leonardo DiCaprio performances, this Danny Boyle film is certainly worth exploring (especially if you love cults). Leo plays a wayward American trying to find purpose on a trip to Thailand only to stumble upon a top secret beach cult run by Tilda Swinton (because who better to lead a cult than her?). The movie is goofy in parts, suspenseful in others, and destined to give you a desire to head to the nearest beach. Especially if you love young Leo, you should give this a watch as it's a bit off the beaten path (as is the beach). 

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Every now and then, 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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"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. 

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.  

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. 

"It was perfect." — Me, lying on my couch having finished Black Swan feeling like I'd been stabbed in the stomach by a shard of glass. Natalie Portman is undeniable and Oscar-winning as the ambitious paranoid ballerina at the heart of Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller. She's twirling (or at least her body double is). She's hallucinating. She's screaming at her mother and engaging in a lesbian romance. The Best Picture nominee is a twisty, delicious, haunting dance bolstered by great performances not only from Portman, but by the incomparable Barbara Hershey as her mother, Mila Kunis as her rival, and Winona Ryder as the aging star she replaces. Aronofsky has never recaptured the brilliance he brings here (not on Noah's Ark or in mother!'s house), so it will be interesting to see if he can regain momentum with this year's The Whale. Hopefully, there are fewer shots of gross feet in that one. 

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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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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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Famously, this film has one of the Best Original Songs of the 21st Century in "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens, and that alone is enough reason to watch this film. Luckily, this Best Picture nominee from Luca Guadagnino has plenty of other wonders to recommend it as well. There are the beautiful landscape shots of the Italian countryside, and the many, many, many pairs of wonderful short shorts. There's the queer coming-of-age at its center. And then, of course, this is the film that introduced the world to Timothée Chalamet (unless of course, you remember him from being the Vice President's bratty son in Homeland). I shall skip over the Armie Hammer of it all, and instead remind you that it also includes one of the best end credit scenes involving Chalamet just weeping into the camera. Such a lovely film. I just wanna open my mouth and swallow the whole thing (as one might do with a peach). 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Survivor - Jeff Probst + Tom Hanks's Oscar performance + Christian Bale weight loss transformation - Christian Bale + two iconic product placement deals = Cast Away. The film focuses on a FedEx employee (SO MUCH FEDEX HERE) who becomes stranded on a deserted island with nothing more than the contents of some salvaged mail and his wits to keep him alive. Hanks does some of his best work as the charming dad-bod businessman turned wiry island wild man. Of course, the most memorable part of the film is Hank's relationship with a volleyball named Wilson (product placement number two), whom he bonds with deeply. The Wilson raft scene alone is enough reason to watch this film. Also, it changed the way I think about ice forever. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Truly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. One of the worst movies ever made. Really an affront to art. An affront to felines. An affront to music. An affront to nearly everything but Skimbleshanks the railway cat. It was so horrifically mesmerizing I saw it twice in theaters. Once with my cousins where multiple people walked out of the screening. Once with a friend who was violently ill on the subway after (food poisoning or James Corden's performance? We'll never know what was to blame). And yet, Cats is a cinematic event I would recommend everyone partake in. It's an engrossing study into how the thousands of humans involved with this film could collectively botch just about every single creative decision. James Corden eating trash. Jennifer Hudson crawling on the ground covered in snot. Taylor Swift with furry boobs. Everyone needs to watch this monstrosity once in their life. (Twice if the #ButtholeCut is ever released). 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

We got plenty of sports movies focused on basketball, football, and baseball. Hell, we've even got a decent amount of films about tennis, surfing, and skateboarding. But pool? As in billiards? Really there are only two (the other, The Hustler), and they both star Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson, a hustler in the game of 9-ball pool. In the second installment, a retired Felson meets up with a young Tom Cruise (Vincent Lauria), deciding to back him on a string of billiards shakedowns. In his Oscar-winning performance here, however, Newman plays a man unable to stay on the sidelines and desperate for one last chance at cue ball-directed glory. The film is a fascinating look into the world of competitive pool (which I assume you don't know much about), a masterclass in acting, and a great young Tom Cruise performance where he isn't in the military. Rack 'em! (That's something pool players say, right?)

