Something interesting happened this month. My mouth dropped when I saw the new movie schedule on Amazon Prime Video. I’m not going to say you don’t expect Amazon to stream some of the best movies in recent memory.
The March batch is not. This month, Prime Video has awarded him three of my favorite movies of 2022. I take that list seriously. Of the 55 movies I’ve seen released in 2022, 3 of the top 7 titles have been awarded to Prime Video.
One was my favorite action movie of last year, and the second was a mysterious movie about the supernatural. What about the third? I haven’t laughed so much at any movie since. On top of that, Prime Video adds his one of my favorite weirdo movies and the boxing movie that got me thinking about boxing movies.
Each, in their own right, is a contender for the best movies on the Prime Video list (even if they don’t all get there).
Creed (2015)
Arriving at Prime Video alongside its sequel Creed II and the Rocky movie before it, the first Creed felt like a triumphant twist on a classic. Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the son of boxing legend, the late Apollo and his Creed, and his life has never been easy. Luckily, he meets his father’s old boxing rival, Rocky his Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who convinces him to bring him into the sport that made his father an icon.
Donnie doesn’t want to be bound by his father’s legacy of dying in the ring, so he’s trying to chart his own future. Ryan Creed, one of his director Coogler’s most inspiring productions, works because Jordan has all the potential in the world. And Stallone puts in his best performance to date.
Back on Prime Video: March 1, 2023
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Performer: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris
directed by: Gregory Jacobs
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Lost in Translation (2003)
An aging movie star, Bob (Murray), has turned to product promotion for a new career and has returned to Tokyo to promote Suntory whiskey. Charlotte (Johansson) is also in her town, but only to accompany her celebrity photographer husband John (Ribisi). And while Bob and Charlotte both feel lost in the world, they find each other and a much-needed friendship blossoms.
A mix of comedy and melancholy, Life in Translation, Sofia Coppola’s second film after The Virgin Suicides (still streaming on Prime Video), was an instant critic’s favourite. Murray and Johansson shared applause from critics. However, some argue that the Japanese are mercilessly strangers, existing as caricatures to serve a greater purpose.
I remember watching Lost in Translation when I was in college. No one feels more adrift than the average he’s in his 20s, so it struck a chord with me. We’re looking forward to revisiting Lost in Translation on Prime Video, but we’re already prepared for Coppola’s version of Tokyo locals not aging at all.
Back on Netflix: March 1, 2023
Genre: comedy drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Performer: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris
directed by: Sofia Coppola
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Being John Malkovich (1999)
One of the weirdest movies I can remember — one I saw when I was too young to really understand — being John Malkovich is exactly what the title suggests. . Craig (Cusack) is a failed puppeteer who falls down his one of life’s rabbit holes and gets an office job on a floor between the 7th and his 8th floor.
There he finds a hole in the heart of famous actor John Malkovich. Lotte (Diaz), Craig’s wife, is also wandering the same hallway, and something intense awakens within her. I can’t say more without spoiling, but director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman have created a truly singular project.
Acclaimed for its stellar performances by an ensemble cast, surprising script, and originality, Being John Malkovich is a must-see for anyone who likes weird movies.
Back on Netflix: March 1, 2023
Genre: comedy drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Performer: John Malkovich, John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz
directed by: Spike Jones
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Rock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)
Again, a classic I’m excited to revisit. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the movie that signaled that Guy Ritchie’s follow-up film Snatch was definitely a movie to watch.
A case of too many criminals without enough brain cells, “Lock Stock” has become tricky for those involved thanks to a game of poker that has created huge debts. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it now to see a young Jason Statham cast in his first role as “Bacon.”
Lock, Stock, a fun crime flick full of action and discussion, might force you to look up British slang online, but it’s still hard.
Back on Netflix: March 1, 2023
Genre: comical action
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Performer: Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Statham, Stephen McIntosh, Vinnie Jones
directed by: Guy Ritchie
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Jackass Forever (2022)
So here’s the problem. Some people see the word “Jackass” and keep scrolling through this entry. I couldn’t stop laughing, so when I saw it in theaters, it earned a special place in my twisted mind.
As vulgar as it is to question my taste, Jackass Forever is filled with some of the most memorable stunts I’ve ever seen. It includes an increased amount of fire, lights out scenes, and marching band incidents.
Genre: stunt comedy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Performer: Johnny Knoxville, Steve Oh, Chris Pontius, “Danger” Ellen McGee, Rachel Wolfson, Zach Holmes
directed by: Jeff Tremaine
Appearing on Amazon Prime Video: Tomorrow (March 10th)
No (2022)
For some people, “no” is the best word when it comes to how they treat horror movies. Actor/director Jordan Peele, with his three films (Get Out, Us, Nope) that are part of the “uplifted horror” movement, has perhaps changed some. Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer), or as they call each other “OJ” and “Em,” the brothers who inherited the Hollywood Heywood Horse from their late father.
And while maintaining the family business isn’t doing so well, they have bigger worries. No, it has a great slow-burn start that delivers simmering-to-boiling action, and should whiten your couch by the end. Speaking of which…
Genre: horror
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Performer: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Stephen Yuan, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, Barbie Ferreira
Arrive at Prime Video: March 21st
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Yes, anyone who signed up for Paramount Plus for Top Gun: Maverick in December could have waited a few more months to get it with their Prime membership. It was a huge revenue hit, so it may not need to do much to give you a synopsis, but here’s a quick recap. and needs guidance and training from Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) to stay ready.
An extra twist to the story is that one cadet is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Mitchell’s late wingman Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
Incredible stunt work that delivered some of the best action scenes of 2022 (sorry, James Cameron, Avatar: Path of Water is “meh”), and a story that really makes things feel (sorry, Original Top Gun: You’re Just a Soundtrack), Top Gun: Maverick was my biggest surprise of 2022.
Genre: action
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Performer: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glenn Powell, Ed Harris
directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Appearing on Amazon Prime Video: March 24, 2023
