I can’t even begin to tell you how much time I’ve spent lately binge-watching content. But, it’s my job, I love it, and I can’t complain. This week, I’m bringing you a list of a few titles I recently watched on Amazon Prime Video—some for the first time, some for the second.
As you wade through another week, do it with a biographical drama, a sci-fi/psychological horror that’ll make you shiver, an action flick featuring great fight choreography, a quirky comedy full of satire, and an epic fantasy based on a video game that even non-gamers will enjoy. Make these five movies your week’s companion.
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Ray
A bittersweet, emotional biographical drama, Ray focuses on the life and music of legendary soul musician Ray Charles. Jamie Foxx stars as the titular character in this must-see flick.
The film chronicles Charles’ journey from poverty and blindness in Florida to his achievement as a global music icon who pioneered soul music. It also takes us through the shaping events of his childhood, right on up to his rise to fame, then exposes us to his struggles with heroin addiction and his magnanimous impact on the music industry.
Not only is Foxx’s performance electrifying and career-defining, it’s also deeply authentic and emotionally raw. This one isn’t just about the music, though Foxx did play all the piano scenes himself and does sing some early-era songs. The film presents as a peek behind the curtain at the actual Ray Charles, not just a fictional portrayal. Here, you’ll get a sense of who he was and what made him so special, and it wasn’t just his talent.
Jamie Foxx not only won an Oscar for Best Actor, but he also won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award, and 17 other Best Actor awards for his performance in Ray.
4
Vivarium
Looking for a sci-fi thinker with a taste of psychological horror and mystery? Vivarium is my recommendation. The Jesse Eisenberg-led film is surreal and unsettling, especially in its social commentary on suburban life.
In seeking their perfect starter home, young couple Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Eisenberg) travel to a newly developed suburban neighborhood, where all the houses look identical. After an unusual realtor gives them a tour of House 9, he disappears without explanation. When Gemma and Tom attempt to leave, every path inexplicably leads right back to the house, where they remain trapped in the vivarium-like neighborhood and are forced to raise a mysterious humanoid creature in order to be released. Weird? Yes.
For the unfamiliar, a vivarium is a controlled, enclosed environment that simulates a natural habitat for living organisms and is used for research, education, conservation, or a hobby, like plant or pet keeping. Now that you know that, you’ll better understand the polarizing feelings evoked by the film’s exploration of themes like suburban conformity, parenthood as a trap, and existential dread. It’s sharply distinct with striking liminal spaces and great performances by Eisenberg and Poots.
3
Love Hurts
Those who grew up with The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will be glad to see Ke Huy Quan all grown up and tough in Love Hurts, where he plays a former mob hitman.
Marvin Gable (Quan) lives a quiet, happy life as a mild-mannered, award-winning real estate agent after having successfully left the criminal world. However, things change on Valentine’s Day when he receives a cryptic, crimson-colored envelope with a message that reads, “Hiding isn’t living.” Knowing his former partner-in-crime and love interest, Rose (Ariana DeBose) sent it, Marvin is forced to confront his past and return to a life of violence in order to protect her as well as himself.
The action flick features some great fight choreography that’s sure to keep you entertained, as will the performances from the ensemble cast, which includes Sean Astin and Marshawn Lynch. You can also expect a mix of romance and comedy in all the action, but the real energy driving the film is whether one can achieve true happiness by embracing the past and accepting the present self.
2
Fool’s Paradise
As a big fan of Charlie Day and his comedy in my favorite sitcom episodes, I’ll watch anything he turns up in, like Fool’s Paradise, which just so happens to be Day’s directorial debut. He also wrote and stars in the offbeat satirical comedy.
Latte Pronto (Day) is a mute man recently released from a mental facility. When down-on-his-luck Hollywood publicist Lenny (Ken Jeong) bumps into him and discovers he looks exactly like one of his problematic actors, he comes up with an ingenious way to deal with the misbehaving movie star. Lenny passes Latte off as celebrity Sir Tom Bingsley (Day), going so far as to substitute him into a film. This, of course, creates a new, silent celebrity, and what ensues is a chaotic rise in Hollywood fame.
Fool’s Paradise carries its own unique brand of satire that’s both personal and funny with an impressive visual style. It also features performances from Kate Beckinsale, Adrien Brody, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, John Malkovich, Edie Falco, and the late Ray Liotta, to name a few. This isn’t a movie you watch for its strong narrative. You watch it for all the exaggerated fun and criticism in its offbeat concept.
1
Warcraft
If you’re a fan of video game adaptations and Travis Fimmel, or just Travis Fimmel, you’ll want to clear a couple of hours out of your schedule and watch the epic fantasy-action flick Warcraft. It’s based on the gaming series of the same name and directed by Duncan Jones (Source Code).
Our story centers on the conflict between humans and Orcs as the warlock Gul’dan (Daniel Wu), who is looking to escape his dying world, uses dark magic to open a portal to the human realm of Azeroth. We follow heroes from both sides, such as Anduin Lothar (Fimmel) of Stormwind and Durotan (Toby Kebbell) of the Frostwolf clan, as they work with dissenting Orcs to stop the true evil behind the war and restore peace to their lands.
Despite mixed reviews, Warcraft delivers a fun, well-choreographed, large-scale adventure featuring stunning visuals with impressive effects and CGI, immersive world-building, epic fantasy action, and a whole lot of emotion and presence tucked amongst its compelling character arcs. In addition to Fimmel and Wu, Travis Fimmel, Ben Foster, Paula Patton, and Dominic Cooper also star.
Once you’ve had your fill of movie binges for the week, stick around on Amazon Prime Video and check out this month’s newest arrivals. There’s plenty to immerse in!
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