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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. 

In a market flooded with superheroes, supervillains, and superpowers, there is only one Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds brings his irreverent wit and crass charm to the Marvel anti-hero who is technically a part of the X-Men franchise. (If we want to get into the weeds, this film and its sequel were made by 20th Century Fox prior to the Disney/Fox merger, so while these were outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe umbrella, Deadpool now falls under their jurisdiction, and will be introduced into the MCU with a third film that's in the works and will cross over with the X-Men who are also now MCU material, but I digress). Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, swears, and is out to get the man who scarred his body and gave him superpowers. Foremost a comedy, this film will appeal to viewers who are less into Captain America and more into Seth Rogen. It should also be noted (as it is on Wikipedia) that this is not The Dead Pool, the Dirty Harry action film in which Clint Eastwood says, "Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one" even though that sounds like a line Deadpool would also say. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

District 9 is such an odd little blip in cinema history, but I really do love it. Back in the early 2000s, Peter Jackson was attempting to make a movie based on the Halo video games (which has only just now escaped development hell to air as a TV show) with Neill Blomkamp, an unknown director. Unable to secure the funding, the pair decided to use many of the props they'd already created to make a found footage alien film as an allegory for South African apartheid. Despite an unknown cast and director, the film became a financial success, gaining more and more support until it broke into that year's newly expanded Best Picture race. And while it has faded a bit from memory, especially when compared to its 2009 Oscar competitors like Up, Avatar, and Inglorious Bastards, it is well worth the watch. Please don't hold the fact that Blomkamp went on to make Chappie and introduced Yolandi Visser's terrifying bangs to the world against this film. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

I understand that band kids are not traditionally thought of as cool. But boy oh boy, between this film and Beyonce's Homecoming, I am coming around to the idea that maybe band kids are the coolest of us all. I mean watch this scene. Never have I ever wanted to wear one of those silly outfits more in my life. Nick Cannon stars in this musical, coming-of-age story about a boy in a college drumline, and this film is so dang watchable. I defy anyone to skip over it if it's playing on cable. The soundtrack is immaculate, the drumming is ridiculously impressive, and we need more films set in HBCUs. Honestly, I need them to release a sequel stat, so I can quit watching drum major tryouts on YouTube, and start rewatching clips. Get Zoe Saldaña out of her Avatar makeup, and send her and Nick back to Atlanta A&T to watch their child compete on the drumline. THE SCRIPT WRITES ITSELF. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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, Earl, and the Dying Girl), Donald Elise Watkins, and Sebastian Chacon make this films tightrope walk between genres possible, and the screenplay by KD Davila 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.

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. 

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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. 

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For diehard Wes Anderson fans, people who loved The French Dispatch and want more, or just people who follow the Accidental Wes Anderson Instagram account, might I suggest visiting/revisiting his stop-motion classic? Based on the Roald Dahl novel, the Oscar-nominated family film follows the ingenious (and obviously sly) fox with a penchant for stealing. Anderson's particular, pastel-infused, symmetrical shots are right at home in this world where every set, backdrop, and prop is hand-crafted for his vision. And while some Anderson films get a bit too bogged down by aesthetics, this one strikes a reasonable balance. I know we've already got a whole Willy Wonka movie on the horizon, but wouldn't an Anderson Charlie and the Chocolate Factory be a vibe? 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

One of my absolute favorite films of all time (especially as a Michigan-accent haver), Fargo follows a snowy kidnapping/ransom attempt that goes wrong when the kidnappers must murder several motorists to keep their secret. That’s when your favorite pregnant Midwestern sheriff, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning performance), shows up to solve the crime. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and spun off one of the best television series to date (especially Kirsten Dunst’s Season 2). So ah jeez, why dontcha go ahead en watch it?    

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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 passings. But oof, those performances though.

Watch it on Prime Video. 

The legacy of this Tom Cruise military legal thriller is largely the quote "You can't handle the truth!" bellowed by Jack Nicholson in the film's final courtroom scene. While that moment is obviously exceptional, I'd say that the movie as a whole is also very watchable. We don't get many courtroom dramas these days, but the mid-career Tom Cruise vehicles like this and The Firm are fun mysteries to puzzle over with relatively low stakes. Cruise is charming and has solid chemistry with Demi Moore. Nicholson is chewing up the scenery as a gruff Colonel. If you're sitting around with family and looking for something everyone will enjoy, this is a great pick. Especially with the new Top Gun and more Mission:Impossible films in the pipeline, why not revisit young Tom? 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

While "if you build it, he will come" is the most quoted line from this fantasy baseball saga, the line I quoted most as a child (to my parents' mortification) was James Earl Jones's "peace love dope". There isn't another sports movie quite as whimsical as this one. Kevin Costner plays Ray, an Iowa corn farmer, who starts receiving mysterious messages and dreams instructing him through a series of baseball-related tasks, starting with building a diamond in one of his fields. Jones is tremendous as always as a reclusive writer who Ray crosses paths with, and Amy Madigan is a blast as Ray's blustery wife. (Her PTA meeting scene is especially fun). Oh and the great Gaby Hoffmann is here in child actor form, helping her father to achieve whatever it is the voice is instructing him to do. 

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Consider The Fighter. Consider one of Christian Bale's extreme body transformations that ended up landing him an Oscar. Consider Amy Adams in one of her six Oscar-nominated roles playing the wife of a boxer. Consider Mark Wahlberg, who played the lead boxer in the Best Picture contender, channeling his own life as a working class Massachusetts boy. Consider David O. Russell's rise as an Academy Award–level director, launching his first in a trio of Best Director noms. And, of course, we must always consider Melissa Leo. Because she gave a harrowing performance as the mother of Bale and Wahlberg's brothers, because she would go on to win the Oscar, and most importantly, because she told us to. 

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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 its lineup. Currently on the roster, however, is this Oscar juggernaut, which took home six trophies, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best 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. 

GAH! I love Robin Williams so much! He is easily one of my favorite actors and his range is uncanny. The way he can slide from comedy to drama in a single movie (and even in a single scene) keeps you glued to the screen whenever he appears. Nowhere is that more apparent than in his first Oscar-nominated turn in this dramedy about the Vietnam War. Williams plays an irreverent DJ for the military's radio station, straying from his approved talking points, often in ways both humorous and anti-authoritarian. There are definitely some tweaks that a version of this film in 2022 would have regarding its treatment of race and the war itself, but it largely holds up, and for the sake of all the Robin Williams improv DJing, it is worth the watch.  

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Groundhog Day is a genre-creating movie, so good that people have been stealing its concept ever since it was made. From Happy Death Day to Palm Springs to Groundhog Day: The Musical, many have tried to capture the genius of this film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, but there is nothing quite like the OG. Murray plays a newscaster forced to relive the same day over and over until he learns some lessons (and finds love).  Makes me want to head to Punxsutawney next year. Makes me want to head to Punxsutawney next year. Makes me want to head to Punxsutawney next year. Makes me want to head to Punxsutawney next year. (Oh no. It's happening again.)

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Cynthia Erivo's Oscar performance of the nominated song "Stand Up" which will never not give me goosebumps and which should have won the Oscar (and thus gotten Erivo one step closer to an EGOT) is itself a good enough reason to watch this film. When she hits that high note! Nearly sent me to the ER. More to the point, though: It also includes another strong (Oscar-nominated) performance by Erivo as abolitionist Harriet Tubman. We first watch Tubman escape slavery, before she turns around and heads back into the brutal confederacy to rescue dozens of other slaves. She then served as a spy, lead a group of Union soldiers into battle to free slaves, and did it all while suffering from fainting spells. A true historical badass (with a beautiful singing voice in this rendition).  

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

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," 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. 

This film's original release was scrapped because of a frenzied outcry from conservative media in the wake of dual shootings on Aug. 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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

If you love a journalist movie, clap once! If you hate the tobacco industry, clap twice! If you miss Christopher Plummer, clap three times! If you’re sitting there at your desk clapping, then might I suggest 1999 Best Picture nominee The Insider about the whistleblower and journalists behind the 60 Minutes segment that blew the lid off the tobacco industry? Russell Crowe (in a pre-Gladiator Oscar-nominated performance) plays Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, the informant working with a 60 Minutes producer (Al Pacino), and famed host Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) to get the story on the air. In the vein of Spotlight or The Post, the film makes journalism sexy and thrilling as a bunch of scrappy nerds take down evil corporate overlords. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

The film about four older Chinese immigrant mothers living in San Francisco and their relationships with their Chinese-American daughters is based on the classic, bestselling novel by Amy Tan. The film, only the second studio film in Hollywood's history to include a majority Asian cast, easily recouped its budget, was lauded by critics, and received awards' attention. And yet, in a case of classic Hollywood racism, it wasn't until Crazy Rich Asians came out in 2018 that the third predominantly Asian film was released. In addition to being a beautiful, lyrical tearjerker with plenty of exceptional performances, The Joy Luck Club is also a piece of history. (Also, if you haven't read the book you really should).

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Elliot Page first arrived on the scene playing a teenager named Juno, pregnant with the child of her dorky boyfriend Paulie (played by Michael Cera in track shorts). The indie coming-of-age drama launched Page into stardom, informed us that Jennifer Garner is in fact the single best mother in the entire universe, and proved that hamburger phones are here to stay. Juno was the surprise of awards season, breaking into the Best Picture and Director races, landing Page an Oscar nomination, and winning Best Original Screenplay for Diablo Cody (who was the most recent woman to win until Emerald Fennell took home the prize last year). The film is a classic high school movie, and has one of the best opening title sequences in history. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

You’ve got to love a classic whodunit, especially with an ensemble cast of the caliber of this one. Rian Johnson’s mystery (so well written, its screenplay landed an Oscar nom) focuses on the death of Harlan Thrombey, a famous novelist, and the family desperate to scoop up his inheritance. I know that listing actors is boring, but just go with me here. We’ve got James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, and his future Bond girl/Ben Affleck’s former coffee-walks partner, Ana de Armas. America’s Ass, Chris Evans, is there in a beautiful cable-knit sweater. Halloween badass/yogurt guru, Jamie Lee Curtis, is a suspect, as is two-time Oscar nominee, Michael Shannon. Lime enthusiast, Dakota Johnson’s dad, Don, is here, and so is perhaps the world's greatest living actor, Toni Collette. LaKeith Stanfield is here without his straw hat from Get Out, and so is 13 Reasons Why’s ghostly, Katherine Langford. And just as a final flex, the casting director secured Pennywise’s favorite victim, Jaeden Martell, and the legendary Christopher Plummer, may he rest in peace. Like, really. It’s an all-star lineup, and there's something similar planned for the sequel.   

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You may or may not be aware that there is A League of Their Own television show coming to Prime Video Aug. 12 that stars Abbi Jacobson and Nick Offerman. And what better way to prep for that than by watching the original film about a women's baseball league forming while the men are away fighting World War II. Directed by the late, great Penny Marshall, the original has Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and others on a team managed by Tom Hanks. The delightful comedy was rare for being a female-led sports film at the time (an issue that isn't much better now) and inspired a generation of sporty girls. This also gave us the classic Tom Hanks line: "There's no crying in baseball." 

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 pretended 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.   

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. 

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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. 

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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.     

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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. 

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. 

If Teri Garr has a million fans, I am one of them. If Teri Garr has one fan, it is me. If Teri Garr has no fans, I am dead. The woman is a comedy legend, and the way she is feasting on the comedic gold in this film is otherworldly. The '80s classic stars Michael Keaton as a man who loses his job and must stay home with the kids while his wife (Garr) goes to work (imagine the embarrassment of not being the breadwinner!) While there are elements here that don't quite hold up, in general the film is sweet and packed with effortless comedy. And while Keaton and Martin Mull both deliver solid performances, it is Garr who really steals every scene out from under them. Honestly the woman should have an Oscar for this. I did not see Linda Hunt's performance in The Year of Living Dangerously but I'm willing to strip her of her trophy sight unseen. 

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. 

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 starting June 17. 

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. 

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. 

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 send off to the latest Aston Martin driver, and includes a slew of great supporting performances from Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, and Ben Whishaw. Ana de Armas pops up in a few scenes as a perfect dose of machine-gun-weilding comedic relief, and the stunts are obviously top notch. 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. 

I only recently saw this Coen Brothers film for the first time, but boy oh boy has the soundtrack been living in my head rent free for YEARS AND YEARS. I don't know about you, but this set of old folk songs and gospel spirituals had a CHOKEHOLD on my church growing up. The number of times I've sung "Down to the River to Pray" with a room full of old white people? Hundreds! But mildly traumatic memories aside, the soundtrack is a banger and the (perhaps less famous) film about a trio of escaped prisoners in the Depression Era south is a fun watch. It's loosely based on The Odyssey for my English majors out there, and includes great performances from George Clooney, John Goodman, and of course John Turturro, who you may know from his most recent villainous turn in The Batman. So oh sister, let's go down, let's go down, come on down to the TV to watch. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Office Space was ahead of its time. The indie film, which grew into a beloved cult classic, somehow knew how to become a meme well before the internet even knew what a meme was. The office is the definition of a corporate wasteland, and Ron Livingston's Peter Gibbons navigates the TOO REAL everyday realities of a horrible boss, a meaningless job, and technology malfunctions. The supporting cast including Jennifer Aniston and Barry's Stephen Root (who just wants his red stapler) are strong and oh so quotable. And then of course there is the iconic, oft-imitated scene of the office workers destroying a printer. Who among us hasn't wanted to take a bat to some outdated piece of equipment your employer insists you use daily? I know I'm lined up and ready to smash. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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.  

For all my queer English majors out there (and I have not done a study, but I'm going to conjecture that the English major is queerest of college majors), here is a film for you to puzzle over and enjoy. Loosely based on Virginia Woolf's novel, the film tells the story of Orlando, an androgynous, ageless member of royal society bequeathed a large tract of land by Elizabeth I on her deathbed. The film is more interested in questions than answers and fantasy than realism, but in its casting of Tilda Swinton as the gender-fluid Orlando, it spends much of its time examining the construct of gender. And if you're going to examine gender, you better do it in gorgeous costumes and sumptuous wigs, as this film does. It was nominated for both the Production Design and Costume Design Oscars, and even if you leave the film unsure of what happened, you will be pleased with how beautiful the whole thing looked. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

In the early 1990s when Philadelphia hit theaters, the AIDS crisis was still ravaging the world, taking the lives of thousands (many of whom were gay men) every year. The stigma, misinformation, and lack of treatment made the disease terrifying to much of the general public, whose fear was coupled with homophobia spread by the anti-gay movement of the religious right. This all made Philadelphia that much more urgent, the story about a man with AIDS fighting for his life while also fighting to win a lawsuit against his former employer for firing him because he was a gay man with the disease. The heartbreaking film is historic for being one of the first mainstream pictures to tackle the AIDS crisis, and for helping to sway public opinion about the disease. Tom Hanks won his first Oscar for the role and is supported by an all-star cast including Denzel Washington and Antonio Banderas. While the film uses some unfortunate cliches by today's standards and casts straight men in gay roles, I think these can be excused given the era the film was made, and what it was attempting to do on behalf of the queer community. A monumental piece of history that is worth revisiting this month. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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.  

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. 

At this point we've all seen plenty of boxing movies. Rocky, Creed, The Fighter, Million Dollar Baby. But when it comes to artistry, none quite matches Martin Scorsese's boxing epic. The early Scorsese film earned eight Oscar nominations including his first for Best Director, a win for his longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, Robert DeNiro's second Oscar win (and somehow his most recent), and Joe Pesci's first nomination. The black-and-white film follows DeNiro's Jake LaMotta, a self-destructive boxer as he bulldozes through his life, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. It also must be said that DeNiro is BUILT in this film. He put on 60 pounds of muscle for the role, and I would be terrified to meet him in the ring. (Full disclosure, I'd be terrified to meet almost anyone in a boxing ring, but 1980 DeNiro especially). 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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. 

Ah, the film that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar for. In the Alejandro Inarritu film, DiCaprio plays an American frontiersman Hugh Glass, who goes on a mission to avenge the death of his son. Leo is giving a very believable performance here as a man stranded alone in the wilderness during winter. Mostly because he did actually endure all manner of hardship on the set while method acting with the best of them. Personally I think Leo has better performances, but it's hard to argue with how impressive the 12-time Oscar nominated film here is. The opening, single-shot war scene is one of the best I've ever seen, and the landscape shot here would make National Geographic jealous. Also, this film made me realize that if a bear mauls you, I think the move is just to die. Nothing good is gonna come later. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Here is my chance to plug my ranking of Leonardo DiCaprio's film performances. I am a massive fan of Leo (the internet is telling me the technical term is a DiCaprihoe), and his performance here is exceptional. In his lineup of buzzy, big-budget films, this small period drama certainly isn't his most well-known work. If it wasn't for the historic reunion of the Titanic stars, here in another doomed romance, the film likely wouldn't have registered at all. I love this quiet little film though and DiCaprio's performance in it. What happens when you're in your 30s, seemingly have everything you've ever dreamed of, and are still profoundly unhappy? That's what Kate and Leo grapple with here as their marriage and life disintegrates through repeated acts of depressed self-sabotage. Michael Shannon gives an Oscar-nominated performance as the other man, and Kathy Bates is great as a blithering realtor. This makes me excited to watch Sam Mendes' upcoming project with Olivia Colman and Colin Firth that appears to be in this vein. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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 Oscar-nominated. 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. 

Before Wes Anderson's style and filmmaking became legendary, he made a little film called Rushmore about a high school student (Jason Schwartzman) and a rich middle-aged man (Bill Murray) who become friends, until they realize they are both in love with the same teacher at his school. Watching the quirky picture, you can see the budding of Anderson's signature style, but it doesn't get in the way of the storytelling, as it does in some of his later works. Murray is fabulous (as always), and Schwartzman keeps up with him the entire time. While the film was not initially successful, it's picked up more and more fans over the years as Anderson's star has risen. Its soundtrack, full of British Invasion tracks, is another reason to watch, if you needed one. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

The movie that single-handedly taught a generation of kids who "the Great Bambino" (not "the Great Bambi") is. This nostalgic film about nine boys who spend a summer playing baseball together is a quotable classic. Even as someone who played only one year of T-ball, I gained a reverence for America's favorite pastime from watching this film, and it made me wish I'd spent summer breaks trying chewing tobacco, riding carnival rides, and hitting home runs into dog-guarded backyards. I can't watch 4th of July fireworks without thinking of this movie. I can't see a public pool without thinking of this movie. And of course, I can't hear "Tequila" without getting vivid images of the gang vomiting off a a fair ride. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Hilary Faye Stockard is FILLED with Christ's love and will keep you from backsliding into the flames of hell. Mandy Moore's devoutly Christian high schooler is one of the most entertaining characters I've seen on screen, especially as someone who grew up in the extremely Evangelical world of purity conferences, prayer groups, and not playing Mario Kart because Bowser was considered a demonic figure. This high school comedy follows Mary Cummings (Jena Malone) as she struggles with a crisis of faith and the reactions of her friends. The Princess Diaries' Heather Matarazzo is here with delightfully feathered hair, Macaulay Culkin is here as the non-Christian rebel, and Lord knows I love a plot involving an attempted exorcism in the back of a handicap-accessible van. Thank Father, Son, and Holy Ghost/House of Gucci for this one. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

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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It's such a shame they cut Shrek dressed in leather, floating in the sky and dancing to a "Macarena"/"Material Girl" remix from the original film. Truly one of the most pivotal scenes in cinema, and you can only find it on TikTok. BUT moving on to the actual Oscar-winning film, itself, it is in fact perfection on screen. From the opening that uses Smash Mouth's "All Star" to the karaoke dance party at the end, the film is a blast. The clever setup involving an ogre rescuing a fairy tale princess. The voice acting from Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Michael Myers, and Eddie Murphy. The "Welcome to Duloc" song. I ride hard for Shrek (and it's perfect sequel). It's like an onion (not a parfait). Every time you watch it, a new layer is pealed back to its masterfulness. I'm gonna stay up late, watching this movie, and in the morning, I'm making waffles. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

Some would say (and by “some” I mean “me”) that Paul Giamatti’s best work is in Big Fat Liar. Far more would say he shines in this Best Picture nominee. The dramedy follows Giamatti’s depressed, unsuccessful writer, Miles, and his has-been soap opera star, Jack (Thomas Haden Church in an Oscar-nominated role), as the pair take a trip to wine country before Jack’s wedding. What follows is a chaotic, rambling film that is somehow cheerful, depressing, inspiring, and hilarious all in one swoop. It’s a rumination on aging and friendship that snatched five Oscar nominations and took home the trophy for the screenplay. 

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The way crop circles truly took over all my mental energy after this film came out. Growing up with a cornfield for a back yard, I was CONVINCED that aliens were gonna come down and leave me messages of doom via crushed corn stalks. While M. Night Shyamalan's career may have wandered off into the fields and never returned (Old is one of the worst movies I've ever seen), his early work remains largely unimpeachable. This sci-fi horror flick about a family facing an extraterrestrial invasion is engrossing and has fun performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, and Cherry Jones. Watching it does involve seeing Mel Gibson on screen, but the truly terrifying birthday party scene makes up for that. I'm also fairly certain my roommate was HIGHLY impacted by this film, because why else would she leave half-drunk glasses of water all over our apartment? 

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If you are one of the 12 people left on Earth who doesn't know the twist ending of The Sixth Sense, then please, for the love of god, go watch this movie. I'm not going to spoil it, but not everyone is as considerate as me regarding 20-year-old spoilers. But I will say that Haley Joel Osment's "I see dead people" means that he can see ghosts. They're chatting him up and passing along messages they'd like relayed to their living loved ones. Of course, he sees the terrifying Mischa Barton ghost, but he also imparts a message from his grandmother to his mom (Toni Collette) in this Oscar nomination-earning scene. I don't know if we have a definitive ranking, but I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that HJO in this film might be the cutest medium ever?

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Winning one Oscar is a monumental feat. Winning eight is mind-blowing. And yet this tiny film about a boy growing up in India somehow managed to swipe eight statuettes, including the one for Best Picture. Slumdog Millionaire follows Jamal (Dev Patel in his breakthrough performance) who wins the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and then must recount the story of his life to the authorities to prove how he knew the answers to the questions. With a snappy soundtrack, a final Bollywood dance number, and a heartwarming central romance, the film was as much a crowd-pleaser as it was a gritty drama. It also really makes you wonder what questions they'd have to ask in order for you to win a trivia show. 

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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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The influence of Taken on our cinematic landscape cannot be overstated. In 2008, when it was released, the whole thing was seen as an anomaly. An action film starring a nearly 60-year-old actor most notable for dramas like Schindler's List? Who would go and see that? Well, apparently, a lot of people (and a lot of dads). The film was so successful, that it launched a whole genre of old-man action films, including a dozen for Liam Neeson himself. Now Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Mel Gibson are all talking up their "very particular sets of skills." Despite all of the flawed follow-ups, however, Taken still stands as the exemplar of the genre, and far be it from me to pass up an evening of Neeson taking out 50 baddies, all half his age. 

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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 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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Here's the thing about Top Gun. It is not nearly as good as its sequel Top Gun: Maverick. BUT it is well worth watching to better understand the masterpiece that is Top Gun: Maverick. Where did Maverick come from? What was he like when he was in Top Gun, his flight school? Who is Goose? Why is Meg Ryan randomly in one of these flashback scenes? These are all questions that you'd likely ask while watching the incredible film Top Gun: Maverick if you didn't watch Top Gun first. Top Gun also does include lots of flying and goofy nicknames on its own, so that's another reason to watch this film. Mostly though, you should watch it so you can then go to the theaters and watch Top Gun: Maverick, which is one of the best films of the year. 

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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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You know what Twilight is. It is a vampire love story based on a book by Stephenie Meyer in which a hot, pale vampire named Edward Cullen falls in love with a less hot, less pale girl named Bella Swan, who also happens to have a romance with a more hot, even less pale werewolf named Jacob Black. Those three roles are played by two of the finest actors of our generation Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I think this movie and its sequels are incredible pieces of camp filmmaking, and I would like to send the Volturi to the homes of my four colleagues who gave Pattinson's performance here low placement on this comprehensive ranking. It also must be said that the soundtrack to this film is one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. I would lastly like to say that I did in fact attend multiple midnight screenings for the Twilight films under the guise of my very straight love for Alice Cullen, when in actuality I was a homosexual, and so I have the clout to say that these films are in fact art and you should in fact watch them. 

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I cannot think of this movie without singing this song to myself. I'm waiting for the Samuel L. Jackson cover. M. Night Shyamalan's follow up to The Sixth Sense was this remixed superhero tale about a man with super strength (Bruce Willis) whose kryptonite is water, and a man with brittle bones (Jackson) but a powerful mind. The film appeared to be a standalone until the characters were revisited 14 years later with the release of Split and then Glass to complete a superhero trilogy. Willis and Jackson appear to be having a lot of fun here, and their chemistry makes the campy flick work. 

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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 post-divorce, 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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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?" 

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Roller derby is quite possibly the most terrifying sport on the planet. It is a race, but you also get to beat people up, and you're also going super fast on wheels around in circles? Which sick human being invented this sadistic endeavor? The invention of roller derby, however, is not the focus of this dramedy directed by Drew Barrymore, who also stars in it. Elliot Page, Barrymore, Kristin Wiig, and others make up the Hurl Scouts who compete against the Holy Rollers (both good punny names). I can't even fathom wanting to do this for fun, but I did watch the movie for fun, so there's that. 

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You may remember from this year's Oscars presentation of Best Cinematography that White Men Can't Jump has just turned 30. In honor of its birthday and the big 3-0, you should probably watch it. The sports comedy stars Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as a pair of basketball hustlers who trick other players into betting against Harrelson assuming that he can't play basketball. Why? Because white men can't jump. Duh! The pair have great chemistry as they do with Rosie Perez who plays Harrelson's girlfriend. A remake of the film is currently in the works as well, so now's a great time to check out this one so you can tell all your friends "the original was way better" when you go see the new one. 

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Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance which comes within one of his five collaborations with Martin Scorses 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. 

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And last, but certainly not least, we've got recent Oscar-winning Best Actress Jessica Chastain starring in Oscar-winning Best Director Kathryn Bigelow's Best Picture nominee about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. A taut, military thriller, the film follows the team of Americans post-9/11 who were searching for the terrorist kingpin behind the attacks. Chastain is excellent here (when is she not?) and a supporting cast that includes Joel Edgerton, James Gandolfini, Chris Pratt, and plenty of others bolsters the film. I personally didn't know much about this mission when I watched the film, and seeing everything that went into tracking bin Laden down was incredible (and slightly terrifying if you think about it). Should it have won more Oscars than it did? Absolutely. 

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